Category City News

West Salem freshwater levels back to normal after sewer pipes broke
The city of Salem is continuing to monitor two newly repaired pipes that failed last week, disrupting the sewer system in West Salem and forcing crews to let raw sewage spill onto fields.

COLUMN: Mental illness isn’t as simple as “Why don’t they just…?”
Columnist and homeless advocate Lynelle Wilcox shares stories from homeless women about the challenges of finding and staying on psychiatric medication.

Thousands of Regence members to lose in-network care at Salem Health, insurer says
After months of stalled negotiations, insurance company Regence BlueCross BlueShield announced that effective Jan. 1, Salem Health providers and facilities will be out-of-network after a failure to reach a contract.

The biggest stories in Salem in 2024
Nonprofit leaders with nearly a century of collective experience retired this year, Salem built more apartments than anytime in recent memory, and residents rallied to save library services.

City restores full sewer service to West Salem after two days of restrictions
City crews opened sewer service for West Salem on Saturday night after crews completed repairs on two failed pipelines. Officials caution people to avoid contact with contaminated water in areas east of Northwest Wallace Road.

Fix on second sewer pipe progressing, city expects to restore West Salem service Sunday
A second ruptured sewer main should be fixed Saturday evening, allowing the city of Salem to resume pumping sewage from West Salem on Sunday morning, city spokesman Trevor Smith said. More than 30 people have been working round-the-clock on site to repair two pipes that…

All-night work repairs one sewer pipe as city sets to restore West Salem service
West Salem's homes and businesses are expected to get sewer service restored Saturday morning as Salem city crews complete repairs on a broken pipeline. The city asks people to continue conserving water until it announces service is back.

City plans to fix West Salem sewer main early Saturday as raw sewage spills into Willamette River
City crews have dug out a corroded 400-foot section of sewer main and will work through the night to make repairs.

City asks West Salem residents, businesses to limit water use after multiple sewer mains break
No wastewater is being transported from West Salem to city treatment plants after two sewer mains have failed over the past day, city officials said.
