Central Oregon is home to a host of weekly open mics that allow budding musicians a forum for playing in public. When the Source published a story about open mics in February, we counted at least nine regularly scheduled events at local taverns, bars and coffee shops. That number is down by at least one, […]
Nicole Vulcan
Nicole Vulcan became Editor of the Source in 2016 and was promoted to Editor in Chief in 2024, managing the Editorial Board and the news team's many investigative projects. She's also at work on her debut book of journalistic non-fiction, titled "Self Medication," which traces Oregon's drug decriminalization efforts in the 21st Century, and tells a parallel tale of her own family’s losses from fentanyl addiction in the age of Measure 110. With all of that on her plate, send snacks. Catch up with the adventures at her book's Substack, called Self Medication.
Posted inCulture
Airing of Grievances: An Invitation
Play along with the Source’s Festivus-style grouse fest!
If you’re a fan of ’90s TV, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Festivus—the non-secular, invented holiday made popular by the sitcom, “Seinfeld.” In homage to that time-honored tradition, we invite you, readers, to participate in your own Airing of Grievances, Central Oregon edition. Is there a facet of living in Central Oregon that […]
Posted inNews
Park Board to Vote Tuesday on Funding Mirror Pond Dredging
BPRD would commit $300K in public funds if resolution passes
The Board of Directors of Bend Park and Recreation District will vote Tuesday on a resolution that would see the District contributing $300,000 toward dredging Mirror Pond. The pond has not been dredged since 1984, and advocates for dredging say it’s necessary to preserve the pond’s iconic nature. According to the agenda set for BPRD’s […]
Posted inNews
Powering the Dredge
The latest proposal to fund Mirror Pond dredging includes increasing franchise fees for Pacific Power
Leaders in Bend are looking at a new way to fund the dredging of Mirror Pond: Increasing franchise fees for the utility that owns Newport Dam. The proposal, which became more of a reality following last week’s meetings with PacifiCorp—which owns Pacific Power—would see the City of Bend contributing $300,000 to dredging, with Bend Park […]
Posted inNews
Last school year, nearly 22,000 Oregon kids didn’t have a home
New report shows 884 homeless students in Deschutes County
The good news: The number of students in Oregon who don’t have a home of their own is down from last year. The bad news: The number of students in Oregon who don’t have a home of their own is still close to 22,000. Last week, the Oregon Department of Education released its data on […]
Posted inBend Nest
Up Earlier or Later
Bend-La Pine students will have new school start times next year
A number of studies on the adolescent brain have concluded that teenagers benefit from starting school later in the morning. That’s a primary reason behind Bend-La Pine Schools‘ recent decision to adjust school start times across the district. At its Oct. 9 Board of Directors meeting, Superintendent Shay Mikalson announced that start times for elementary and […]
Posted inBend Nest
A New Support Line for Central Oregon Parents
Heart to Heart support line is looking for parent volunteers
As the parent of a young child, Sarah Guilfoy said she often felt alone—not knowing if she was making the right decisions. Those personal feelings of uncertainty and stress motivated Guilfoy to launch a support line to help other Central Oregon parents. In October, Guilfoy announced the formation of Heart to Heart, a program that […]
Posted inBend Nest
Feds Crack Down on E-Cigs
Local campaigns aim to alert adults about marketing tobacco to youth
They’re so small you might mistake them for USB devices—but those small e-cigarette devices are the subject of big discussions with the Food and Drug Administration. In September, the FDA declared that the use of “e-cigs” has reached “an epidemic proportion,” according to a report in The New York Times, saying that more than two […]
Posted inNews
Big Changes for Well-Traveled Trails
Forest Supervisors announce plan to create a permit system for busy trails during peak season
Ask a local how they feel about the traffic on trails and natural areas in Central Oregon, and chances are they’ll tell you that things are way too crowded. Some might even say that the wilderness areas near Bend are being “loved to death“—the phrase used in a post written by local writer Katy Bryce […]
Posted inNews
In Local Races, a Huge Jump in Voting from the Last Midterm Election
Whether due to ‘Motor Voter’ registrations or an influx of newcomers, numbers went way up
Midterm elections—the elections that take place in between presidential election years—traditionally see lower voter turnout rates than presidential election years. That holds true for the 2018 election cycle, compared to 2016, but in terms of sheer numbers, voters in Deschutes County turned out in far bigger numbers this year than they did in 2014. Here […]
