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Local School Bus Driver Arrested for DUII After Completing Bus Route  

Seven hours after initial blood alcohol testing, the driver was found with blood alcohol levels of twice the legal limit
Avatar photoBy Jesse Coronado

On April 3, police arrested a Bend-La Pine Schools bus driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless endangering, after completing a bus route.   According to Sheila Miller, Bend Police communications manager, BPD received a call from a BLPS transportation employee at around 6:45pm. The employee reported that the bus driver, 67-year-old Martha Ann Gerlicher, was under the influence and had […]

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Homelessness Nonprofit Leader, Former Disaster Responder Face Off in Deschutes County Commissioner Position 4 Race 

Rick Russell and Chet Wamboldt are vying for the newly created seat
Avatar photo by Clayton Franke

The race for Position 4 on the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners is the only contest on the jam-packed May 19 ballot that’s all but certain to be decided without moving on to the November general election. The leader of a prominent homeless housing nonprofit, Rick Russell, and a former firefighter and emergency responder in his third try for local office, Chet Wamboldt, are vying for the seat — one […]

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Mt. Bachelor to Helm Motel Previously Known as LOGE Entrada

Mt. Bachelor will open the rechristened Trailhead Lodge in time for summer
Avatar photo by Peter Madsen

You can’t move a mountain, as it were. But sometimes, the mountain moves closer to you. Mt. Bachelor has signed a lease agreement with Entrada Lodge, the Century Drive motel previously known as LOGE Entrada. Rebranding the property Trailhead Lodge, Mt. Bachelor will begin accepting reservations for summer 2026, according to a release. That 79-guest-room […]

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‘I Lost It All’: Residents of Bend Homeless Camp Say Forest Service Blew Off Calls, Appointments to Reclaim Lost Property

Former residents of one of Oregon’s largest homeless encampments say they lost cars, work tools, irreplaceable family photos and other items
by Danielle Dawson and David Dudley / FORJournalism

On the day last year the U.S. Forest Service evicted hundreds of homeless people from national forest land just outside Bend, Oregon, Chris Walston was in the hospital. Walston had been living in a sprawling encampment in the Deschutes National Forest — known by its residents and locals as “China Hat” after the access road that […]

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Oregon’s Climate Protection Program Costs Far More Than Other States’—and Is Far Less Accountable

Critics say the program is a poorly designed job killer.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

Tom Fessler and his son, Kyle, are trying to do the right thing, but the right thing is about to get a lot more expensive. Inside Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas’ sprawling greenhouses—they enclose space the size of 94 football fields—the Fesslers recently installed 48 high-efficiency natural gas heaters that cost $6,200 each. It is the […]

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Red Light and Speed Cameras to Flicker On Around Bend

For a 30-day trial period, however, infractions will just catch warnings
Avatar photo by Peter Madsen

Heads up to heavy-footed drivers and privacy advocates, alike: Red light and speed cameras are just around the corner in several parts of Bend. On April 15, the Bend Police Department launches its Automated Traffic Enforcement program. The intersections include NE 27th and Neff Road, SE Reed Market at Third Street and SE Powers at […]

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Mt. Bachelor Receives Almost a Foot of Fresh Snow 

Overnight stormy conditions on the resort have resulted in almost 1 foot of fresh powder for skiers and snowboarders
Avatar photoBy Jesse Coronado

Mt. Bachelor received almost 1 foot of fresh snow this morning after a snowy and stormy night in the mountains.   This morning at 6:30am, ski patrol deployed explosives on the resort to clear softer, less compact snow to prepare for skiers later that morning.   “Patrol conducted avalanche mitigation work this morning and the resort opened to guests on time at 9am,” Presley Quon, communications […]

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New 6-Story Housing Development Coming to West Bend

A multi-unit apartment with a “Central-Oregon” inspired design should break ground soon
Avatar photoBy Jesse Coronado

Developer, PCP Voyager, recently applied for a modification to an already approved plan for an apartment complex at 1081 SW Mt. Bachelor Drive north of the Reed Market roundabout. The modifications bring changes to the shape and design of the complex, reduces the number of units by two, adds sauna and steam buildings and increases […]

Posted inLocal News

Universal Health Care Town Hall Coming To Bend

Members of the state task force working on a universal health care plan are part of a town hall tour across the state.
Avatar photo by Clayton Franke

People in Central Oregon have a chance this month to hear from a state-appointed task force driving the effort to bring a universal health care system to Oregon.   Members of the Universal Health Plan Governance Board, a nine-member body created by the Legislature in 2023 and appointed by the governor, will be in Bend April 19 as part of a nine-stop […]

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Two Key DIY Projects You Can Do to Spruce Up Your Living Space

Replacing old, worn-out carpet with laminate or vinyl flooring, and adding native plants to your garden, can help your home sparkle and even raise its value
by Dallas Finn Calvert

Painting interiors, deep-cleaning carpets, scrubbing windows a power washing outer surfaces are just a few steps you can take to make your home sparkle. But if you’re looking to freshen up your living space and improve your home’s curb appeal, while also potentially raising its value, there are two easily tackled do-it-yourself projects to consider. […]

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