Former Judge Tom Kohl talking with a prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in 2014. (Photo courtesy of Tom Kohl) As Tom Kohl was leaving, the prison warden called him back to sit and pray. “Dear lord, don’t let these men rest until there is a Bible college in the[Read More…]
Latest News
Secretary of State uses Facebook to target inactive voters
Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson is leaning on technology to reach the 447,000 Oregonians with inactive voter registration. Richardson’s office gave the state’s list of inactive voters to Facebook, which cross-referenced the names with its social media profiles. On Tuesday, a video from Richardson started popping up in the[Read More…]
Uncategorized Wine wars: Oregon and Napa Valley clash over labeling, state and federal regulators investigating
Rows of grapes growing at Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner on Tuesday. The vineyard is part of a fight against what it perceives as misappropriation of the region’s pinot noir by a Napa Valley winery. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) TURNER — Jim Bernau bought a rolling hillside of blackberry vines and[Read More…]
See how your Salem-Keizer school did on state tests
Kindergarten students at Swegle Elementary play with blocks on the first day of school, 2018. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Oregon’s latest standardized test results were a mixed bag. Statewide, the percentage of students meeting state standards was nearly flat in English, math and science. In Salem, student results and changes from[Read More…]
Salem schools lag behind state on student test scores, with gains in high school
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…]
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…]
