Cover Story
Update: Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Payouts Near $6 Million
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is still dealing with the fallout of alleged favoritism and retribution that has plagued the agency for years. The sheriff’s office, and Deschutes County, are now at the center of a grievance of termination and administrative appeal by William Bailey, a former DCSO captain who ran for sheriff against Kent…
Navigating SSRIs and Classic Psychedelic Medicine
Q: I’m on antidepressants and want to explore psychedelic therapy. What do I need to know about tapering off [Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors] safely, and how long should I wait? A: This is one of the most common and important questions I receive, and I’m glad you’re thinking about safety first. Before I dive in, I…
What We Risk Losing
To witness the McDermitt Caldera is to be moved. Supported by the east-flowing McDermitt Creek, sloping hills of sagebrush cradle native wildflowers and bunchgrasses. In spring, paintbrush awakens in crimson bursts alongside winks of purple lava aster. Bitterroot emerges, first in succulent leaves, then in white flowers nestled close to the ground. In blooms of…
Savage in Bend
Strolling downtown on Brooks Street, passersby may suddenly get bombarded by a lush garden full of eye popping colors during late spring and summer. On the side of the Common’s Cafe & Taproom, a tiny space is filled with many varieties of plants like Rockcress, Allum, Iris and others. The Maltese Cross in full bloom…
Under the Radar Picks for 2026
We’re already a third of the way through 2026 and the movies that have made big money have been the usual suspects (“Super Mario Galaxy” and “Scream 7”) with some word-of-mouth crowdpleasers (“Project Hail Mary” and “Send Help”) and a viral micro-budget horror movie with a massive YouTube fanbase (“Iron Lung”). But several pretty great…
Farmers Markets Return in May
Elevation Farmers Market On May 1, the Bend Factory Stores changes its name to Elevation Bend and launches a weekly Friday Farmers Market through October. More than 50 vendors are scheduled for the inaugural event. “The market will feature a wide variety of local vendors, including fresh vegetables and berries, flowers and beef products, along…
Surviving Shilo
When the Shilo Inn closed back in February, my first thought was for Real Taste of India. Tucked into the restaurant space attached to the hotel, the delectable Indian restaurant and buffet overlooks the pool and garden area. I’ve been here long enough to see several restaurants inhabit the space (pour one out for Fat…
The Bend Market Isn’t Hot or Cold. It’s Honest.
What’s the market doing? This is a common question you receive when you are a real estate professional. And it can be a challenging one to answer. But today, the story in Bend is all about balance. After a stretch of rapid appreciation, low inventory, and intense competition, today’s market is settling into a more…
Vote Rick Russell for Deschutes County Commission, Pos. 4
The race for Position 4 on the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners has seen a lot of candidates come and go, but two competent people remain. If either gets over 50% of the votes in the May election, they’ll win the seat and no additional voting will be necessary for the November election. Rick…
Celebrate the Power of Books and Bookstores on Independent Bookstore Day2
I travelled to Phoenix last week and my seven-year-old niece was so excited to tell me about the book she’s reading in school: “The Trumpet of the Swan.” Then she sat down and read a book with me, swapping pages back and forth. The last time I saw her she wasn’t reading fluently, yet there…
Free Will Astrology, Week of April 23
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’re finished with energy-draining indulgences. No more seductive perils or cute ailments, either. Once you wriggle free from the tangles that have been hobbling your style, I suspect you will also renounce anything that resembles joyless restraint, naive certainties, pointless cravings, numbing comforts or misplaced bravery. May it be so! Abracadabra!…
Fern Spores Tours the Pacific Northwest
After leaving her partner, homestead and job in Idaho and moving to Olympia, Washington, Alyssa Nunke desired only one thing: start an explicitly all-female band. The strategy was simple. Host an open mic night. Listen for potential members. Rinse. Repeat. And it worked, perfectly. On just her fourth night she struck gold in the form of Jade Kovatz, the other frontrunner of the band. The rest of the femme-folk-rock band Fern Spores members…
Vote Amanda Page for Deschutes County Commission Pos. 3
With a handful of people in the race for Position 3 on the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners, chances are we’ll see a rematch between some of these candidates during the November go-round. That might be a good thing, because we admit that this race involves some tough choices. Amy Sabbadini is a beloved…
Without an Operator, Managed Homeless Camp in Redmond Sits Vacant
In March, Deschutes County and the City of Redmond completed construction on a 36-site campground for people transitioning out of homelessness, complete with new gravel roads, water and power infrastructure and a black slatted chain link fence. More than a month later, the campground remains empty, a padlock and chain latching the gate shut. Meanwhile, hundreds of…
Bend Savory Spice Rebrands as Top Hat Spice Shop
Bend Savory Spice is undergoing a rebrand in May, but the products will largely remain unchanged. Owner Matt Perry says after 15 years, he’s decided to stop operating as a franchise and take local control. He’s changing the name to “Top Hat Spice Shop.” “The biggest difference is that we’ll now be able to create…
Six People Treated for Drug Overdoses in 24 Hours
Six overdoses requiring Naloxone resuscitation and hospitalization happened within 24 hours of April 17, according to Deschutes County Health Services. The folks who overdosed weren’t intending to ingest opioids like heroin or fentanyl; they were doing cocaine and ketamine, officials say. In a press release, the Health Services Department urges the public to generally assume…
Central Oregon Leaders Press U.S. Highway 97 Safety Projects Amid State’s Transportation Budget Woes
Elected leaders in central and southern Oregon are asking the legislature to help pay for tens of millions of dollars in safety improvements along U.S. Highway 97, one of the state’s most dangerous roads. But major uncertainties circling the future of state transportation funding are clouding the effort. County commissioners from three counties — Jefferson, Deschutes and…
Letters to the Editor, Week of April 23
Bikes, Cars, and Neighbors: Two Good Projects, One Crowded Corridor As a homeowner in Luderman Crossing, I am writing to share concerns about the Reed Market and 15th Improvements and Bend Bikeway Project and its impact on residents most directly affected. The proposed design on SE 15th Street places an 8-foot shared use path and…
Bend-La Pine Schools Creates Policy to Review Tech in Classrooms
Parents who expressed a growing concern over the use of iPads and Artificial Intelligence in Bend-La Pine Schools classrooms are celebrating a new policy creating sweeping checks on technology that was just passed. In an April 14 resolution, the Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors addressed educational technology, or “ed tech.” The resolution directs the district to review the use of all technology, websites and apps, create…
Study Finds Tipping Culture is on the Decline
How much tip did the cafe’s iPad prompt you the last time you went for a simple black coffee, with no bells and whistles: 18, 20, 25%? A recent Pop Menu study found that tipping culture is on the decline nationwide. Meanwhile, community members in Bend appear to be feeling the pressure to tip more for services that they feel do not warrant a tip. Based on data from 2024, the reported tip fatigue seems to have many potential…
Gravel Cycling Website Dirty Freehub Goes Analog
In today’s hyper online world, a website begetting a book — and a series of them, no less — might read like putting the cart before the horse. Yet, delightfully, the popularity of Dirty Freehub — the result of a married duo’s passion for route scouting, mapping and storytelling — has inspired this retro-tech arc.…
What Paula Poundstone Loves About Comedy
When Paula Poundstone called in for her interview with the Source, she said she was feeding her cat Larry who was on a weight-loss journey. She says the moments she spends with him are some of the more serene moments in her busy life. In less than a month, she will be on tour with a stop in Central Oregon. Poundstone will perform at…
