LISTEN: Local Media Icon R.L. Garrigus 🎧
This episode features a conversation with local media icon R.L. Garrigus, talking about the biggest story he ever covered in Central Oregon, the toughest issue we face in current times and how news coverage has evolved since he began his radio career in Bend in 1979. He also tells the tale of his latest elk…
No Matter Who Wins, So Do We
The battle for supremacy between “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” has finally begun and, while there is a clear winner, it’s not really what you might think. As of this writing, “Barbie” has made $337 million worldwide ($155 million domestic) and “Oppenheimer” has pulled in $174 million globally (and $80.5 million domestically). Those numbers are huge, regardless…
BrAIn TrAIn
The first artificial chatbot was a digital therapist called ELIZA that passed words into a computer program and paired them with a list of scripted responses. Its founder, Joseph Weizenbaum, said his aim was to caricature human conversations, not recreate them. When people interacted with ELIZA, Weizenbaum was shocked by how openly people shared their…
Not Your Ex Lover
Kourtni Diva (lead singer, songwriter, sometimes guitarist and “humble diva”), Alyssa Reyes (a.k.a “Reya,” bassist, background vocals), Julia Canales (lead guitarist, background vocals) and Kiki Castro (drummer) — all form the unique and cosmically synchronized Latina all-girl-band, Not Your Ex Lover. “I write music and cry,” Diva shared with the Source Weekly. The band’s title…
Is AI Art Bad?
I’ll admit my reluctance to dabble into the world of AI art, as many artists believe it will soon replace many creative careers and will lead to a world of less creative work. It’s interesting to note that beautiful and breathtaking illustrations, photographs and paintings are able to become something automated with just a few…
Stargazing with Trombone Shorty and His Friends
In the span of seven studio albums — the first three of which were released on the small independent label, Treme Records —Trombone Shorty has reached the pinnacle for a New Orleans musician. Leading his 10-person band, Orleans Avenue, the trombonist/trumpeter whose real name is Troy Andrews, is widely considered to be the leading musician…
![Debris in the Deschutes ▶ [With Video]](https://i0.wp.com/www.bendsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/gohere1-1-3801d6fa7f0d66be.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
Debris in the Deschutes ▶ [With Video]
Warm weather brings more activity to the Deschutes River and with that, oftentimes litter and debris. The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council invites locals to help protect and maintain the river with the Annual Deschutes River Cleanup on July 29. The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council protects and restores the watersheds of the entire Deschutes River, hosting…
Preguntas y Respuestas con el nuevo Director de Equidad e Inclusión de Bend
Andrés Portela es el nuevo director de Equidad e Inclusión de la ciudad de Bend, un puesto del cual se siente listo para asumir después de pasar casi una década trabajando por la equidad en Arizona. Dice que de alguna manera, venir a Bend significa afiliarse a un movimiento que ha ejercido desde lejos durante…
“Feed your Head” with Psychedelic Dance
Dance may not be the most popular activity in Bend, but Olivia Mills, the owner of Model Citizens Dance, has high hopes. Professional dance team, Model Citizens, performs sexy, elevated dances that are designed to excite and entertain. This summer, it’s presenting three exhilarating dance performances with its event, “Feed Your Head.” The three 18+…
Will Artificial Intelligence Affect Your Next Home Sale or Purchase?
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to touch every part of our lives — including the ways in which we shop for, buy and sell homes. In fact, your local real estate broker may already be using AI. AI promises to make it easier to buy and sell properties, and faster than ever before. Similar to…
Horoscope Week of July 27, 2023
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): There are two kinds of holidays: those created by humans and those arising from the relationship between the sun and earth. In the former category are various independence days: July 4 in the US, July 1 in Canada, July 14 in France, and June 2 in Italy. Japan observes Foundation Day…
The Third Act: A Column on Ageism and Ageing
This month, as it has for the past 36 years, the Summer Fishtrap Gathering in Joseph, Oregon, assembled a faculty of notable writers who offered a week’s worth of genre-specific workshops for registered participants. The authors also anchored evening readings and panel discussions open to the public. The year 2023’s impressive lineup included Craig Childs,…
New Menus At Jackson’s Corner
It was July 2008 when Jackson’s Corner first opened in the old Delaware Grocery & Ice House location at the corner of Delaware and Broadway between downtown and the Box Factory in Bend. The original idea was to re-envision the historic market offering groceries, grab & go items and coffee. It wasn’t long before more…
Is the World Ready for an A.I.P.A?
My young son is so freaked out from all the stories about AI that he overhears on NPR while I’m chauffeuring him around, he’s having nightmares about the robots obliterating the human race. While self-driving Tesla crashes (273 last year!) and chatbots that use machine learning to learn to act like Nazis and deepfake videos…
Letters to the Editor 07/27/2023
Guest Opinion: Stop the Hate Were you aware that July is disability awareness month? Do you have any awareness of what disabled people go through to survive and navigate this world? A disabled person’s risk of becoming homeless is much higher than the able-bodied. Our system allows medical bills to ruin people. My son has…
New Bar and Restaurant for Brooks Alley
A chef-owned restaurant and bar is now open in Bend’s Brooks Alley, in the former Wall Street Bar location. Dear Irene opened to the public this week, featuring a dose of hip elegance in its interior as well as the menu. Chef Jonny Becklund and his wife, Irene — the namesake of the space, obvs —…
Dogs Fatally Attack Man in Juniper Ridge
Up to three dogs attacked and killed a man living northeast of Bend at a campsite in Juniper Ridge. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said dispatchers directed DCSO deputies to the campsite, often called Dirt World by the people living there, a little after 1 am on July 19. Once there, they found a man…
Lawsuits From Hunnell
Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Wells Ashby denied a temporary restraining order that would have delayed the sweep of campsites along Hunnell and Clauson roads on July 17, thereby allowing the City to remove the nearly 60 campsites on the road. The City, however, did grant a seven-day extension for 22 people living on Hunnell…
Q&A with Bend’s New Director of Equity and Inclusion
Andrés Portela is the city’s new director of Equity and Inclusion, a role he feels ready to take on after spending nearly a decade working for equity in Arizona. In some ways, he says, coming to Bend means getting to join a movement he’s been following from afar for many years. * This interview has…
Even With AI, People Still Need People to Help Them Understand Their Worlds
This week’s issue delves into artificial intelligence in a way that so far, this newspaper has not yet explored. Indeed, perhaps we’re late to the party, but here we are. We created this week’s cover — a portion of the paper that encourages people to pick it up off the stands and read a while…
Where There’s Smoke
The Bedrock Fire in the Willamette National Forest sent smoke toward Bend on July 24, with air quality being listed as unhealthy by the Environmental Protection Agency. The air quality improved at times but continued to be considered unhealthy for sensitive groups into the next day. The Bedrock Fire ignited on July 22, though it’s…
