Playful Paws Cat Cafรฉ, Bendโs favorite place to relax with rescue cats, is thrilled to celebrate two paws-itively exciting milestones: its 300th successful cat adoption and its 2nd birthday! Since opening its doors in August 2023, Playful Paws Cat Cafรฉ has become a cherished Bend staple, offering guests a one-of-a-kind space to relax, recharge, and […]
Local News
The New Math
Remember when education got a whopping 4% of the federal budget? Well, those days are officially over. The U.S. Department of Education’s budget fell by $73 billion this year, from $268.4 billion in 2024 to $194.7 billion in 2025, bringing the DOE’s spending to a 1.3% trickle. Oregon’s COVID relief funds are also now exhausted, […]
Source Warmup
Suspect Arrested in Gas Station Stabbing A 36-year-old man from Apple Valley, California, is in custody in connection with a stabbing at a Bend gas station. Bend Police believe the suspect stabbed a man in the arm at the ARCO on South Highway 97 just after 9:30pm on Friday, July 25. Witnesses and responding officers […]
Bend Police see uptick in recent scams targeting community members
The Bend Police Department would like to alert community members to an uptick in scams we are frequently seeing in an effort to help you avoid becoming a victim. So far in 2025, we have received at least 243 calls reporting scams and fraud attempts. In July alone, 20 people reported to the Bend […]
Five Convictions Thrown out Due to Former Sheriff Kent van der Kampโs Dishonesty
Kent van der Kampโs past dishonesty and misconduct have cost the former Deschutes County Sheriff his career in Oregon law enforcement. Now, van der Kampโs transgressions have resulted in five convictions being overturned by the Deschutes County District Attorneyโs Office, the Source has learned. Each of these five cases were tried in Deschutes County Circuit […]
From Campground to Common Ground
Following months of careful deliberation and community input, the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners voted on July 21 to move forward with Central Oregon’s new managed camp for people experiencing houselessness. The vote was 2-1, with Commissioners Patti Adair and Phil Chang voting yes and Commissioner Tony DeBone opposing. The board approved up […]
Meteor Shower Lights Up Oregon Dark Skies
There’s something magical about shooting stars that brings out the kid in all of us. No matter your age, spotting a meteor streak across the night sky never gets old. This month, Oregon skywatchers have the chance to catch nature’s fireworks show. The Perseid meteor shower runs from July 17 through August 23, hitting its […]
LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break, Maija Kellner-Rode ๐ง
In this episode of Bend Donโt Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Maija Kellner-Rode, a queer artist, dancer, and mentor who has made it her mission to foster healing and connection through creativity. Maija shares her journey from launching her nationally distributed art brand, Maija Rebecca Hand Drawn, to mentoring youth across Oregon through […]
LISTEN: Grand Craft Bend with Abstrax
In this episode, we meet Barbara Stone and Nathan Smith from Abstrax, the cannabis and beer industry extract company, to discuss how terpenes are revolutionizing the cannabis, beer, and entire CPG (consumer packaged goods) industries and why Bend breweries get first crack at these innovations thanks to Smith, who’s a local. LISTEN NOW
Deschutes River Water Levels To Drop Temporarily
The water level in the Deschutes River will be lowered through Sunday to aid Search & Rescue teams looking for a missing man who went over Dillon Falls on an inner tube July 19. Press Release: The Deschutes County Sheriffโs Office remains committed to locating the third victim from the tragic water-related incident that occurred […]

