I’m deep into my second year reporting on city government for Salem Reporter and the news in this town never ceases to keep me on my toes.  From the chaos that ensued after the former city manager was forced out of his job in February to profiling a breakdancing arcade technician, Salem has be en full of news this year. While I primarily cover the city of Salem, I am fortunate to also get the chance to cover other things happening in the community.  Here are some of the stories from 2025 where I had my work cut out for me, and some that warmed my heart and reminded me why I chose to be a journalist in the first place.  Records reveal Nishioka wanted to sue Hoy after Stahley resigned Records reveal Nishioka wanted to sue Hoy after Stahley resigned  The news coverage of former Salem City Manager Keith Stahley’s abrupt resignation in February all started like most big stories tend to start: with a news tip.  I remember understanding the gravity of the situation as I drove to City Hall that day to have a look at Stahley’s newly-vacated office. What I could not have known then was where the story would wind up taking me. And what we would learn as the facts became clear.  The story taught me that politics are anything but transparent. That those given power by people might not always exercise it with the right amount of deference.   I also learned that our readers, and people in Salem, are paying close attention and care way more than I thought about how that power is used. Or abused.  Paid parking in downtown Salem is a moneymaker. Businesses wonder what’s next Paid parking in downtown Salem is a moneymaker. Businesses wonder what’s next.  There are few things in the world that bring people from all walks of life together in true unity. One of those things is paying for parking.  Some people hate paid parking because it costs money, which is understandable, because we work for our money. Others understand that if we want nice things, we have to pay for them. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, one thing holds true: When the city of Salem instituted paid parking downtown for the first time after decades of it being free, it was a big deal.  I recall hot takes and righteous emails flooding my inbox when we asked for community input on the matter. Our Facebook post on the topic exploded with comments.  The outcome was an enterprise story that got to the heart of the city’s paid parking program, and the story wouldn’t have gone as far if it weren’t for all the public discourse.  That’s for sure.  Paid parking managed to truly bring the community together.  City wants ambulance service to pay overtime costs already covered by others City wants ambulance service to pay overtime costs already covered by others The task of investigating the public takeover of the city’s ambulance system was bestowed upon me shortly after my arrival in Salem in the spring of 2024. It was a daunting task and at times I wanted to crawl under a rock.  Fortunately, I was able to vent my frustrations and insecurities to my faithful mentor, John Emshwiller, the retired but esteemed correspondent from The Wall Street Journal.  The Falck story was really my first all-out investigative project and I learned quickly that stories like that require diligence and organization.  I also learned that when it comes to the things we take for granted as citizens, like ambulance service, there is a tremendous amount going on underneath the hood.  While I may not be the mechanic in this case, I feel like I at least was able to lift the hood so we could all see what was going on underneath.  As far as return on investment for the time put in, the Falck story takes the cake.  Meet Ben Xavier, the breakdancing arcade technician at Salem’s Chuck E. Cheese Meet Ben Xavier, the breakdancing arcade technician at Salem’s Chuck E. Cheese My all-time favorite story of the year was spending the morning at Salem’s Chuck E. Cheese hanging out with a breakdancing arcade technician named Ben. My task was to profile Ben, but I didn’t really have much of a game plan going in. That didn’t really matter.  Ben might originally hail from the Micronesian island of Yap, but I quickly found common ground with him during the time we spent together in the arcade.  For starters, when his phone rang during our interview, I heard a very nostalgic, specific and niche sound from a classic video game, The Legend of Zelda, which we both used to play.  His ringtone was the tune that plays when the game’s protagonist, Link, walks into a shop or a house.  I was floored when I heard the sound and he was floored when I said I recognized it.  It is safe to say that the interview went well, especially after we both realized we were video game nerds.  Fate of Salem IRS office uncertain after DOGE claims to cancel lease Fate of Salem IRS office uncertain after DOGE claims to cancel lease  Shortly after Donald Trump became the president for the second time, billionaire Elon Musk was given the power to slash federal government spending at an unprecedented rate.  One of the targets of the federal cuts was the Internal Revenue Service. Musk’s initiative, DOGE, or the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, began shutting down IRS buildings across the country, apparently including one office in Salem.  I remember going to the IRS office at 1660 Oak Street S.E. and watching employees break down in tears when I identified myself as a reporter and asked about the situation.  After a serpentine process of calling the property owner, and a real estate firm that was supposedly placing the IRS office space on the market, I quickly understood how chaotic things were likely to get. World-famous conservationist Jane Goodall brings hope to Salem  World-famous conservationist Jane Goodall brings hope to Salem  One moment I am most grateful for was the chance to be one of the last people in Salem to see Jane Goodall in the flesh before she passed on Oct. 1.  Goodall came to the Elsinore Theater in April to give her world-famous spiel but much of her energy was spent imparting on the packed theater how to maintain hope in what she described as “dark times.”  Her commanding presence and gentle demeanor as she spoke, for moments, made me forget I was covering her event. She inspired me and gave me hope just like everyone else in the room. I will always have tremendous gratitude that I was able to write about her.   State pushes out federal food benefits overnight but next payout remains uncertain  State pushes out federal food benefits overnight but next payout remains uncertain  Another example of the chaos of the political times we find ourselves in found its way onto my desk in the form of a story about food stamps expiring for hundreds of thousands of people across the state.  My story was one of several that Salem Reporter did in response to the cuts.  Speaking with people who were actually struggling to feed themselves and their families and watching state officials scramble in the face of federal cuts to something as essential as feeding people was an eye opening experience.  I remember getting stuck on the highway behind a semi truck carrying food with big colorful images of tomatoes, loaves of bread and other common staples, and feeling a sense of dread. What once seemed as ordinary as a tomato or a loaf of bread would soon be out of reach for so many people, I remember thinking.  I was proud that Oregon was one of the first states to release the funds after a key court decision came down ordering them to be paid out. It was a remarkable moment.  Salem councilors staying mum in instances, fearing ethics trouble Salem councilors staying mum in instances, fearing ethics trouble One of the more interesting stories I got to do this year was reporting on when the city council stopped appearing together at public events because they feared getting in trouble with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.  To be fair, the council was under an investigation at the time by the commission for breaking state public meetings laws.  While I was accustomed to writing about that story, I wasn’t expecting to write a story about the body charged with enforcing those laws.  It turned out that the government ethics commission had issued guidance on new rules around public meetings and that there was widespread confusion among public officials across the state.  I learned from that experience that sometimes you have to look at the ones enforcing the rules and not just the ones who have to follow them.  Salem’s new city manager plays a unifying role during tumultuous times Salem’s new city manager plays a unifying role during tumultuous times One story that I genuinely enjoyed reporting on was a profile about Salem’s new city manager, Krishna Namburi.  As a reporter, I have known Krishna for a while, and was able to chronicle her journey as she stepped into a pair of shoes she never thought she would step into, but appeared destined to fill.  When Krishna told me during an in-person interview in her office in November that her childhood nickname was “the city manager,” I knew how I would lead when I sat down to write her profile.  The anecdote was too good to be true, and made the rest of the profile feel almost enchanting to write. It was one of my favorite stories to write this year.  Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected]. LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post TOP STORIES: Salem’s city manager, ethics, breakdancing game technician appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less