Cynthia Richardson, the Salem-Keizer school district’s director of equity, sings “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” at Salem’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Jan. 21, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Several hundred people marched from North Salem High School to the Oregon Capitol to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in[Read More…]
Latest News
High school students lead Salem reflection on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
High school students march to the Oregon Capitol to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) With Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s face projected on a screen behind her, Leanette Mabinton whipped her braids across her face and raised her arms in dancing praise. The McKay High School[Read More…]
Uncategorized Mayor calls on Marion County, Salem Health to help pay for proposed sobering center
Mayor Chuck Bennett in September at the ribbon cutting of the Career and Technical Education Center. Bennett on Friday called on Salem Health and Marion County to help the city pay for a sobering center to treat severely intoxicated people. (Salem Reporter files) A ballooning budget for a sobering center[Read More…]
Uncategorized Taylor’s House offers a home for young people with nowhere else to go
Tricia Ratliff, who runs youth services for the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, explains how the house chore board works. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Most of the young people living at Taylor’s House are reluctant to talk about their lives with strangers. But a row of cubbies along the living room[Read More…]
Recent stories on Oregon’s system for dealing with the criminally insane contained errors, flawed data
The Oregon State Hospital in Salem, which treats those who are found “guilty except for insanity.” (The Enterprise/File) NOTE: Salem Reporter republished articles jointly produced by the Malheur Enterprise and ProPublica. The news organizations have published this correction to those reports. Les Zaitz, editor of Salem Reporter, is also editor[Read More…]
Uncategorized Oregon Supreme Court denies Salem appeal to withhold arrest records in sex abuse case
The lobby at Salem City Hall. (Salem Reporter files) Updated 4:46 p.m. Jan. 18 with comments from City Manager Steve Powers. After years of resisting, the city of Salem will have to disclose the arrest records of a local man convicted of sexually abusing a child. The Oregon Supreme Court[Read More…]
State transportation director Garrett to retire after 13 years
Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Garrett speaks at a distracted driving awareness event in 2017. (ODOT Flickr) SALEM —Matt Garrett, the longtime director of the state Transportation Department, announced Friday that he intends to retire by June. 30. During his 13-year tenure, Garrett oversaw the implementation of a 2017[Read More…]
Outreach and organization can help regular citizens have a voice in the Capitol
SALEM — When Oregon legislators convene on Tuesday, they could raise or lower your taxes, cut or boost government services and decide how much your landlord can hike the rent. Interest groups, from the pharmaceutical industry to labor unions, spend millions of dollars lobbying legislators and contributing to their campaigns.[Read More…]
Unions look to take advantage of Democratic leadership and strong economy in 2019
In November, educators and school children got a champion. The homeless got an advocate and environmentalists got a steward. But perhaps the people most happy with Gov. Kate Brown’s re-election reside in Oregon’s union shops. Brown has long been pro union. She has publicly supported them and even had the[Read More…]
Uncategorized Salem councilors to outline plans for city’s major issues
The Marion Street Bridge pictured last summer. (Salem Reporter files) Salem city councilors have a massive to do list for 2019. They are set to talk about it at a work session Wednesday. Budgetary shortfalls, traffic problems, homelessness and environmental impacts will headline the work session, slated for 6 p.m.[Read More…]