Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 06/08/2026No paywall on this one...salemreporter.comFor years, Salem’s camping notices have directed homeless people to dead ends - Salem ReporterThe orange notice for illegal camping that Salem Police Department posts ahead of a camp removal lists six short-term shelter options. A review by Salem Reporter found that, due to outdated informatio... 000
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 02/07/2026ICYMI - Noteworthy move by the city of Salem.salemreporter.comCity of Salem sues FEMA, DHS, citing federal overreach in disaster relief funding - Salem ReporterIn a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the city of Salem said conditions within federal grants providing critical money to repair damages from the 2025 winter flood include unlawful terms limiting local diversit... 013
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 03/06/2026I'm honored that my series about Oregon's civil commitment system and the public death of Melinda Lou Kayser placed first at the @spjoregon.bsky.social Northwest Excellence in Journalism competition. I'm very grateful that Melinda's family was willing to share her story. It's an important one.salemreporter.comSalem Reporter wins regional journalism award for “Sentenced to the Sidewalk” series - Salem ReporterAbbey McDonald’s investigative series on the death of an unsheltered woman in Salem won first place in the 2025 Northwest Excellence in Journalism competition. It is one of the most competitive region... 240
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 22/05/2026Hey, Oregon journos! Did you hear that the annual @spjoregon.bsky.social is going to be in Portland NEXT Friday, May 29 at McMenamins Kennedy School? Come eat, drink and be the first to learn who won SPJ awards. Get tickets here: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...?zeffy.comSunshine in May fundraiserSunshine in May brings together journalists, students and supporters to strengthen ethical, independent reporting in Oregon. 🌤️Your registration helps fund our advocacy work at the Legislature and tra... 000
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 27/04/2026Months ago, I watched a presentation from Marion County which described gruesome crimes in Salem's largest homeless encampment. It included a claim of buried bodies. That was a surprise to the police who work in the park, whose data was taken to make the slides. No paywall on this story.salemreporter.comMarion County officials suggest unsolved murders, buried victims mar Wallace Marine Park - Salem ReporterMarion County officials pushed to shut down homeless camping in Wallace Marine Park by spooling out graphic accounts of crime. They cited an unknown witness to claim murder victims were buried in the ... 000
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldOregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 27/03/2026Federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security arrested two people inside the Marion County Courthouse on Thursday, March 26. buff.ly/17GSm3Q via @salemreporter.bsky.socialbuff.lyFederal agents arrest 2 at downtown Salem courthouse • Oregon Capital ChronicleSalem Reporter first published this article. Federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security arrested two people inside the Marion County Courthouse on Thursday, March 26. One arrest was… 21417
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 28/02/2026Getting a Section 8 housing voucher can take years. Once obtained, the clock starts: use it or lose it within 4 months. In Salem, around 60% of people are able to find a home in the first month. Others aren't so lucky. Meet Nicky and Ally, who have been in motels since October.salemreporter.comCommon rental barriers are keeping a Salem family homeless - Salem ReporterDespite having a federal housing voucher that guarantees they can pay rent, Misty Blades, her daughter and caregiver can’t get their foot in the door of a new home. They’re facing the same challenges ... 022
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldGreater Oregon SPJ @spjoregon.bsky.social · 20/02/2026A bill is advancing in Salem that would blow a hole in the public's right to know, according to the top official who protects Oregonians’ public meetings law, Susan Myers. @SPJOregon, @OPB and others strongly oppose #orleg #orpol #foiaoregonlive.comBill could enable secret government talks, Oregon ethics chief warnsA section that would provide broad exceptions to the public meetings law 'gives me heartburn,' said Susan Myers, executive director of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. 138
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldJonathan Bach @jonathanmbach.bsky.social · 18/02/2026Few affordable apartments are vacant in Salem, unlike Portland via @abbeymcd.bsky.social www.salemreporter.com/2026/02/16/f...salemreporter.comFew affordable apartments are vacant in Salem, unlike Portland - Salem ReporterIn Portland, a mix of market and administrative factors meant that over 1,900 affordable apartments sat vacant as of December. Salem does not have that problem, according to data from the Salem Housin... 151
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldGreater Oregon SPJ @spjoregon.bsky.social · 14/02/2026Oregon journos! Early bird pricing on the Region 10 contest expires at 9 p.m. SUNDAY (Feb. 15). Get your entries in by 8:59 p.m., and you're GOLD. That's $30 per entry for member pricing, $35 for nonmembers. After that, it's $35 per entry for SPJ members and $40 per entry for non-SPJ members. 132
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 03/11/2025If you aren't keeping up with my colleague @jomsiess.bsky.social 's reporting on the Salem City Council you're missing out on a master class. www.salemreporter.com/2025/11/03/m...salemreporter.comMonths of private counseling between Julie Hoy and former city manager preceded his abrupt resignation - Salem ReporterDocuments obtained from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission showed that Council President Linda Nishioka told ethics investigators that Salem Mayor Julie Hoy desired former Salem City Manager Keit... 020
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldOregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 21/10/2025Salem Mayor Julie Hoy has joined a coalition of the state’s largest employers seeking to make it easier for cities and counties to remove homeless people and their belongings from public spaces. buff.ly/UwnAzsg by @abbeymcd.bsky.social of @salemreporter.bsky.socialbuff.lySalem mayor leads effort to expand local ability to sweep homeless encampments • Oregon Capital ChronicleA coalition of the state’s largest employers seek to make it easier for cities and counties to remove homeless people from public spaces. 036
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 22/09/2025What an honor! Thank you to the NPF for this opportunity, I'm so excited to learn how to better report on federal policy alongside all these skilled journalists. 132
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 31/07/2025$6 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars went to this, per WaPo's reporting. Gift article link below. Read with care. wapo.st/3HbPOmEwapo.st‘Welcome to hell’: Inside the mega prison where the U.S. deported migrantsInterviews with 16 former detainees of El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center offer the most complete view yet of conditions inside the notorious prison. 001
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldGreater Oregon SPJ @spjoregon.bsky.social · 27/06/2025We are disappointed but undeterred. www.spjoregon.com/news/our-sta...spjoregon.comOur statement on Senate Bill 686 — SPJ OregonOn Tuesday, June 24, Senate Bill 686 failed to advance from the Oregon Senate floor by one vote. 024
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldGreater Oregon SPJ @spjoregon.bsky.social · 03/06/2025BIG NEWS! 📰 We are excited to announce the winners of the 2024 SPJ Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest. Congratulations to all who took home a prize and check out the full list of winners here: www.spjoregon.com/contestspjoregon.comContest — SPJ Oregon 033
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldGreater Oregon SPJ @spjoregon.bsky.social · 28/05/2025Just two days to go until our spring fundraiser! One of many reasons you should come: You'll get a sneak peek into who won the five-state Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest. www.eventbrite.com/e/sunshine-i...eventbrite.comSunshine in 2025: Fighting secrecy, protecting journalismCome eat, drink and mingle with fellow journos and friends to promote open government and recognize some great journalism! 003
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldGreater Oregon SPJ @spjoregon.bsky.social · 14/05/2025Hi, Bluesky! 👋 We're the Greater Oregon chapter of @spj-posts.bsky.social, training journalists and advocating for press freedom and open government in Oregon and southwest Washington. Looking forward to sharing exciting updates on awards and our work at the #orleg on this platform. 2374
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldJulia Shumway @jmshumway.bsky.social · 06/05/2025This is horribly sad news. The Malheur Enterprise punches far above its weight and in recent years has trained many talented young journalists, including several of the Salem Reporter crew across the hall. www.malheurenterprise.com/2025/05/06/m...malheurenterprise.comMalheur Enterprise closing after 115 years as owners retire - Malheur EnterpriseThe Malheur Enterprise is ceasing publication after 115 years with the May 7 edition being the last printed version. Owners Les Zaitz and Scotta Callister are retiring after each spending more than 50... 1129
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 06/05/2025I owe the Malheur Enterprise a lot. It's where I worked the summer after a Covid college graduation, which kept me in journalism. In honor of its closure, which makes me very sad, please enjoy some eclectic photos from my Vale summer, 2021. Feat. Dinah the office cat. 140
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldAlex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 06/05/2025115-year-old Malheur Enterprise, punching FAR above its weight in east Oregon, to close. "Large newspaper groups no longer buy such independent newspapers, and the pool has shrunk of people who want to, as owners, both run a business and a news organization" www.malheurenterprise.com/2025/05/06/m...malheurenterprise.comMalheur Enterprise closing after 115 years as owners retire - Malheur EnterpriseThe Malheur Enterprise is ceasing publication after 115 years with the May 7 edition being the last printed version. Owners Les Zaitz and Scotta Callister are retiring after each spending more than 50... 66627
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldAlex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 18/04/2025Catching up on @abbeymcd.bsky.social series today and it is a gut punch. Up until Jan., state training for investigators determining whether someone should be forced into mental health treatment, included advice that if a person can find discarded food in a dumpster, they can take care of themself. 022
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldJulia Shumway @jmshumway.bsky.social · 14/04/2025Don't read this excellent in-depth report from @abbeymcd.bsky.social until you're in a place where you can cry. www.salemreporter.com/2025/04/14/c...salemreporter.comSENTENCED TO THE SIDEWALK: One woman’s misery reveals flaws in Oregon commitments - Salem ReporterGovernment officials considered whether Melinda Lou Kayser needed someone to care for her. They said no. She then died, nearly naked, on a Salem street. 152
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 14/04/2025I met Jessica for the first time last August. While we spoke at a local coffee shop, her mother was slowly dying on a sidewalk. Jessica was doing everything she could to save her. It wasn’t enough. Here's their story, which revealed the gaping holes in Oregon systems. Take care while reading.salemreporter.comSENTENCED TO THE SIDEWALK: One woman’s misery reveals flaws in Oregon commitments - Salem ReporterGovernment officials considered whether Melinda Lou Kayser needed someone to care for her. They said no. She then died, nearly naked, on a Salem street. 021
Reposted by Abbey McDonaldJulia Shumway @jmshumway.bsky.social · 11/03/2025Obsessed with the squishmallows @abbeymcd.bsky.social brought into our office for an adoption event. This is Erica, a fox who canonically teaches ballet to a local hockey team. 2101
Abbey McDonald @abbeymcd.bsky.social · 21/02/2025Cleansing your timeline with this story from Joe Siess about a wonderful local Chuck E. Cheese employee:salemreporter.comMeet Ben Xavier, the breakdancing arcade technician at Salem’s Chuck E. Cheese - Salem ReporterFor nearly 35 years Ben Xavier has kept the video games and arcade machines functioning and updated at the Chuck E. Cheese. 131
