Opinion Archives - The Source

Person holding a newspaper in front of his face.

If Journalism is the Last Job…

Today, journalism is increasingly the bridge between the inevitable rise of the digital world and the humans who live in and around it

by The Source Editorial Board June 23, 2026June 23, 2026

A recent article in The Hollywood Reporter offers a chronicle of how journalists may soon be adjudicated in the court of AI justice. As disturbing as that piece may be, it did contain an intriguing muse about the future of journalism, and the future of work. In it, entrepreneur Aron D’Souza — the founder of […]

Side view of a Deschutes County Sheriff car

Opinion

In a Sheriff’s Office as Troubled as This One, Skepticism Comes with Every Turn

With the latest revelation, a renewed need for more oversight of the office

by The Source Editorial Board June 16, 2026June 16, 2026

Maybe the allegations levied by Sheriff Ty Rupert against his Deschutes County sheriff opponent, Lt. James “Mac” McLaughlin, are no big deal. Or maybe they’re grounded in facts and evidence. Based on recent revelations uncovered by this paper, it seems that the latter could very well be true. But when it comes to the sheriff’s office today, with as many skeletons as this one, forgive us if the whole thing comes with a lot of skepticism — and […]

Closeup of gas cooking burner and blue flame

Opinion

Should Bendites Have to Pay to Pollute?

A controversial City Council decision means yes

by The Source Editorial Board June 9, 2026June 9, 2026

This month, the Bend City Council opted to move forward with its plan to charge a fee to developers putting natural gas systems into new homes — a move aimed at meeting the city’s carbon emissions goals and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. There was no good timing for this. As a whole, Oregonians’ economic […]

Rows of black surveillance cameras with one row of white cameras

Opinion

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 June 2, 2026June 2, 2026

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 […]

Opinion

Four Takeaways from the May Primary Election

How non-partisan participation affected local races

by The Source Editorial Board May 26, 2026May 26, 2026

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. […]

Local News

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

by Clayton Franke May 20, 2026May 21, 2026

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 […]

Opinion

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 May 19, 2026May 19, 2026

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 […]

Local News

May 19, 2026 Primary Results

Local and state election results page

by The Source Staff May 19, 2026May 20, 2026

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 […]

Aerial photo of the Bend Central District

Opinion

The Bend Central District Needs Momentum and A Unified Vision

A new City fee at this time won’t help

by The Source Editorial Board May 12, 2026May 12, 2026

If you’ve been paying attention to Bend politics and local business matters, then you probably heard about the promise of the Bend Central District. Some envision it as a second downtown — a place to allow the city to grow and a hip business district to proliferate — with a new city hall to boot. […]

Exterior rendering of Bend's new Central Library

Opinion

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 May 5, 2026May 4, 2026

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 […]

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