Salem Community Pulse

Joseph Wirkkala received a life sentence with a 32.5-year minimum before parole eligibility, closing the 2025 Wallace Marine Park homicide case.

A...

• Record fire seasons hit Oregon and Utah this summer amid dry conditions and El Niño, with Spokane losing over 900 homes
• Most communities lack...

Inaccurate ballot phrasing risks confusing voters on the scope of Initiative Petition 2028-025, which would create constitutional rights for hunting,...

Salem police responded at 11:17 p.m. on Aug. 30 to a fatal shooting near Circle K on Taggart Drive and Wallace Road NW, finding a man dead at the...

More than 150 people gathered at Riverfront Park for the third annual MMIP Awareness Walk, featuring cultural performances, prayers, and speeches...

• Starting this fall, Oregon high schools introduce personal finance instruction as a graduation requirement for the class of 2027.
• Students will...

• Learn root structures, transplanting, harvesting pups, cuttings, and repotting techniques.
• Bring your plant needing attention for root exam,...

Oregon taxpayers face skyrocketing low-income housing expenses with little public oversight.

• The state spent $1.4 billion over five years, pushing...

Independence closed all five parks and its museum after voters rejected levies and referred a $20 monthly utility fee to the November ballot,...

Late-summer drought has left low reservoirs and reduced streamflow across Oregon, limiting water for communities, farms, and utilities while dry...

Several standout runners return after key graduations created openings across Salem-area conferences.

• Katelyn Buchnoff (Silverton senior) and Amber...

St. Joseph Catholic Church in downtown Salem has reopened with a restored sanctuary featuring a 33-foot arched ceiling in deep blue with 23-karat gold...

Tonight in Salem, catch award-winning local musician Shawn Morford at a house concert fundraiser for the Salem Parks Foundation. Hosted by Mark Wigg at 1950 Saginaw St. S from 7-8:30 p.m., the event suggests a $20 donation with refreshments included.

Student marches are blocking traffic at various Salem locations, prompting multiple calls to the Willamette Valley Communications Center. Residents should expect temporary delays and plan alternate routes.

Data centers are turning into a divisive issue in Salem, where a $5 billion Verrus proposal triggered public protests and rapid policy reversals.
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• Crash details: 19-year-old Salem driver Orion David Sliwka struck pedestrian Cordaro Ryan Stock, 34, on Highway 20 near milepost 10 late Aug. 26.
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The city maintains an official page to answer data center questions in Salem.

• Contacts: Email @cityofsalem.net or call 503-588-7272 for details
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Enrollment has dropped from over 41,000 students to around 35,000, leaving the district with more buildings than it can support.

• Task force...

Verrus filed its first city application for a $394 million data center just days before Salem considered a moratorium.

• Incomplete application: City...

Downtown Salem Art Walk on Aug. 7 brings live music, food and artists to galleries from 5-8 p.m.

• Elsinore Framing & Fine Art: Pastels by Vicki...