A student works on an assignment at Highland Elementary on Sept. 7, 2018. (Moriah Ratner/Special to the Salem Reporter) Salem-Keizer students lag behind their peers across Oregon on state tests, results released Thursday morning show. About half of Salem students meet Oregon standards in English and science, compared to 55[Read More…]
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Salem YMCA seeks $14.5 million to replace aging building
Development director Laura Morett speaks about the YMCA’s aging Salem headquarters in front of the non-regulation size basement pool. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem’s YMCA is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to replace its aging building – and asking the community to chip in $14.5 million. It’s a large project[Read More…]
Uncategorized Park crew calls Minto-Brown assault a one-off, says the area is historically safe
Two women jog Monday at Minto-Brown Island Park on a trail less than a mile south of the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) After a report surfaced Thursday of a man kidnapping and trying to rape a woman in Minto-Brown Island Park, some Salem residents took to[Read More…]
Willamette MBA dean resigns one month into new job
Seung Ho “Sam” Park, an emerging markets researcher, spent just one month as dean of Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management (Courtesy/Willamette University) The recently-hired dean of Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management resigned last week just one month after starting work. Seung Ho “Sam” Park resigned on[Read More…]
Uncategorized Former mushroom field could be site of 800-home development
The former site of PictSweet Mushrooms, which closed in 2001, pictured on Friday. A Lake Oswego developer proposes building 800 homes there. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) A former mushroom farm in east Salem could sprout more than 800 homes, as well as apartments and shops, near Amazon’s new fulfillment center. Brownstone[Read More…]
Uncategorized Workers and land in short supply for future growth, SEDCOR’s outgoing president says
Chad Freeman, pictured in his office has one week left as the president of the county’s regional economic development arm. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Like the economy, Chad Freeman has to keep moving. While starting a conversation about his time leading the Strategic Economic Development Corporation, also known as SEDCOR, the[Read More…]
Uncategorized Report: Salem’s lack of communication during water crisis fueled disarray
The city of Salem’s initial response to cyanotoxins breaching the water supply this summer caused a frenzy, an independent report found. The 34-page report, conducted by Ohio-based Novak Consulting Group, found that the city focused too much on sensational messaging and not enough on getting clean water to residents. However,[Read More…]
Uncategorized Salem grew faster than Portland last year, Census data shows
Calling Salem “western Oregon’s hottest city” might be overstating it. But Oregon’s capital grew by 2,369 people in 2017, Census Bureau data released Thursday shows. That’s a growth rate of 1.4 percent over 2016, putting Salem slightly ahead of both Portland and Eugene. Portland proper grew by about 1.3 percent[Read More…]
Woman breaks free of attacker in Minto Brown Park
A 29-year-old woman fought off an unknown attacker last night at Minto Brown Park, escaping a man who tried to kidnap her at knifepoint, according to the Salem Police Department. Police said they arrested 23-year-old David Belluno and booked him into the Marion County Jail. He has since been charged[Read More…]
DHS seeks more than 1,000 new employees to support child welfare in proposed budget
Oregon’s largest state agency is asking for more than $1 billion to add 1,664 new employees. But the proposed salaries won’t fill Oregon Department of Human Services’ cubicles with high-paid lawyers or bolster a public relations team. It will go toward protecting the most vulnerable Oregonians; children and the elderly.[Read More…]