Jaclyn Brandt
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Added Support for Disadvantaged Kids

COPY program marks 14 years helping Deschutes County youth
Jaclyn Brandt

Incarceration can affect so many more people than just the person serving time. One Deschutes County program is meant to help the children. The Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth program is managed through the Deschutes County Sheriff‘s Office. The program made their very first mentor match back in 2004, and they’re always looking for new […]

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County Changes Pot Rules

Commissioners declare an “emergency” to implement new rules sooner
Jaclyn Brandt

The Deschutes County Commission has implemented a series of changes to its rules around growing recreational marijuana—and declared an “emergency” to make sure the rules go into effect sooner than the typical 90 days. The rules, which commissioners voted on Wednesday, include new regulations around odor, noise, lighting and reporting, among other changes. Although a […]

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A New Place to Call Home

A donation from Deschutes County will add 19 more affordable homes to the community
Jaclyn Brandt

The high costs of land and construction labor are some of the factors making housing so expensive in Central Oregon and elsewhere. But recently, Deschutes County stepped in to help. The County just donated 1.85 acres to Habitat for Humanity in La Pine, soon be home to 19 multifamily townhomes—a new type of home for […]

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Rule Changes Ahead?

County Commissioners look at marijuana growing rules, but have made no changes just yet
Jaclyn Brandt

The Deschutes County Commission is looking at proposed rule changes for marijuana growing in unincorporated areas of the county, which focus mainly on sound, noise and smell. The Commission looked at those proposed changes on Oct. 17, but has yet to vote on them. Deschutes County already has a number of regulations for marijuana growers, […]

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Ballots Get Mailed This Week. Don’t Wait to Mail Them Back.

Depending on where you live, your ballot could take up to a week to get to the county clerk
Jaclyn Brandt

The buzz of election season is evident in the office of Deschutes County Clerk Nancy Blankenship, who says the season is both thrilling and high-pressure. “It’s exciting. It’s fun because you have a whole lot more interaction with people,” she said. “There’s a whole lot more going on. Depending on what happens—not knowing what shoe […]

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Is Bend Ready to be a Smart City?

With new initiatives in the works, the City of Bend and local businesses are looking at ways to improve systems through technology
Jaclyn Brandt

This month, Portland State University announced a $3 million investment into smart cities on the campus and around the city. And while “smart city” is a buzz term at the moment, how close is Bend to becoming “smart?” According to Jason Nelson, executive director for partner engagement with the Smart Cities Council, smart technology consists […]

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Bend Ranks 4th on Fastest-Growing Cities List

Poverty rate isn’t going down as fast as other cities—but that’s only part of the story
Jaclyn Brandt

Finance website WalletHub released a report last week, naming Bend as the fourth fastest-growing city in the United States—but with growth also comes growing pains. Out of the 515 cities studied, Bend had high numbers in many areas, including job growth (1st), median household income growth (21st), increase in number of businesses (17th), increase in […]

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Improving Whychus Creek

Work aimed at improving fish spawning will include limiting human access to portions of the creek
Jaclyn Brandt

With growth around Central Oregon, wilderness areas tend to see an increase in traffic from humans. To reduce that human impact, the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council works to protect many of the waterways along the Deschutes River. 

 One of those projects is the Whychus Creek Management Plan, which UDWC has been working on for […]

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Facebook Data Center Expansion: Keeping It Local

Crook County residents make up 73 percent of employees at Facebook’s Prineville campus
Jaclyn Brandt

Facebook is growing its presence in Prineville and adding more jobs for local people. Late last month, the company announced an expansion of its data center in Crook County, from 1.2 million square feet to more than 3.2 million square feet. Facebook will invest an additional $750 million into the community and 100 new jobs, […]

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A New Home for Joe’s Garage?

The company owned by Mario Andretti bought the Westside Shell property in 2017. Now the father and son who run the longtime garage are on the hunt for a new location
Jaclyn Brandt

Joe Palmeri may not necessarily be a household name in Bend, but many people know who he is. Palmeri has run Joe’s Garage at the Westside Shell station in Bend for 33 years — but that station may be closed before the end of the year. “I’ve spent half my life here. Exactly, to the […]

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