Editorial

American women continue to have the highest rate of death before, during and after childbirth, compared to any other high-income country in the world. The worst part: about 80% of those deaths are likely to be preventable, according to a 2024 brief from The Commonwealth Fund. This has been a crisis since before the current […]

We’re feeling a bit skeptical, this week, about allowing private technology companies access to our private information. No, we’re not talking about Elon Musk and DOGE accessing our personal information, but another, more local concern. Earlier this month, the Bend Police Department sent out a press release inviting the public to take part in “Connect […]

Ah, road construction. No matter when it comes, or how long it delays us, it’s going to be a perennial source of conversation. But this month, with the double whammy of lots of snow and the closure of key streets that allow Bendites to get around the center of town, the City of Bend has […]

Regardless of your political affiliation, one thing holds true right now: President Trump’s blitzkrieg approach to the start of his administration is having the shocking effect it was meant to convey. The string of executive orders issued from the White House has been so fast and so far-reaching, that it can be hard to keep […]

Many people panicked when the Oregon Department of Transportation announced last winter season that the state agency would be doing less plowing of roads than it had in the past. Due to decreased funding levels — at least some attributed to declining gas tax revenues — its level of service was set to decrease. But […]

You gotta hand it to Tim Knopp. After beginning his political career in Oregon in 1999 with three terms in the Oregon House, followed later by stints in the Oregon Senate that lasted through this January, he’s got a new gig working as the Oregon state co-chair for U.S. term limits. In the new role, […]

They’re both in the same county, but when it comes to funding for things like park services, it seems that the cities of La Pine and Bend couldn’t be further apart. Over the last year, the La Pine Park and Recreation District board of directors abruptly resigned, leaving the staff out of their jobs and […]

C ongress may have just passed its stopgap budget, but because of that last-minute squabbling, schools in a vast majority of Oregon counties are taking a big hit this year. Since the turn of the 21st century, rural schools in Oregon have gotten a financial boost from Congress through the Secure Rural Schools and Community […]

New Year’s Eve may be a night for celebration, but this year, New Year’s Day may also be a day for consternation. That’s because on New Year’s Day, electric rates are going up once again for many people in Oregon. Last week, Oregon’s Public Utilities Commission approved yet another rate increase for customers of both […]