Access to fresh, nourishing food plays a vital role in individual health and community well-being. Across Central Oregon, many families face challenges accessing affordable, high-quality food, contributing to persistent health disparities. Around the Bend Farms is addressing this need by growing and distributing nutrient-dense, locally grown produce to individuals and families who benefit most from […]
Local Non-Profit Farm Advances Food Security Through Access to Nutrient-Dense Food
Posted inBusiness News
United Way of Central Oregon Hosts CARES Drive Collection Drive to Support Families in Need
Here in Central Oregon, 1 in 3 households – about 30,000 families – struggle daily just to make ends meet. Every day, our neighbors must make impossible choices. United Way of Central Oregon (UWCO) is hoping to make some of those choices easier. As we move through the year‑end holidays — a time when many families feel both the joy of the season and the strain of added […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor, Week of Dec. 25
Re: Beyond the Banner: Why a Non-Partisan Approach is Essential for Deschutes County (Dec. 11, 2025) Chris Piper published a letter to the editor on Dec. 11 calling for a nonpartisan approach to local governance. We already have such a candidate in this race: Maddie McKinney. Maddie has been quietly working in this community for […]
Posted inCulture
Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 25
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A newly planted orchard spends its first year growing roots, not fruit. Underground and unseen, the real work happens. I surmise that’s like what you will be doing in the coming months, Capricorn: mostly invisible stabilization and preparation. If anyone asks you what you’re producing, smile inscrutably and say, “Depth.” Be […]
Posted inPodcasts
LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break, Peter Madsen🎧
In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Aaron Switzer sits down with Peter Madsen, an investigative and features reporter supported by the Lay It Out Foundation. Peter shares his journey from writing for Vice and Thrasher in New York City to becoming one of Central Oregon’s most prolific storytellers. The conversation dives into Peter’s passion […]
Posted inChow
The McArthur Stakes Its Claim in Sisters
Opened in the summer of 2025 on the Five Pines campus, The McArthur Restaurant and Bar is located in the same building as the Sisters Athletic Club in the former home of Rio Mexican restaurant. This new spot aims squarely at elevated Pacific Northwest dining without forgetting that people also want to relax, linger and […]
Posted inBusiness News
A New Year for Housing: 2026
Every new year brings predictions about real estate, some hopeful, some dramatic, many recycled. As we look ahead to 2026, the housing market isn’t reacting to headlines or short-term sentiment. It’s responding to structural forces that are unlikely to reverse anytime soon. Read on to understand where housing is headed. We’ll zoom out to observe […]
Posted inFilm
Spectacle Fatigue
I don’t think I’m in love with the “Avatar” films as much as I should be and that might be directly correlated to the number of movies that I’ve seen across the years of my life. I’m fully aware that James Cameron and his team of technical geniuses have, with Pandora, built a world that […]
Posted inColumns
Have a Happy New Year?
Yes, that IS a question mark after the headline above. Not a typographical error. So, what’s up with the question mark? Here we go… I like and can live merrily with, Merry Christmas. Likewise, I like and can live joyfully with, Happy Hannukah. Although originally celebrated for 12 days, Christmas currently is often a one […]
Posted inSmoke Signals
The Rescheduling of Cannabis
The year 2025 saw something cannabis workers and users have been advocating, working for, and hoping to come to pass – rescheduling cannabis. It’s a big deal. Here’s what that will mean…probably. What’s the Schedule? The Controlled Substance Act is overseen by the Federal Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration, and lists all controlled substances […]