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Year in Review: 12 Must-Read Stories
We’re a quarter-way into the 21st Century and 2025 may have been the gnarliest year yet. Here in Central Oregon, our reporting reflected that whiplash, with reports on local houselessness, Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps and potential deregulation of the “American Dream.” Yet, along the way, we had some fun — gallows humor? — with investigations and first-person narratives about those dang fun Veo e-bikes and sketchy “magic…
Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 25
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A newly planted orchard spends its first year growing roots, not fruit. Underground and unseen, the real work happens. I surmise that’s like what you will be doing in the coming months, Capricorn: mostly invisible stabilization and preparation. If anyone asks you what you’re producing, smile inscrutably and say, “Depth.” Be…
Letters to the Editor, Week of Dec. 25
Re: Beyond the Banner: Why a Non-Partisan Approach is Essential for Deschutes County (Dec. 11, 2025) Chris Piper published a letter to the editor on Dec. 11 calling for a nonpartisan approach to local governance. We already have such a candidate in this race: Maddie McKinney. Maddie has been quietly working in this community for…
Crush Your Opponents in Pickleball to Support Foster Care Advocacy
The sport of pickleball has come a long way. Even some hardcore players may not be aware of its Pacific Northwestern past. The sport was created in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a ferry ride away from Seattle, and came to exist as something of an athletic hybrid: a mix of tennis and badminton, played with a wiffleball and short paddles. Humble backyard beginnings turned…
In 2026, Central Oregon Occupational Therapists May Lose Their Occupations
An upcoming adjustment to how much behavioral health providers get paid through Oregon’s Medicaid infrastructure could put some, specifically occupational therapists, straight out of business. Occupational therapy, like physical therapy, is intended to help disabled or injured people work past their medical issues and return to normal life. Through OT services, everyday actions that feel out of reach can gradually…
The Year’s Winners and Losers
The end of a year is an ideal time to look back, reassess and think about what we could do better in the new year. With that, we present some of the winners and losers of the year 2025. Let’s start with the Losers. Losing locally -Oregon’s budget. Federal decisions and executive orders are bringing…
The Psychedelic Frontier Dec. 25
Q: After 20+ years in traditional indigenous ceremonies with mushrooms, peyote, and ayahuasca in South and Central America, I’m watching local options emerge with both curiosity and apprehension. Most seem facilitated by mental health professionals or those with limited connection to indigenous roots. What’s the difference between these approaches and traditional circles? Are there benefits or…
Mountain View Community Village Takes Off With a $3 Million Grant
In January 2025, the Homeless Leadership Coalition counted 1,611 people experiencing homelessness in Deschutes County. Of that number, at least 374 were homeless in Redmond, said the HLC, which is Central Oregon’s designated Continuum of Care – a federal program designed to oversee resources to address homelessness regionally. Getting even one person off the street, and making sure the roof over their head stays there, is a task that…
Star Quality
A few years ago I headed to Oregon’s Summer Lake Wildlife Area to meet friends for our annual spring bird-a-thon. Armed with binoculars, the Merlin Bird ID app and bird books, we good humoredly tried to outdo each other’s species count. Come nightfall, I took in the staggering beauty of the Milky Way that claimed…
Backporch and Thump Coffee Merge
Backporch Coffee Roasters and Thump Coffee are merging under a new parent company called TBC Coffee starting Jan. 1. In a letter to clients, Backporch Founder Dave Beach wrote, “I’ve been roasting coffee in Bend for a long time, and Backporch has grown one relationship at a time… Nothing about this merger changes the heart…
High Quality Highs
As time passes, an inevitable assessment of the choices made in one’s younger years comes to pass. This review allows you to reflect and respond on the roads taken, both good and bad, with an eye toward doing a better job. For many, this involves partners, career choices, and things said or done while under…
Twelve Days of Housewarming Gifts
There’s something extra magical about giving a housewarming gift during the holidays. A new home already carries the energy of fresh beginnings, and pairing that with a thoughtful present makes the season feel even more meaningful. Whether you’re shopping for clients, friends, family, or your own wish list, here are some stylish, practical, and joy-sparking…
A Variety of New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Bend
As 2025 comes to a close, Bend has no shortage of events to help you ring in the New Year with style. From luxurious dinners and endless dancing to champagne toasts shared with friends, there’s truly an event for everyone looking to end the year on a high note. One of the many events taking…
Make 2026 the Year of Reading
The frenzy of the holidays is almost behind us and 2026 is just around the corner. For many, using the new year to set goals and resolutions is a time-honored tradition. Some of you may join a gym or commit to Dry January. Perhaps you want to do more for our local community. Volunteer at…
Seed to Table Aims to Build Community Health and Wellness
Little did 10-year-old Audrey Tehan know, as she furiously shielded her fledgling beet plants from a pounding hail storm on her family’s farm in Sisters, that one day, she’d be helping to grow more than 100,000 pounds of fresh produce in that same spot and helming a nonprofit that distributes the bounty to Central Oregon…
The Perks of a Perfect Tortilla
Listen, if you don’t listen to another food recommendation I give you for as long as I do this job, then please believe me when I say that the thing that has been missing from your life up until now is the duck fat Sonoran tortillas from Wandering Ranchero. (Located behind Palate Coffee). There are…
A Year of Excellence
Every year, when it’s time to make my end-of-the-year list, I realize there are still too many new releases that I’ve yet to see, which is somewhat ridiculous since I actually managed to catch around 150 releases from 2025. That’s plenty. Feels like plenty. Along with all the new shows I tried to catch, I…
