Category City News

Gary Weaver, a transit operator with Cherriots, steps off of a freshly cleaned bus on Friday, May 22. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem could begin charging for on-street parking downtown, supporting energy efficiency and weatherization for lower-income households (including renters) and small business owners, and adding…

A construction crew works on the street outside of the Nishioka building site in downtown Salem on May 12, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem city councilors and planning commission members got a glimpse into how the city is planning for its future Monday evening. The…

Salem’s Public Works Department won an award for its work on the Mill Creek Corporate Center wetland. (Courtesy/Diego G Díaz at Otak) For years, Salem Public Works Department has worked to create new wetlands on land being developed for commercial use. The Mill Creek Corporate…

A row of pallet shelters under construction on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A vacant lot along Wallace Road in west Salem could soon be the site of temporary shelters for seniors experiencing homelessness. On Monday night, the Salem City Council unanimously approved…

Salem residents are more concerned about homelessness than ever and are increasingly pessimistic about the direction the city is headed in. That’s according to an annual survey conducted from Aug. 12 to 16 by DHM Research on behalf of the city of Salem to better…

A sign in front of 2230 Doaks Ferry Road on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) When Ken Bierly looked at the property where a subdivision is proposed in west Salem, it was obvious there was a stream. Looking on from Northwest Doaks Ferry…

An out of service bus at the Downtown Transit Center on Monday, April 6. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem would need to have a renewable energy-only electricity grid, capture all its wastewater emissions and reduce all of its trash through composting and recycling to achieve city…

Survey results showing forms of discrimination Salem residents reported experiencing personally, from the city’s 2021 survey. People without housing experience discrimination at a higher rate and frequency than any other group of Salem residents according to a survey by Salem’s Human Rights Commission and Western…

The Kitchen on Court Street installed a platform for outdoor dining ahead of a city program that will start in September. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) On-street dining was such a success in downtown Salem during the pandemic that the city is handing out money to keep…