Good morning!
Salem is talking data centers.
A firm is advancing with plans to plop a big center in the Mill Creek Corporate Center.
As word got out, people in the community started asking questions. And they raised concerns, echoing the opposition to such operations elsewhere in Oregon and around the country.
Reporter Joe Siess stayed on top of developments all week.
He reported on the initial disclosure by Salem city officials.
Quickly, he followed up with a look at what government approval is needed. Not much, he reported.
Then, he reported on how citizens can have their say in an upcoming session of the Salem City Council.
Count on Salem Reporter to dig deeper into this project.
Do you have questions you’d like us to pursue? Send an email to Joe Siess ([email protected]). Want to comment? You can do so on any of his stories in the comment block at the end of each story.
Meantime, plan on an interesting day in Salem on Sunday – it’s Ironman day. Downtown will be jammed with competitors who will swim, run and bike on routes through the area. And scores of volunteers will be helping all over.
Reporter Hailey Cook shared details of the event and profiled one local competitor, Dr. Gary Nishioka. Do you want to watch the Ironman? Our report details how you can do that.
Before we plunge into other news, let me share how excited I am about where Salem Reporter is going. With the start last week of our new two-person education team, we now have nine energized journalists as work covering the community. We indeed will deliver even more local news that matters.
In local government reporting….
*A budget cut that escaped public attention was the elimination of financial support for warming shelters on bitter winter nights in Salem. Reporter Abbey McDonald traces the action and impact of the Salem City Council’s decision.
*Summer lunches are back on from the Salem-Keizer School District and servers at a West Salem school explain why that matters.
*State officials are opening the way for local forces to join the effort to clear and keep clear homeless encampments under Salem’s downtown bridges.
*Here’s what your neighborhood associations are up as we share our monthly roundup.
In housing and business reporting….
*More homes are listed for sale in Salem than a year ago and the price now averages $450,000. Reporter Reilly Norgren examines what’s happening in the local market.
*Habitat for Humanity is working with the local housing authority to add more affordable housing to the Salem market.
*A unique voice helps local organizations decide on shelter for Salem’s young people. A special board is seeking new members.
*There is an emergency in local healthcare – the merger between hospitals in Salem and Stayton needs to happen quickly, representatives say.
In community news….
*In our Teens at Work series, photographer Brook Ferris takes you to watch teens mentor kids in reading.
*Willamette University is moving ahead with a merger to become part of what’s being called the University of the Northwest.
*Fraud is rampant these days, and columnist Jim Sellers shares how those using the Medicare system can avoid being cheated.
*Reporter Madeleine Moore brings you up to date on key local criminal cases in the latest “Whatever Happened.”
The appearance on a small bird under a Salem bridge caught the attention of two local people. That’s fun news – and perhaps a signal of what’s happening to our planet.
Have thoughts about our reporting? A story we should do? A person we should profile? Or do you have questions about how we do our work? You’re welcome to send me an email – I read every one of them.
Email: [email protected]
–Les Zaitz, editor and owner
LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? EXTRA SUPPORT WELCOME! We are training two young journalists from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. Our goal is to raise $8,000 to match the university’s funding for these full-time summer positions for salary, benefits and other costs. Salem Reporter has a robust program in place so Reilly Norgren and Brook Ferris learn about our high standards of professionalism. They already are productng important stories and photos for the community.
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