Cover Story
Posted inNews

Drawing the Lines

State lawmakers are drawing new maps for the State House and Senate, as well as U.S. Congressional Districts. What will this mean for Central Oregon?
by Hanna Merzbach

Against the backdrop of Census data delays and a packed legislative session, Oregon lawmakers are embarking on the once-a-decade process of “redistricting,” in which they redraw the lines for state House and Senate districts, along with the U.S. Congressional Districts based on shifts in population. In order to evenly distribute the population, each Oregon Senate […]

Posted inNews

The Foilies 2021

Recognizing the year’s worst in government transparency
Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock News

The day after the 2021 inauguration, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut took to Twitter to declare: “Biden is making transparency cool again.” This was a head-scratcher for many journalists and transparency advocates. Freedom of Information—the concept that government documents belong to and must be accessible to the people—has never not been cool. Using federal and […]

Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides

Women of the Year 2021 ▶ [With Video]

Stories of women doing great things—and that includes our Woman of the Year, Community Hero, Young Hero and more. Meet these incredible change-makers in Central Oregon
by The Source Staff

A note from our editor: Last year, the Source Weekly—which has long had a Women’s Issue coinciding with International Women’s Day—joined forces with the Bend Chamber’s Women of the Year awards, for one giant event. Quite literally the night of the awards banquet, I arrived a little late due to the fact that I’d written […]

Posted inNews

Midtown Rising ▶ [With Video]

With Bend’s “Zoom Town” status and its ongoing population boom, its scene needed room to grow. Enter Midtown, rising slowly but surely—and with a vision
Avatar photo by Nicole Vulcan

Some call it The Moat. Others, The Tracks. Others have less-flattering names for the act of moving from west Bend to east, doing so via only the handful of arterials that cross the city, over or under its railroad bridges, and under the Bend Parkway. Whatever you call it, the reasons to cross that moat […]

Posted inCulture

Couch Country

Experience the thrill from your sofa with these lesser-known outdoor films and videos
Avatar photo by K.M. Collins

Do you need a recovery day from your extreme winter sports habits [err addictions]? Are you exhausted from playing chicken with reckless drivers on the icy slip-n-slide that constitutes Cascade Lakes Highway this time of year? Have you decided enough is enough with the if-then-else flowchart required to secure a Mt. Bachelor parking pass? Can’t […]

Posted inNews

Coming in Hot: The Return to School for Bend-La Pine Students

Pilots and passengers crash-land in the classroom, with continued COVID detours
Avatar photo by K.M. Collins

Two weeks into the highly anticipated Central Oregon school reopening (for younger grades) and many are assessing the merits of education exclusively through virtual WebEx lessons versus a part-time classroom experience. Students in grades K-3 in Bend-La Pine Schools returned Jan. 25, with grades 4 and 5 going two days a week starting a week […]

Posted inNews

Health & Fitness 2021

by The Source Staff

Running Through It: A look inside the mind of a pro runner during COVID-19 Seasoned Snowshoer? New to Central Oregon Sno-Parks? We Got You.: Pro tips on the best snowshoeing this season For Gyms, It’s Modify—or Defy: As some fitness centers conduct business outdoors or make other adaptations, others stay open in defiance Out in […]

Posted inNews

The Hurting

First came COVID. Then, a mental health crisis. Are we ready for what comes next?
The Source Staff

Inside the following stories, we’ve compiled a look at some of the ways mental health professionals and advocates are working to improve outcomes and better the lives of people in Central Oregon and beyond. Oregon Voters Said Yes to Using Psilocybin as a Mental Health Therapy. What’s Next? – By Ashley Moreno Healing Justice Collective […]

Posted inFood & Drink

Food on the Fly

Even amid restrictions, restaurants lift up others
Avatar photo by Nicole Vulcan

As the world turns its attention to vaccines and the promise of a new year that will bring far better days than 2020’s, it might be easy to forget that a few short months ago, thousands of Oregonians lost their homes during one of the most destructive summer wildfire seasons the state has ever seen. […]

Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides

2020 Gift Guide: Comfort & Joy

Dec. 3’s “Comfort” Gift Guide and Dec. 10’s “Joy” Gift Guide: Find all your Central Oregon gifts here!
The Source Staff

It’s been a year. The past 12 months have included divisive politics, devastating wildfires and a ruthless virus that has exposed breathtaking societal inequalities as it has cut lives short. Yet difficulties have a way of making our priorities clear. Families have grown closer (perhaps closer than we’d have liked!), we’ve found a renewed sense […]

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