COMMUNITY

A black sheep in the Salem restaurant scene, café requires proof of vaccination for dine-in

Black Sheep Cafe and Catering started requiring its dine-in customers be vaccinated against Covid starting Sept. 7, 2021. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Jen Mignano said it was a difficult decision to require that customers in her café be vaccinated against Covid to dine inside the small space. The co-owner of Black[Read More…]

Salem’s JCPenney building sold, will be turned into smaller retail spaces

Nick Williams, commercial real estate adviser, stands in a back storeroom at the vacant JCPenney store in downtown Salem on Monday, Nov. 23. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) For the first time since the early 1900s, the JCPenney building in downtown Salem is changing hands. Lindquist Development Company bought the building, which[Read More…]

From security to t-shirt designs, Shawntay Negrete wants to make the Salem community safer

Shawntay Negrete, her husband, Joseph, and two children, Isys and Zion, at Pride in the Park. (Courtesy/Tera Rue) If you see a t-shirt in Salem that gives the patriarchy one-star or reads “anti-racist social club” you could be seeing Shawntay Negrete’s handiwork. For years, Negrete toyed around with the idea[Read More…]