Category Uncategorized
Department of Corrections partners with local Bible college to offer inmates a four-year degree
Former Judge Tom Kohl talking with a prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in 2014. (Photo courtesy of Tom Kohl) As Tom Kohl was leaving, the prison warden called him back to sit and pray. “Dear lord, don’t let these men rest until there is…
Secretary of State uses Facebook to target inactive voters
Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson is leaning on technology to reach the 447,000 Oregonians with inactive voter registration. Richardson’s office gave the state’s list of inactive voters to Facebook, which cross-referenced the names with its social media profiles. On Tuesday, a video from Richardson…
See how your Salem-Keizer school did on state tests
Kindergarten students at Swegle Elementary play with blocks on the first day of school, 2018. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Oregon’s latest standardized test results were a mixed bag. Statewide, the percentage of students meeting state standards was nearly flat in English, math and science. In Salem,…
Salem YMCA seeks $14.5 million to replace aging building
Development director Laura Morett speaks about the YMCA’s aging Salem headquarters in front of the non-regulation size basement pool. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem’s YMCA is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to replace its aging building – and asking the community to chip in $14.5…
Willamette MBA dean resigns one month into new job
Seung Ho “Sam” Park, an emerging markets researcher, spent just one month as dean of Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management (Courtesy/Willamette University) The recently-hired dean of Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management resigned last week just one month after starting work. Seung…
Woman breaks free of attacker in Minto Brown Park
A 29-year-old woman fought off an unknown attacker last night at Minto Brown Park, escaping a man who tried to kidnap her at knifepoint, according to the Salem Police Department. Police said they arrested 23-year-old David Belluno and booked him into the Marion County Jail.…
DHS seeks more than 1,000 new employees to support child welfare in proposed budget
Oregon’s largest state agency is asking for more than $1 billion to add 1,664 new employees. But the proposed salaries won’t fill Oregon Department of Human Services’ cubicles with high-paid lawyers or bolster a public relations team. It will go toward protecting the most vulnerable…
ACLU takes aim at Measure 11 in a plan to cut Oregon’s prison population in half
Oregon State Correctional Institution east of Salem (Salem Reporter/Aubrey Wieber) In recent decades, Oregon’s prison population has ballooned. In 2016, it was nearly five times that of 1980. In January, 14,713 people were held in Oregon prisons. Now, a civil rights group is proposing Oregon…
Chronic absenteeism: see how Salem-Keizer schools stack up
(Graphic by Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) As school kicks off, Salem schools are trying to reduce student absenteeism. Students who miss 10 percent or more of school are less likely to graduate on time, and districts across the country are looking at improving attendance as a…