Derrick Hart organizes his possessions as he prepares to move them out of Marion Square Park during the eviction of a homeless encampment at the park on Thursday, Mar. 3, 2022. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Crews of city workers, police and public works staff were at Marion Square Park Thursday morning,[Read More…]

The proposed subdivision is on a 29-acre property at 4540 Pringle Rd. S.E. (Ardeshir Tabrizian/Salem Reporter) The Salem City Council denied an application by a developer to build 139 single family lots on the historic Meyer Farm in south Salem.   In a 5-2 vote, the council voted in favor of[Read More…]

Salem City Hall. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem’s city councilors would the city’s next manager to have experience with community engagement and be bilingual in Spanish, according to feedback given to a recruiter during a special city council meeting Tuesday.   Councilors spent an hour discussing a candidate profile that listed the qualifications[Read More…]

Trees cut down on a property in south Salem that led to an investigation by the city of Salem. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) An out-of-state property owner, Salem developer and local tree service were fined $2,000 a pop for Oregon white oaks that were cut down on southeast Salem properties in[Read More…]

Center Street Northeast on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) It will be easier to walk along Southeast Commercial Street across from Roth’s Fresh Market and Wilco if the city of Salem is able to get additional federal funding. That project would add an 800-foot section of sidewalk along[Read More…]

To cull down the list of finalists for Salem’s future flag, Brian McKinley had to sort through heaps of emails from people scoring each of the potential options. He said there were 175 submissions and with the help of judges, they narrowed that number down to 25. Feedback from the[Read More…]

Councilor Jim Lewis during a volunteer event at Orchard Heights Park. (Helen Caswell/Special to Salem Reporter) There’s a line in a Jackson Browne song that goes, “If I could be anywhere right now, I would want to be here.” For now-resigned Salem city Councilor Jim Lewis, that describes Salem. “It[Read More…]

Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett films a video acceptance for a literacy award in April 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Mayor Chuck Bennett beseeched Salem residents to vote for an upcoming infrastructure bond, highlighted the Salem Fire Department’s record call volume and said the city will do everything it can to address[Read More…]

Motor homes and trailers parked at the Salem Elks Lodge #336 RV park on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Blake Whitson has seen members at the Salem Elks Lodge #336 get threatened and screamed at since the city began allowing people experiencing homelessness to camp in the adjacent[Read More…]

City Manager Steve Powers. (Courtesy/ Tami Carpenter) Steve Powers sees himself as an orchestra conductor, guiding the flow of Salem’s work while keeping the spotlight on the music, not himself. It’s an apt metaphor for a city manager who’s often quiet at council meetings, preferring to let city employees present[Read More…]