Fire Restrictions in the Deschutes National Forest Start July 18
Central Oregon — Due to continued hot and dry conditions as well as increased fire starts, the Deschutes National Forest will include all Wilderness areas under Stage 1 public use fire restrictions starting Friday, July 18. Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 18, Stage 1 public use fire restrictions prohibit open fires, including wood,…
Deschutes County Overdose Prevention Strategist Named Bloomberg Health Fellow
Deschutes County Health Services is proud to announce that Ana Woodburn, an Overdose Prevention and Response Strategist, has been named a 2025 Bloomberg American Health Fellow. She is one of 60 fellows selected from across the United States. Ana has worked as a health educator and an overdose prevention and response strategist for County Health…
Central Oregon Invites Visitors To Experience the Area’s Bounty and in a Fun & Sustainable Way
From local cattle ranches and eco-forward breweries to hyper-local cuisine and low-impact adventures, Central Oregon invites travelers to tread lightly with an uncompromising experience. Central Oregon has long been rich in both agricultural experiences and outdoor adventure, so it is natural that the region has also embraced sustainable practices. From high desert farms and family-owned…
More Businesses Focused on Employees’ Health and Wellness
In a bid to help staff members improve their good health and well-being so they can become more effective employees, more businesses make group health and wellness benefits available to their workers. Ninety-four percent of large firms (5000 or more employees) and 70 percent of small businesses (50 to 199 employees) provide some kind of…
The Cram Fire Explodes in Size
The Cram Fire exploded in size to 64,296 acres. Windy conditions continue posing challenges for firefighters. Today Governor Tina Kotek declared a State of Emergency for Oregon’s wildfires lasting through the end of the year. “Oregon is already experiencing a devastating wildfire season that will have lasting consequences. The summer is only gettin hotter, drier…
Interim Deschutes County Sheriff Candidate List
Five candidates officially applied for and met the July 11 deadline for the position of interim Deschutes County Sheriff. The applicants include Deputy Chief of Bend Police Paul Kansky, DCSO Detective Lieutenant James McLaughlin, former DCSO Captain Deron McMaster, DCSO Detective and Special Services Commander Ty Rupert and current DCSO Undersheriff Aaron Wells. Applicants filed…
The Cram Fire Rapidly Doubles in Size Closing Highway 97
The Cram Fire burning north of Madras blew up to 28,635 acres with 0% containment as of Tuesday, July 15. Changing wind directions and rugged, steep terrain are challenging firefighters. The fire advanced southeast, jumping Trout Creek and heading up Ranger Butte Monday night reaching the community of Ashwood. Highway 97 closed Tuesday north of Madras…
The Source Wins First Place for Cover Design at National AAN Awards
The Source has received national recognition for its cover art, earning First Place in Cover Design at the 2025 Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN) Awards. The winning entry, which included three individual covers, were created by art director Jennifer Galler and illustrator Adrian Galler. Judges praised the designs for its bold visual storytelling, clever wordplay…
Governor Kotek Invokes Conflagration Act for the Highland Fire
Salem, OR — On the evening of July 12, 2025, Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Highland Fire in Crook County. The Crook County Fire Defense Board Chief requested assistance with life, safety, and structural fire protection, and the state fire marshal concurred with that request. Following ORS 476.510-476.610, Governor Kotek…
As Kotek Scrambles to Save ODOT Union Jobs, Here Are Positions Being Cut and Vacated
ODOT cut 22 jobs in Deschutes County including Transportation Maintenance Specialist, Professional Engineer, and Heavy Equipment Technicians to name a few. Read more about it below: As Gov. Tina Kotek works the phones in an effort to stave off hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation July 31, the lists of proposed layoffs…
Redmond’s Neighborhood Art Walk Puts National Talent on Display
Taking a stroll through Redmond to discover sculptures tucked into parks, neighborhoods, and public spaces offers a unique way to experience art without any admission fees. This free outdoor gallery lets people explore at their own pace, whether out for a morning walk or planning a dedicated art tour around town. “What I like about…
The New Reality of Power Outages in Fire Season
After several power outages hit thousands of residents over the past few weeks, many people are frustrated. Long outages during peak summer heat can put vulnerable residents at risk, disrupt daily routines, and spoil food as refrigerators and freezers sit without power. According to Simon Gutierrez, a spokesperson from Pacific Power, Bend and Redmond experienced…
Pacific Power Foundation Provides Over $300K in Grants
The Pacific Power Foundation is proud to provide grant funds and support to 89 nonprofits and community organizations that are expanding access to quality STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and strengthening learning opportunities in the communities that Pacific Power serves. “The foundation is delighted to support local organizations that uplift the next generation…
Cascades East Transit to Launch Route 8 in Northeast Bend on July 14
Cascades East Transit (CET) will launch Route 8, a new fixed-route bus line serving Northeast Bend, starting July 14, 2025. The new pilot service will operate Monday-Friday from 6 AM to 7 PM to help connect people to jobs, schools, shopping, and recreation opportunities. Route 8 will start and end at Hawthorne Station, which is…
Veterans Can Now Receive Up to $50,000 in Down Payment Assistance
Thistle & Nest has been awarded $540,000 to help veteran households purchase a home! These funds, provided by the Oregon Housing and Community Services’ HOAP program, will offer critical down payment assistance, allowing first-time and first-generation veterans to build wealth and stability, and to establish lasting roots in their local communities. Program Details: • First-time…
Leah Blevins Headlines Summerfest Saturday Night
The music lineup for the First Interstate Bank Summer Festival features a lot of talented local musicians, but Saturday night’s headliner, Leah Blevins, comes from Sandy Hook, Kentucky. She’s described as having the grit of vintage country music with the grace of gospel. Her debut album, “First Time Feeling,” feels like the diary of her…
The Willow Fire Has Grown To More Than 4,000 Acres In Crook County
The Bureau of Land Management announces an immediate temporary closure of public lands in Crook County due to an active fire in the area. The Willow fire is now more than 4,000 acres as of Friday, July 11. The closures are taken to ensure public safety, protect land health, and maintain resource integrity, while minimizing…
Ten Businesses can Apply to Connect Security Cameras with Bend Police
The Bend Police Department has partnered with the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office to help Bend businesses tackle Organized Retail Theft. Made possible through the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s Grant Program, ten Bend retailers can apply for the grant will win a security system device known as FususCore. That connects up to four existing cameras…
Free Event: Twilight Talk
Join DarkSky Oregon’s Bill Kowalik and Summit High School Student and SNCO employee Bodie Dimmig as they talk about the importance of dark skies and Bodie’s award-winning talk about the reflection of light off of asphalt. DarkSky Oregon’s mission is to preserve Oregon’s magnificent dark skies and to diminish light pollution for the health, safety, and…
Lawmakers Slash $100 Million from Budget for Eviction Prevention, Legal Aid
Oregon lawmakers in June passed a bill that will cut $100 million from eviction and legal assistance for Oregonians. Lawmakers said the cuts became necessary after a discouraging revenue forecast suggested the state would have to work with $500 million less than expected. The forecast accounts for economic factors like imports and exports, taxes, potential for…
Sen. Merkley Will Run for Re-Election in 2026
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) told the Oregon Journalism Project in an interview this morning that he will run for a fourth term next year. Merkley, 68, an East Portland resident when he’s not in Washington, D.C., has been mulling his future for months and extended his process beyond a self-imposed deadline of June 30.…
Dark Sky Lighting Changes Could Be Coming to Rural Deschutes County
Deschutes County is taking steps to protect our night skies from light pollution and wants to hear what you think about it. The Deschutes County Planning Commission is hosting a public hearing this Thursday, July 10, to discuss some significant changes to rural lighting rules. The big changes on the table The proposed updates are…
LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break: Katie Chipko 🎧
In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Katie Chipko, Executive Director of NatureConnect Central Oregon. Since joining the organization in 2012, Katie has been a champion for outdoor access, working to build partnerships and create inclusive nature-based programs for youth and families. She and Aaron discuss the vital role…
Decorated Marine Corps Veteran who’s Homeless, Braces for Change
Andrew Couture sat on a lawn chair, puffing a cigarette, as rain clouds swirled over “the dirt,” a growing encampment east of Redmond. Couture’s dog, Octavia, a 5-year-old pitbull, bull mastiff, lay in the powdered dust at Couture’s feet. The 57-year-old tilted his chin, gesturing toward a generator humming behind his fifth-wheel camper. “I can’t…
Sippin’ on Sunshine
When happy hour rolls around, many of us mix our favorite cocktail: gin & tonic, margarita or maybe just a chilled glass of pinot grigio. But for many of us seeking alternatives to alcohol, there’s a whole new world out there for us: Cannabis cocktails. And do I have the perfect alcohol-free, cannabis-based cocktail for…
Big Pink Has a New Owner
Jeff Swickard is betting that better days are ahead for Portland—and, by extension, Oregon. Swickard, 53, the founder and CEO of Swickard Auto Group, a large chain of car dealerships, closed on the purchase of the U.S. Bancorp Tower (also known as “Big Pink”) earlier this week in an all-cash offer, he said today. Swickard…
When Wells Run Dry
What happens above ground stays above ground, but below the surface, water doesn’t recognize fence lines. The aquifer beneath Deschutes County operates as a single, interconnected system where water use in one location directly affects availability throughout the region. Nearly 35,000 residents—approximately 16% of the county’s population—depend on private wells that tap into the same…
New Lawsuit Says Oregon’s Closed Primaries Violate the Constitution
A new lawsuit seeks to break the stranglehold Oregon’s two major political primaries have on legislative and statewide elections. The nonprofit Our Primary Voices and one of its members, Mark Porter, a resident of Clackamas County, filed the lawsuit on June 25 in Marion County Circuit Court against the state and the state’s top elections official,…
OHA launches ‘Connect to Hope’ awareness campaign, data dashboard on third anniversary of 988
Salem, Ore. – Oregon Health Authority is marking the third anniversary of 988—the three-digit number that anyone can call, text or chat when in need of mental health support—with two significant milestones: the launch of a new data dashboard to increase transparency, track usage and demonstrate the impact of 988 in Oregon and the start…
“This Land”
A new art exhibit at Scalehouse gallery is conceived from the idea that seeing one’s own reflection is troubling. In the early 1900s, Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa explored the notion that a mirror is unnatural because it collapses the distance between the “I who sees” and the “I who is seen.” Today, Oregon artist Ben Buswell…
Oregon Hospitals Are Bracing for Medicaid Cuts That Will Hit Harder Here Than in Most States
When President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law on July 4, every hospital CEO in Oregon got heartburn. That’s because the bill focused heavily on cuts to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income Americans called the Oregon Health Plan here. Estimates from Princeton University indicate that about 11% of Medicaid…
It’s Not Too Late to Whip It
It all started around a campfire at the beach during the pandemic. Brian pulled out a guitar, and Beau started singing. Jerry had a guitar, too. Back home in Bend after the trip, they added drums, pulled in a couple more guys, and fired up a bonafide jam session in someone’s garage. But this wasn’t…
Horoscope Week of July 10, 2025
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In Yoruba cosmology, ase is the sacred life force that animates the universe. It’s divine energy that can be harnessed by humans to make things happen, to speak and act with ardent intention so that words and deeds shape reality. I am pleased to report that you Cancerians are extra aligned…
Letters to the Editor 07/10/2025
Another Magical Event Spring gives us Homegrown. Fall, Roots. And now, thanks to Chicago Bob Dougherty, summer gives us Bend Blues Fest. On a chilly Saturday at Silver Moon music lovers were treated to a remarkable day of nonstop blues. The talent was undeniable, and the joy displayed by the bands was reciprocated by the…
Breaking Through Chronic Healing Plateaus
After 25 years in naturopathic medicine, I’ve seen it countless times: a patient who eats well, takes supplements, prioritizes movement and mindfulness—but still feels stuck. Despite all their efforts, a particular chronic issue simply won’t budge. As a new transplant to Bend, I’ve been inspired by the depth of self-care knowledge in the community—people here…
Roadhouse Vibes
You’ll catch the smell of brisket in the air before you even step out. That’s the smoker—tucked off the lot like a wood-fired sidecar to the kitchen inside Cross-Eyed Cricket. Formerly known as Mavericks, the space was purchased by owners Mike Moor and Luke Mason in 2020. They preserved the dance floor, ditched the shortcuts…
Longboard Louie’s is Closing!
You heard it right: Longboard Louie’s is shutting its doors for good. It’s been a Mexi-food staple with a Mayan Hawaiian twist since opening on the westside in 1996. That location closed some time ago and the eastside location off Greenwood Avenue opened in 2007. Menu favorites include tacos, burritos, and enchiladas with proteins like…
With Home Fire Prevention Efforts, Expect a Future of Patchwork Regulations
A lot of people cheered when the Oregon State Legislative Assembly this session repealed the controversial wildfire risk map that some allege was a factor in rising insurance rates for their homes. Insurance companies we talked to for an earlier story assured us they have their own maps to assess risk — and anyway, a bill…
From the NFL to Bend Oregon
Dream the impossible. Where did I come from? Where am I now? Where are we going?” Cornelius Edison has already done what a lot of athletes grow up imagining. He dreamt the impossible and then lived it. His dream was to make it to the NFL, and he made it happen through discipline, determination and…
America Sings the Blues
Well, we’re already halfway through the year, which has somehow felt like it’s lasted somewhere between two weeks and five hundred thousand years. I suppose this is as good a time as any to do a brief check-in of the best and worst movies and shows of 2025…so far. Even though some of these will…
'Voiceless: A Musical'- Speaks and Sings to the Power of the Voice
Deena Kamm is on a mission to help people sing, sing loudly, and live with the freedom that comes with using your full vocal expression in every area of your life. She’s a vocal coach, founder and director of Sing Bend as well as the Public (Rock) Choir, and now, co-writer of a full-length musical…
Buyer vs Seller Markets:
Real estate negotiations are truly a delicate dance, with each step and nuance varying dramatically depending on whether the market currently favors buyers or sellers. Grasping these fundamental differences is crucial for anyone stepping into the property arena, because what flies in one scenario might utterly bomb in another. Those who spend every day in…
Source Warmup
BLM to Address Human-Caused Fires in La Pine Basin The Bureau of Land Management has announced the mobilization of a National Fire Prevention and Education Team to address human-caused fires in the La Pine Basin. It’s composed of fire prevention specialists from the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. The team will develop…
