Category City News
Taste the latest from Salem’s food entrepreneurs at Friday market
Ola Elkanah’s packaged African spices and meals make it easy to bring West African staples to life at home. Her business, Flourish Spices, is one of 20 participating in an evening market at Chemeketa Community College to show off Oregon food entrepreneurs.
City pauses hiring for critical community violence reduction coordinator
As local organizations and the faith community work to employ tactics like community peace walks to help curb violence in Salem, the city is struggling to hire for what is considered a key role in advancing its months-long community violence reduction efforts. The city has paused its recruitment until after a special report on the community efforts is presented to city council in November.
Public official loses pay increase, faces salary repayment as board probes conduct
AROUND OREGON: A public board Friday ordered that pay raises for Greg Smith and his staff at the Columbia Development Authority be revoked. The move may cost Smith more than $30,000 in pay to return. The action followed an investigation by the Malheur Enterprise.
Salem program brings unhoused veterans together, helps them “get back to life”
On Northeast Center Street, a housing program takes in veterans without a place to stay. VETcare provides much-needed community and support while connecting veterans with job opportunities, recovery services and housing.
Crowded, aging Riverfront Park playground will be upgraded in 2026
The city of Salem was just awarded a $770,000 grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to help make much needed upgrades to the 26-year-old playground at Riverfront Park. The new playground concept which evokes local Salem and Oregon wildlife, includes new special equipment, and a realignment of the park pathway that currently cuts through the playground area.
Salem town hall to discuss ways to address homelessness
The Salem Human Rights Commission is hosting a town hall on Tuesday, Sept. 24, with city, Marion County and community providers sharing challenges and progress in addressing homelessness. They will answer written questions submitted by the community.
Salem librarians report patrons trashing, hiding LGBTQ+ books in past year
Books in Oregon libraries saw a record number of challenges and censorship efforts this year, according to a report from the Oregon State Library. In multiple Salem libraries, books about LGBTQ+ people and people of color were hidden on far away shelves and thrown in the trash.
Hundreds of Oregon wage theft, minimum wage complaints could be thrown out
Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries is supposed to enforce worker protections, but a backlog of cases and understaffing mean millions of dollars in violations go uncollected.
Robot-worked nursery, Fly Salem among mid-Valley efforts honored for economic development
SEDCOR, the region’s economic development nonprofit, on Wednesday recognized businesses, partnerships and people who have contributed to more than $178 million in investment coming to the Salem area over the past year.