REDMOND, OR – July 1, 2025 – Hospice of Redmond is honored to announce a special presentation featuring Project Recover, an organization dedicated to finding and bringing home military personnel missing in action (MIA). The event will take place on Thursday, July 9, 2025, from 1:30-3:00 PM at the VFW Deschutes Post 1408, located at […]
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Downtown Axe-Throwing Spot to Shut its Doors
Unofficial Logging Co. is set to have its last day on July 2
A local axe-throwing bar, Unofficial Logging Co., announced Monday evening that it will close its downtown Bend taphouse after July 2. The taphouse, located on the corner of Greenwood Avenue and NW Harriman Street, cited a series of challenges since the pandemic. The bar opened in 2019, offering axe-throwing, 18 taps of craft beer and a […]
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Oregon Ski Resort Operations Hang in the Balance
The withdrawal of a liability insurance company leaves a single provider, MountainGuard, in charge of insuring Oregon’s ski resorts
Oregon ski mountains, recreational companies and nonprofits, are on the verge of an operational crisis involving the difficulty of getting, and retaining, affordable liability insurance — or any at all. As of May 29, ski resorts including Mt. Hood Meadows, Timberline and Willamette Pass became uninsured, or stand to become so by sometime this summer […]
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Governor Kotek Announces Landmark Office to Spur Housing is Open for Business
Housing Accountability and Production Office will assist local governments and developers to meet housing production goals
S alem, OR – Today, Governor Tina Kotek announced the full launch of the Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO), a joint office between the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and the Building Codes Division (BCD), part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). HAPO is an essential piece of the […]
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35 Cent Minimum Wage Increase Presents Mixed Challenge
Small businesses face pressure while workers see modest relief in high-cost Central Oregon
On July 1, the minimum wage in Deschutes County increased from $14.70 to $15.05 per hour. An hourly increase of 35 cents could be challenging for some small businesses. With 9 out of 10 restaurants being small businesses and most paying minimum wage to food service workers, the increase can significantly impact whether the restaurant […]
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A Downtown Bend Bar is Closing
Unofficial Logging Co. says it’s seen a 40% drop in sales this year.
Less than two months after 900 Wall closed its doors blaming a significant drop in business, a bar in downtown Bend announced its closing for the same reason. In a posting to Facebook, Unofficial Logging Co. on NW Harriman Street and Greenwood Avenue, said its last day is expected to be Wednesday, July 2. The […]
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Hundreds Answer the River’s Call
Volunteers dive into the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council’s 29th annual cleanup
Hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers gathered Saturday along the Deschutes River for the 29th annual Deschutes River Cleanup, hosted by the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council . This beloved community event was an all-ages opportunity for locals to show their love of the river through hands-on restoration and care. The monumental effort covers six sections and nearly […]
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GOP Candidate for Governor Gets First Big Check
Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell gains support from a top Republican donor.
The first big check in the 2026 Republican primary for governor arrived this week—and it didn’t go to House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, the 2022 GOP nominee and next year’s likely frontrunner, if she chooses to run. Instead, filings with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office show that Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell recorded a […]
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Kotek Vetoes Three Bills Relating to Child Welfare
The governor plays hardball after the defeat of one of her priority bills. Lawmakers push back.
Gov. Tina Kotek issued three vetoes on June 24, all for bills related to child welfare and the Oregon Department of Human Services. Kotek has not often used her veto pen because she’s generally in sync with the Democratic supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature. But one of the governor’s priority bills—House Bill 3835—put […]
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Hunters and Environmentalists Join Together to Fight for Lodging Tax Increase
The unlikely allies face opposition from the hospitality industry and legislative maneuvering.
Rural Oregon hunters and the state’s urban environmentalists have joined in a rare public embrace. The two groups, who often fall on opposite sides of the political spectrum, are together pursuing a tax increase that would benefit them both. In the Legislature’s waning hours, these strange bedfellows support House Bill 2977, a bipartisan measure that […]