The Recreation Industry and Trial Lawyers Battle Over Liability Waivers
Drownings on the Rogue River. Horrific — and sometimes fatal — ski accidents on Mount Hood and Mt. Bachelor. Stomach-turning sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted coach. And even being crushed nearly to death by an escaped 1,400-pound Sisters Rodeo bull named Party Bus. Those and other appalling anecdotes of recreation gone wrong…
For Campers Living East of Redmond: ‘Every Day Is a Struggle’
Kim “Tattoo Kimmy” Moss visited a cross that stands in the middle of a large encampment to the east of Redmond on a recent afternoon in February. Heavy snowfall from the previous night blanketed the area with about 4 inches of snow. The bright afternoon sun reflected off the snow, making the light exceptionally bright.…
Rural Truckers Are Paying Too Much and Urban Car Owners Too Little
A fundamental question lawmakers should ask about programs is who pays — and who benefits. Last week, the Oregon Senate Finance and Revenue Committee got the answer about who’s footing the bill for a public service that tops lawmakers’ to-do list this session: Oregon’s highways. Lawmakers are desperate to raise new money for the Oregon…
New Bill Would Allow Grocery Stores to Sell Cocktails in a Can
A bill that would allow Oregon grocery stores to sell cocktails in a can, made from distilled spirits and containing up to 14% alcohol by volume, dropped in Salem on Feb. 24. House Bill 3730, sponsored by state Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland) at the request of the Northwest Grocery Retail Association, comes with a sweetener.…
The Future is Adaptive at Mt. Bachelor, Thanks to OAS
It shouldn’t be a secret that Bend’s backyard offers some of the best adaptive skiing on the planet. While the able-bodied enjoy “Mt. Bachelor,” everyone else skis “OAS” — as those in the adaptive sports community call it. Two names for the same mountain, depending on who you ask. Oregon Adaptive Sports has been offering…
Firefighting Camp for Women and Non-Binary People Canceled
It was supposed to be the inaugural year of the Young Women’s Wildland Fire Career Camp. Billed as a free, multi-day, hands-on learning experience for women and non-binary people between 16 and 20 years old, the camp was scheduled to take place in Redmond over spring break next month. The event was a joint effort…
The Future Is Female
In the last 30 years, the number of computer scientists who were women dropped from 37% to 24% and a majority of that drop-off occurs between the ages of 13 and 17. Girls Who Code, a nationwide program, is on a mission to close the gender gap by 2030, aiming to prepare its members to…
A Community Call for Action on Wildfire Hazard Maps
On Feb. 12, Deschutes County Commissioners had a focused discussion on concerns regarding the state’s recently finalized wildfire hazard map and how residents feel impacted by its designations. Commissioner Patti Adair voiced her opposition to the map at the meeting, citing concerns that the maps are decreasing homeowners’ property values and lowering resale values. This…
Bend Endurance Academy Spring + Summer 2025 Programming- Rock Climbing and Mountain Bike options for all youth ages and abilities!
Bend Endurance Academy is offering a variety of multi-sport, youth summer program options to keep kids engaged, challenged and having fun in a safe, supportive environment. Enrollment for Summer programs opens this week, February 17th, 2025 on bendenduranceacademy.org. Spring program registration is also open for both MTB and Rock Climbing. Spring MTB sessions are enrolling…
Bend Pickleball Club Announces 2025 Pacific Northwest Classic Sponsored by Pickleball Zone
Bend Pickleball Club announces registration is now open for its sixth annual Pacific Northwest Classic, sponsored by Pickleball Zone, July 23-27, 2025 at Pine Nursery Park in Bend. Players across the country look forward to Pacific Northwest Classic all year and can now register at https://pickleballbrackets.com?pnwc2025 . The club says some exciting changes are on…
Assistance League of Bend to Provide New Clothing to 500 Students
Assistance League of Bend, through its Operation School Bell® program, provides new clothing to students from kindergarten through Grade 12. In addition to its fall dressing events, which benefited over 1,900 students, the organization will soon host a spring shopping campaign. Students will shop for new school clothes using vouchers provided by Assistance League of…
High Desert Museum Invites Visitors to Explore the Patterns of Nature in Original Exhibition
Nature is alive with a special type of pattern called fractals. From the smallest ice crystal to the vastness of the galaxy, fractals are the building blocks of the natural world. The High Desert Museum explores this fun and funky side of nature in its original interactive exhibition Patterns at Play: Fractals in Nature, opening…
First Interstate Partners with The Giving Plate for Food Drive
First Interstate Bank has partnered with The Giving Plate, central Oregon’s largest food pantry, for an ongoing food drive. First Interstate is providing reusable orange bags at each branch location in Central Oregon. These bags can be filled with food purchased at local stores or packed with food from home pantries. Once filled, they can…
OSU-Cascades to screen local filmmaker’s documentary about self confidence
Oregon State University – Cascades will host a screening of “Confidence,” a film produced by local filmmaker Bola Gbadebo that looks at self-confidence through several community members’ eyes. The screening will take place from 6 to 8 p.m., Feb. 27 in the atrium of Edward J. Ray Hall on the OSU-Cascades campus. The event is…
Rural Oregonians Already Face High Utility Bills, Trump’s Executive Orders Could Make Matters Worse
As President Donald Trump issues executive orders with effects across the nation, Oregonians, and particularly those in rural areas, could feel the impact on their already steep electric bills. Presidential executive orders are creating panic at the Portland-based Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which is part of the federal Department of Energy. BPA provides electricity to…
Oregon Lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek Try to Control Damage from Fire Maps
Oregon lawmakers from both parties are scrambling to respond to a sagebrush rebellion against a state-issued wildfire hazard map. On Feb. 17, Republican lawmakers convened en masse in Salem to savage the map, the final version of which was published in January. The lawmakers took turns addressing the press from a dais bearing a sign…
BendreTheGiant Wadesinto the Deep End
Take a quick glance at a photo of BendreTheGiant and it’s easy to see why Ben Estrada goes by this moniker. He’s got a head full of tight brown curls framing his round face, reminiscent of the larger-than-life pro wrestler of yore. And the opening track, “Move,” on his new four-song EP recounts how he’s…
Horoscope Week of February 20, 2025
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Have you been struggling to summon the motivation to start anew in some area of your life? I predict that sometime in the coming weeks, you will find all the motivation you need. Have you been wishing you could shed the weight of the past and glide into a fresh project…
Letters to the Editor 2/20/2025
Correction: “After the Inferno,” 2/13 The Oregon Journalism Project story “After the Inferno,” published in the Source Weekly on 2/13, originally misstated the frequency with which the Public Utility Commission notified PacifiCorp of vegetation management shortcomings. OJP regrets the error. The story has also been updated to include context about a lawsuit filed last year…
Kefi Fast Fresh Mediterranean Celebrates Five Years in Bend
As its name says, Kefi Fast Fresh Mediterranean is known for its quick, fresh Mediterranean cuisine. The family-owned restaurant in Bend is marking a major milestone this month — its five-year anniversary — and will celebrate with a weekend of deals, including bowls and wraps for just $11 (the same price as when it first…
What You’ll Find at Lake Abert
Brisk air and dark shadows cast over the lake while the sun makes its daily journey up Abert Rim. Western meadowlarks sing and distant chukar calls echo through the air. Coyotes stride across dry lakebed and juvenile birds drink from fresh water streams while a northern harrier glides above. An entire ecosystem rises for another…
What Harm Can a Little More Surveillance Do?
We’re feeling a bit skeptical, this week, about allowing private technology companies access to our private information. No, we’re not talking about Elon Musk and DOGE accessing our personal information, but another, more local concern. Earlier this month, the Bend Police Department sent out a press release inviting the public to take part in “Connect…
Redmond Homeless Initiatives Inspire Education in Bend
Ginny McKee, the co-chair of a homeless outreach group at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon (UUFCO), is hosting an event to help educate the community on homelessness. After seeing some of the projects that areas like Redmond have expanded on, including its safe parking program, she wanted to inspire community members in Bend…
Heavy Hangs the Shield
I know it’s not cool to still like Marvel movies because they’re apparently the nadir of cinematic excellence, but I do… even when they keep letting me down. There are two specific reasons why I keep turning up at the theater on opening weekend for this forever franchise: 1) After 35 movies and 26 shows, I’m…
Rockabilly Road Warrior
When it comes to exploring the 1950s roots of rock ‘n’ roll, you can do a lot worse than to delve into the catalog of The Reverend Horton Heat. Singer and guitarist Jim “the Rev” Heath has been preaching the gospel of that era of music via a slew of albums of original material released…
The Third Act: Heart Songs
Let’s hear it for conversation hearts, Valentine’s Day cards, bouquets or heart-shaped chocolates from unknown admirers! Sure, sure, but feeling and expressing heartfelt emotions is not a once-a-year thing. We don’t have to be “Damn Yankees” to know we gotta have heart every day, miles and miles of it, in order to get through life.…
Building a Custom Home
Building a custom home in Bend is a journey that requires careful planning, a clear vision and strong partnerships with the right professionals. It’s a significant investment, both financially and emotionally, and the process can be complex, but the reward is a home perfectly tailored to your lifestyle and preferences. The first step in this…
Falling for Food
I don’t go on a lot of dates. I think I’m bad at them. But when I booked a reservation at Salute Restaurant & Bar in order to write this article, it seemed like going there alone the day after Valentine’s Day would be just this side of mildly depressing. The reservation was set for earlier…
Central Oregon Reacts to Trump’s Sweeping Changes
Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the administration has moved quickly to overturn, dismantle and freeze national programs and government agencies. While many of those executive orders and proclamations are being challenged in the courts and by political opposition, the force of the changes over the last few weeks is already being felt at the local…
The Women’s Issue
In conversation with Nicole Vulcan There’s a quote by Audre Lorde I keep coming back to: The words and poetry of Lorde, a self-described “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” are some of the spiritual foods I consume in times that require strength and hope and power — like the times many of my fellow Americans,…
Read to Kids
Have you ever read a book to a 5-year-old? Their enthusiasm for choosing which book they want to read, their excitement at telling you that the stegosaurus has protective armor to save it from the meat eaters, or their giggle as they picture Pete the Cat stepping into a pile of blueberries in his new…
Federal Actions Roll Back Protections for Transgender Individuals
The Trump administration has rolled back several federal protections and services for transgender individuals, with executive orders dismissing the validity of gender identity, restricting care and shutting down supportive programs and initiatives. President Trump’s order includes a series of measures, including one requiring the federal government to recognize only two sexes — male and female…
Targeted and Living in Fear
Christian Manzanares moved with her mom and dad from Los Angeles to Bend when she was around four years old. Twenty years later, she doesn’t remember life outside of Central Oregon. Yet, despite being born in the U.S. and growing up in Central Oregon, she says she’s always lived with a sense that she and…
Anti-DEI Orders Threaten Funding, Support
J ust days after President Donald Trump took office, he signed a series of executive orders, including a push to dismantle federal programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, causing a dismissal of federal DEI staff and a closure of DEI offices. While questions still remain about how this might impact federal funding for local…
Bendi Gras Brings Mardi Gras Magic to Central Oregon
Mardi Gras is coming to Bend: Get ready for a weekend of music, revelry and New Orleans-style fun with a local twist. From Friday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 2, Bendi Gras transforms the city into a hub of high-energy performances, vibrant parties and snow-filled festivities all inspired by one of the world’s most famous…
