In its quest to add affordable housing, the City of Bend has made a habit of waiving costs like infrastructure fees or property taxes that might make development more expensive. Yet when it comes to the City’s impending fee on new homes powered by natural gas, builders of lower-cost homes won’t be off the hook. The Bend City Council made that decision on Wednesday following a lobbying effort that split developers […]
Bend Won’t Exempt New Affordable Housing From Natural Gas Fees. Here’s Why.
Posted inColumns
Navigating SSRIs and Classic Psychedelic Medicine
Q: I’m on antidepressants and want to explore psychedelic therapy. What do I need to know about tapering off [Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors] safely, and how long should I wait? A: This is one of the most common and important questions I receive, and I’m glad you’re thinking about safety first. Before I dive in, I […]
Posted inColumns
Savage in Bend
Strolling downtown on Brooks Street, passersby may suddenly get bombarded by a lush garden full of eye popping colors during late spring and summer. On the side of the Common’s Cafe & Taproom, a tiny space is filled with many varieties of plants like Rockcress, Allum, Iris and others. The Maltese Cross in full bloom […]
Posted inNatural World
What We Risk Losing
To witness the McDermitt Caldera is to be moved. Supported by the east-flowing McDermitt Creek, sloping hills of sagebrush cradle native wildflowers and bunchgrasses. In spring, paintbrush awakens in crimson bursts alongside winks of purple lava aster. Bitterroot emerges, first in succulent leaves, then in white flowers nestled close to the ground. In blooms of […]
Posted inNews
County Clerk Offers Transparency on Voting Process
As election day approaches and voter ballots are mailed out on April 29, the Deschutes County Clerk provided community members key information they should know about the process and behind the scenes counting activity. Steve Dennison spoke about the importance of voter registration, key voter deadlines, how votes are verified and internal processes when votes […]
Posted inBusiness News
Volcano Preparedness Workshop Being Held in Bend
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM), in partnership with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), is hosting a series of volcano preparedness and public education workshops aimed at strengthening readiness for future volcanic activity in Oregon. As part of this effort, OEM and DOGAMI are […]
Posted inLocal News
Trailing in the GOP Gubernatorial Primary, Dudley Appears to Change His Views on Abortion
Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley is sending out conflicting messages on a litmus-test issue for many primary election voters: abortion. In October, as he mulled entering the governor’s race, the former Portland Trail Blazer told the Oregon Journalism Project in a videotaped interview that he was pro-choice—i.e., that he supported a woman’s right to abortion. […]
Posted inBusiness News
“Know Camp” This May with Deschutes Public Library
Calling all happy campers! Join Deschutes Public Library this May to celebrate “Know Camp” and discover something new. Learn about local fauna with wildlife stories, flora and food foraging in nature, and better birding field trips. Attend a lecture on companion planting and soil building, and hear about Oregon’s fire lookouts and nearby hikes. Teens […]
Posted inBusiness News
Roller Season Underway at The Pavilion
Bend Park and Recreation District completed its seasonal changeover at The Pavilion and is open for roller activities. Spring through early fall welcomes roller skating, inline skating, skateboarding and scootering at The Pavilion’s non-ice season rink and skatepark. See the schedule for details. There is also registration space available for programs beginning soon for roller hockey, learn to roller […]
Posted inBusiness News
America 250 Oregon Commission Announces Submission to the National Time Capsule
On July 4, 2026, America250 will bury the Semiquincentennial Time Capsule within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, PA. The stainless-steel cylinder, designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is designed to safely store commemorative objects for 250 years until the capsule’s opening in 2276. Each state was asked to contribute a submission that represents […]