Category Business
Despite high demand, Salem vegan chocolate manufacturer Chomp shuts down factory
Ben Bailey, founder of Salem’s Chomp Chocolates, is pivoting the business to a custom-order online chocolate bar company with vegan and non-vegan options. He said cocoa price increases, tariffs and other challenges made artisanal manufacturing in bulk unsustainable for the company.
Oregon unemployment rate creeps to 5% following post-Covid recovery
Oregon is losing jobs in health care, professional services and manufacturing, while adding jobs in construction and transportation.
D Street Grocery Outlet will close in September, move to S Commercial
The Portland real estate developer who owns the north Grocery Outlet property said he’s committed to working with the Grant Neighborhood Association to bring in a new tenant for the grocery store space.
Hunter Communications expands its fiber internet into Salem
An Oregon company aims to give Salem another choice for internet service by the end of the year in a market dominated by Xfinity.
City picks veteran Salem developer to transform Block 45 next to Riverfront Park
A firm led by Charles Weathers, the developer behind the Fork Forty Food Hall, will get a chance to remake a vacant south downtown block with a mix of apartments, event space and more (but no grocery store).
Oregon ditches farm stand regulations after public outcry
Land use groups say they're fine dropping farm stand regulations and want to focus on other efforts like urban growth planning and the rezoning of agricultural land.
UPDATED: School board unanimously approves teacher union contract
School board directors approved with little discussion a $38 million two-year contract for district teachers.
Oregon to install ‘executive’ SNAP error watchdogs after new federal aid restrictions
The state’s human services department anticipates that the largest chunk of federal cuts estimated to impact the agency will come from new federal cost-sharing measures for food stamps.
Immigration arrest of farmworkers sends ‘chilling effect’ through Marion County
At peak blueberry harvest season, the arrest of four farmworkers in Woodburn on Aug. 7 is raising concerns among advocates and agriculturalists.