Clayton Franke

Bend travelers flying out of the Redmond Airport may soon have an alternative to expensive Ubers, high-priced parking spaces or coordinating early morning rides with friends and family.   Cascades East Transit, Central Oregon’s public transit agency, is pushing to bring a new direct bus service from Bend to the Redmond Municipal Airport. While logistical details still need to be ironed out, the agency hopes to begin the service within the next […]

Seven horses and a pair of goats slept in barns at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center Sunday night, just a few hours after they were rushed away from the flames of a newly sparked wildfire west of Redmond.   At first, it appeared the animals might soon be forced to find a different place to stay. Setup was beginning for the fairgrounds’ signature event — the Deschutes County Fair — would fill barns with award-winning livestock […]

Rachel O’Rourke, the leader of a prominent downtown Bend business group, announced plans this month to step away from her role amid a period of major upheaval for the organization.   Days before the resignation went public, the Downtown Bend Business Association also announced it would redo the process for a recent board of directors election.   The turmoil comes after discussions over the prospect of paid parking were met with fierce pushback from […]

In an effort to bring more small-scale housing projects to existing neighborhoods, the Bend City Council may ease back on what public infrastructure — like sidewalks —  developers are required to build.   A June 24 City Council discussion foreshadowed a slate of future changes aimed at spurring housing. Those could make it easier for planners to give leeway on infrastructure in the City’s development code, and expand a program where developers pay a fee instead of building new sidewalks. The Council also gave staff the […]

A group of local businesspeople and hockey enthusiasts have their sights set on building Central Oregon’s first indoor ice rink — and they’re seeking $40 million to do it.   The massive nonprofit fundraising effort was announced July 1 for the Forge Community Iceplex, a year-round facility with two professional-sized ice sheets, a lounge, gym and training facility, pro shop, event spaces and room for about 1,000 spectators located in northeast Bend.  Tyler Brower, a spokesperson for […]

A revamp of Bend’s river wave, tubing and fish passage channel and nearby water access is moving ahead in the early stages of planning, but it may still be years before construction begins.   The project will mark the most significant changes to the Bend Whitewater Park since it was built in 2015 and upgraded the following two winters. The Bend Park and Recreation District is aiming to address lingering issues with safety, bank erosion, channel scour and […]

The matte grey siding of Meta’s largest running data center campus in the U.S. is visible from the window of the Wild Rooster Bar and Grill, which opened six months ago in Prineville. Outside on the patio, a group of data center employees chew on sandwiches and toss cornhole bags. Inside, the bartender says her husband just got hired, too. But it’s no use asking about it. The workers are sworn […]

An emergency training center nearly 10 years in the making is on the verge of starting construction in east Redmond, but not before local agencies move dozens of homeless people living in tents and trailers.   Deschutes County staff are drafting agreements to pave the way for CORE3, a planned training facility for police officers and firefighters that will double as a coordination center in emergencies. The agreements would let the County lease the undeveloped […]