The Willamette Valley Observer is a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of underserved and economically disadvantaged communities in Oregon. Through public-interest journalism, local news coverage, and community outreach, we provide critical access to information for low-income individuals and families—particularly those in rural and underrepresented areas. Our mission centers on civic inclusion, equity in media representation, and improving access to local resources for vulnerable populations.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Turns 50

Fifty years after Cuckoo’s Nest fluttered into American theaters, Salem still carries the echo.

Phil Harpster

Nov 192 min read

Salem’s Libraries Rise from the Grave: Cookies, Sunday Hours, and the Sweet Smell of Tax-Funded Redemption

Oh, Salem, Oregon—you sweet, soggy corner of the Pacific Northwest, where the rain falls like a perpetual apology and the libraries, bless their underfunded hearts, have been gasping for air like a goldfish flipped out of its bowl. I remember my own library days, back when I was a kid dodging the fluorescent-lit aisles of some forgotten Midwestern branch, pilfering paperbacks that smelled like mildew and other people’s regrets. Libraries were my escape hatch, my free therapy

The Oregon Critter & Travel Company

Nov 33 min read

An author of the Willamette Valley Observer reading his won story and laughing and laughing in Salem, Oregon

Our Oregon Team

Meet our team - a group of hardworking, creative individuals who are relentless in their pursuit of the truth.

A Young woman very very attracctive with red pouty lips, writing with a pen and smiling.jp

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Turns 50

Salem’s Libraries Rise from the Grave: Cookies, Sunday Hours, and the Sweet Smell of Tax-Funded Redemption

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Our Oregon Team