News

A new regional airline now offers “charter-like” flights that will connect Redmond to select locations in the Pacific Northwest. And you can even skip security checkpoints and lines. SeaPort Airlines, based in Juneau, Alaska, began offering business flights last year. The limited service runs weekdays and connects Roberts Field at the Redmond Municipal Airport to […]

Affordable housing developers are planning a four-story, 64-unit apartment building in a mixed-use area in the heart of Bend’s west side, a project that would bring lower-cost housing to a highly desirable part of the city.   The proposed development would occupy a vacant 1-and-a-half-acre parcel on the corner of Columbia Street and Commerce Avenue — a stone’s throw from concerts, breweries and shops and a short walk from the Deschutes River.   “This location was intentionally chosen by […]

A few years into her dream job as an elementary schoolteacher in her tiny hometown of North Powder (pop. 563), Ronda Fritz found herself disheartened. Not by the low pay or lack of resources at her tiny school. Rather, Fritz blamed herself for failing each year to teach all of her students how to read. […]

Oregon’s housing supply increased modestly between 2020 and 2025, with the biggest growth in Central Oregon, but progress lags far behind the state’s lofty goals. U.S. Census Bureau data released May 14 shows the number of Oregon housing units climbed to 1.9 million, up from 1.8 million, over the five years, an increase of 5%. […]

A long-awaited street renovation project on a beloved — and busy — commercial corridor in west Bend is expected to commence this summer.   Speed bump-like pedestrian crossings, concrete islands and new pavement are some of the changes slated for Galveston Avenue, stretching from the Deschutes River west to 17th Street. The City of Bend hopes to keep two-way traffic open throughout most of the project and limit full closures to a few days for […]

Hanging from the wall of Josh Wedding’s office is a black and white photo from 1954. It shows how the City of Redmond used to pull water from the Deschutes River, storing it in a pond and piping it downhill using gravity to homes and businesses. When demand grew following World War II, the City began supplementing its water supply with a Central Oregon Irrigation District diversion canal […]

A relatively unknown candidate for the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners is under investigation by the state’s elections office after a complaint accused her of illegally using AI-altered images of herself on a campaign website.   The candidate, Brooke West, was a last-minute entry into the race for Position 1, entering the race six days before the filing deadline in March. By that time, longtime incumbent Commissioner Tony DeBone and challenger Jamie Collins, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, had already built […]