Your Friday evening update on Salem news
Good evening, Salem!
The news team at Salem Reporter continues to press Salem city officials for details about the unheralded departure of Steve Bellshaw, deputy policy chief. You may recall he resigned amid questions over misconduct that were never investigated and got an extra $53,500 in public money as he exited.
Salem officials and Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson have stonewalled our efforts to obtain public documents that would explain all of this. In the latest twist, Salem officials contend that documentation that Bellshaw was put on paid administrative leave before his retirement are to be kept secret.
We have several requests pending for more public records. We will give Salem officials their due – they have decided the records we are after would serve the public interest and are waiving costs. Clarkson’s office did the same while releasing some records about her decision to keep the public away from key documents.
This all may take some time, but we intend to persist. Honesty in government, particularly local government, is essential. I wanted you as a subscriber to know we haven’t given up and we will report more when we have more.
– Les Zaitz, editor, Salem Reporter
Here’s some of the news of the day. Catch all Salem Reporter’s stories anytime on our website.
salemreporter.com
Jennifer Borrero, a South Salem High School graduate, is addressing the importance of equal access to education in a speech at the United Nations this weekend.
16 Sep 2022
salemreporter.com
Jennifer Borrero, a South Salem High School graduate, is addressing the importance of equal access to education in a speech at the United Nations this weekend.
16 Sep 2022
salemreporter.com
A driver and passenger from Salem were flown to area hospitals in critical condition following the Thursday morning crash.
16 Sep 2022
salemreporter.com
A driver and passenger from Salem were flown to area hospitals in critical condition following the Thursday morning crash.
16 Sep 2022
salemreporter.com
The average number of Covid patients at Salem Hospital and across the mid-Willamette region saw a small decline over the past week.
16 Sep 2022
salemreporter.com
The average number of Covid patients at Salem Hospital and across the mid-Willamette region saw a small decline over the past week.
16 Sep 2022
salemreporter.com
Salem has proved a welcoming place for a family fleeing the violence and war in Ukraine. Listen to how Salem Reporter got the story.
15 Sep 2022
salemreporter.com
Salem has proved a welcoming place for a family fleeing the violence and war in Ukraine. Listen to how Salem Reporter got the story.
15 Sep 2022
Something to do….
Salem gets a treat Friday and Saturday when one of Spain’s top flamenco guitarists performs at Willamette University. Get all the details on time, tickets and more in our EVENTS CALENDAR.
Have an event to tell the community about?
Get your event in front of Salem. Who can post to our Events Calendar? Just about anyone. We ask that you provide a fair description of the event and the cost, if any. Government agencies can – and should – list their public meetings. Nonprofits can list fundraising events open to the community. And clubs and groups can enter events that are open to the public.
In other words, if it’s happening, and it’s public, you can list. There is no cost for our base listing and you have options to buy even more attention: SUBMIT EVENT
Put some fuel in our tank – easy and online
The Salem Reporter did a better job of informing people about the fire than the city or county.
“I am donating $100 to the Salem Reporter today because we need the news you bring.” – Salem Reporter reader
Besides subscribing, another terrific and meaningful way to support the work of Salem Reporter is contributing. No matter the amount, such one-time contributions strengthen our operation and allow us to do the kind of watchdog reporting you don’t see much of these days. We put every dollar we can into gathering the news. We can and want to do more. YOU can be part of making that happen. Please DONATE.
–Les Zaitz, editor and CEO
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