Cover Story
A Serious Allegation from a ‘Monkey Trainer’ is the Latest Intrigue in the Race for Deschutes County Sheriff
When Ty Rupert campaigned for and won the interim sheriff appointment last year, he swore to keep unflattering headlines about the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office out of newspapers. Nonetheless, two open investigations swirl in the November General Election’s race for sheriff, and at least a third is on the way. The newest inquiry stems from…
Free Will Astrology, Week of August 27, 2026
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The coming months could be a legendary turning point you will celebrate in the future: a pivotal time when you finally outsmart an old adversary and untangle a knotted inheritance, clearing the way to pursue your true calling with undiluted devotion. Or, on the other hand, the days ahead could be…
Pie Shop Opens in Downtown Bend
As of this week, Bendites have a new place to indulge a sweet tooth after dinner. A European-inspired pie shop, Pie Maison, opens August 29 on Bond Street in downtown Bend, serving a host of pie flavors from 1 to 9pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. The opening menu includes Marionberry Streusel, Gluten-Free Marionberry Streusel, S’mores, Cookies…
Candidates Set for Bend Mayoral and City Council Races in November
Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 5pm was the filing deadline for the Bend City Council and mayoral races that’ll be decided on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Two City Council positions are up for grabs, including Positions 5 and 6, both of which will feature uncontested races. Ariel Méndez currently holds Position 5, for which he’s running for reelection, while Elana Reinholtz is running uncontested…
First Residents Move into Managed Homeless Camp in East Redmond
After seven years in the juniper forest, Sami Brimmer doesn’t take flat ground for granted. “Look how level that is,” she said, pointing to the gravel parking space below a lengthy camper trailer. “Can you imagine trying to level a trailer out in the dirt?” Brimmer is one of 15 or so residents to move…
Why Are We Still Treating Homelessness Like a Five-Alarm Fire?
Even if you don’t pay close attention to public dollars like we do, you may have a general sense of how things are going in terms of funding for state and local governments. Due to a combination of federal cuts and the end of some pandemic-era funding sources, the budgets for area governments are going…
Don’t Forget to Visit the Art House
Now that we’ve reached the tentative end of the 2026 summer blockbuster season, it’s time to rejoice that “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” made billions at the box office. Movie theaters might just be safe for the foreseeable future. However, wrapped inside that rejoicing is room to lament that so many indie and…
The Poetry Express: On the Road with Oregon’s Poet Laureate
—Ellen Waterston’s “The Third Act,” columns ran from 2021 to 2026 in the Source and are now collected in her book, “We Could Die Doing This, Dispatches on Ageing from Oregon’s Outback.” Recently reappointed to a second two-year term as Oregon’s 11th poet laureate, Waterston now turns her attention and pen to her experiences traveling…
The Menopause Conversation
According to Marie Sophocle’s book, “The Bedroom Gap,” there are 80 million women experiencing menopause right now, a combination of baby boomers and Generation X. An additional 6,000 women hit menopause every day. Staggering numbers! That’s a lot of hot flashes, emotional moments during the day and waking up at 2 am. At Roundabout Books,…
The Psychedelic Frontier
Q: Eli Lilly just spent $3.8 billion buying into psychedelics. Is Big Pharma’s involvement actually good for the public, and who benefits most from it? A: A pharmaceutical company doesn’t put $3.8 billion behind something unless it believes it will be profitable. For-profit health care hardly ever benefits the public, but this question goes deeper…
Redmond Asks Voters to Decide on Extending Psilocybin Mushroom Ban
Psilocybin will be on the ballot in Redmond again this fall, for the third time in five years. In November, voters will decide to continue a temporary ban on businesses that facilitate supervised magic mushroom trips to treat an array of mental health problems. Redmond voters and dozens of other jurisdictions have enacted bans…
Think You Can’t Afford to Buy a Home? You Might Be Surprised.
I hear the same thing from potential homebuyers all the time: “I’d love to buy, but interest rates are too high.” Or: “I just don’t have enough saved for a down payment.” And my response is usually the same: Have you actually looked at what you qualify for? Because you might be surprised. With rental…
Go Clean Energy Conference Coming in September
It’s appropriate that the Go Clean Energy Conference, slated for Friday, Sept. 18, will be held at the OSU-Cascades Edward J. Ray Hall, because the building is a “North Star” for sustainability. In green building, “North Star” means prioritizing energy efficiency and incorporating sustainable principles in the phases of construction and operations. Hosted by 350…
Train on Track With ‘Mad Dog in a Fog’
Train’s 2009 hit, “Hey, Soul Sister,” was one of those songs you heard everywhere on the radio back when there were still radios — a mandolin-driven earworm that rode an early algorithmic wave alongside the sunny, acoustic pop of Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, forcing you to either turn it up or turn it off. …
Celebrate Your Canine Companions
It’s time to celebrate your best friend! National Dog Day is Wednesday, Aug. 26, and a few fun events are happening around Bend in honor of our canine companions. On Saturday, Aug. 22, check out the Dogs & Lagers Fest at Crux Fermentation Project. From 12-5pm, this family-friendly, fourth-annual event features food, lagers, local vendors and adoptable dogs from Street Dog Hero. At GoodLife Brewing on Saturday, Aug. 22, check…
Authenticity in Every Bite
If I had to name the one food concept in Bend that is consistently phenomenal yet criminally underrated, it would be Alebrije Oaxaca. For years, it’s been quietly serving up some of the most authentic Mexican food in the region — first from the yard at Bunk + Brew Hostel downtown and now also from…
Forest Protections for 200,000 Acres in Central Oregon Subject to ‘Roadless Rule’ Repeal
Nearly 200,000 acres in the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests could be subject to road construction and logging as the Trump Administration moves to repeal 25-year-old protections on public forest lands. The United States Department of Agriculture, the federal agency that oversees the U.S. Forest Service, announced on Aug. 18 a filing to rescind the…
Letters to the Editor, Week of Aug. 27, 2026
Guest Opinion: Map C Fails Deschutes County’s Independent Majority When Deschutes County voters consider Map C this November, they will be deciding the future of our new five-seat Board of Commissioners. Drafted by a seven-member advisory committee, the proposed boundaries simply do not meet basic standards of fair representation. As a retired political science professor,…
Local Businesses Named in USA Today’s 10Best Annual Awards
Several Central Oregon businesses recently received Readers’ Choice awards in the USA Today 10Best annual polls across a plethora of lifestyle and travel categories. Readers vote on the annual awards after a panel of experts, chosen by USA Today, nominates 20 finalists in each division. The news organization adds new categories regularly throughout the year, so people can vote for the top 10 nationwide in the…
Where Did Summer Go? Thrilla Cyclocross Series is Nigh
In as much as the Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium rings in summer, the Thrilla Cyclocross Series ushers us toward fall. For racers both wholly dedicated and those trying, at long last, to get back into race shape, the four-date bicycle race series is a place to catch up with teammates, heckle friends and, most certainly,…
Governor Nominates Two Central Oregonians for State Board of Education
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek this week nominated two people from Central Oregon to serve on the state’s top education policy board. Amanda Page, a Redmond School Board member and recent candidate for Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners, and Sonya Littledeer-Evans, a juvenile justice leader who lives in Jefferson County, were nominated for the…
