One woman's troubled life, death show flaws in Oregon civil commitment
Good morning, Salem.
Anyone who walked past Melinda Lou Kayser on a Salem sidewalk could see she needed help.
After four decades of worsening mental illness, she could barely move, didn’t feed herself and was often hostile toward people trying to help her.
But Kayser was ultimately denied mental health care that could have saved her life. She was left instead to die from neglect by a system too overwhelmed and indifferent to help her.
Reporter Abbey McDonald's chronicle of Melinda's took months to assemble through documents, interviews and conversations with experts. In our "Sentenced to the Sidewalk" series, she shows how a flawed civil commitment process and overburdened mental health system combine to give unsheltered people with severe mental illnesses no real chance at getting better.
Read the first part below.
Here's some of today's news. You can find all our latest coverage anytime on our website.
Government officials considered whether Melinda Lou Kayser needed someone to care for her. They said no. She then died, nearly naked, on a Salem street.
The Oregon Garden Foundation, Silverton Area Community Care, Horses of Hope and Yamhill County Gospel Rescue Mission will receive money this year through a partnership between Willamette business students and…
Next Wednesday the Salem city budget committee will reconvene at 6 p.m. in the city council chambers to resume budget discussions in preparation for the next fiscal year. The cityu0026hellip;
With Macy's stripped of its wares, pieces of the original 1955 Meier & Frank store are more visible, including wallpaper in a former beauty salon and handwritten maintenance logs for…
Salem Reporter’s Town Hall on Taxes will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, at the Elsinore Theatre.
A panel of experts will explain and explore the city of Salem’s tax levy, on the May 20 ballot. The team at Salem Reporter invites you to join us for an extraordinary evening.
DATE/TIME: 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
PROGRAM: 90 minutes with Irvin Brown, Salem city councilor; Josh Eggelston, the city’s chief finance officer; and Tom Hoffert, chief executive officer, Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.
NOTE: Tickets are needed so Elsinore staff can plan for audience size.
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