Good morning………
You’re not alone if you couldn’t keep up with the changes in the federal government ordered by President Trump.
From health care to immigration to schools, the president and his team are putting into play countless reforms.
This will eventually impact life here in Salem, and your team at Salem Reporter is ready to report on that.
One immediate change locally could be in the federal work force.
The administration is providing virtually every federal worker a choice to resign but get paid for months. A federal memo gives the workers until Thursday, Feb. 6, to take what some refer to as a buyout.
In the Salem area, the federal government employs about 1,600 people. Given the reduction targets set by the administration, that means Salem could lose up to 160 jobs.
Our news team is interested in hearing from federal employees about what choice they make and why. As needed, we can protect identities in exchange for candor and insight. We have state law on our side to protect the names of those who become our sources. To help us, send an email to Managing Editor Rachel Alexander ([email protected]).
In other arenas, we’re eager to hear from Salem citizens about the real impacts of these changes. We’re skipping the “might happen” or “what if” reporting that only fuels speculation and rumor and doesn’t help our readers understand.
Local officials, however, are publicly reacting to developments.
As reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian shares, Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack explained his agency’s role in immigration enforcement actions.
We continue to track developments at City Hall with reporter Joe Siess sharing actions by the Salem City Council last week to raise airport fees. He also caught up with Salem Health officials who tell about the big bill they will get with increased garbage fees.
Sticking with money for a moment, that new outside committee got to work combing through the city’s budget. They are looking ways for citizens to get more economical service. We also reported on just who is on the committee and what are their backgrounds.
In education news, Rachel Alexander shares what new state numbers show about high school graduation rates in the Salem-Keizer School District. Our colleagues at Oregon Capital Chronicle looked at how Oregon stacks up against other states and the findings aren’t good.
Some high school students are showing up after school to work on shop projects. As the story says, they craft items including birdhouses, deck chairs, planter boxes, dog houses and benches that they then sell.
Reporter Madeleine Moore caught up with a Salem woman who will be judging a premier dog show. Find out in our story how she became a judge.
In public safety news, Ardeshir Tabrizian sat in on the opening day of the trial of a truck driver involved in a crash that killed seven people. He also reported on the unusual discovery of a body after a car crash in Polk County.
January is the season for the Point-in-Time count of homeless and Salem officials took a different approach this year, as reporter Abbey McDonald reported.
The 2025 Oregon Legislature cranked up recently for its six-month session and reporter Alan Cohen shared where your local legislators are focusing. Not all of them responded to Salem Reporter’s questions.
On Wednesday, legislators paused to pay tribute to Peter Courtney, former Senate president and longtime Salem leader. Photographer Ron Cooper chronicled the special service with photos you shouldn’t miss.
We continue to share with you and other readers stories by some of our colleagues around the state that you might not see. Check out:
•Cities in Oregon are looking for more freedom to deal with homeless populations.
•Gov. Tina Kotek is viewed as paying back her supporters in labor unions.
•A man firing hundreds of rounds in rural Oregon prompts a massive police response.
•The state needs 29,500 new homes a year to catch up with the shortage.
•A retiring detective takes a run at a 40-year-old murder case in eastern Oregon.
•Water issues in Oregon top the governor’s environmental agenda.
I’m always delighted to hear from readers. Send me your ideas, your questions, even your concerns or complaints. My direct email: [email protected].
– Les Zaitz, co-founder and editor, Salem Reporter
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