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Good morning, Salem.

Our team will continue to bring you election news as the impact of races becomes clear in Salem.

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But we know that’s not everything going on in our city.

This morning, we want to call your attention to something much more modest: Salem Soup Squad.

For several years, volunteers from all walks of life have been making and serving soup, sandwiches and other tasty meals on some Mondays at Wallace Marine Park and Saturdays at Marion Square Park. Both parks have large communities of unsheltered people.

If you like to cook, can order pizza or want to serve meals, you can sign up to volunteer at upcoming Soup Squads here or learn more here.

As we cover local news in the days, weeks and months ahead, Salem Reporter will continue to highlight ways to get involved, help one another and build connections across our community – even as challenging issues confront us.

We welcome your suggestions. If you need volunteers for an effort to clean up a park, help read to kids or care for the people and animals in our community, let us know by emailing Managing Editor Rachel Alexander at [email protected].

Here’s some of today’s news. Read all our latest coverage anytime on our website.

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Events in Salem this week include a dinner and auction to support veterans, cultural music group performances and a woodworking course at Center 50+.

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More than 90 Salem and Keizer local elected officials, clergy and nonprofit leaders signed an open letter calling on the cities to embrace belonging and work to build community, regardless…

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Voters in more than a dozen Oregon cities, including in the Portland area, voted to ban the regulated sales and use of psilocybin mushrooms. 

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The Salem Reads pick for 2025 is “Why Didn’t You Tell Me?” a memoir by Carmen Rita Wong exploring identity and family. Starting in February, community events include an art…

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We’ll post results in local Salem-area races here shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday and update as more ballots are counted.

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The Republican congressman’s plan for a new wilderness area with safeguards for cattle grazing may disrupt a delicately-balanced plan already before Congress.

LOCAL SUPPORT = LOCAL NEWS: Subscribers fund our work. The more we have, the more we can do. Sign up today – quickly and securely here. Bonus: With a subscription, you get our end-of-the-day newsletter with even more headlines.

TIP US TO NEWS: We welcome your tips about possible Salem stories – a community event, a local resident doing something extraordinary, a government action that needs investigating. Send your information, ideas or questions by email to our editor, Les Zaitz, at [email protected].

QUESTIONS? SUGGESTIONS? CONCERNS? Reach out by email to our editor, Les Zaitz, at [email protected]. He personally reads every message.

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