Opinion
Posted inOpinion

Local Law Enforcement is Right to Be More Cautious of New Video Surveillance Technology

You may “not be doing anything wrong” now, but it only takes the flick of a pen to change what “wrong” means
by The Source Editorial Board

In recent months, local law enforcement agencies, including the Bend Police Department, Redmond Police and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, have considered adding new video surveillance technology — or replacing cast-off technology — that helps them monitor the community and ostensibly better solve crimes. Given the breadth of information coming at us about privacy and […]

Posted inOpinion

Four Takeaways from the May Primary Election

How non-partisan participation affected local races
by The Source Editorial Board

The May primary election has come and gone, and in Deschutes County, much of the oxygen went toward the races for the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners. That body will see two additional members next year. In the wake of the election, these are some observations we’ve made about our region’s changing political landscape. […]

Posted inLocal News

With Primary Victory, Deschutes County’s Own Patti Adair Has Shot At Congress

Avatar photo by Clayton Franke

Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair is one step closer to the U.S. House of Representatives after Tuesday night’s primary election. A victory over incumbent U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum in November would make her the first Deschutes County resident elected to Congress in recent memory — maybe ever. When asked if she knew whether a Deschutes County Commissioner had ever gone on to […]

Posted inOpinion

A Data Center Hopes to Move into La Pine and Use 15X the Power the Town Currently Uses

In about a year’s time, sentiment around data centers has soured both locally and nationally. La Pine residents seem to be connecting the dots.
by The Source Editorial Board

It’s too soon to tell the fate of the proposed data center in an industrial park in La Pine, but if local action and national sentiment are any indication, approval of the project looks iffy. According to Source reporting, a company called Boxminer, which “mines” bitcoin, is seeking to build a data center on a […]

Posted inLocal News

May 19, 2026 Primary Results

Local and state election results page
by The Source Staff

Last updated at 6:30 am Local Races Click here for Deschutes County elections page Deschutes County Commissioner Position #1, 4 year termJamie Collins. 55% (35,973)Tony DeBone. 38% (25,103)Brooke West. 7% (4,567) Deschutes County Commissioner Position #3, 4 year termCharles Webster Baer 2%Gary Campbell 6%Lauren Connally. 38%. (23,881)Samuel Facey 3%Amanda Page 21% (13,078)Amy Sabbadini 31% (19,301) Deschutes […]

Posted inOpinion

A Library — Any Library — in Bend Couldn’t Come Too Soon

As a third space and a resource center, libraries are a lifeline. Ours shouldn’t have been closed this long.
by The Source Editorial Board

In just a few short days, the Deschutes Public Library’s new Central Library will open on the east side of Bend. For those who have gone by during the many months it’s stood there under construction, the 100,000-square-foot space is certainly hard to miss. We are excited about it, but right now we’re also still […]

Posted inElections

May 2026 Election: Endorsements and Ideas

Ballots begin arriving in people’s mailboxes this week for the May 19 primary election. Here’s a recap of the Source’s candidate endorsements, plus our thoughts on the election overall
by The Source Editorial Board

Deschutes County Commission, Pos. 1 Jamie Collins The Commission is getting bigger and the County exploding in size. And because of those changes, we agree with challenger Jamie Collins when he says what’s needed is a more strategic, thoughtful approach to the challenges ahead. We think Collins, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, disaster responder and […]

Posted inOpinion

Empty Managed Camp = Debacle

A lack of qualified service providers means that Redmond and Deschutes County’s plans for more homeless services are delayed, again.
by The Source Editorial Board

If there’s a case to be made for expanding the capacity of the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners, look no further than the situation currently unfolding at the managed camp recently built by the County and the City of Redmond near the fairgrounds. After some waffling, the City and the County finally agreed to […]

Posted inElections

Vote Rick Russell for Deschutes County Commission, Pos. 4

Russell has a proven track record of action and leadership in Central Oregon
by The Source Editorial Board

The race for Position 4 on the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners has seen a lot of candidates come and go, but two competent people remain. If either gets over 50% of the votes in the May election, they’ll win the seat and no additional voting will be necessary for the November election. Rick […]

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