Category City Hall
Salem leaders want civilians, not police, to respond to personal crises. They just have to find a way to pay for it
Brenton Gicker, left, prepares to pull CAHOOTS van toward a 911 call at Eugene Public Library on Nov. 10, 2019. SOURCE: (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Salem is a step closer to joining the growing number of communities across the country dealing with mental health emergencies with…
Cara Kaser steps off Salem City Council two months before end of term
Councilor Cara Kaser announced she planned to resign from city council on Nov. 2. (Courtesy/City of Salem) Councilor Cara Kaser, who represents Salem’s downtown ward and a portion of west Salem, has announced her intent to resign from the Salem City Council two months before…
Salem, you have a new police chief, moving from California
SALEM – The city has a new police chief in December – Trevor Womack of Stockton. Salem City Manager Steve Powers announced his choice in a news release Saturday, just hours after Womack and another finalist answered community questions about becoming the chief. Womack is…
Concern about homelessness grows and many think Salem is headed in the wrong direction, survey shows
Tent sites at Wallace Marine Park on Wednesday, May 27. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A growing share of Salem residents consider homelessness the most-pressing issue facing the city, and most aren’t happy with how the city is serving the needs of unsheltered people, according to an…
Salem sets goals for walkable neighborhoods, zoning changes in long-range planning document
Jost Rist, left, of Salem, and Noah Grunberg, of Keizer, chat at Riverfront Park on Thursday, April 9. “It’s my first time out in two weeks, we’re all just trying to find some human connection,” said Grunberg. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) After receiving 1,600 survey responses,…
Salem man seeks to retire city’s obscure, “ugly” flag
Brian McKinley holds up the flag for the city of Salem in city council chambers on Wednesday, September 30. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) You probably didn’t know Salem had a flag. Or that its design is so bad by certain standards that someone is hosting a…
Costco-centered shopping center moves ahead with council approval
The site of the proposed Kuebler Gateway Shopping Center in South Salem.(Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) A new Costco and accompanying shopping center are on their way to Keubler Boulevard, after Salem Council voted overwhelmingly to approve a site plan for the project that’s rankled the neighborhood…
Salem chooses police officers, people of color to help guide police audit
The entrance to Salem police headquarters. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The members of a committee that will provide an examination of Salem police performance range from sworn officers to racial equity consultants. Salem City Councilor Vanessa Nordyke called for an audit in June following racial justice…
Vice chair of West Salem Neighborhood Association resigns after derogatory Facebook comment investigated
Salem City Council Chambers. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The vice chair of the West Salem Neighborhood Association resigned Monday after an ethics investigation said remarks he made about people protesting police brutality warranted a public apology. Mark Coutis, president of construction company International Construction Blasting and…