Clayton Franke

High water users in Redmond might pay more in the future as the City looks to incentivize conservation amid declining groundwater levels and rapid population growth.   The Redmond City Council began a discussion Monday about adopting a tiered water rate structure, which would apply increasingly higher rates to each portion of water used beyond a certain threshold.   Those exact thresholds still need to be hashed out […]

Two Democrats are in position to win seats for the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners after an initial tally of ballots Tuesday evening, while two other races appear to be headed to the general election in November.   Should those results hold, it could mark the dismantling of the board’s longtime Republican majority as it expands from three members to five in November.   That includes the likely upset of incumbent Deschutes County […]

After dozens of people packed La Pine City Hall on May 13 in an uproar against a proposed data center, it’s unclear where City leaders and developers stand on the project.   The public comment period at the meeting took nearly three hours, with most people in opposition, citing fears the facility would guzzle water, push up power costs, hurt wildlife habitat and […]

Affordable housing developers are planning a four-story, 64-unit apartment building in a mixed-use area in the heart of Bend’s west side, a project that would bring lower-cost housing to a highly desirable part of the city.   The proposed development would occupy a vacant 1-and-a-half-acre parcel on the corner of Columbia Street and Commerce Avenue — a stone’s throw from concerts, breweries and shops and a short walk from the Deschutes River.   “This location was intentionally chosen by […]

A long-awaited street renovation project on a beloved — and busy — commercial corridor in west Bend is expected to commence this summer.   Speed bump-like pedestrian crossings, concrete islands and new pavement are some of the changes slated for Galveston Avenue, stretching from the Deschutes River west to 17th Street. The City of Bend hopes to keep two-way traffic open throughout most of the project and limit full closures to a few days for […]

Hanging from the wall of Josh Wedding’s office is a black and white photo from 1954. It shows how the City of Redmond used to pull water from the Deschutes River, storing it in a pond and piping it downhill using gravity to homes and businesses. When demand grew following World War II, the City began supplementing its water supply with a Central Oregon Irrigation District diversion canal […]

A relatively unknown candidate for the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners is under investigation by the state’s elections office after a complaint accused her of illegally using AI-altered images of herself on a campaign website.   The candidate, Brooke West, was a last-minute entry into the race for Position 1, entering the race six days before the filing deadline in March. By that time, longtime incumbent Commissioner Tony DeBone and challenger Jamie Collins, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, had already built […]

The Bend City Council on Wednesday voted 4-2 to advance a proposal to add new fees for commercial property owners in the Bend Central District, with hopes revenue will prod a vision for redevelopment that’s seen a sluggish start.   The fees would provide money for anything from new lighting and landscaping, marketing and promotions, events, security, cleaning and infrastructure maintenance. […]