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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

Month-Old County Deflection Program Reports Small Successes

Deschutes County hopes to build on early numbers a month into the new state deflection program for minor possession offenses
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It’s been a little over a month since a new state law went into effect recriminalizing minor drug possession and encouraging law enforcement agencies to connect those caught with small amounts of drugs to treatment programs in lieu of criminal charges. Numbers are just coming out on the impact so far. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputy […]

Posted inNews

Sheriff Candidate Kent Vander Kamp’s Personnel Records from a California Police Department Released to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

DCSO now knows why Vander Kamp was terminated in the mid-’90s from the La Mesa police department in California
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A months-long lawsuit brought by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office against the City of La Mesa, California, ended last month with La Mesa releasing the personnel records for Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp, a candidate for DCSO’s top spot. The release follows a public records request by DCSO to obtain Vander Kamp’s personnel file after DCSO learned […]

Posted inNews

Deschutes County Sheriff Candidate Kent Vander Kamp Was Terminated from a California Police Department In 1997. We May Soon Know Why.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is suing the City of La Mesa, California, for information regarding Vander Kamp’s termination in the late ’90s. According to court documents, Vander Kamp did not disclose his previous employment at that department.
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Kent Vander Kamp, a 20-year veteran of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, is under investigation by outgoing Sheriff Shane Nelson, for a position Vander Kamp held at the La Mesa, California, police department before applying at DCSO. At issue is that Vander Kamp allegedly did not disclose his previous employment at La Mesa Police Department […]

Posted inNews

OHA Urges Stronger Vaccine Uptakes Ahead of Unpredictable Respiratory Season

Oregon Health Authority officials encourage Oregonians to get up to date on vaccinations for a host of viruses, from COVID-19 to measles
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Fall is nearly here, bringing pumpkin spice everything, and newly formulated respiratory vaccines. With cooling temperatures and the return to school, Melissa Sutton, Oregon Health Authority’s medical director for respiratory viral pathogens, warns that there will soon be an increase in typical respiratory viruses like flu, RSV and COVID-19. But, she said, vaccines can help […]

Posted inNews

On The Outskirts

Hundreds of houseless people live on the edge of Bend. Now, the City and County plan to close off access to most of the land.
Avatar photoAvatar photo by Julianna LaFollette and Jennifer Baires

Blackened trees and pink-hued brush and rocks – stained from fire retardant dropped last month – line the dirt road that leads into Juniper Ridge. The sprawling, undeveloped land on the outskirts of town functions as a campground for hundreds of houseless people, some who stay for a season and others who make it a […]

Posted inNews

Amid Record Fires and A Worker Shortage, Forest Service Looks To Fill Hundreds Of Openings

The Pacific Northwest division of the U.S. Forest Service is hosting in-person events throughout Oregon and Washington ahead of next year’s fire season
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Last Thursday, as nearly 1,000 firefighters and support staff battled the Bachelor Complex and Flat Top and Firestone fires surrounding Bend, dozens of people filled a room at the Deschutes County Road department office building to learn more about what it takes to join the U.S. Forest Service as a wildland firefighter. The in-person recruitment […]

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Sunriver Remains Under Level 2 Evacuation

Fire west of Sunriver continues to threaten communities with extreme fire behavior
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Despite rain – and even light snow at higher elevations – on Wednesday, evacuation levels stayed the same around the large Bachelor Complex Fire burning 20 miles southwest of Bend and threatening residents in Sunriver. The Little Lava Fire, the largest of the 10,330-acre Bachelor complex at 9,848 acres as of Wednesday, pushed east over […]

Posted inOpinion

Race for Deschutes County Sheriff Heats Up ▶ [With Video]

With less than two months before votes are cast, the two candidates for Deschutes County Sheriff square off on the issues most important to residents
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The contentious race for the next Deschutes County Sheriff is well underway, with two longtime officers squaring off in November amid a department, plagued by years of unrest, lawsuits and allegations of discrimination against top brass. Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp is running against Capt. William Bailey for the open seat. Both have a long history […]

Posted inNews

Bachelor Complex Fire Leads to Increase in Evacuation Zones

Fire behavior continues to increase with some hope for rain ahead
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Several large fires on the east and west of Deschutes County grew over the last few days, causing evacuation notices for nearby communities. Roughly 30 fires make up the Bachelor Complex Fire on the west side of the county, according to an update from the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday afternoon, with the Little Lava […]

Posted inNest Feature

A Global Movement Gains Ground in Bend-La Pine Schools

Cell phone and tablet usage policies are under pressure from local and statewide forces
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It was the last day of school for most students at Bend La-Pine Schools. While many throughout the district celebrated the summer ahead on June 18, a group of concerned parents and healthcare practitioners gathered at the evening’s school board meeting to challenge administrators to urgently reconsider technology use in schools. “I brought in show […]

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