Our roundup of Salem news you might have missed
Good morning…
Salem Mayor Chris Hoy has an invitation for you.
He’d like you to join him and other city officials Wednesday evening for a session on gun violence in the city.
Hoy and others will lay out what the city plans to do. And they’ll be inviting citizens to weigh in about those plans in the coming months.
Watch for reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian’s story on Monday with details on the session. This follows Salem Reporter’s Town Hall on Gun Violence, held in February.
And plans are shaping up for a debate in the Salem mayor’s race. This will be you chance to see the candidates live. Once we pin down a couple of details, we’ll get you an invitation.
Meantime, Salem legislators will be putting in long hours this week. They are in the final days of the “short” session of the Legislature. Our colleagues at Oregon Capital Chronicle are doing a great job tracking major legislation that will impact the state – and Salem. We’re also keeping a close eye on proposals that would have a direct bearing on Salem.
One would bring more than $6 million to town to develop a first-of-its-kind service center for human needs. Tim Sinatra of the local YMCA is spearheading the ambitious plan.
Legislators did wrap up work on changing Oregon drug laws and addiction treatment. They responded to growing demands to roll back provisions of Measure 110.
They also are advancing a big package of housing legislation – more money, relaxed rules. Once passed, Salem Reporter’s team will explain what it all means for the now-tough task of getting a home in Salem.
Speaking of legislators, the longest-serving representative in the Oregon House also appears to have become one of the wealthiest. State Rep. Greg Smith, a Republican from Heppner, disclosed his household income now tops $1 million a year.
Managing Editor Rachel Alexander profiles Obie Rutledge, who has deep knowledge of legislative matters that keep the Oregon Senate running.
Reporter Abbey McDonald dives into the details of long-awaited plan to put an empty city block back into use. Apartments, a plaza and maybe even a downtown grocer could be coming.
At Willamette University, officials had to contend with a disrupting cyberattack. They aren’t saying much about what happened but for days it changed campus life.
In court matters, a trial date has been set for a Salem police sergeant accused of impaired driving. It’s a curious case where authorities are staying mum about the details.
And a birthday is upon us, so to speak. The house that is now home to Oregon governors turns 100 this year. We thought it’d be fun to double back to learn: How did this house get the name Mahonia Hall?
At Salem Reporter, we have a corps of columnists that provide entertaining and useful information for our readers. From Harry Fuller, learn about local birds, such as the varied thrush. From Pamela Ferrara, get insights into Salem’s economy. And from Jim Sellers, you’ll get help untangling the complexities of Medicare.
Of course, you can see every story we publish anytime on our website.
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As always, thank you for reading and feel free to reach out to me anytime at [email protected] with ideas, questions or concerns.
–Les Zaitz, CEO and editor
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