Avatar photo

Julianna LaFollette

Julianna earned her Masters in Journalism at NYU in 2024. She loves writing local stories about interesting people and events. When she’s not reporting, you can find her cooking, participating in outdoor activities or attempting to keep up with her 90 pound dog, Finn.

1reporter@bendsource.com
Posted inLocal News

Powerhouse Under Pressure

Behind its record attendance and booming events, the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center faces growing costs, needed repairs and a search for new leadership
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

The Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center has been coined the “premier facility of its kind” in the Northwest, boosting the region’s tourism economy and drawing impressive crowds with its year-round events.  With a focus on providing a variety of opportunities for residents and visitors, the campus holds more than 400 events annually on its […]

Posted inLocal News

Medicine on the Move

A year in, a roaming clinic brings health care to houseless residents in rural parts of the region
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

Every other week, a team of local health care providers suits up to bring an on-the-go clinic to rural areas with significant unhoused populations, providing a steady stream of medical services to those in need. In the last year, Mosaic Community Health, a local health organization, has built up its Street Medicine program into a […]

Posted inNews

Annual Music on The Green Event Kicks Off Summer in Redmond

The long-running community festival takes place through Sept. 3 at American Legion Park
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

Redmond’s annual summer concert series, Music on the Green, kicked off on June 25, with several more shows on the horizon. This year, the concert series will take place at a new venue – American Legion Park – while still offering the same family-friendly, block party atmosphere. The concerts take place on alternating Wednesday evenings, […]

Posted inNews

Freedom Cities: Deregulating “The American Dream”

As policy groups push for less-regulated “Freedom Cities” on public lands, with some outside of Bend and Redmond, locals grapple with the idea of public land sales
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

Revitalization. Prosperity. Innovation. These are all words some policy groups have used to describe a concept they’re calling “Freedom Cities” — an idea that proposes to create new urban districts on underutilized public lands. The idea, in concept, is that the areas would allow for accelerated and affordable housing, as well as advancements in manufacturing, […]

Posted inNews

Downtown Axe-Throwing Spot to Shut its Doors

Unofficial Logging Co. is set to have its last day on July 2
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

A local axe-throwing bar, Unofficial Logging Co., announced Monday evening that it will close its downtown Bend taphouse after July 2. The taphouse, located on the corner of Greenwood Avenue and NW Harriman Street, cited a series of challenges since the pandemic. The bar opened in 2019, offering axe-throwing, 18 taps of craft beer and a […]

Posted inNews

State Legislature Approves Repeal of Wildfire Map

The Oregon House passed a bill that repeals the state wildfire map. The bill now goes to Gov. Kotek’s desk
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

After continuous calls for a repeal of the statewide wildfire hazard map, the Oregon legislature this week passed Senate Bill 83, which does away with the map and its building code mandates, while directing state agencies to develop new model defensible space standards. The bill passed 50-1 in the Oregon House, following a Senate approval […]

Posted inNews

Delays on Reed Market/Bond Roundabout Spark Safety and Traffic Concerns

A long-planned upgrade to a traffic-clogged intersection is gaining renewed calls to move the project up
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

In recent years, the City of Bend has pushed back a road project which aims to expand the roundabout at Reed Market Road and Bond Street, causing frustration for residents who say the busy intersection cannot handle the current flow of traffic. At a June 18 meeting, Bend City Councilor Mike Riley requested that the […]

Posted inNews

Deschutes County Sheriff Resigns, Effective July 31

Following accusations of dishonesty, Sheriff Kent van der Kamp decided to resign from his position June 23
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp resigned from his position on Monday morning, following months of scrutiny for accusations of dishonesty. Around 8:20am on June 23, van der Kamp sent an email to Deschutes County, stating his resignation from the Office of Sheriff, effective July 31. According to an email from Deschutes County Clerk […]

Posted inNews

Residents Weigh in on Public Lands Sale Proposal

Locals are fighting back against an amendment to the ‘big, beautiful bill’ that would allow the private sale of public lands in Western states
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

Bend locals gathered at Drake Park June 21 to march in protest against the proposed sale of millions of acres public lands in several Western states, including Oregon. The proposal was introduced in early June as an amendment to a Republican budget bill called colloquially the “big beautiful bill.” According to reporting from The New […]

Posted inNews

Gov. Kotek Comes to Bend to Discuss Cuts to Government Assistance

The governor attended a roundtable with local and rural experts to discuss how proposed Medicaid and SNAP cuts would impact Oregonians
Avatar photo by Julianna LaFollette

Governor Tina Kotek attended a roundtable in Bend at Mosaic Community Health on June 18 to speak with 11 hospital workers, caregivers and people receiving benefits to discuss how proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could impact the lives of those needing care in the region and in rural eastern […]

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article