Local News

End of Risk Levels Ahead

Oregon to remove capacity limits and county risk levels—if vaccinations reach 70%

Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday that Oregon will stop using county risk levels and restrictions on capacity once the state reaches a vaccination rate of 70% or higher for Oregonians aged 16 and above. The governor said she believes the state will hit that target by late June if current trends continue.

By Jack Harvel May 11, 2021

Oregon COVID Coronavirus social distancing restrictions risk level governor Kate Brown

Listen: Source Weekly Update 5/6 🎧

Lack of rain's effect on wildfire season and a golf course turning into housing

In this week’s podcast, we look at La Niña’s deficit of rainfall and what results this will have on the wildfire system, and talk about a golf course that’s being sold to make room for new housing.

By Ella Gann May 5, 2021

Podcast

High Risk Returns

Just a few days after being moved to Extreme Risk, Deschutes, Crook and 13 other counties will move back to high risk.

The Bend-La Pine Schools district will move to a modified schedule as cases among young people rise, even as Deschutes County is lowered from Extreme Risk to High Risk in the governor's risk-protection framework. In the High-Risk category, people will be able to eat at restaurants, exercise at gyms and go to indoor entertainment establishments at a limited capacity with a maximum of 50 people inside at once, or 25% capacity for restaurants and 10% at gyms and entertainment venues.

By Jack Harvel May 5, 2021

Bend La Pine School District Oregon Extreme Risk High Risk restaurant gym outdoor dining restrictions governor kate brown Lora Nordquist

Noticias en Español

¿La falta de suministro de la Niña reforzará la temporada de incendios forestales?

Al retomar la primavera, muchos habitantes locales (incluidos los balsistas de descenso de ríos) se preguntan cómo se presentó el invierno predicho de la Niña y cómo afectaría la posibilidad de incendios forestales a su preciada temporada de recreo al aire libre durante el verano. A finales de noviembre de 2020, la Administración Nacional Atmosférica y Oceánica afirmó que la Niña reinaría (y llovería) sobre los Estados Unidos.

By Escrito por K.M. Collins Traducido por Jéssica Sánchez-Millar May 5, 2021

Q&A with Becky Johnson

Dr. Becky Johnson was instrumental in building the OSU-Cascades satellite campus. Now she’s the Interim President of the whole University System.

Former Oregon State University President F. King Alexander resigned on March 23 after the law firm Husch Blackwell found that sexual misconduct reports were routinely mishandled at Louisiana State University under Alexander’s presidency from 2013 to 2019. Less than a month after Alexander’s resignation, OSU-Cascades Vice President Becky Johnson was confirmed by OSU’s Board of Trustees as the new Interim President of the University System.

By Jack Harvel May 5, 2021

Becky Johnson Oregon State Oregons State University Interim President F King Alexander OSU

Fore! Sale

River's Edge Golf Course is being sold to develop new housing. What does that tell us about Bend's land supply?

Golfing is expensive, but not nearly as expensive as a house in Bend. Good news is, there's about to be more of them.

By Jack Harvel May 5, 2021

home sale bend oregon golf bend oregon housing bend oregon

Listen: Source Weekly Update 4/29 🎧

Details about Extreme Risk, parklets and Bend farmers market

Deschutes County is among 15 counties that will be moving back into Extreme Risk, permanent restaurant parklets in the downtown area, and the Bend Farmers Market opens on Wednesday. We take a look at the new restrictions, parklet details, and a COVID-friendly farmers market.

By Ella Gann Apr 28, 2021

Podcast

May Elections

Our endorsements for parks, school board races in Bend, Redmond and Sisters

Election Day is May 18! While it seems like we've barely caught our collective breath since the raucous November 2020 election season, it's time once again to vote.

Apr 28, 2021

Permanent Parklets

The structures built in downtown Bend parking spaces will remain up throughout 2021

Whole industries fought for survival after state mandates across the country sought to reduce exposure to COVID-19 last spring. Restaurants in particular scrambled to find ways to stay in business through carryout and delivery, but were largely unable to recoup their losses.

By Jack Harvel Apr 28, 2021

Noticias en Español

La mitad de los contados de Oregon pasaron a la categoría de mayor riesgo; entre ellos los Condados de Deschutes y Crook cierran la entrada al interior de los comedores

Los Condados de Crook y Deschutes, junto con otros 13 condados, fueron designados el martes por la Gobernadora del estado de Oregon, Kate Brown, como condados de riesgo extremo, luego que el número de hospitalizaciones en el estado aumentará a más de 300. El cambio de nivel entrará en efecto el viernes y los datos del condado serán evaluados semanalmente durante al menos las tres semanas siguientes, con el intento de regresar más pronto a las categorías de menor riesgo.

By Por Jack Harvel Tracudico por Jéssica Sánchez-Millar Apr 28, 2021

Ending a Health Care Loophole

A bill that would stop insurance providers from excluding those with pre-existing conditions passes the Oregon Senate—despite many obstacles

The passage of a bill by the Oregon Senate is not typically news in and of itself, but in this era of GOP caucus slowdowns and staged walkouts to hold up voting, standoffs between parties, a 2020 session where only three bills passed into law, and a 2021 session where, nearly four months into this year's session of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, not a single bill has reached the desk of Gov. Kate Brown, the passage of Senate Bill 699, introduced by Sen. Tim Knopp (R-Bend), is more than noteworthy. The bill finally ends in Oregon the ability of health insurance providers to exclude individuals from health care coverage or to offer higher premiums or different terms of service, due to pre-existing conditions.

By Daniel Pearson Apr 28, 2021