Local News
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The Deschutes Public Library’s New Central Library is Nigh

Opening May 11, the 100,000-square-foot structure delights
Avatar photo by Peter Madsen

As natural light pours down through the airy lobby of the Deschutes Public Library’s new Central Library, off SE 27th Street, newcomers’ first reactions will likely just be: Wow. Passing through the front entrance, one gazes upward toward a gymnasium-tall ceiling from which a large-scale art installation, titled “Juniper,” is suspended by 1,440 cables. Weighing […]

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Brightside Animal Center Open Sundays in June, New Programs Coming

New hours, dog-adventure day and insulation for extreme weather bring in cheers from staff and pets at Brightside
Avatar photoBy Jesse Coronado

Redmond’s Brightside Animal Center will expand its hours of operation to Sundays from 10am to 5:30pm, starting on June 7. The change in hours comes after a year of deliberation between staff members who say community members are more available and willing to adopt or pick up lost pets on weekends. BAC Shelter Director Hannah […]

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Bend Advances Proposed Fees for Bend Central District Business Properties

Leaders want revenue to help kickstart redevelopment, but a wave of opposition could kill the proposal
Avatar photo by Clayton Franke

The Bend City Council on Wednesday voted 4-2 to advance a proposal to add new fees for commercial property owners in the Bend Central District, with hopes revenue will prod a vision for redevelopment that’s seen a sluggish start.   The fees would provide money for anything from new lighting and landscaping, marketing and promotions, events, security, cleaning and infrastructure maintenance. […]

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Oregon State Police Violated Sanctuary Laws by Letting Federal Immigration Authorities Query Oregonians’ Driver and Criminal Records

According to a civil complaint filed May 5, that’s been happening 1 million times — annually — for years
Avatar photo by Peter Madsen

Oregon State Police have violated state sanctuary law for years by intentionally allowing federal immigration authorities to query state residents’ data 1 million times each year, according to a lawsuit filed on May 5. The civil complaint, filed by the Rural Organizing Project in Multnomah County Circuit Court, says OSP must immediately stop sharing state […]

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New Funding Will Kickstart Internet Infrastructure in Rural Oregon. Here’s Where It’s Needed Most.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are now dedicated to satellite and fiber internet programs around the state that will begin construction in late 2026
by Khushboo Rathore Oregon Journalism Project

In February, when Oregon lawmakers were reworking the state’s budget in the face of massive looming federal cutbacks, a little-known state agency announced it had received a colossal federal grant—$689 million—to finally bring high-speed internet access to rural parts of the state. In an age of remote work, online shopping, and 24/7 connectivity, nearly 84,000 […]

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Oregon Health Care Association Persuades Court to Temporarily Block Release of Job Applicant Names

The state planned to give SEIU 70,000 names of people who want to work as caregivers.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

The Oregon Health Care Association obtained a temporary restraining order May 1 that blocked the Oregon Department of Human Services from revealing the names of about 70,000 people who had applied to the agency for background checks in order to become caregivers. As OJP reported earlier, those applicants submitted their names and other information to […]

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Bend Park District Ramps Up Wildfire Thinning

The district is focused on creating 20-foot vegetation properties next to neighborhoods
Avatar photo by Clayton Franke

The Bend Park & Recreation District is working on clearing bushes and tree limbs from parks to reduce the risk of a wildfire spreading to nearby neighborhoods. New plans to create vegetation buffers comes amid a heightened awareness about the potential for catastrophic wildfire and a community-wide push to become more resilient.   The park district has been clearing overgrown brush from wildfire-prone parks […]

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New Women’s Police Training Org Names New President

Redmond Lieutenant April Huey was named Oregon Association for Women in Criminal Justice’s president four years after becoming Redmond’s first female Lieutenant
Avatar photoBy Jesse Coronado

Redmond Police Department’s Lieutenant April Huey was elected as the Oregon Association for Women in Criminal Justice’s first president. Huey formed the OAWCJ in March as a separate branch of the Oregon Peace Officers Association, and was later elected president by its members. As a non-profit organization, OPOA promotes proper training and achievement recognition for police officers in Oregon. The new OAWCJ offers similar programs, but places an emphasis on championing women’s empowerment in the Oregon Criminal Justice field. […]

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Federal Immigration Officials Made 279 Queries into Bend’s Flock Safety Data in its First Three Weeks

Due to a user error, Bend Police initially left open a back door that ICE, CBP and Homeland Security exploited in June 2025
Avatar photo by Peter Madsen

Community members who applauded Bend City Council for turning off Flock Safety’s AI-powered surveillance cameras at a Jan. 7 business meeting weren’t paranoid. Reporting by the Oregon Law Center has revealed that federal immigration officials — including those from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations — […]

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