Category Profiles
Seeing the need, church joins Salem’s warming network with plans for expansion
Wade Harris inside the building used for warming at Seed of Faith. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Wade Harris has helped people get into transitional housing for years and has been a foster parent for dozens of kids. Seeing people struggle with to connect with services made him…
Willamette law professor appointed to lead federal environmental justice efforts
Robin Morris Collin was appointed a senior advisor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration in February 2022 after almost 20 years teaching law at Willamette University (Courtesy/Willamette University) Robin Morris Collin knows the impacts of climate change aren’t spread evenly around. Like most other environmental…
Gerry Frank, considered ‘Mr. Oregon,’ dies at age 98
Terry Lundgren, retired CEO of Macy’s, greets Gerry Frank at the dedication on Friday, July 23, of the new The Gerry Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater in Riverfront Park. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) UPDATE Sunday 5:30 p.m.: A statement from the family has been added. Gerry…
Pre-party checkup turns into surprise New Year’s Day delivery for local couple
Annie and Matt Dimick with baby James Wayne, born shortly after midnight on Jan. 1, 2022 (Courtesy/Salem Health) Annie Dimick had cocktail meatballs ready to go for a family friend’s New Year’s Eve party when she and her husband Matt decided to make a quick…
Salem cellist returns to “Nutcracker” shows after 2020 hiatus
Andrea Chandler in the Pacific Northwest Ballet orchestra pit during a 2015 Nutcracker performance. (Courtesy/Andrea Chandler) Andrea Chandler has played the Nutcracker hundreds of times, but this year, the Salem cellist said the score feels fresh again. The annual Christmas tradition, which Chandler, 61, performs…
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 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…
Philanthropist’s gift will boost field trips, clubs at McKay
The band plays during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at McKay High School on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Lester Green spent years involved at the high school that bears his father-in-law’s name. The Salem philanthropist moved to the area in 1950, shortly after marrying…