Rachel Alexander

1 week ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

Free music performances will fill Salem from farms and gardens to street corners, on Saturday, June 21, as Make Music Day celebrates its 10th year. It’s the largest year yet for the free music celebration. Some 238 artists will give 274 performances at 68 venues. It’s the first time the annual June 21 event has fallen on a Saturday. Salem couple Mark and Karen Green have been among the organizers since the beginning. Make Music Day is an international event that started in France in 1982.

1 week ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

Summer begins this week with the solstice and longest day of the year on Friday. As of Wednesday, the forecast calls for cooler temperatures and light rain for much of the weekend. Still, there’s plenty to do around Salem to celebrate, including Make Music Day, which runs all day Saturday, June 21, at locations around town. For a more complete list of events, browse our calendar here. You can submit an upcoming event here. Here’s a roundup for the week from Thursday, June 19, to Wednesday, June 25.

1 week ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

Ten pillars of Salem-area high school sports were named “Beacons” last week at a ceremony at the Elsinore Theatre. The annual event, put on by the Salem-Keizer High School Sports Booster Club, honors people who are pillars and guiding lights for local sports. They include outstanding athletes, officials, coaches and more. The club raises money through the event to help cover costs for athletic participation at local high schools for students who would otherwise face financial barriers.

2 weeks ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

Nearly 3,000 students earned diplomas from local high schools over the past week. The Salem-Keizer School District had 2,908 graduates as of a Tuesday report to the school board. Another 114 earned GEDs.Some students will continue to work toward diplomas or GEDs in summer school. The Class of 2025 includes 331 students who earned a seal of biliteracy demonstrating proficiency in English and another native language.

2 weeks ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

A’drianna White was already on her second chance at high school when she became a mom. After beginning freshman year at McKay High School, a house fire and other disruptions got in the way of classes. Then Covid hit. She stopped attending, preferring to spend time outside or be with her friends. “I barely even opened my computer,” she said. She didn’t have much guidance at home. One parent was out of the picture and another struggled with her own problems.