Alia Beard Rau

Sep 22, 2023 | statesmanjournal.com | Alia Beard Rau

As the newspaper industry has changed over the decades, few things have offered comforting stability like starting the day with our favorite morning comic strips. We've read them aloud around the breakfast table, caught up with our favorite characters over coffee and watched our kids laugh over some of the same strips we loved as children. While some of our favorites have endured, other comic offerings in the Statesman Journal have evolved to better reflect the culture and tastes of the times.

Sep 15, 2023 | statesmanjournal.com | Alia Beard Rau

Salem-Keizer Public Schools sent out an email Friday notifying families that it is aware of a nationally circulating school shooting threat that has been shared on social media. "This is believed to be a case of swatting," the district said, referring to a hoax. "The post was vague and did not specifically mention our district or any of our schools."However, the district stated, it treats all reports seriously. Law enforcement is aware of the threat.

Sep 6, 2023 | statesmanjournal.com | Alia Beard Rau

The annual Music Day (Band Day for Sprague High School) fundraiser for the Salem-Keizer Public Schools music programs returns Sept. 9. Music students from the high schools will go door to door in their neighborhoods requesting donations and returnable bottles/cans to support their school music programs. Funds are collected through the music/band booster organizations and used to help pay for travel, competitions, uniforms, instrument repairs and workshops.

Aug 31, 2023 | statesmanjournal.com | Alia Beard Rau

A large fire broke out at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in downtown Salem Wednesday night. According to a Facebook post from the church, the fire was contained to the church and didn't impact the adjacent catholic school. "We are still gathering information," according to the post. "A great blessing is that as far as we know no one was hurt."The church, located at the corner of Chemeketa and Cottage streets, was built in 1889.

Aug 26, 2023 | news.yahoo.com | Alia Beard Rau |Cherrill Crosby

This is part of a weekly series introducing readers to individuals who are passionate about our Mid-Valley community. When a wildfire broke out south of Salem this week, it wasn't only firefighters and law enforcement working to protect lives and homes. Among the first on the scene was a group of Emery & Sons Construction employees who happened to be nearby working on a residential development west of Liberty Road South.