Your Thursday evening update on Salem news

Good evening, Salem.

Right now, at the Salem Public Library, a dozen people are using free computers – one watching a basketball game, several looking up documents or doing homework.

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A curious toddler peers down at the circulation desk from the upstairs children’s corner. In the Discovery Room, two preschoolers play, while an older sibling looks up a book on the children’s computers.

In a study room, a man with headphones on talks during a virtual meeting. A man with a young girl is applying for a library card. Near the stairs leading to the teen section, a group of young people with backpacks have circled around a table for a meeting. And on the couch, an editor is finishing writing this newsletter.

Libraries are about more than books, supporters told the city’s budget committee during a meeting Wednesday. They’re about serving the community by offering free spaces to meet, find information, play, learn to read and much more.

With half the library’s employees facing layoff in the upcoming city budget, those services became a focal point of the meeting, as reporter Joe Siess explains in his story below. We’ll continue to watch the budget process closely and track the impacts on services, jobs and your taxes.

Here’s some of our latest news. Catch all of our reports anytime on our website.

www.salemreporter.com

Community support for preserving Salem library comes into focus during budget meeting

Budget committee members on Wednesday expressed concerns that deep cuts to Salem’s library and other services would hit low-income residents hardest, but city officials say there are no good alternatives…

www.salemreporter.com

At 104th birthday, Salem resident recalls lifetime of music and community

Nellie Watson, a 23-year resident of The Springs at Lancaster Village, celebrated her 104th birthday with neighbors, family and carrot cake on Friday, April 11.

www.salemreporter.com

Oregon companies suffering under Trump tariffs, business leaders tell governor

At a roundtable hosted by Gov. Tina Kotek, more than a dozen business leaders described a dire situation under President Trump’s tariff wars and said consumers would soon feel the…

www.salemreporter.com

Where to learn more about Salem candidates for school board, city council

Forums over the next two weeks give Salem residents a chance to meet candidates who will be on the May ballot.

SEE LOCAL EVENTS: Our new events calendar lets you browse what’s happening in Salem – completely free. Want to submit an upcoming event? You can do that here.

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 to our editor, Les Zaitz, at [email protected].

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Community support for preserving Salem library comes into focus during budget meeting

At 104th birthday, Salem resident recalls lifetime of music and community

Oregon companies suffering under Trump tariffs, business leaders tell governor

Where to learn more about Salem candidates for school board, city council

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