Category Community
Willamette professor honored with scientific research award
Christopher Irwin Smith studying a Joshua tree at his primary field site in Tikaboo Valley, Nevada, just outside of Area 51. (Courtesy/Christopher Irwin Smith) In a career of researching natural science, Christopher Irwin Smith’s fondest memory is the summer he spent studying bats in Oregon.…
Pentacle presents “It’s a Wonderful Life” through radio broadcast
Pentacle Theatre is hosting a live radio performance of “It’s a Wonderful Life” in December. (Courtesy/ Pentacle Theatre) Debbie Neel thinks the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” is an inspirational story that’s relevant to living through a pandemic. In the story, George Bailey is…
Salem law firm, notary recognized for efforts to hire veterans
Attorney and U.S. Army veteran Mark Ronning in his Salem office (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) When Mark Ronning left the U.S. Army after 24 years, the transition back to civilian life proved harder than expected. He’d spent most of his time in active service as a…
Salem teacher recognized for helping kids get their hands dirty
Fourth grade teacher Stephanie Madison checks up on recently hatched chicks at Myers Elementary School on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Stephanie Madison is adept at conjuring lots of food from very little land. The Myers Elementary School teacher said she’s grown over…
Salem father remembers son’s humanitarian spirit
Aaron Harris (Courtesy/Wade Harris) Wade Harris stopped by a west Salem neighborhood around 8:30 a.m. Nov. 19 to pick up a friend when he saw firetrucks and police cars down the street. He knew his adopted son, Aaron Harris, was squatting at an abandoned house…
Salem now has its own refugee resettlement agency
A recently achieved nonprofit designation will aid Salem for Refugees just as the number of displaced people eligible to resettle in Salem is exploding. In summer 2021, Luke Glaze, the organization’s first executive director, and its board completed the paperwork required for nonprofit status, making…
Veterans share stories from Afghanistan tours with city club
(Courtesy/Spire Management) Kevin Dial will never forget the day he and others serving in the National Guard were invited to a party in Afghanistan. He recalled his fellow soldiers dancing with Afghan men from the local community. “That kind of engagement on the one-to-one level…
Meet the guitar shop owner who got Salem millions to help with housing and homelessness
Justin Martin. (Courtesy/Justin Martin) In the back room of a downtown Salem guitar shop, Justin Martin makes calls to secure millions of dollars for Salem. Martin, who’s going into his fifth year lobbying for the city, is also a part owner of Guitar Castle and…
PHOTOS: An evening in the life of an emergency vet
Alexa Franklin, a vet tech at the Salem Veterinary Emergency Clinic, holds on to Nova, a 13-year-old cat, after removing her from her carrier on Nov. 10, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Across the Salem area, vet care is in short supply, with many pet owners…