Editor’s note: It’s been a big year for national newsโbut local news had its ups and downs as well. In the spirit of journalistic collaboration, we asked Matt McDonald, news director at Central Oregon Daily, to recap the biggest local stories he and his team worked on this year. Hot Sauce Saves the Day!!! In […]
Kaylee Sawyer
Kaylee’s Law Passes Unanimously
On April 23, the Oregon Senate unanimously passed SB 576, also known as Kaylee’s Law. The bill was carried by Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend) and is focused on an overall security reform that helps better define police forces and campus security forces. The bill passes following the murder of Central Oregon Community College student Kaylee […]
Top 10 Stories of 2018
No. 1 Clothing Wars 10/26 Apparel giant Under Armour sends a cease and desist to local business By Chris Miller Under Armour sent a cease and desist order to Bend-based Cascade Armory Oct. 24, claiming Cascade Armory is creating brand confusion and that Under Armour is suffering from it. Short said he and his business […]
Accused killer enters guilty plea
An ex-security guard at Central Oregon Community College accused of murder has changed his plea to guilty. According to KPTV, Edwin Lara, who was arrested in 2016 for the murder of 23-year-old Kaylee Sawyer of Bend, entered a guilty plea Monday morning, and will not face the death penalty as a result of a plea […]
Accused Killer Lara Pleads Not Guilty
The former Central Oregon Community College security officer accused of killing a Bend woman pleaded not guilty to four counts of aggravated murder in Deschutes County Court Thursday August 25. Edwin Lara is accused of abducting Kaylee Sawyer on July 24, attempting to sexually abuse her, and then killing her. Sawyer’s body was found west […]
When Things Go Terribly Wrong
As friends and family of 23-year old Kaylee Sawyer try to make sense of her death, allegedly by 31-year-old Central Oregon Community College security guard Edwin Lara, a forensic psychologist says many questions may never be fully answered. Questions linger as the investigation into last week’s bizarre crime unfolds. Why would Lara—who is married to […]

