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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
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Sheriff-Elect Kent Vander Kamp Sues County For Legal Fees, Defends Seeking Temporary Restraining Order Against The Press

Kent Vander Kamp filed a suit against Deschutes County last week asking for attorney fees for a suit he filed in October to block the release of decades-old personnel records from a California police department
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On Tuesday, Sheriff-elect Kent Vander Kamp was back in court. This time, he is seeking payment for attorney fees from Deschutes County for a lawsuit he filed in October to stop the county from releasing his La Mesa Police Department employment records to news organization Oregon Public Broadcasting and, in a related issue, defending the […]

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The Push To Decrease Kids’ Access To Guns

One in five teenagers in Oregon say they can access a loaded handgun in under 24 hours. Amid rising deaths from gun violence, local advocacy groups and government agencies are working to change that.
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On Monday, Oct. 21, a 12-year-old at Pilot Butte Middle School brought a loaded handgun to school. Police later said the child, “brought the gun to school with a plan to use it and had identified a list of targets” and the gun came from home. The child’s parent was cited for failing to secure […]

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The Giving Plate in Bend Sees Record Need

Donations are down while the number of families needing groceries rises at the nonprofit’s store in southeast Bend
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When Ranea Staley, executive director at The Giving Plate in Bend, opened the nonprofit’s first brick-and-mortar grocery program for those in need, she expected the organization would experience growth. But the number of visitors since this year’s April opening has far exceeded her careful predictions. On Thursday, the store served 226 families in just six […]

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Breaking Bread In Bend

Husband and wife team brings organic bakes and community classes to their new bakery in the Old Mill
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In the last year, Dario Muciño Trujillo, 30, and his wife and business partner, Macy Davis, 33, along with their 4-year-old daughter, Maya, moved to Bend, leased a commercial baking space, re-launched their small business at two weekly markets, signed an agreement for a corner commercial space in the Old Mill and started renovations to […]

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Connectivity, Infrastructure Costs Challenge Success of Hawthorne Bridge Project

The linchpin in Bend’s plan to connect the city’s east and west side faces safety design hurdles and tension over access
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SERIES INTRO: Bend, the darling of Central Oregon to outsiders, is facing an internal struggle with growth as it develops new initiatives and developments that impact the historic ease of car culture. This tension is currently playing out with the proposed Hawthorne Pedestrian and Bicyclist Overcrossing and a related – and connected – movement to create […]

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Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors Fills Empty Seat

Ross Tomlin, a former community college president, receives unanimous vote join the school board
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In a special meeting on Tuesday, the Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors voted unanimously to appoint Ross Tomlin to fill an empty seat on the board. Tomlin is a La Pine resident and president emeritus at Tillamook Bay Community College. He was appointed to the Zone 6 at-large seat, beating out two other top […]

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Mt. Bachelor Is For Sale.What Does It Mean For Bend?

The fate of the resort that drove Bend’s renaissance is uncertain. But are the two fates still entwined, or is Bend now bigger than the mountain?
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In just a few short days, Mt. Bachelor will have its earliest opening since 1998. The ski resort’s public relations team announced the weeks-ahead-of-schedule opening on Monday to much fanfare, inviting passholders to the mountain this weekend, Nov. 15 through the 17, for fresh lines. It’s the treat locals have been asking for since snow […]

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Q&A With Sheriff-elect Kent Vander Kamp

Vander Kamp says he sees his election as a change mandate and plans to push on all fronts once in office
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The contest for Deschutes County Sheriff was one of the most closely watched local races this election season. It marked the first time since 2000 that the seat was open without an incumbent running for reelection. Upon announcing his retirement in the fall of 2023, Sheriff Shane Nelson endorsed Capitan William Bailey to replace him. […]

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Janelle Bynum Wins Oregon’s 5th Congressional District

Bynum will be the state’s first Black representative in Congress
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After days of counting ballots, the state’s 5th Congressional District race has been called for Janelle Bynum (D-39) by The Oregonian. It’s a flip from red to blue for a seat that could be consequential to the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bynum, the representative for Oregon House District 39, led […]

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Anthony Broadman Is First Democrat Elected To SD-27 In 44 Years

The Republican walkouts last year opened a seat for a new state senator to represent the Bend, Sisters and Redmond area
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Until Tuesday, the last time a Democrat won Oregon’s Senate District 27 seat was in 1980. That decades-long Democratic drought ended this week with Anthony Broadman’s win over Michael Summers (R). Broadman, a city councilor in Bend since 2020 and a lawyer for Tribal governments, earned 59% of the vote to Summers’ 41%, according to […]

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