What's Happening Salem

Stay connected to your community with "What’s Happening Salem," your go-to podcast for all things Salem, Oregon. Every Friday morning, we bring you the latest news, events, and stories from the past week, keeping you informed and engaged with what's happening in your city. Whether it's local government updates, community events, or neighborhood highlights, "What’s Happening Salem" ensures you never miss a beat. Tune in weekly to stay in the know and be part of the vibrant Salem community.

What's Happening Salem is a news podcast hosted by Jacob Espinoza, with 85 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jacob Espinoza hosts What's Happening Salem, a news show with 85 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #84

  Superheroes for Foster Kids: Susie Rice on CASA Marion County's Big Run

  Jun 18, 202617 min

  Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem! In this episode, Jacob Espinoza sits down with Susie Rice, Development Director at CASA Marion County, to discuss: The upcoming Superhero Run and how it brings the community together to support kids in foster care. What CASA does and the critical role court-appointed volunteer advocates play in a child's life. Real stories of trust, comfort, and the long road to success in foster care cases. And much more! Timestamps: 00:23 - Introducing Susie Rice and CASA Marion County 00:25 - The Superhero Run: bringing capes to Riverfront Park 01:38 - More than fundraising: the "friend-raiser" and advocacy mission 02:33 - What is CASA? The history and mission behind the organization 04:18 - Walking through a child's journey with a CASA volunteer 05:40 - The power of a simple backpack and a treasured toy 07:26 - Defining success in the hardest situations 10:20 - CASA's role with the courts and the volunteers behind the scenes 13:28 - What Susie wishes every Salem resident understood about foster kids 14:44 - How to get involved and take the first step 16:00 - Closing thoughts on CASA's heart and community impact

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #83

  From Myspace to Metronome: Inside Salem Oregon's Live Music Culture

  Apr 23, 202647 min

  Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem! In this episode, your hosts sit down at Metronome for a wide-ranging conversation about Salem's live music scene — past, present, and future. From flyering telephone poles in the Myspace era to navigating today's social media landscape, the conversation covers what it really takes to keep local music alive and thriving. In this episode, we discuss: Salem's live music history and the creative venues that made it happen How promotion has shifted from handbills and posters to digital — and why both still matter The state of Salem's music scene today, and why it's better than people give it credit for The challenge of building lasting, consistent music venues in Salem Big upcoming shows at the Salem Riverfront Amphitheater (Ice Cube & Slightly Stoopid!) A first-time return to the stage after a decade away — and performing Oregon Homeboy live with a full band Salem's collaborative vs. competitive music culture, then and now Being pro-Salem, pro-development, and what it means to champion your local community This week's sponsor: Discover Newport — a perfect 90-minute getaway for a date night on the Oregon Coast Timestamps: 00:00 – Teasing the April 24th show at The Grand 04:03 – Getting into Salem's music scene 04:38 – Flyering, handbills, and old-school show promotion 05:43 – Legendary Salem venues: The HyperX, The Wasteland, Triangle, and more 08:54 – The challenge of all-ages shows in Salem 11:43 – How Salem's music scene compares to Portland and Eugene 19:13 – Collaboration vs. competition in local music 20:32 – Why Salem's scene gets dogged harder than it deserves 21:53 – What Salem is missing: consistent, long-standing venues 25:10 – Shoutout to Bennett Ave and local music listings 28:27 – Favorite shows performed and attended in Salem 29:06 – Opening for Blue Scholars at Willamette University 31:20 – The Grand taking risks on emerging artists 33:13 – Big acts coming to the Riverfront Amphitheater 34:37 – Sponsor break: Discover Newport 35:53 – 75 Hard update and home workout hacks 37:52 – Returning to the stage and performing with a live band 40:22 – The origin story of Oregon Homeboy going viral on Myspace 42:13 – Writing about Salem's mayoral race and navigating community opinions 43:12 – Being unapologetically pro-Salem and pro-development 44:42 – Cutting through political tribalism and focusing on your local community 46:41 – Wrap-up and sign-off from Metronome

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  Episode #82

  Boots on the Ground: How Salem Reporter Keeps It Real

  Apr 5, 202657 min

  Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem! In this episode, Jacob Espinoza sits down with Rachel from Salem Reporter to discuss: The future of local journalism and what sets community-rooted reporters apart in the age of AI. Salem's downtown development saga — the State and Commercial site's $5 million history, environmental hurdles, and what's next. Local elections and how Salem Reporter is approaching candidate coverage and civic engagement. The challenge of moderating online discourse and why moving comments off Facebook has been a win. Building community trust through in-person events, Reddit engagement, and showing up as real people. And much more! Timestamps: 00:00 – Morning routines, circadian rhythms, and the art of doing things your own way 05:12 – The easy button approach to podcasting and why low barriers matter 06:00 – Being recognized in Salem and why people are nicer in person than online 09:15 – Moving comments from Facebook to Salem Reporter's own site 11:00 – Deep engagement vs. 22-second videos: where local journalism fits 21:00 – The State and Commercial development site: $5 million spent, environmental contamination, and financing struggles 27:00 – Urban renewal debates and community reactions to the story 29:30 – Salem Reporter's "Whatever Happened To" feature and doubling back on old stories 29:45 – Local elections, candidate coverage, and getting people engaged in city politics 43:45 – Leadership books, storytelling, and sharpening journalism skills 45:30 – Why in-person community building is the future of local media 48:00 – What AI can't replicate: local context, relationships, and caring about Salem 51:00 – Building trust through years of consistent, community-centered reporting 54:30 – Wrapping up at Metronome Studios + April 24th show at the Grand Theater

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #81

  How Better Together Supports Is Changing Lives — A Conversation with David Neely

  Mar 29, 20261h 4m

  Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem! In this episode, Jacob sits down with David Neely , founder of Better Together Supports — a Salem-based in-home care agency serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities — for a wide-ranging conversation about community, purpose, and what it really means to show up for others. In this episode, they discuss: The personal journey that led David from growing up alongside foster kids and juvenile hall students to founding his own IDD care agency What it's truly like to work as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) — and why the community is far more joyful and resilient than most people expect The national DSP shortage crisis and what it means for Oregon families waiting for care How faith, family, and a friend's unexpected generosity gave Better Together Supports its start The value of healthy competition in the care industry — and how raising the bar benefits everyone Building a business rooted in community, not ego — and why David refuses to leave Oregon even when it gets hard Reflections on hip-hop, aging, relevance, and what artists like André 3000 can teach us about purpose The origins of What's Happening Salem and how music, journalism, and a passion for community came together Timestamps: 00:00 – Hydration, Coke Zero, and the food industry's engineering of addiction 06:20 – Kids, parenting, Lord of the Rings, and the joy of reading 18:03 – Introduction to Better Together Supports and the IDD community 19:08 – David's origin story: growing up with foster kids and special ed classrooms 22:00 – What draws people to DSP work — and what keeps them there 24:00 – The "It Takes a Village" philosophy behind Better Together Supports 30:00 – Navigating language, inclusion, and the fear of saying the wrong thing 33:40 – Starting the agency: an MBA, a leap of faith, and a friend who believed first 37:00 – Why David is committed to staying in Oregon no matter the business climate 42:00 – Hip-hop, André 3000, and finding relevance as you age 45:30 – Old friendships, Salem's music scene, and the road to What's Happening Salem 59:25 – How What's Happening Salem grew from music events to a 40,000-follower media brand 1:01:30 – Expanding the model: What's Happening Media and teaching others to build community

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  Episode #80

  From the Fields to the Floor: Teresa Alonso León on Justice, Policy, and Oregon's Senate District 11

  Mar 6, 20261 hour

  Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem! In this episode, recorded live at Metronome Studio, host Jacob Espinoza sits down with Teresa Alonso León — former Oregon state legislator and current candidate for Senate District 11 — to discuss her remarkable journey from migrant farmworker to lawmaker, and her vision for the communities she hopes to serve. In this episode, we cover: From the fields to the floor: Teresa's inspiring path from migrant student to state legislator Running a multilingual campaign and the power of meeting voters in their own language Protecting Oregon's immigrant community amid rising fears and federal pressure Landmark legislation Teresa championed, including paid family leave, health care for all kids, and Oregon's sanctuary law Tackling homelessness through mental health investment, affordable housing, and wrap-around services The broken bridge between education and employment — and how to fix it Urban growth boundaries, affordable housing, and the real cost of building in Oregon Why your local vote matters more than you think — and how to make sure you're registered Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to Metronome Studio 02:10 – The power of personal invitations and community events 04:30 – Kids, phones, and growing up connected 08:11 – Senate District 11: Teresa's background and motivation for running 11:00 – From migrant student to GED to college — Teresa's education journey 14:49 – Getting into politics: city council, state legislature, and beyond 20:03 – Running a multilingual campaign in 2016 22:29 – Why Teresa is running again — and what's at stake for immigrant families 27:28 – Homelessness, mental health, and the housing crisis 35:00 – Workforce development, the trades, and closing the education-to-employment gap 43:41 – Legislation Teresa is most proud of 47:46 – Health equity and access to care for all Oregon kids 49:01 – Affordable housing, urban growth boundaries, and protecting farmland 56:37 – Get out and vote — why local elections change your life

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