Cover Stories
The Faces of Homelessness – More Than Numbers
Central Oregon is no exception to the issue of folks without permanent housing at any given time throughout the year. On a single night in January each year, the Point-in-Time Count takes place nationwide to count sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. In Central Oregon, this takes place in La Pine, Sisters, Bend, Redmond, Madras,…
From Trauma to Triumph: Two Young Men Overcome Childhood Homelessness with Poise and Perseverance
The annual Point in Time homeless count just wrapped up, with results expected in March. During last year’s count, on Jan. 27, 2025, 268 people under the age of 25 were reported unsheltered in Bend. Each of those young people have a history that many of us will never hear. Two young Bend men, one who just turned 18 and one in his early 20s, agreed to talk with the Source about their experience growing up without a…
My Journey Through Homelessness
I am the current face of homelessness in Bend and Central Oregon. I am 67 years old, highly educated and without a place to live. Thankfully, I found Shepherd’s House Ministries Lighthouse – a shelter for the homeless in Bend. Initially, it began as the 2nd Street Shelter as a low-barrier emergency shelter in June…
Free Will Astrology, Week of Feb. 12
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Poet Mary Oliver asked her readers, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” This Valentine season, I propose a collaborative version of this prod: Ask those you care for to help you answer Oliver’s question, and offer to help them answer it…
AI and iPads: ‘Ed-Tech’ Draws Skepticism from Bend-La Pine Parents
Parents of Bend-La Pine Schools students, supported by local advocacy group Well Wired, have joined forces to express their collective concerns about the district’s implementation of educational technology, or “ed-tech.” A statement, presented at the Tuesday, Feb. 10 school board meeting, asks the school board to “reduce screen time in schools and reevaluate the District’s…
A County Map in Search of a Problem
Deschutes County government is embarrassing itself. Earlier this month, the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to put a map, dividing the county into five districts, before voters. In a subsequent 2-1 vote the Board voted to put that map before voters in November. The Commission could have gotten this painful map process…
New County Fair and Expo Director Is ‘Looking Forward’ to Being Back in Oregon
When first reached by the Source for a phone interview, newly hired Deschutes County Fair and Expo Director Jeff Curtis was in the process of having his car shipped from Alaska down to the lower 48. Once he and his vehicle arrive, plenty more logistics will be waiting for Curtis in Central Oregon. Curtis has…
“Under Pressure”
While volcanoes date back millions and millions of years, knowledge about them continues evolving. A study by the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences published in January 2025 found that all volcanoes, including dormant ones, have persistent and large magma bodies. Scientists used seismic waves to identify magma chambers beneath six volcanoes within the Cascade…
Oakridge Offers Miles of Picturesque, Quiet, Forest Trails for Mountain Biking and Hiking
In the time it takes to polish off a breakfast burrito and listen to an episode or two of your favorite podcast, Derrick Bell wants you to know that you could be enjoying the solitude of nearly 600 miles of biking and hiking through serene forest trails, reminiscent of Central Oregon a couple decades ago.…
What to Know About Fares on Cascades East Transit
This month, Cascades East Transit resumed fare collection, which had been suspended on non-recreational routes since the spring of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating fare-free had been possible because of federal relief funding, CET stated, but that money has long been in the rearview mirror. CET is operated by the Central Oregon…
Spring Into Action: Preparing Your Central Oregon Home for the Market
Have you been thinking about making 2026 the year you sell your home? Consider this. Your home is one of the assets you own (unlike your car) that increases over time. U.S. home prices experienced rapid growth from 2019 to 2024, with cumulative increases reaching approximately 55%, or a 9.2% average annual increase. Now price…
Blues, Soul and Rock ‘n’ Roll
While Covid created shockwaves still reverberating today, some good also came to fruition, made possible by happenstance. That’s the genesis of the band Bigfoot County, when two neighbors, Mike Szabo and Mitch Gadsby, hanging out at a neighborhood gathering during the pandemic discovered a shared passion for music. “We clicked right away. It just sounded…
Letters to the Editor, Week of Feb. 12
Being Better Role Models I went to the ICE OUT demonstration in Bend on Jan. 31. It did my heart and soul good to see the amazing crowd that came out to voice their support of Minnesota and opposition to the latest ICE strategies occurring across our nation. There was joy, singing and chanting, drums…
Small Kitchen, Big Taste
No snow in January means another opportunity to eat outside. No offense to good weather but Bend needs snow! This time of year, I’m usually taking my food “to go” back to my warm office or house and eating inside while the snow melts off the roof. Not this year! I’ve eaten outside more this…
Why Your Partner Deserves Better Than Your Barista Gets
Dear Dr. Jane, My wife and I are trying to improve our relationship and we’re seeing a couples counselor to help with communication. The sessions are challenging—we fight a lot. Of course, our fighting isn’t just about everyday stuff. We fight about intimacy too, which means we almost never connect. There’s so much conflict. I…
The Politics of Insanity
For like five minutes, I thought it would be a funny idea to start this review pretending like I was doing a deep dive into the new “Melania” documentary, but then I had the (quite obvious) epiphany that giving money, publicity, or my words to propaganda directed by a hack filmmaker photographed cuddling women next…
