Coffee Pages
By Brian Yaeger It’s not quite as high as the number of local breweries, but Bend’s roasteries number in the double digits. And no, that’s not counting the number of coffee shops that utilize beans from separate roasting companies. Catching up with a few owners offers a slice of life in Bend coffee culture as…
City of Bend Welcomes New and Returning City Councilors
The Bend City Council welcomed its new and returning council members on Wednesday night with a ceremony at City Hall. Along with returning members Megan Perkins and Megan Norris, newcomers Gina Franzosa and Steve Platt were sworn in by Municipal Court Judge Pro Tem Erin Zemper. Upon reading their oaths of office, councilors offered remarks…
Ponderosa Players PresentsRide the Cyclone (High School Edition)
Ponderosa Players is bringing the cult hit musical RIDE THE CYCLONE (HIGH SCHOOL EDITION) to Central Oregon. RIDE THE CYCLONE is a small, unique musical that amassed a dedicated following during the COVID-19 pandemic, when several clips from a Washington DC production of the show went viral on TikTok. Ponderosa Players caught wind of this…
St. Charles set to open new Community Pharmacy in Madras
St. Charles Health System is announcing today plans to open a pilot community pharmacy in Madras in late spring of 2025, helping to fill a critical health need and improving access to prescription medication for the region. Many community organizations came together to open this new pharmacy through funding and support, including Central Oregon Health…
Revamping Recess: Camp Fire Pilots Playworks Program at Three Rivers School
Ask elementary school kids what they love about school, and you’ll likely hear a number of them enthusiastically shout, “Recess!” But even with a much-welcomed break from the rigors of class, sometimes recess and playground experiences aren’t all fun and games. Playgrounds can be breeding grounds for problematic behaviors, according to Lorin Page, assistant principal…
2025 Central Oregon Collegiate Art Exhibition
Scalehouse Collaborative for the Arts Annex Program is pleased to announce their new exhibition, 2025 Central Oregon Collegiate Art Exhibition with student work from Central Oregon Community College and Oregon State University-Cascades on view through Saturday February 22nd . Scalehouse is located in Franklin Crossing on the Tin Pan Alley Side. First Friday Reception: February…
Work-Collective Celebrates Five Year Anniversary
Since opening the doors to Work-Collective in January 2020 much has changed – a global pandemic, an influx of new residents and workers in Bend and dramatic changes to how and where we work. Despite these challenges, Work-Collective Community Coworking continues to thrive and attract new members. Owners Kent and Sara Odendahl attribute much of…
Housing Works to Open 2025 Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting List
Housing Works, a premier housing organization dedicated to fostering stability and affordability in Central Oregon, is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program waiting list. This essential program, formerly known as the HUD Section 8 program, provides rental assistance to eligible low-income residents of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties.…
Mentor a Child with an Incarcerated Parent – Winter Volunteer Training
Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth (COPY), a program of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, is offering a class to prepare volunteers to become mentors for children with an incarcerated parent. After initial training and comprehensive background checks, volunteers are matched with a child in Bend, Redmond, Sisters or LaPine that share similar interests and activities…
Redmond Library Set to Open Jan. 27
After years of anticipation, the Redmond Library will officially open to the public on Jan. 27. Ahead of its grand opening, the Deschutes Public Library provided a look at the new 40,000-square-foot library, which offers up a variety of fresh amenities for the community. The new library is intended to serve as a community hub…
Swing Into Bend’s Jazz Scene This Winter
From the soulful sounds of saxophones to lively improvisations, Bend’s jazz scene is alive with energy, offering locals and visitors a chance to experience the timeless magic of the genre. Whether you’re a longtime jazz enthusiast or new to the style, Bend’s venues have a lineup of shows from world-class performances to intimate, local showcases.…
Health & Wealth
As we enter a new year, our team decided it was time to set some intentions and try some new things in the name of our physical and financial wellbeing. On the health side of the spectrum, investigative reporter Jennifer Baires tried a sensory deprivation float session to see if she could find some relaxation,…
Why a Float in a Pod Might Reduce Anxiety
The start of a new year brings resolutions aplenty. Among the top for many is focusing on health by eating cleaner and moving more, but a recently opened spot in Bend offers a lower bar to entry for health and wellness — floating away built-up stress, anxiety and troubles one hour at a time. ChillWell…
Meeting Your Financial Goals in 2025
It’s no secret that the cost of living in Central Oregon is high and continues to grow. As many individuals hope to start the new year off with fresh financial goals, local financial advisor Emma James with Rosell Wealth Management shared some tips to help individuals reach those objectives. Take Inventory According to James, financial…
What Does It Cost to Live in Central Oregon?
A Bend household, on average, pays $2,506 per month on bills. Household bills account for 35% of annual income of $86,512 in Bend. Average annual household bills in Bend are $4,562 higher than the U.S. average. A Redmond household, on average, pays $2,340 per month on bills. Household bills account for 35% of annual income…
Find Your Flow: A Unique Wellness Series in Bend
Imagine stepping from a steaming sauna into the crisp embrace of a Central Oregon winter, your body alive with sensation and your mind as clear as the Deschutes River beside you. This harmony of movement, mediation and nature is at the heart of FLOW/FLOW — a wellness event series blending yoga flow, thermal therapy and…
Horoscope Week of January 9, 2025
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Astrologers in ancient China had the appalling view that over two-thirds of all omens are negative, threatening, or scary. I haven’t seen formal research into the biases of modern Western stargazers, but my anecdotal evidence suggests they tend to be equally pessimistic. I regard this as an unjustified travesty. My studies…
Letters to the Editor 01/09/2025
RE: “The Damned Deschutes” Nigel Jaquiss’s recent article misses the point. The story is not one of an electric utility, its critics and the health of the Deschutes River. That framing is too narrow. The real story is one of tribal sovereignty, resilience and self-determination. To be precise, the sovereignty of the Confederated Tribes of…
Sip on Style: Bend’s Mocktail Scene Offers Refreshing Alternatives
Mocktails are having a moment. As more people embrace health-conscious choices and inclusive social options, zero-proof beverages are becoming stars of the culinary world. In a town like Bend — famed for its craft beer and cocktail culture — the rise of creative, alcohol-free drinks proves that the art of mixology doesn’t require spirits to…
Birds of Malheur
Few experiences will put you in touch with the rhythms of the natural world quite like watching an avian migration. In Oregon, we’re lucky to witness one of North America’s greatest animal migration paths right in our backyard. Each spring and fall, billions of birds migrate along the Pacific Flyway, a route stretching from Alaska…
Understanding Intimacy: Rejected in Bed
I am in a loving relationship with my boyfriend of six years. We’re both mid-30s, in good shape and successful. Everything’s perfect except for sex. At the beginning, the sex was great, but it’s completely off now. I want it, but he’s just not interested. He’s under a lot of stress, but the lack of…
In Bend and La Pine, the Urban-Rural Divide is Apparent in Our Parks
They’re both in the same county, but when it comes to funding for things like park services, it seems that the cities of La Pine and Bend couldn’t be further apart. Over the last year, the La Pine Park and Recreation District board of directors abruptly resigned, leaving the staff out of their jobs and…
Respiratory Illnesses Rise in Central Oregon
This week, the Deschutes County Health Department noted an upward trend in cases of the flu and whooping cough in Central Oregon, compared to previous years. Deschutes County Public Health program manager Dr. Rita Bacho shared the department’s most recent data on respiratory illnesses, along with vaccination rate trends in Central Oregon. The most recent…
Redmond Ponders New Safe Parking Ordinance
The City of Redmond is set to discuss an ordinance change that would allow micro-shelter units at safe parking sites. Redmond’s current safe parking code only allows vehicles at safe parking spaces. While those in support believe the allowance of micro-shelter units will open up more opportunities for unhoused residents, some wonder if these sites…
Crave Bend: A Resolution-Friendly, Artisan Kitchen
Most of the time, New Year’s resolutions calling for healthier food and drink consumption require us to give up what we love and replace it with… well, the rest of this sentence is usually the reason why we give up on resolutions. It’s difficult to find alternatives that satisfyingly fill in the gaps where greasy,…
The World Is a Vampire/Rockstar
While I knew it wouldn’t quite have the same cultural cache of “Barbenheimer,” I was still very excited for the same-day release of the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” and the Robert Eggers remake of the classic vampire film “Nosferatu.” In my mind, the two films wouldn’t be quite as disparate as the same-day…
Buzz-Free, But Never Boring
Ah, Dry January. That magical time of year when we swap champagne toasts for sparkling water and learn that, yes, we can survive socializing without a cocktail in hand. But just because you’re taking a break from booze doesn’t mean you have to settle for boring drinks (or give up your fancy glassware). In fact,…
Shook Twins: Separate but Connected
Sisters Katelyn and Laurie Shook have spent more time together than most siblings. While the identical twins from Sandpoint, Idaho, are best known for weaving vocal harmonies and plucked banjo strings into their own idiosyncratic brand of danceable folk-pop as the eponymous Shook Twins, they are not as inseparable today as they’ve been for the…
Musical Theater, Cabaret, Drag and Film Events Aplenty
One of the best things about living in Bend is the bottomless number of cultural events that happen on an almost daily basis. One of the worst things about living in Bend is that there are only so many hours in a day to go on these cultural adventures. Still, it’s a pretty good problem…
Growing Pains
Bend faces a critical challenge: how to accommodate increased population while preserving its unique character and environmental integrity. Unchecked growth can lead to urban sprawl, traffic congestion and strain on natural resources. To navigate these challenges, Bend is embracing “smart growth” principles, an approach to development that prioritizes sustainability, walkability and community well-being. Smart growth…
Source Warmup
Shooting in Downtown Bend Results in Two Injured A 17-year-old and 18-year-old sustained minor injuries following a shooting at Centennial Parking Garage on Jan. 5. Bend Police responded to a report around 12:56am on Sunday of an 18-year-old who had been shot at the downtown parking garage and transported to St. Charles Bend. According to…
One Woman’s Approach to Healing Chronic Pain
Vance Bonner has been teaching people how to move for 50 years. Her life’s work, helping people learn to move in ways that will heal and prevent pain, began in 1974 in New York. Bonner, in her early 20s and just out of college at the time, happened to take an exercise class filled with…
