In this episode of Bend Into Balance, host Adriana Mariño sits down with Blair Nicol, co‑owner of StretchLab Bend, to explore the often‑overlooked role of stretching in long‑term health, mobility, and vitality. Blair shares how bringing StretchLab to Bend was inspired by the community’s active lifestyle and a desire to offer a simple, effective way […]
LISTEN: Bend Into Balance: Blair Nicol 🎧
Posted inPodcasts
LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break, Clayton Franke 🎧
In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Aaron Switzer sits down with Clayton Franke, reporter for the Lay It Out Foundation and The Source, to talk about local journalism, community accountability, and what it means to report from the inside of a rapidly changing city. Clayton shares his path from growing up in Missoula to […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Bend Breweries Dominate 11th Annual Oregon Beer Awards
When people compare the Oregon Beer Awards to the Academy Awards, given that it’s a night full of talented people earning well-deserved plaudits for their body of work the past year, what they leave out is that it’s like the entire Oscars experience. The sudsy equivalent of the red carpet is part and parcel of […]
Posted inLocal News
Visit Bend Becomes Newest Central Oregon Partner of KultureCity
Invisible disabilities can be described as physical, mental or neurological conditions, not easily perceived by others, that in some way inhibit personal or social functioning. They also account for 70-80% of all disabilities, according to an article in Science Direct. Both Visit Bend and the nonprofit organization KultureCity aim to uplift this specific community. KultureCity, […]
Posted inFilm
Another Castle!
I’m not sure what to say about “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” but one thing is for sure: I’m not sure if I like Chris Pratt that much anymore. Which I find strange because his character on “Parks and Recreation,” Andy Dwyer, is one of my all-time favorite sitcom schlubs and he was one of […]
Posted inCulture
2026 Poetry Contest Winners
A shout-out to all of the artists who shared their poetry, and thereby a piece of themselves, in our annual contest in celebration of Poetry Month. Our theme, “Community,” can be broadly interpreted and it was, making it all the more enjoyable to read such a wide range of poems. We want to give a […]
Posted inCulture
Free Will Astrology, Week of April 9
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Unexpected deliverance? Lucky rides? Beginner’s grace? Dreamy, gleaming replacements? To the untrained eye, it may look like you are bending cosmic law in your favor. In truth, you’re simply redeeming the backlog of blessings you earned in the past—acts of quiet generosity and unselfish hardship that never got their proper reward. […]
Posted inElections
Vote Jason Kropf for House District 54
Oregon House District 54’s Democratic primary got interesting this election season when Andrew Caruana elected to run against incumbent Jason Kropf. Caruana is a newcomer to being a candidate in the public sector, but his knowledge of the Oregon State Legislative Assembly is surprisingly deep. Andrew serves on the Disability Health and Employment Equity Coalition […]
Posted inElections
Vote Jamie Collins for Deschutes County Commission, Pos. 1
In a May primary that might have otherwise been ho-hum, voters are selecting candidates in a raft of positions for the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners, after voting previously to expand the commission from three members to five. Each race has a fairly large slate of candidates — except for Position 1, in which […]
Posted inLocal News
State’s Housing Watchdog Office Flags Redmond for ‘Livability’ Code Changes
A state office focused on spurring housing production is intervening in a set of code changes proposed by the City of Redmond that developers say would make development of townhomes more difficult and costly. Redmond is the first city in the state to face this kind of enforcement from the Housing Accountability and Production Office, or HAPO, the body created by Gov. Tina Kotek and the Oregon Legislature in 2024 to help knock down regulatory barriers […]