News

Whether the city of Bend needs and could sustain a large public assembly venue that could hold up to 2,000 people is at the heart of a new study presented Monday, March 2 to the Bend Economic Development Advisory Board. Visit Bend hired CSL Consulting for the study, indicating that it fits its overall mission to support the community in seeking a sustainable future. Currently, about 68% of the lodging […]

Troubles at the company that owned LOGE Entrada in Bend are affecting its properties throughout the American West. Further reporting has borne out: LOGE Camps ousted its CEO for misrepresenting a real estate portfolio that is in “significant distress.” Then came a $9.4 million foreclosure lawsuit. A Montana staff has since been rendered jobless and […]

The clock is counting down to what could be the first-ever strike of classified union workers at Central Oregon Community College. At an impasse over contract negotiations, the union started a 30-day cool-down period on Feb. 23. After that, the union could vote to authorize a strike at any time, with a 10-day notice. Contract negotiations have been underway since […]

One of the most contentious issues in the current legislative session revolves around an issue called “bonus depreciation.” It’s a tax break that business groups hope could spur purchases of everything from tractors and commercial fishing boats to high-tech machinery and new housing. To progressive groups, it’s a giveaway to businesses that were going to […]

Oregon is in a housing crisis. The state needs to build 95,000 housing units to compensate for years of underdevelopment and to house its growing homeless population, according to a recent state report. Multifamily units—from duplexes to large apartment buildings—are one of the most efficient ways for Oregon, or any region, to quickly increase housing, […]

After some much needed sunlight on its operations, Travel Oregon is looking for a new chief executive — at a significantly lower salary. Not long into a meeting last September of the Oregon House Committee on Economic Development, its chairman quoted from an OJP investigation about dysfunction at state-funded Travel Oregon and the oversized salary […]

In the interest of cutting down on fossil fuel emissions and encouraging electrification, the Bend City Council approved a policy proposal on Feb. 18 that would add a scaled fee to the installation of natural gas equipment in residential homes. The fee, which the councilors will vote in April whether to implement, would be set […]

Bend architect Heidi Slaybaugh was often met with a request. Male colleagues in leadership positions would reach out to ask if she would mentor their female staff. “The male leaders couldn’t address the questions they were hearing from female colleagues,” recalled Slaybaugh, principal at Cole Architects. “Most architecture firms are run by men, and they […]