Category Government
Salem professionals support legislation to make telemedicine a more routine part of health care
The Oregon State Capitol. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Annaliese Ellsworth, a Salem-based therapist, recalled how it used to be like “rolling the dice” whenever a patient requested a video appointment. She followed up these requests with phone calls to insurance companies to see if they’d cover…
Oregon lawmakers consider bills aimed at helping Marion County rebuild from last year’s wildfires
The Oregon State Fairgrounds in September 2020 as hundreds of families gathered after wildfire evacuations in the Santiam Canyon area. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Santiam Canyon residents will have an easier time rebuilding from last fall’s historic wildfires under legislation moving through the Oregon Legislature. On…
Oregon Legislature debates extending overtime pay to farmworkers
An irrigation system in an agricultural field off of 76th Avenue Northeast. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Much of the work at Blue Heron Farm happens in bursts. Willy Dinsdale, co-owner of the farm located just outside Salem, described how on days when the spring rains let…
Salem City Council approves temporary managed camp for unsheltered people on Portland Road
The Salem City Council on Monday approved a resolution which created a managed camp on Portland Road. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Expect to see a row of small, white buildings when traveling on Portland Road in the coming weeks. It’s the city’s latest effort to address…
How the pandemic is frustrating Salem library patrons
Angela Rodman holds her daughter, Harper, 3, while teaching a geography lesson to her older children, Bennett, 9, left, and Ainsleigh, 7, during homeschooling on Friday, March 12, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) In recent months, Angela Rodman has driven 30 minutes from Salem to libraries…
As camping season approaches, Oregon state parks hope for a return to “normal”
Visitors make s’mores during a July 2019 camping trip at Silver Falls State Park (Courtesy/Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation) The campground at Detroit Lake State Park could reopen this summer following extensive repairs as Oregon’s state parks system hopes to return to a more…
Local governments in Salem area prepare for unexpected $115 million infusion of federal cash
The floodgates on the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act have been lifted and Marion and Polk counties are expecting money to begin pouring in. Local governments will soon find themselves flush with cash they were unsure would be approved just a few months ago.…
Marion DA challenges release of prisoners who fought last year’s wildfires
Smoke creeps over Silverton on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Winds pushed smoke from wildfires in the Cascades into the Willamette Valley, creating a sense closer to dusk that daylight. (Leslie Harvey/Special to Salem Reporter) Prisoners who helped fight last year’s historic wildfires could have up to…
Oregon sees cyber ID theft rise along with unemployment claims
Oregon Employment Department. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The Oregon Employment Department experienced a tenfold increase in identity theft issues in 2020 as new jobless claims poured in during the pandemic, mirroring a spike in claims that took place across the country. Cyberthieves capitalized on the huge…