Cover Story
Siloed But Not Solo
Skyler Brown fights back tears, seemingly conveying frustration at the world and her place in it. The Three Rivers artists says she’s “at the brink of madness. At the place where I am, I’m being forced to be appreciative for what you’ve got. But where the f— I am? How am I supposed to appreciate…
Ready to Go? Pack an Emergency Kit for Evacuations and Everything Else
PPP: No, not Pole, Pedal, Paddle. You may have heard the old saw: Prior proper planning prevents piss-poor performance (and profound problems). Be educated and prepared before you embark on any adventure, especially when venturing into this positively pristine land of ours and beyond. Let’s start with The 10 Essentials, which have been around since…
‘SURVing’ Up Better Hydration
A young Bend resident is launching a new sparkling electrolyte beverage, developed and made in Central Oregon. Tanner Bowen, an outdoors enthusiast who spent his youth skiing, running, bike racing and playing soccer, has just launched SURV, featuring real fruit flavors and electrolytes. A few years ago, at age 19, Bowen opened a pizza food…
No Wrong Way to Festival
I’ve been to every single Bend Film Festival since 2003. That’s not a brag. It’s just a window into how much I’ve watched this thing evolve over the decades, in ways almost exclusively positive. Back then, it was hard not to feel like I was standing (more like sitting and watching) the genesis of something…
Campaigns Mount Over Deschutes County District Map
The Deschutes County Voters’ Pamphlet provides a window into the heated battle over political districting in Deschutes County. The guide includes bios and information on candidates for sheriff and county commissioner, plus city council and mayor candidates in Bend, Redmond, La Pine and Sisters. But nearly half of the 56-page guide is dedicated to…
Central Oregon Braces for Medicaid Changes
Thousands of people on Medicaid in Central Oregon — and hundreds of thousands more across the state — are getting notices this fall about new requirements for the Oregon Health Plan, mandated by the federal government. That could bump some people off Medicaid coverage, and be a struggle for others, which has local organizations working to…
Redmond Fire & Rescue Awarded FEMA grant
Redmond Fire & Rescue recently received a federal grant that will help the agency improve the safety of firefighters long-term from fire-truck exhaust systems. The district received $252,706.81 as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The total project investment is $277,977.50, which includes the district’s…
Free Will Astrology, Week of Oct. 1, 2026
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s make Libran writer Ursula K. Le Guin your patron saint. She believed that any human arrangement, however permanent it seems, was made by people and can therefore be unmade and remade by people. The divine right of kings once seemed eternal and inevitable, she liked to remind us. Be like…
Vote Lauren Connally for Deschutes County Commissioner, Pos. 3
Deschutes County voters have some big decisions to make this time around — including deciding on a controversial district map proposal and the addition of two more commissioners to the Board of County Commissioners. This race doesn’t make decision-making much easier, as the two candidates on the ballot for Position 3 this November are both…
Independent Investigator Recommends Firing Sheriff Candidate James McLaughlin
A recent report by an independent investigator concluded that James “Mac” McLaughlin, a detective lieutenant and SWAT commander with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, was dishonest with top brass about misconduct stemming from a February SWAT raid that heated up the sheriff race between McLaughlin and Interim Sheriff Ty Rupert. Jim Band, a third-party investigator…
Getting Wylde
If music was the magical elixir that got Zakk Wylde off the gridiron and on a stage when he was a teenage linebacker, the guitar was the vehicle that got him to the dream gig as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist when Wylde was barely 20. The next three-and-a-half decades have seen the Jersey native not only…
Letters to the Editor, Week of Oct. 1, 2026
Guest Opinion: Our Quiet Operating System By Lisa Cohen, interim executive director, Central Oregon LandWatch Getting from downtown to the Deschutes National Forest in a matter of minutes. More teachers, firefighters, nurses and baristas finding affordable places to call home. New local businesses you can bike or walk to. Creating meals with fresh fruits and…
Awakening Your Inner Hero: Are You Really Mad at Me?
I’ve been writing this “Inner Heroes” column for 20 years now. In my 80th year, it has become clear to me why this is so important. My life’s purpose is to learn and teach ways to increase our Light. Each of us is here for important reasons. As we identify them, and take time to…
Central Oregon Homes, by Design
Central Oregon homes come in a wide range of styles. From historic Craftsman bungalows near downtown Bend to sleek contemporary homes designed around Cascade views, the region’s architecture reflects both its history and evolving lifestyle. But what makes a Craftsman a Craftsman? How is a ranch style different from a farmhouse? And what does “Northwest…
New Art Station Unofficially Open at Larkspur Park
There’s construction still going on, a few more stools on order, rugs to put down and art to hang up, but the new Art Station at Larkspur Park is unofficially open for business and accepting registrations. The 5,000-square-foot space was built to offer art and enrichment programs for youth and adults at 1650 SE Reed…
Fire Evacuation Sparks an Idea: Giving Back to Firefighters
When they’re not running out to battle blazes like this year’s Akawa Butte fire or last year’s Flat Fire, firefighters cook a lot. That’s one fun fact that Sisters resident Leslie Pade picked up in 2025, when she and her family were forced to evacuate their home. While the Flat Fire picked up speed and…
Bistro Colette = French Comfort
Sometimes a restaurant does not need to reinvent the room to reinvent the experience. At Bistro Colette, Chef Jeremy Buck has transformed the former Flights Wine Bar on College Way into a warm and welcoming neighborhood French bistro, while keeping much of the comfortable, upscale casual atmosphere that made the space inviting in the first…
