Local News

Pulling into a street parking space in downtown Bend with his family of four on a recent Tuesday afternoon, Rory Howland was pleasantly surprised to not see any parking meters.   “Our downtown is all meters, $2-and-something cents an hour,” said Howland, who was visiting from Santa Cruz, California. Unlike Howland’s town, Bend offers two hours of street parking for free. “It’s nice to see a sign that says ‘free parking,’” he said.  It’s a sight that […]

On Feb 25, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Lt. James “Mac” McLaughlin stood outside a home in Sunriver. The DCSO SWAT commander, McLaughlin was leading a team in delivering an arrest warrant to Paul Akehurst, who was wanted for allegedly making $700 in purchases with a stolen gasoline card he’d bought and eluding officers several times […]

The Redmond City Council received a first look at six art projects selected for the new Redmond Airport terminal expansion during its workshop on Monday, June 15. A nine-member selection committee spent 700 hours selecting the finalists. Their top priority was that the work represent Central Oregon. A total of 181 artists submitted proposals with […]

Ahead of the upcoming summer, Oregon public health officials won’t require adults to  accompany their children under the age of 14 at public swimming pools. The Oregon Health Authority announced that it would “revisit” a rule adopted in April 2025 that required direct adult supervision for children at that age. The rules took effect in February. […]

Travelers at the Redmond Municipal Airport will have their choice of Central Oregon favorites including Sisters Coffee, Bend Brewing Company and Sparrow Bakery when an expansion project wraps up there in late 2027.   The Redmond City Council signed a contract with Tailwind Hospitality, LLC, a national airport concessions company that will facilitate the local restaurants at the airport. The vendor plans to create a new food hall with walk-up counters, self-order kiosks, express areas and a grab-and-go market.  That […]

A horde of hard-hat-clad fifth graders crowded the front steps of the Tumalo Community School on the morning of June 11, surrounding Principal Sam Platt, Redmond School District Superintendent Charan Cline and an array of school board members. The district leaders were gathered for the groundbreaking of the school’s expansion. The project, fully funded by […]

Oregon’s new state forester Kacey KC’s first experience with wildfire was watching flames move down the mountainside toward her childhood home in Nevada. On a summer break from college in 1996, “literally working at the car wash,” she explained, she saw from across town a huge plume of smoke growing around her neighborhood. She called […]

A complaint filed with the state ethics body alleges Deschutes County Sheriff candidate Ty Rupert misused county resources while campaigning for the top law-enforcement position in the County. Rupert, who was appointed interim sheriff by the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners in July, embarked on a series of town halls throughout Deschutes County, beginning […]

Finding a good place to watch the FIFA World Cup is always a challenge. The uncertainty of what games will be on, what channels are shown, or — most importantly — what beers are on tap, can make the month-long celebration of sport a nightmare. But several locations in Bend that have you covered for […]

As the Governor’s Prosperity Council finalizes recommendations this month for how to create well-paying jobs and help Oregon businesses grow, it faces a double-edged challenge: Oregon now has the nation’s 11th-oldest population, and more Oregonians in their prime earning years move out of state than comparable newcomers move in. Oregon’s median age has now climbed […]