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<\/a><\/p>\nSentenced to the Sidewalk<\/p>\n
This investigative series began as an email from a daughter desperate for anyone to pay attention to what was happening to her mother, Melinda Lou Kayser, on Salem\u2019s streets. I did what I could to tell their story with dignity while highlighting the systemic failures of Oregon\u2019s mental health, civil commitment, sheltering and justice systems. I think about Melinda every time I drive past the street corner where she died, and every time I meet someone experiencing homelessness and feeling like they have nowhere to turn. Melinda Lou Kayser\u2019s story will stay with me the rest of my life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How Salem Hospital responded to a mass casualty event<\/p>\n
The difference between community reporting and ambulance chasing is what happens in the aftermath of a horrific breaking news event. I\u2019m proud of the way our team focused on the impact on victims and shelter residents at the Union Gospel Mission immediately following the June stabbing<\/a> which injured 12 people, and the lasting trauma the weeks following<\/a>. The very next day, I pitched, reported and wrote this story about the experience of Salem Hospital\u2019s emergency room doctors. It\u2019s a rare type of reporting to do after a major breaking news event, and provided the community with a peek behind the curtain.<\/p>\n How a group of library lovers convinced a reluctant Salem to raise property taxes<\/p>\n Longtime Salem Reporter readers will remember that I got my start here as the city council reporter, and spent much of 2023<\/a> writing about the city of Salem\u2019s budget and the ultimately failed payroll tax effort. While the city\u2019s budget issues aren\u2019t over, the levy passing brought a new chapter to this lengthy coverage topic.<\/p>\n As businesses call for fixes to clean up downtown, some say the problem is more complex<\/p>\n This story, which I wrote with colleagues Joe Siess and Ardeshir Tabrizian, narrowed in on a nebulous communitywide conversation with a wide range of perspectives. It\u2019s a thorough, definitive story I find myself often returning to reference when writing updates about the ongoing discussions about public safety and homelessness downtown. It\u2019s always a great feeling to have multiple reporters work on one story, and to have a cohesive and informative end product.<\/p>\n Community gathers to honor life of West Salem student who died in crash<\/p>\n Speaking with Elijah Jung\u2019s mother shortly after his death on a rural road outside West Salem had a profound impact on me. I\u2019m grateful she trusted me with these personal moments, and that I could help tell the community who Elijah was.<\/p>\n Mayor Julie Hoy leads effort to expand city, county ability to sweep homeless encampments<\/p>\n I have been keeping a close eye on the developing national, statewide and local discussions and policies around how to address homelessness and public camping. Though written in a day, this story about Mayor Julie Hoy\u2019s participation in a statewide initiative on public camping and my follow-up <\/a>coverage on the public reaction took years of built-up local knowledge and a well-timed trip to a reporting training<\/a> in Washington D.C. to have this level of context and complexity. I was happy to get readers in my inbox telling me they learned something new when they read it.<\/p>\n A unique downtown medical clinic works to care for homeless patients\u2019 long-term needs<\/p>\n I really enjoy talking to people who are passionate about their work, and that\u2019s in abundance at Northwest Human Services\u2019 Homeless Outreach & Advocacy Project\u2019s free medical clinic. Homelessness is a complex topic, and I learned a lot from the staff here about how access to health care plays a key role in someone\u2019s ability to become housed.<\/p>\n Salem Health cancels patient appointments after Regence split<\/p>\n Access to health care was top of mind for a lot of Salem residents this year. In February, I reported on Regence BlueCross BlueShield members losing access to in-network care<\/a> at Salem Health after a failure to reach a contract. In September, I reported on around 10,000 Medicaid patients needing to find new doctors after Salem Clinic and PacificSource failed to reach a contract for 2026<\/a>. In the last week of 2025, the future of Medicaid access at Salem Health remains unclear<\/a>. It\u2019s a defining topic of the year, and I\u2019ll continue to do my part to answer questions for concerned patients amid the uncertainty.<\/p>\n After five-month delay, senior residents at Mahonia Crossing get consistent hot water<\/p>\n It\u2019s my job to listen to marginalized people when they\u2019re feeling ignored, and to ask questions of those in leadership positions on their behalf. I did not expect that sending a few emails would, apparently, lead to low-income seniors getting consistent hot water in their new apartments for the first time in over five months.\u00a0<\/p>\n As local governments sharpen focus on Wallace Marine Park, residents worry about a lack of options<\/p>\n There are a lot of questions about the encampment at Wallace Marine Park, and this story sought to answer some of them. It includes conversations with residents, a trek through the mud and an unprecedented meeting between governments. I expect this story will be just the beginning of a major topic for the new year.<\/p>\n Contact reporter Abbey McDonald:\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0503-575-1251<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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