Overdose deaths exceeded 100,000 for the first time in United States history in 2021, driven largely by an estimated 71,238 deaths from fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine. Opioid overdoses accounted for 25 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, up 15% from the year before and several times higher […]
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.
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Roe v. Wade Overturned
The reversal of the landmark Supreme Court decision drew protesters to downtown Bend
In a 5-4 decision on June 24, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark legal decision that guaranteed access to abortion in every state. The reversal of the nearly 50-year-old decision now leaves the matter of abortion’s legality to the states, 13 of which have “trigger bans” that automatically restrict or criminalize abortion, […]
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Luck’s Got (Almost) Nothing to do With It
How a local lottery player’s system won him more than $100,000
The Powerball is currently valued at $365 million. In a couple of days, some lucky person could pick the right combination of numbers, changing their life forever. One local man may have a better chance than most, thanks to his unique outlook on the lottery. Christopher Thomas has won more than $130,000 playing Keno over […]
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Camping Code Commences
The City of Bend is exploring regulation of camps on City property, a year after creating a process for removing “unsafe” campsites
The City of Bend is considering creating codes to regulate unhoused campsites in public right of ways and City property. On June 15 the Bend City Council asked the City Manager to appoint a workgroup comprised of service providers, stakeholders and people who have experienced houselessness to perform community outreach and gather input from community […]
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Illegal Pot Farm Linked to International Network
Police say a two-year criminal investigation revealed a complex criminal network
Police seized more than eight tons of processed marijuana, 17,000 plants, four guns, and a large cache of money in a raid on six unlicensed marijuana farms around Madras and Culver that law enforcement claims are connected to a Chinese criminal network. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Central Oregon Drug […]
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Hiker Airlifted Off South Sister
A climber waited overnight for a rescue after injuring himself
A 23-year-old man from Ithaca, New York, fell and injured himself after causing a small avalanche on South Sister on June 18, prompting a helicopter rescue with the assistance of the Oregon Army National Guard. The climber called 911 shortly before 7 p.m., saying he was unable to go down the mountain in his current state, […]
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Low Bar or High Barrier?
A group of teachers is asking Bend-La Pine Schools to rescind a pandemic-era policy
that forbade grading students less than 50%
In December 2020 Bend La Pine Schools implemented a 50% “grading floor” for middle and high schools as students struggled to accommodate to distance learning models. The policy meant students could score no less than 50%, even if they didn’t complete any work. The following spring the school district formed a task force of teachers […]
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Council Fills Vacancies
Bend City Councilors appointed a mental health counselor and a victim advocate to two vacant council seats
The Bend City Council filled two vacant seats at a special meeting on June 9, appointing Mo Mitchell and Stephen Sehgal to seats vacated by former City Councilors Rita Schenkelberg, who resigned, and Gena Goodman Campbell, who City Council appointed to the mayorship after Mayor Sally Russell’s resignation. Mitchell and Sehgal are two of eight […]
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Surf’s Back Up
Bend Whitewater Park’s surf wave will be back online with new rules after the tragic death of a 17-year-old surfer
Bend Park and Recreation District plans to reactivate the surf wave at the Bend Whitewater Park on June 18, about six weeks after 17-year-old Ben Murphy became trapped underwater while surfing the wave. That event prompted its closure and an investigation into what caused the incident. The investigation into the incident suggests Murphy’s foot got […]
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Shutoff Shutdown Shut Down
If you missed a water bill these past two years, you wouldn’t get your water shut off. That changes at the end of the month.
The Bend utilities department will resume water shutoffs for delinquent payments on July 1, after two years of allowing people who hadn’t paid their bills to keep drawing City water. City Manager Eric King issued an emergency declaration suspending water service shutoffs in March 2020 due to the pandemic. The order was due to expire […]