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What’s making news in Salem you might have missed

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Seventeen people have died in traffic collisions in Salem so far this year.
After each collision, police issue a press release.

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Most times, they identify the victim. They identify the driver. And the statement provides the basics of what happened.

At Salem Reporter, we’re making efforts to see that victims aren’t just a name and an age in a press release.

Sometimes, families prefer their privacy. We respect that and move on.
In other instances, relatives share information we handle with respect and dignity.

That was the case when reporter Joe Siess set out to learn about Teresita Millard.

She died last month, days after being struck while crossing Northeast Lancaster Drive.

Joe learned that she was out on what was a routine chore – getting medications for her bedridden husband. She had taken a bus across town from her West Salem home.

The story shared Millard’s life story and the impact of her death on her family. I encourage you to take a moment to read about a fellow Salemite.
And of note, the city is having a bad year for traffic fatalities. The 17 deaths compare to 13 in all of 2023.

The community meantime is making progress on safeguarding the homeless. Reporter Abbey McDonald produced one of our most-read stories of the week in describing the expansion planned for a women’s shelter. And Village of Hope, a micro shelter complex in downtown, will expand to serve more homeless who are 55 and older.

At City Hall, the Salem Fire Department is getting a new leader. Mike Niblock is retiring after 20 years in the job and, as Joe Siess reports, “he will go down in Salem history as the second-longest serving chief in the department’s 167-year history.”

The new chief, David Berboth of San Diego, arrives as Salem city councilors prepare to measure community sentiment for raising taxes. More money would, among other results, help sustain the fire department.

More revenue also would, officials tell us, spare cuts to the Salem Police Department. The agency’s efforts to reduce gun violence has produced one visible result – Peace Walks. We followed along last week on the evening event hosted by Oak Park Church of God.

Columnist Mark Wardell lays out how, step by step, you can get your home and family ready for an emergency. Just think back to the ice storms Salem has endured and the need for a plan is evident.

Reporter Madeleine Moore dropped in on a group of Salem blind and low-vision folks who have been gathering for six years. They noted the anniversary of their coffee sessions. “Have you ever seen a card signed by blind people?” Marja Byers joked.

A Salem business got some high-profile attention last week. One of the federal government’s top business officials dropped in for a tour of Don Froylan Creamery and Managing Editor Rachel Alexander was there.

And to help you make plans for the month ahead, check out our monthly events calendar. Find the details on local festivals, live music and other entertainment.

The Oregon State Fair is close to finishing its run, with plenty going on Sunday and then on the last day, Labor Day.

One place to head is the exhibits featuring the talents of Oregonians in everything from raising the best cucumber to baking the best pie to the most creative Legos production.

We caught up with some of Salem’s blue-ribbon winners to find out about their entries. I think you’ll find it as entertaining as I did.

At no visit to the fair is complete without a stroll through the animal barns. Those goats, pigs and cows take home their own ribbons.

Morgan Burke with Dusty at the Oregon State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (DAVID ZAITZ/Special to Salem Reporter)
Competitors in the pygmy pig division at the Oregon State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (DAVID ZAITZ/Special to Salem Reporter)
Charmie being tended to by Shannon McGee (left) and Avery Robertson at the Oregon State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (DAVID ZAITZ/Special to Salem Reporter)
Colby Stoltzfus and Skyler Reichard groom a cow at the Oregon State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (DAVID ZAITZ/Special to Salem Reporter)

Thank you for reading, subscribing and sharing our work. Please reach out to me anytime at [email protected] if you have story ideas, questions or suggestions for our team.

– Les Zaitz, CEO and editor, Salem Reporter

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