Cover Story
Bend Could Soon Allow Rowhouses & Multiple ADUs
The City of Bend is on track to create new housing options to address the need for middle- income housing. The City’s goal is to promote more affordable home ownership and rental opportunities with a diversity of housing types and sizes. According to a 2016 Bend Housing Needs Analysis, the City anticipates the population to…
Shouldering the Load — and Setting a World Junior Record
One of Bend’s fastest-rising, world-caliber athletes only recently graduated from high school. On June 5, while his friends and classmates at Caldera High School threw their graduation caps into the air, McKean was at the 2025 USA Swimming National Championship in Indianapolis, competing neck-to-neck with an Olympian in the Men’s 50 Meter Breaststroke race. In…
A 25,000-Acre Forest Restoration Project
A massive restoration project is expected to begin next year in the Deschutes National Forest outside Sisters and continue through the year 2040. The U.S. Forest Service signed the final decision to treat 25,000 acres in an area known as Green Ridge, 13 miles north of Sisters. The goal is to restore forest resiliency to disease…
Campbell McKean (Bend Swim Club) wins National Championship in 50 Meter Breaststroke
Competing at the 2025 USA Swimming National Championship meet in Indianapolis, Campbell McKean won the men’s 50 Meter Breaststroke event with a time of 26.90 seconds. The win qualifies McKean for Team USA which will compete at the World Championships in Singapore beginning July 26, 2025. McKean, a graduating senior at Caldera High School, was…
Bend’s Oldest Dance Studio Turns 50!
Terpsichorean Dance Studio will be hosting its 50th anniversary dance recital this year in Bend, with two performances. The annual recital is the culmination of the past year’s dance instruction, featuring performances at all levels in Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Tap, Contemporary and Modern. -Date: June 13 & 14 -Time: 6:00pm (either night) -Location: Caldera High…
Roundabout Books to Welcome Back Historian Glenn Voelz to Discuss His New Book “The Civilian Conservation Corp in Oregon: A Living Legacy”
Roundabout Books is excited to welcome back historian Glenn Voelz to discuss his latest book “The Civilian Conservation Corp in Oregon: A Living Legacy”. The event takes place in-store on July 31st at 6:30 pm. Amid the depths of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt formulated a bold plan for putting millions of unemployed Americans…
A record 8,000-plus students to graduate from Oregon State University on June 14
Oregon State University will graduate a record 8,011 students during its university-wide commencement ceremony Saturday, June 14, at Reser Stadium. More than 4,300 students are expected to participate in the ceremony that will honor the university’s 156th class. The event is free to attend, open to the public and held rain or shine. Gates will…
Partners In Care Community Education: “Script Your Future: Working with an Estate Planning Attorney”
Local nonprofit Partners In Care invites community members in Central Oregon to its engaging, in-person education series. For the past 17 years, Partners In Care has been providing no-cost community education on a myriad of topics such as preparing for end of life, facing a serious illness, and caregiver tips and resources. The third community…
OSU-Cascades contributed nearly $90 million to region in 2024, economic impact report finds
A new study shows that Oregon State University – Cascades contributed $89.9 million in economic impact to the Central Oregon region in 2024, reflecting the campus’s growth, spending, research and other contributions to the surrounding community. The report, commissioned by Oregon State University, details the collective impact of the university’s contributions to the economy and society,…
Volunteers in Medicine, Clinic of the Cascades Named 2025 Health Hero Organization by Deschutes County Public Health Advisory Board
Volunteers in Medicine, Clinic of the Cascades, Central Oregon’s only free clinic and pharmacy dedicated to serving low-income, uninsured working adults, has been named the 2025 Health Hero Organization by the Deschutes County Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB). This prestigious award recognizes VIM Cascades’ unwavering commitment to providing equitable, compassionate healthcare to those who would…
Bye-bye Plastic Bags
Wait — wasn’t there already a plastic bag ban? There was, in 2020, on single-use plastic bags. This time, the thicker, 4-millimeter-thick bags meant to be reused several times — you know the ones — have also been nixed. Gov. Tina Kotek signed Senate Bill 551 into law on June 5, mandating that retailers, grocers and…
LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break with Joshua Savage 🎧
In this episode, Aaron chats with Joshua Savage—traveler, writer, educator, and scavenger hunt mastermind. Originally from the South, Josh shares the story of how his family sold everything to explore the world, eventually falling in love with Bend and making it their home. The conversation touches on his passion for travel, his love for the…
Reviving the River
The Deschutes River is one of the biggest stars of summer providing opportunities to float, surf, paddle board, fish and more! For the past 29 years, volunteers have provided the TLC needed to help keep the river healthy. About 250 volunteers are needed this year for the annual cleanup on Saturday, June 28. There are…
"In a Landscape" Returns
Classical pianist Hunter Noack is traveling to some of the most peaceful and scenic locations in the west for concerts. The “In a Landscape” series takes classical music into the wild. Noack is performing at three locations in Central Oregon. His 1912 Steinway Model D concert grand piano is hauled on a flatbed trailer. Audience…
Horoscope Week of June 5, 2025
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It’s time for your Uncle Rob to offer you some fundamental advice for living. These tips are always worthy of your contemplation, but especially now. Ready? Being poised amidst uncertainty is a superpower. You may attract wonders and blessings if you can function well while dealing with contradictory feelings, unclear situations,…
Letters to the Editor 06/05/2025
Bias in Our Backyard Having read your piece this morning I feel compelled to say that much of what happens in terms of biased encounters is never reported. I thought I’d checked a neighborhood. It was the north end of La Pine where I bought my last central OR house in 2017. The absence of…
Savory Social Club
A new restaurant/wine bar is opening in downtown Bend on Friday, June 6. Amaterra Kitchen + Social Club is taking over the space once occupied by Domain Serene Wine Lounge. This is its second Oregon location. Amaterra has a vineyard estate and winery in Portland’s West Hills. The Bend menu features starters like Wagyu Carpaccio with…
Awakening Your Inner Hero
Love is what we all want. Admit it or not…we do. In order to receive it we must practice living it. We all need to get better at love and the better we get, miracles happen. I LOVE YOU I do. Do I know you? Maybe. Maybe not. So, what do I remotely mean when…
El Sancho East Returns
Nearly a year after a fire destroyed its building on the east side of Bend, the owners of El Sancho reopened on Monday, June 2 at that location on NE Dekalb Avenue. The fire on June 20, 2024, was ruled accidental. A small line was awaiting the grand reopening at 11am. Everything is brand new,…
A Bright, Beautiful Fusion of Japanese Technique and Peruvian Soul
On Bend’s ever-growing culinary map, Kusshi has landed with confidence, elegance and a style all its own. Once a popular pop-up with a strong local following, Kusshi is now a dynamic new brick & mortar restaurant delivering fresh and refined Nikkei cuisine, the inspired fusion of Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions. At the helm are…
New Hummingbird Garden is a First for Central Oregon
Novelist W.P. Kinsella’s line in Shoeless Joe, “If you build it, he will come,” is a common mantra associated with habitat restoration projects for a good reason: the transformation from empty field to lush meadow takes time and/or action to bring back diversity. In Bend’s Orchard Park, that means prepping and planting an area to…
Texas THC in Turmoil
Texans who enjoy having access to legal THC may soon be SOL. As of this writing, a bill which would ban all hemp derived THC consumables was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott. As someone with a long history of enacting terrible legislation, it’s expected he will sign it. In doing so, he will eliminate a…
In Bias Crime Reporting, Accurate Data is Key
Peter Madsen’s feature story from last week, “Bias in Our Backyard,” explored the numbers around bias crimes in our area, and the state, in the five-year period since state and local authorities began collecting such data. The numbers available, from the years 2020-2023, were quite striking, with marked increases in the number of bias crimes…
Getting to Know Bend's Own Disney Composer, Dave Metzger
Whether you have children or not, you have almost definitely heard the song, “Let It Go,” from the movie “Frozen.” Guess who orchestrated it? Dave Metzger. How about the Broadway version of “The Lion King?” Again, Dave. And then there’s “Mufasa,” the prequel to “The Lion King” that came out last year? He was the…
Redmond Airport Gets Final Costs Approved, Construction to Begin Soon
On May 27, the Redmond City Council approved final cost estimates for the Redmond Municipal Airport expansion in the amount of $98,059,847, as well as other approvals on designs and inspection costs. The final approvals come ahead of the upcoming expansion, which is set to begin on June 18. With a rapidly growing region, and…
Lakeside Living and Lasting Legacy
Each of Central Oregon’s cabin communities has developed its own distinct character over generations. The cabins along the Metolius River are known for their fly-fishing heritage and traditional craftsmanship. Meanwhile, Elk Lake’s residences have evolved into a tight-knit summer community with annual traditions dating back decades. What’s more, these micro-communities have fostered connections that span…
The Next “Barbenheimer?"
While I wouldn’t completely give them all the credit, the simultaneous release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” on July 21, 2023, did a lot to revive interest in returning to the movie theater. While the movies were both critically and financially successful, it wasn’t wholly the films themselves that generated so much excitement; rather, it was…
Source Warmup
Food Banks Forced to Cut Services NeighborImpact is cutting two food distribution programs after its food supply dropped 25% in April. A mobile pantry at the American Legion in Redmond, which normally serves 277 people, ended in May. On June 27, Fresh Express Home Delivery will also end. That serves 380 homebound individuals. NeighborImpact has…
College Counseling: Helpful or Highway Robbery?
Once students reach their junior year, they seem to cross a very important threshold—they are no longer just high school students; it is time to plan for the future. Whether it be questions from well-meaning adults, discussions with older friends or the constant flow of college mail into students’ inboxes, the thought of college becomes…
Promised Land
Just east of downtown Bend lies the focal point of a long-planned revitalization aimed at transforming the widely undeveloped Bend Central District into a walkable, mixed-use community hub. With a vision that transforms the so-called “underutilized” area, advocates have been working with community members and the City of Bend to help invest in the central…
Archaeology Roadshow
Portland State University’s Archaeology Roadshow returns to the Deschutes Historical Museum Saturday, June 7. The theme is ‘The Archaeology of Art and Craft.’ The free event will be on the lawn outside the museum. Sixteen exhibitors with archaeologists and experts from universities, federal and state agencies, tribes and nonprofits will have presentations and activities such…
