Ron Rupprecht isn’t thrilled at what he sees 250 feet from his house in east Bend. His property borders a major development with nearly 150 acres of solar panels, now beginning to produce electricity and send power to a Pacific Power substation. Tucked just off Neff Road, Rupprecht purchased his small acreage in 2000 as […]
Pacific Northwest
Reunion Time
What the hell is “Americana” and why is it something we use to describe things? Does it mean that something is intrinsically “American?” I know when the word is used to describe music it means a hodgepodge of folk, country, blues, bluegrass, rock and R&B, but isn’t that just spouting off different genres of music […]
Gung Ho for Shows 1/11-1/18
Book these shows now so you don’t miss out. January 25 "The Price is Right" Live GAME SHOW—Just in case you have never spent a day sick on the couch watching this classic game show—"The Price is Right" first began in 1956 and features contestants pulled from the crowd to compete to win cash and […]
Mapping Cannabis Use
Every year, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health asks Americans about their use of cannabis and other drugs. The results of the 2015 survey, released recently, show that 8.3 percent of Americans aged 12 and up said they had used cannabis at least once in the past month. Meanwhile, 13.5 percent said they […]
Side Notes 1/11-1/18
State Attorney General Takes Over Investigation of Police Shooting Case Oregon State Police have released the names of the two Bend police officers involved in the officer-involved shooting that happened Dec 23 in downtown Bend. OSP say Officer Scott Schaier fired his handgun during the incident, and that one or both of the officers, which […]
I’m Friends With the Monster
The story behind the book version of “A Monster Calls” is a tragic one. Siobhan Dowd was an activist and a writer in the UK. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and, during her terminal illness, came up with the story of a young boy fighting to come to terms with his mother’s fate. She […]
Space Racism
The trailers for “Hidden Figures” have been omnipresent for at least six months. I've seen the trailer for “Hidden Figures” at least 50 times over the last few months and it made me feel like I’d already seen the film. Luckily, the film is such a warmhearted crowd pleaser that it’s hard to hold its […]
Bird’s Eye View
Editor’s note: The online version of this story has been updated from the print version. Details regarding “landing near Broken Top” have been removed. If you’re looking for the ultimate marriage proposal, here’s an idea for you: Surprise your future spouse with a helicopter proposal that includes a tour of Central Oregon’s snow-capped mountains. You’ll land […]
You Bet Your Jazz
Mt. Bachelor Riverhouse Jazz isn’t merely bringing incredible artists to the Central Oregon music scene, they’re packing some of the finest jazz artists on the planet into the series. As part of the seven-month-long series, January sees the arrival of the Tierney Sutton Band, yet another groundbreaking jazz ensemble. With a dozen albums, Tierney Sutton […]
Eclipse Chasers
Editor’s note: The print version of this story listed the eclipse date as August 20. The date is August 21, 2017. The Greatest Show on Earth is coming to Central Oregon this summer, and you don’t need a ticket to see it. All you have to do is look up on Aug. 21 to watch […]

