Category Government
With the help of a federal grant, Salem’s Cherriots will add 10 electric buses to its fleet
Recently sanitized and reconfigured Cherriots buses are seen at the Del Webb Operations Facility. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem’s longest bus route will be served by electric buses a year from now, thanks to a federal grant. Cherriots, Salem’s mass transit agency, has received a $6.3…
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…
As gamblers return to video lottery machines, Oregon Lottery faces payment backlog
The headquarters of the Oregon Lottery. (Jake Thomas/Salem Reporter) After winning $1,500 playing video lottery two weeks ago, Pierre Nelson had an unexpected reaction: frustration. Nelson, a resident of Salem, had won the money playing Big City 5, a slot-machine style game where players can…
Mike Nearman has been expelled from the Legislature. Here’s what comes next
Rep. Mike Nearman, R-Independence, at his desk on March 30, 2021 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) The lights went out quickly in an office in the Oregon Legislature. After a historic Thursday night vote, state Rep, Mike Nearman, R-Independence, was expelled from the Legislature for his…
Cherriots board will start paying monthly stipend to its members
An out of service bus at the Downtown Transit Center on Monday, April 6. Cherriots service will resume on April 7. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Ian Davidson recalled when he realized that if his life were a little different he wouldn’t be able to serve…
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…
Survey shows Salem seniors like city life and points the way for city progress
Center 50+ cafe coordinator Judy Pack portions out meals for center staff members while volunteers pick up their daily deliveries in the background. Tuesday, April 14. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A recent analysis indicates that Salem is doing well in accommodating the needs of its aging…