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Jennifer Baires

Jennifer was a features and investigative reporter for the Source Weekly through March 2025, supported by the Lay It Out Foundation. She is passionate about stories that further transparency and accountability in our region. A nerd at heart, Jennifer enjoys diving into wonky topics and messy data. Away from her computer and reporting notebook, she can be found chasing her two young children around parks and soccer fields.

features@layitoutfoundation.org
Posted inNews

Former Central Oregon Forest Service Employees are Fighting Back Against Firings

Two former employees from Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests are among those speaking out at home, and in Washington D.C., against last month’s firing wave
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Liz Crandall and Isabella Isaksen, former U.S. Forest Service employees from Bend, traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this week to attend President Trump’s address at a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Crandall went as a guest of Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-5) and Isaksen was there at the invitation of U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley […]

Posted inNews

Road to Table

Each year, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issues a growing number of roadkill salvage permits to people taking elk and deer from the road to their dinner table.
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Each year, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issues a growing number of roadkill salvage permits to people taking elk and deer from the road to their dinner table. The “whys” for salvaging are many, ranging from ethical concerns to saving money on food. The “hows” are not for the squeamish.

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Firefighting Camp for Women and Non-Binary People Canceled

Amid an increasing need for wildland firefighters, a camp aimed at helping young women and non-binary people pursue careers in fire is the latest casualty of Trump’s crusade against DEI
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It was supposed to be the inaugural year of the Young Women’s Wildland Fire Career Camp. Billed as a free, multi-day, hands-on learning experience for women and non-binary people between 16 and 20 years old, the camp was scheduled to take place in Redmond over spring break next month. The event was a joint effort […]

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Targeted and Living in Fear

Local immigrants and refugees worry about their safety under the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric and actions
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Christian Manzanares moved with her mom and dad from Los Angeles to Bend when she was around four years old. Twenty years later, she doesn’t remember life outside of Central Oregon. Yet, despite being born in the U.S. and growing up in Central Oregon, she says she’s always lived with a sense that she and […]

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Early Trump Initiatives and Effects

A list of initiatives and how they are affecting our local community
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National Hiring Freeze Enacted: As one of his first actions on Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order mandating a freeze on the hiring of all federal civilian positions — no vacant position can be filled and no new position may be created. Potential Impacts: • Inability for the Forest Service to hire seasonal firefighters […]

Posted inFood & Drink

Nome Italiano Unexpectedly Shutters

The popular eatery served its last customers on Saturday night
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Over the weekend, would-be-patrons at Bend’s popular Nome Italiano were surprised to find the restaurant’s doors locked and a sign announcing the eatery’s closure. It was a sudden end to a once-promising restaurant that opened in 2022, coming in runner-up in this paper’s popular Best of Central Oregon competition for best new restaurant that year […]

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La Nueva Directora Ejecutiva de La Asociación de la Comunidad Latina ve Tiempos Difíciles por Delante

Catalina Sánchez Frank fue nombrada directora de la LCA en enero, justo cuando Estados Unidos experimentaba importantes cambios en la política migratoria.
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Cuando Catalina Sánchez Frank solicitó el puesto de directora ejecutiva de la Asociación Comunitaria Latina (LCA) en Bend, no tenía idea de cuánto afectaría el cargo la elección presidencial de Estados Unidos. Sánchez Frank, voluntaria de la organización desde hace mucho tiempo, se unió a LCA hace una década cuando se mudó por primera vez […]

Posted inNews

Latino Community Association’s New Executive Director Sees Challenging Times Ahead

Catalina Sánchez Frank was named the head of the LCA in January, just as the U.S. experienced major shifts in immigration policy
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Acceda a una versión de esta historia en español aquí. When Catalina Sánchez Frank applied for the executive director position at the Latino Community Association (LCA) in Bend, she had no idea how much the U.S. presidential election would impact the role. A longtime volunteer with the organization, Sánchez Frank joined LCA a decade ago […]

Posted inNews

Significant Closures Coming to Homeless Encampments throughout Deschutes County

Combined efforts by Bend, Deschutes County and the Forest Service will result in a shutdown of thousands of acres of land where many long-term campers currently live
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On May 1, the Deschutes National Forest will close a 34,600-acre area south of Bend, off China Hat Road, for a large-scale project to clean up hazardous materials, clear overgrown vegetation and conduct prescribed burns. The closure will restrict all entry to the area — a location where hundreds of houseless people have camped and […]

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School District Issues Safety Report Following Armed Student on Campus

The “After Action Review” included a breakdown of what happened in the minutes, days and weeks after a student brought a loaded firearm to Pilot Butte Middle School
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Bend-La Pine Schools released a report on Jan. 23, following a months-long investigation into the handling of an unprecedented event in October, when a 7th grader at Pilot Butte Middle School brought a loaded handgun to campus, along with a list of targets. According to the report, the event marked the first known time a […]

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