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Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

2021 Best of Central Oregon

Rising from the ashes: As tough times continue, join us in celebrating these local winners!
by The Source Staff

When we devised the theme for 2021’s Best of Central Oregon issue some months back, we imagined a world where the pandemic was truly starting to be behind us—where the community would be celebrating the return of a more carefree way of life. The phoenix—which we employed for this year’s theme—is, of course, a classic […]

Posted inNews

Oregone

A proposal for a greater Idaho imagines Bend as a border town, just a stone’s throw away from Redmond, Idaho
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

Before there was Oregon the state there was the Oregon territory, made up of what’s now Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Montana and Wyoming. Borders were set for all these western states by 1890, but now, a group of residents in central, eastern and southern Oregon are seeking to move the historic border and […]

Posted inNews

From the Wheelchair to the Mountaintop

A three-time Ironman champion’s journey from brain cancer to the Andes
by Maggie Miles

Every morning Jeff Rasmussen wakes up, looks himself in the mirror and says the same thing: “How am I still here?” “It’s insane. I literally shouldn’t be here,” he says. In November 2012, Rasmussen collapsed in his living room in Palm Desert, California. His girlfriend and her two children happened to be in the room […]

Posted inNews

2021 Redmond Issue

by The Source Staff

New Ideas At Senior Center  – The Redmond Senior Center is returning after the pandemic with a new staff, a new direction and the same mission From Vaccine Headquarters to Monster Trucks – Post-pandemic activities and events are ramping up at Redmond’s fairgrounds Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo is Back in the Saddle Again – After a year of […]

Posted inNews

River Democracy

How 4,700 miles of Oregon waterways got nominated for Wild and Scenic River designation
Avatar photo by K.M. Collins

Rivers are a big economic engine that float our entire state. During the last session of Congress, more of Oregon’s rivers were given Wild and Scenic designation—meaning more protection for these precious waterways. Riding that tide, now Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is going to bat to further increase protected mileage with the River Democracy Act—and […]

Posted inNews

Now Hiring, All Positions, All Shifts

Why are businesses having such a tough time filling open positions?
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

When the pandemic started and non-essential businesses closed, the essential workers were hailed as heroes across the country. The people whose work was necessary during the pandemic—health care workers, food supply chain workers and first responders, to name a few—kept working tirelessly. Now, as vaccinations become widely available and COVID restrictions ease while jobs return […]

Posted inNews

Ghost Towns of Central Oregon

The area’s population is exploding. But a host of abandoned communities are sprinkled across the high desert.
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

Central Oregon’s population has grown massively in the last three decades, transforming Bend from a small lumber town into one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Its humble beginnings and quick growth contrasts the numerous settlements that formed concurrently near the turn of the century, but became abandoned over the years—some still standing […]

Posted inNews

Transportation Transformation

How the 2020 transportation bond will change travel in Bend
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

The 2020 Transportation General Obligation Bond passed in 2020 with a strong majority of support, showing that people in Bend have taken notice of the growing problems with traffic congestion, poor walkability and unsafe biking. So with the bond passed, now what? It took three years for the City to create an implementation plan that […]

Posted inNews

A Tale of Two Rentals

Whether it’s raised your rent or your home value, the housing crisis in Central Oregon is palpable. These stories tell the tale of renters struggling to find housing—and how one group of neighbors fought back against short-term rentals
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

Bend and all of Central Oregon have been in a housing crisis for years—a crisis that has only gotten worse as the pandemic unfolded. These are the stories of those seeking housing—or those looking to preserve the housing Bend does have. Not for rent Dwayne Tayles moved to Bend in 1968 when he was just […]

Posted inNews

May Elections

Our endorsements for parks, school board races in Bend, Redmond and Sisters
by The Source Staff

Election Day is May 18! While it seems like we’ve barely caught our collective breath since the raucous November 2020 election season, it’s time once again to vote. By the time you read this, ballots will already be on their way to registered voters across Oregon—and inside these pages, you’ll find our endorsements for local […]

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