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Jack Harvel

Jack is originally from Kansas City, Missouri and has been making his way west since graduating from the University of Missouri, working a year and a half in Northeast Colorado before moving to Bend in the Spring of 2021. When not reporting he’s either playing folk songs (poorly) or grand strategy video games, and checking out the different hiking trails in Central Oregon.

jharvel@gannett.com
Posted inNews

Private Company, Public Utility

Avion Water, Oregon’s largest private water provider, is now owned by the region’s oldest natural gas utility company
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Last December Northwest Natural Water Company, a subsidiary of the state’s oldest gas company, Northwest Natural, acquired an ownership stake in Avion Water, the state’s largest private public utility. NW Natural delivers gas to over 600,000 residential customers in Oregon, which is about 80% of all natural gas deliveries in the state. NW Natural got […]

Posted inNews

STRaining the Housing Market?

Bend considers new development codes for Airbnbs and VRBOs, in what would be the first tweaks in seven years
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The Bend Planning Commission could change how the City of Bend regulates short-term housing rentals like Airbnb and VRBO. In March, Bend City Councilors directed staff to implement changes in the Bend Development Code with the intention of securing more options for affordable long-term rentals. Some Bendites expressed concern that short-term rentals could strain an […]

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PRC at the Pump

Filling up the tank could put dollars toward local “pregnancy resource centers,” the organizations facing renewed scrutiny after the repeal of Roe v. Wade
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Starting in August and ending in October, Shell USA is donating a portion of its gas sales at specially marked pumps toward children’s charities selected by the franchise owners. In Bend, four stations are participating in the Giving Pump program, one being the Stop and Go station on the intersection of Highway 20 and 27th […]

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Over 90 Monkeypox Cases in Oregon

State health officials ask people to stay up to date on the disease as vaccines get distributed
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The Oregon Health Authority briefed media on the spread of Monkeypox on Aug. 11, explaining the statewide response to the disease that the White House declared a public health emergency at the start of the month. Monkeypox often starts with fevers and aches before evolving to painful blisters over the body. OHA unveiled its new […]

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Not-So-Great Resignation

A new survey sheds light on pandemic-era employment trends
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An Oregon Values and Beliefs Center survey found that 62% of the state’s workforce had been influenced by COVID, including moving to remote work (20%), receiving unemployment insurance (18%) and becoming self-employed (12%). The survey, collected between July 8-16, found the move toward remote work is most prevalent among high-earners, with 34% of six-figure workers […]

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Desert Oasis

Redmond’s first village-style houseless shelter is getting by with a little help from its friends
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At the recent Deschutes County Fair, one building was unlike the others. Tucked between a pool with a high dive and the livestock complex, a small “village style” shelter was brought in along with information on the various efforts to start what’s been called managed camps, village-style shelters and tiny home villages. Oasis Village, Central […]

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Controversial Former Principal Joins School Board

The Redmond School Board appointed a former Summit High School principal who some parents accuse of pushing Christianity on students
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On July 27 the Redmond School Board appointed Alice DeWittie to serve the remainder of Jill Cumming’s terms after she resigned, citing personal reasons. DeWittie and four other finalists had been whittled down from a list of 24 applicants. DeWittie is a former principal of Summit High School, departing in 2017 after six years in […]

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Cedar Creek Fire Engulfs Over 3,000 Acres

Harsh terrain keeps firefighters away, and containment lines have yet to be set
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The Cedar Creek Fire ignited on Aug. 1 after a lightning storm touched down about 3 miles west of Waldo Lake on the Willamette National Forest, about 40 miles southwest of Bend. The fire quickly burned up the heavy timber and as of Aug. 8 it’s 3,234 acres. On Aug. 4 the Willamette National Forest […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Breakfast Sandwich

Sparrow Bakery
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Sparrow is a longtime favorite for Best Bakery in Central Oregon, winning the category every time since 2013. It won that title this year, too, but it’s also taking home new bragging rights in a new category — Best Breakfast Sandwich in Central Oregon. Sparrow opened its original location on Scott Street in 2006 with […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Food Cart Lot

Midtown Yacht Club
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Midtown Yacht Club opened in July 2020, just months after a global pandemic forced businesses to shut their doors. Despite the inopportune timing, Midtown Yacht Club quickly rose through the ranks of Bend’s food cart lots, earning its first Best Of win and dethroning longtime favorites On Tap and Podski. The owners envisioned a Midtown-centered, unassuming local bar offering affordable food and […]

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