Rachel Alexander

2 days ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

After moving through five Salem schools in five years, Mindy Stubenrauch finally found a classroom that worked for her son. In the year and a half he’s been at Salem Heights Elementary School, she said he’s made friends and progressed after being placed in the school’s emotional growth center. That is a special education classroom intended for students with serious difficulty regulating their emotions. “This is the most stable he’s ever been,” she said.

2 days ago | expressandstar.com | Rachel Alexander

Applicant Power Initiatives Ltd has submitted two applications to develop the site off Six Towers Road near Reedswood Park woodland. The first application was rejected by Walsall Council in 2023 due to the lack of information provided about safety measures in the event of a fire or explosion, the risk of flooding, and visual impact of the facility.

3 days ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

The Salem-Keizer School District is getting a small reprieve on its pension costs after legislators approved a change intended to provide schools help with skyrocketing rates. The change, announced by the state’s pension system last week, reduces the amount school districts must pay to the state to cover expected pension costs for already-retired employees. Superintendent Andrea Castañeda estimated it would save the school district about $6 million next year.

3 days ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

Salem is home to the best high school orchestras in Oregon. That’s according to the annual Oregon State Activities Association competitions held in May, where local high schools dominated the competition, and choir and band programs also took home state honors. Among the top honors: South Salem High School again placed first in the string and full orchestra competitions after winning both competitions last year. The ensemble is under the direction of Damian Berdakin.

5 days ago | salemreporter.com | Rachel Alexander

A Bend man with few apparent connections to Salem is accused of going on a rampage Sunday night, stabbing 12 people at the Union Gospel Mission men’s shelter during check in. Police named Tony L. Williams, 42, as the suspect in the stabbing at the mission, 777 Commercial St. N.E. He faces 12 counts of second-degree assault in Marion County Circuit Court. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon.