Category City News
Salem declares state of emergency on homelessness, but scraps shelter plan
City Manager Steve Powers responds to questions from the a crowd of neighbors at Pringle Community Hall. Plans to turn the hall into an emergency shelter were scrapped Tuesday night. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Salem City Council officially declared a state of emergency around homelessness Tuesday…
State of the City 2020: What local leaders think
Mayor Chuck Bennett responds to questions from the a crowd of neighbors at Pringle Community Hall. The city plans to turn the hall into an emergency homeless shelter through the end of March. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Salem’s homeless residents, the city’s budget and infrastructure will…
Neighbors unsettled over plans to turn Pringle Hall into emergency homeless shelter
City Manager Steve Powers responds to questions from the crowd of neighbors at Pringle Community Hall. The city plans to turn the hall into an emergency homeless shelter through the end of March. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Neighbors of a community center near downtown Salem made…
Housing affordability worsened in Oregon in last decade with low construction rates
Capital Manor’s original tower stands in the distance while construction crews build 17 new duplexes to the west. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Despite Oregon’s widespread housing shortage, the amount of housing built in the state during the last decade reached a record low. That was one…
Mike Swaim, outspoken former Salem mayor, dies at 76
Salem city hall (Salem Reporter) Mike Swaim, a former Salem mayor known for positioning himself against development in the city, died Dec. 17. He was 76. His wife, Kellie Swaim, said Swaim suffered a severe stroke while undergoing heart surgery at Salem Health. He was…
Kaser won’t seek second term on Salem City Council
Yet another seat on Salem City Council will be wide open this year. Citing major changes with both her family and her career, Councilor Cara Kaser told Salem Reporter on Saturday morning she won’t seek a second term as one of the city’s nine policymakers.…
Salem leaders decide to shelter homeless instead of setting up public camping
People sleep on mats at a warming shelter at First Presbyterian Church during a cold snap earlier this year. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Tasked with finding a place for homeless residents to legally camp, Salem’s elected leaders on Monday night decided instead to take them indoors.…
Salem economy strong heading into the holidays, despite recent shakeup
People shop in downtown Salem. (File/Caleb Wolfe/Special to Salem Reporter) Oregon’s economy is strong heading into the holiday season, and Salem is no exception. Unemployment is at historic lows, wages are growing, and people have money to spend, a reversal from the recession a decade…
Oregon’s economy remains strong heading into the holiday season
Jim Whitbeck, right, discusses a display Friday with Carolyn Brandt and Eric Lincolnat his business Blue Mountain Outfitters in La Grande. The business is going on 5 1/2 years of growth. (Ronald Bond/La Grande Observer) It’s a good time to be a holiday shopper in…