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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
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Homeless Population Grows for Ninth Straight Year

This year’s Point In-Time Count surveyed over 1,600 people experiencing homelessness in tri-county Central Oregon
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The Homeless Leadership Coalition released results this week for the 2023 Point In-Time Count, a survey seeking to gather data about people experiencing homelessness in a community. Central Oregon continues a trend toward more homelessness, one that’s continued since the data program started in Central Oregon in 2015. There were 1,647 people experiencing homelessness in […]

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Neighbors Sue for $2.4 Million Over Bull Springs Fire

Neighbors allege a property owner acted negligently, causing $900,000 in property damage and $1.5 million in noneconomic damage
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Property owners adjacent to the Bull Springs Fire that ignited on March 28, 2021, are suing James Verheyden, the owner of the land the fire originated on, for $2.4 million, according to court documents filed on March 24. The fire burned 211 acres, destroyed two outbuildings and caused nearly 200 residents to evacuate their homes […]

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New OSU-Cascades Dean Announced

The role has been filled on an interim basis since Becky Johnson left in 2021
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Oregon State University – Cascades named Sherman Bloomer as the new chancellor and dean of the satellite campus. Bloom is replacing Andrew Ketsdever, who has served as the interim vice president for the past two years. Before Ketsdever, Becky Johnson held the top position at the satellite campus since 2009 but was appointed the interim […]

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Nearly $14 Million in Homeless Funding Coming to Central Oregon

Central Oregon is getting a large infusion from the state to reduce homelessness, but how, exactly, will it be spent?
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Gov. Tina Kotek announced this month the recipients of over $98 million to fund homelessness emergency plans as part of her “Homeless State of Emergency.” The legislature funded the project with Senate Bill 5019, and entrusted the Governor’s office to distribute money. Central Oregon got $13.9 million to help rehouse 161 households and create 111 […]

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A Crusade to Save Bend’s Trees

The City of Bend is looking at amending its tree code, and one former City Council candidate who’s been on a crusade to amend the code for years has some ideas
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On March 15 the Bend City Council recommended adjustments to the Bend tree preservation code to clear up inconsistencies and add clarity to its standards. Now, Bend city code — which applies after construction — requires developers to retain all trees with a diameter larger than 12 inches and half of all trees smaller than […]

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Bend PD Survey Shows Greater Trust

More respondents trust the Bend Police Department than two years ago
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A higher rate of people trust the Bend Police Department than they did two years ago, according to a bi-annual survey conducted by Portland State University. Survey results showed the department is more favorably viewed, even as Bendites perceive greater risks in the community. The survey invited 10,000 households in Bend to participate and garnered about […]

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Hunnell Road Under New Camping Codes

Bend is citing people under a camping code, but is waiting for state funds before determining what it does at the largest encampment in the region
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In December the City of Bend declared the campsites sitting on Hunnell Road to be unsafe, planning to remove them in March to make way for construction crews doing road maintenance in the area. A few weeks before the road was scheduled to be cleared, the City approached Deschutes County to collaborate on a managed […]

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Cannabust

A professional in the cannabis industry shares his perspective on the downturn in prices
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When Oregon legalized cannabis in 2014 it set off a gold rush among farmers, processors and retailers looking to capitalize on what’s now the sixth-biggest cash crop in the country. But like all commodities they go through boom and bust periods, when supply and demand play a dangerous game of tug of war that decrease […]

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Dank Au Poivre

Weed brownies, cookies and gummies are great, but what about something a little more refined?
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The secret to a lot of gourmet French cuisine is using enough butter to starve a calf. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who cut his teeth in French restaurants, once said if you eat at any good restaurant, “assume you’ve eaten a stick of butter.” Butter is also the base of edibles; just infuse some form […]

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Challenging the Youth

Nestled between Bend and the Badlands, a quasi-military school changes the path of at-risk Oregon teens
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Cadets wake up at 6 am sharp, make their beds, recite the “eight core components,” gather their gear, quickly eat breakfast and then get dressed and ready for the day. Their time is spent in training — instruction in a classroom, physical fitness and then practice marching in formation. At the end of a highly […]

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