Bend Transportation Fee to Appear on Bills in July
The Bend City Council adopted a controversial Transportation Fee at the April 3 City Council meeting. The fee, which will be collected through a customer’s regular utility bill, is intended to support and maintain the City’s transportation system.
The City is using the fee to keep pace with a growing system and increased costs, as its current funding for maintaining roads is limited. According to the City of Bend, the fee will protect the transportation system, increase street sweeping and plowing, increase safety when it comes to bike lanes and sidewalks and improve the quality of roads.
The fee will be phased in and will start appearing on utility bills after July 1. Single-unit utility bills will pay $5.60 per month the first year. Multi-unit attached housing, such as apartments, will pay $4.15 per month, per unit. Households that qualify for Utility Billing Assistance will pay $2.80 per month in the first year.
— Julianna LaFollette
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Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Reckless Driver
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office arrested 18-year-old Bend male, Liam Bryne, after he crashed his car while fleeing law enforcement in multiple jurisdictions. At approximately 6:15pm, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office were advised of a Dodge Charger traveling south through Jefferson County going over 100 mph.
Multiple officers initiated and subsequently discontinued a pursuit of the vehicle as it continued accelerating at an estimated speed of 120 mph, according to a press release. The driver continued through the City of Redmond.
A deputy successfully deployed spike strips to disable the speeding vehicle at the Highway 97 Deschutes Junction underpass at Tumalo Road. The Charger slid off the right shoulder and came to a stop in a field, where deputies and Oregon State Police Troopers took the suspect into custody.
— Julianna LaFollette
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$360 million
— The amount of market segment represented by non-alcoholic beer in 2023, up 30% from the year prior. From this week’s Craft story, “The NA Beer Boom is a Boon for Local Breweries.”
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“Some people will go out there not realizing they are shooting at the edge of or over trails.”
-Kevin Hopper of Public Lands Stewards, from this week’s News story, “Volunteers Participate in China Hat Cleanup”
This article appears in Source Weekly April 18, 2024.
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