Category City News
Unlike other Oregon cities, Salem won’t ban fireworks this year
Sparklers and fireworks on sale at the discount fireworks stand at Commercial Street SE and Bush Street SE in Salem on June 26, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) As Oregon emerges from an exceptionally dry spring followed by a record-shattering heat wave last weekend, the list…
Salem budget by the numbers: what City Hall is doing with your money
Salem City Hall. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The Salem City Council on Monday approved the city’s annual budget amidst the backdrop of a waning pandemic and a windfall of federal cash. The city is expected to receive $32 million through the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill…
Body cameras for police included in upcoming city budget
Salem police officers will start wearing body cameras if the Salem City Council approves funding for a program on June 28. (Amanda Loman/ Salem Reporter) The city of Salem is moving forward with equipping police officers with body worn cameras after previous efforts stalled over…
Salem protester who has permanent vision loss from last summer’s protests has herself to blame, city says in court filings
Demonstrators gather outside the state Capitol on Sunday, May 31, 2020 to protest police violence. The protests in Salem were among those that occurred across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died while being taken into custody…
Salem Public Library eyes September reopening date
A rendering of the newly renovated Salem Public Library. (Courtesy/Hacker Architects) By the end of the summer, book enthusiasts will again be able to peruse shelves and read the back cover of books as the Salem Public Library construction nears an end. For more than…
City of Salem recognizes graduating seniors for service to community
CAREcorps group picture at the Oregon State Capitol in 2019. (Courtesy/Laurie Shaw Casarez) Anna Dang said people don’t have to have a certain number of volunteer hours to be an important part of a community. The 17-year-old McKay High School senior said it’s important to…
Salem zoning changes would allow more multifamily housing along major arterials
Matt and Lisa Caswell, of Salem, take advantage of the nice weather to get out of the house and ride their bikes over the Union Street Railroad Bridge on Thursday, April 9. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem leaders want residents to walk, bike or take the…
On-street dining will become permanent in downtown under new program
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) When grabbing a bite to eat in downtown Salem, you may have noticed tables in spaces where there were once cars.…
‘Cottage cluster’ housing for low-income Salem seniors moves forward after city agrees to land sale
A rendering of a planned cottage cluster on Market Street to serve low-income seniors. (Courtesy/ United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley) A planned tiny home project that expects to offer low-income seniors affordable rent cleared a big hurdle Monday night when the Salem City Council voted…