Peter Madsen

For better or for worse, shoulder season offers respite from the influxes of summer and winter tourists. Fewer vacation dollars might wisp in the wind, but downtown parking is a relative breeze.  Still, though, the shuttering of legacy establishments of 900 Wall, and the sale listing of The Lemon Tree, indicate that merchants in downtown […]

There I was, standing in a local smoke shop, browsing the display cases, when a collection of technicolored vapes, gummies and chocolates caught my attention. The raised lettering and foil trim of the packaging glinted in the light. Soaring mushrooms, some with eyeballs, put out a very trippy vibe on products with the brand name Trē House.  “Whoa,” I said to the clerk who’d clocked my surprise. “A magic mushroom vape pen?”  “Yeah,” she said. “They’re pretty amazing.”  I didn’t waste time. My logic went: magic mushrooms — obvi — means psilocybin, a Schedule 1 substance under the […]

When Ty Rupert applied for the job of Deschutes County interim sheriff last July, he listed in his letter of interest a series of institutional goals. Among them: transparency, fiscal responsibility and accessibility to the public. Having won the appointment, Rupert is now 15 weeks into the job. Fresh off some personnel reorganization and a […]

The City of Bend’s Planning Division staff presented its inaugural review of the effectiveness of the updated Tree Preservation Code during a City Council work session on Oct. 22.  Since August 2024, the City processed 766 development applications, of which 711 were exempt from the Tree Preservation Code because they pertained to lots an acre […]