Category City News
More affordable housing is on the way after Salem City Council approves church property conversion
DevNW is hoping to turn Evergreen Church into 19 units of affordable housing. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A former church in a downtown Salem neighborhood will be remodeled into apartments after action by the Salem City Council Monday that won’t please some area residents. By a…
Salem area unemployment drops. But not as much as previous months
A graph from the Oregon Employment Department shows the steep rise in unemployment following pandemic restrictions and how it has gradually tapered off. (Courtesy/Oregon Employment Department) Following the rest of the state and country, the unemployment rate for the Salem area continued to decrease last…
BUSINESS ROUNDUP: X-mas benefits expiration, waiting week waiver ends, help for homeowners and restaurants
Oregon Employment Department. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) There’s a lot going on business. To help keep you up to speed, the Salem Reporter has launched a semi-regular roundup of business-related items that includes new business openings, locations, grant opportunities and others. To suggest an item, reach…
Former Salem city councilor faced ethics complaint for failing to disclose potential conflict of interest
Salem City Council Chambers. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A former Salem city councilor was the subject of an ethics complaint after failing to disclose a potential conflict of interest during a Salem City Council meeting this summer. During a June meeting, the council denied awarding federal…
AGENDA: Salem Climate Action Plan task force holds first workshop Wednesday
Salem’s Climate Action Plan task force is holding its first workshop Wednesday, Nov. 17. Salem’s Climate Action Plan task force is meeting Wednesday morning for its first workshop to begin charting a 30-year course on how it will respond to climate change. The city is…
BUSINESS ROUNDUP: New Covid regulations, empty box retailer for sale, Santiam Canyon rebuilding update, get stimulated and safety training en Español
Masks and protective gear are part of the job as laborers in essential fields continue working. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) There’s a lot going on business. To help keep you up to speed, the Salem Reporter has launched a semi-regular roundup of business-related items that includes…
AGENDA: Salem City Council to discuss short-term goals for the city
Salem city council chambers on Wednesday, September 30. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The Salem City Council will discuss future goals for housing, growth and economic development at a work session Monday night that will guide the city for the next three to five years. The Salem…
Salem’s water plant ready to handle wildfire runoff, protect drinking water
Situated on an island in the middle of the North Santiam River near Stayton, the Geren Island Water Treatment Facility faces unprecedented challenges in providing clean water to Salem users. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) At 1 a.m. on Sept. 8, Tim Sherman, his wife, daughter, and…
Salem’s unemployment rate has followed state and nation trends. But the numbers tell a deeper story
Employment in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area has stayed close to trends in Oregon and the U.S. (Pam Ferrara) Salem’s unemployment rate declined in September to 7.8%, closely tracking Oregon and U.S. unemployment rates (see graph). These rates track closely because the mix of industries…