The new Howard Street Charter School location in downtown Salem was once a grocery store, then a state building (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem’s oldest charter school gets a new home soon. Students at Howard Street Charter School will start January classes in a renovated building on Marion Street that was[Read More…]
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They helped kids and got to take home a holiday tree ready to display
Joshua Miles and his uncle Rob Miles admire one of the many trees auctioned off on Friday, Dec. 6, at the annual Gala of Trees to support local children. (Mary Louise VanNatta/Special to Salem Reporter) Holiday magic was in the air at the 2019 Gala of Trees to benefit Family[Read More…]
Oregon short on resources for local mental health treatment
Oregon State Hospital (Salem Reporter/file) Reforms to Oregon’s system for dealing with those unfit to stand trial aren’t working as planned, with judges challenged to find local treatment options for those they used to send to the Oregon State Hospital. As a result, the state hospital has not seen a[Read More…]
Caesar the Llama promoting blood drives in memory of teenage friend who died of cancer
AvaLynn Hosmer, left, and Caesar, meet at an October 2019 event for Hosmer’s homecoming. (Courtesy/Kimberly Hosmer) Salem’s celebrity llama wants your blood. Caesar, the four-year-old therapy llama who regularly makes public appearances at events around western Oregon, is expanding his community service efforts into local blood drives in honor of[Read More…]
Court finds that police coerced murder confession
Public safety – standing graphic UPDATE: This story has been updated with comment from the public defender involved in the case. SALEM – A Woodburn man’s murder conviction has been overturned after the Oregon Court of Appeals determined that police coerced his confession, telling him members of his family, including[Read More…]
Lawsuit alleges Hillsboro union won’t let teachers opt out
SALEM — Four Hillsboro school employees sued their union and school district Thursday in federal court, arguing that the union slow-walks requests from employees who want to quit their unions in violation of their rights under the U.S. Constitution. The Freedom Foundation, a Northwest organization that urges public employees[Read More…]
Salem official eyes organized camping for people who live in vehicles
Volunteers with The ARCHES Project, Pamela Watson, left, and Lorrie Walker, talk with homeless resident Doug Pendleton at Cascades Gateway Park in September. Pendleton lived in his car at the park until it was swept. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) As city of Salem staff hunt for a place where homeless residents[Read More…]
Did you have a good year? Help those who didn’t…
The Christmas tree at the Oregon State Capitol (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) It’s cold, days are short and holiday lights are going up around Salem. If you’re looking to make the darkest part of the year a little brighter for local families in need, we’ve rounded up a list[Read More…]
October crime, fire service data for Salem now available
(Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem Reporter is continuing to publish monthly call data from public safety agencies in Marion County. This is a snapshot of October numbers compared to the same time last year. The data came from the Salem Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Fire Department and[Read More…]
Police identify pedestrian killed near Riverfront Park
Police have identified Salem resident Rodric Kenyon Drolshagen, 72, as the man hit and killed in a crosswalk on Northeast Front Street Wednesday morning. Drolshagen was crossing the street with his dog when a black Ford Explorer hit him leaving the Riverfront Park carousel parking lot. The dog was not[Read More…]