The “Blue Wave” that swept dozens of Democrats into the U.S. House didn’t mean much to those of us residing in what is still decidedly Trump Country. Reefer Madness now dominates the Deschutes County Commission in the forms of incumbent Phil Henderson and Commissioner-elect Patti Adair, who defeated Democrat James Cook by a thin margin […]
Patti Adair
2018 Midterm Election Results
Find up-to-date results for the 2018 midterm races and measures below. (Editor’s note: Page last updated 10:38 pm Tuesday). Some takeaways thus far from election night: -All state measures defeated, except Measure 102.– Democrat incumbent Kate Brown wins the governor’s race against Republican Knute Buehler– Republican Cheri Helt set to win the Bend’s Oregon House […]
The State of Cannabis in Deschutes Countyโand Beyond
There’s a lot going on out there in the world of cannabis, including rule changes at the county level, overproduction, the black market and hemp. So sit back, maybe even light a doob, and read on. Deschutes County Rule Changes The current Deschutes County Commission, made up of Tony DeBone, Phil Henderson and Tammy Baney, […]
News Updates
For a brief, shining moment in Deschutes County (and beyond), progressives, pro-cannabis activists and marijuana business owners felt the rudder of progress was slowly steering in the direction of sanity. Unfortunately, with all the force of an angry Brett Kavanaugh snort, those dreams have taken a hit over the past few months. Here’s a brief […]
Letters to the Editor
Mirror Pond I am extremely disheartened at the current lack of public involvement regarding the future of Mirror Pond. According to the city’s memo on Mirror Pond Key Facts, community input was given almost 10 years ago and the results were as follows: “Community input indicated an even division between those who preferred the river […]
Vote Barb Campbell for Bend City Council position 6
Three candidates are running for position 6 in Bend’s City Council race, including incumbent Barb Campbell, Sarah McCormick and Ronald Boozell. With Boozell in the Deschutes County Jail yet again on charges related to non-payment of child support, it leaves two serious contenders to consider. Campbell is the owner of Wabi Sabi, a downtown Bend […]
County Commissioner Debate
On Sept. 11, the Bend Chamber of Commerce hosted the latest of its “What’s Brewing” debates, inviting candidates for open Deschutes County Commission seats to weigh in. Candidates participating included Republican incumbent Tony DeBone and Democrat Amy Lowes, running for position 1, and Republican Patti Adair and Democrat James Cook, running for position 3. Below […]
Party-line voting is never idealโbut this year, that’s even more apparent
As the 2018 election season begins to elevate to fever pitch, voters are being challenged, perhaps more than in other years, to truly think for themselves as they cast their votes. We’d like to say that voters should always be compelled to go beyond party-line voting and to choose candidates based on merit and positionโbut […]
Buehler Gets the Repub Gov Nomination; Baney Loses to Adair
Less than 30 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the May 15 primaryโyet despite that low voter turnout, some won; some lost. Here are the results of interest to people in Central Oregon, according to unofficial results from the Oregon Secretary of State: 9-115 City of Bend Five-Year Operating Levy for Fire and Emergency […]

