Month: May 2025

Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Continuing to respond to a shrinking food supply due to federal cutbacks, NeighborImpact announced Thursday the cancellation of two food distribution programs in the region.

A mobile pantry distribution in Redmond, currently based at the American Legion and providing food to an average of 277 individuals monthly, will cease after Thursday, the organization said. A second produce distribution program, Fresh Express Home Delivery, will also end on June 27. That program feeds 380 homebound individuals each month.

NeighborImpact previously announced that reductions in federal commodity distribution have reduced the food supply to the region. NeighborImpact’s 59 partner food pantries were informed on March 21 that food supplies would be reduced by approximately 17 percent going forward unless and until commodity distribution through the federal Commodity Credit Corporation is resumed.

In April, the reduction in food supply was even more severe than expected — 25 percent.

Food distributed by NeighborImpact is sourced from federal commodities distributed through the Oregon Food Bank, local grocery stores and community donations.

NeighborImpact purchases additional food each month to provide a consistent source of groceries to food-insecure Central Oregonians.

As the regional food bank, NeighborImpact gathers more than 4 million pounds of food annually and redistributes it through partner agencies and its own mobile pantry program. Partner agencies collect another 2.4 million pounds, to supplement the food obtained through NeighborImpact. The system as a whole is feeding around 80,000 people monthly.

“We are very sorry to have to discontinue these distributions,” said Carly Auten, Director of Food Programs for NeighborImpact. “We know how important they are.”

“Food bank visitors tell us at every distribution why the food they receive is essential to balancing household budgets and supplementing SNAP purchases with healthy and nutritious alternatives that often can’t be afforded with their current income and high living costs. We’ve put this off as long as we can, but the food just isn’t there, despite spending thousands of dollars a week to fill in the cuts from the federal level.”

NeighborImpact has been signaling to federal and state legislators that a reduction in federal commodities would eventually mean a reduction in food distribution in the region, said Scott Cooper, Executive Director of NeighborImpact.

Cooper also expressed concern about continuing federal talk of reducing SNAP benefits, reducing housing subsidies and reducing help with energy assistance. “Those types of cuts mean more money out of pocket, and that means more pressure on local food banks,” Cooper said.

“Our system was designed to be a supplement to SNAP benefits, not to replace them. Faith and philanthropy partners have been amazing at supporting us as the food system has expanded,” Cooper said, “but there isn’t much more capacity there, especially in light of the many other cutbacks to which they are being forced to respond.”

Auten said, “Unless we see a change in food supply at the federal level or an increase in community donations, these cutbacks could be just the beginning of changes to free food distributions in Central Oregon.”

About NeighborImpact: NeighborImpact is a private non-profit governed by a board of directors drawn from across the community. Since 1985, NeighborImpact has led the region in developing solutions and bringing resources to Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. We help meet the basic needs of Central Oregonians, build economic security and create a community where everyone thrives. NeighborImpact receives federal, state and local grants, foundation grants and donations from individuals and businesses in our community. To learn more about NeighborImpact please visit www.neighborimpact.org.

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend man accused of selling large quantities of cocaine was arrested last week but released from jail in less than an hour due to a disparity in jail release policies between cocaine and other dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, a concerned Deschutes County prosecutor tells KTVZ News.

Over the past month or so, Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) Team members conducted a drug investigation that revealed large quantities of cocaine were being distributed in Bend, Bend Police Lt. Mike Landolt said in a news release Thursday.

Around noon last Friday, CODE Team detectives were conducting surveillance on a 32-year-old suspect and observed behavior consistent with a drug deal, Landolt said.

Bend Police stopped an unnamed person in a vehicle after meeting with the suspect, and during the investigation, cocaine was recovered. 

CODE detectives also stopped the suspect in a vehicle after the meeting.  Drug Detection K-9 Bonnie alerted to the odor of drugs in his vehicle.

The suspect was detained, and a search warrant was executed on his vehicle. During the search warrant service, Landolt said, the Bend man was found to be in possession of cocaine that was packaged to be sold, and he had a handgun.

“It should be noted that CODE Detectives had observed (the suspect) meet with multiple individuals over the past month, and the behaviors observed were consistent with someone conducting a drug deal, such as meeting in a vehicle for a couple minutes and parting ways or someone putting something in their pocket after meeting with him,” Landolt said.

This investigation led to drug agents executing a search warrant in the 100 block of NE Penn Avenue in Bend. This search warrant was the result of an investigation involving the illegal possession and distribution of cocaine. 

During the search warrant, Detectives located over two pounds of cocaine packaged to be sold, along with scales, packaging material, and other evidence of drug distribution. 

The suspect was taken to the Deschutes County Adult Jail and lodged on charges of cocaine delivery, manufacture and possession, but he was released on his own recognizance less than an hour later, pending a June 6 court date, jail officials confirmed to KTVZ News.

Formal charges have yet to be filed. KTVZ News policy is not to name arrested individuals until and unless that happens.

Landolt said CODE would like to thank the Bend Police Department for their assistance during this investigation.

Deschutes County Deputy District Attorney Andrew Doyle, who helps prosecute federal drug crimes, said the suspect was released due to current criteria in the county, where cocaine cases don’t have a mandatory hold, unlike cases involving methamphetamine and fentanyl.

“Otherwise, this would have been filed as an in-custody case, and we would have asked for him to be detained” before a judge the next day, Doyle explained. “When someone is held by the jail, we have timelines to file charged by the next day.”

When they are not in custody, it requires setting a grand jury date on the calendar, Doyle said, adding that charges will be filed in the case.

“I think a guy with a kilo of ‘coke’ and a gun is a danger to the community,” Doyle said. “I’m frustrated, because I think the facts of the case warranted that he be detained at least overnight and appear before a judge the next day.”

Doyle noted that drug agents in this case seized about a kilo of cocaine, worth at least $100,000. Under the federal court system, a conviction on possession that amount of cocaine likely would lead to at least a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.

But while this suspect had two misdemeanor charges of cocaine and firearm possession, they were dismissed earlier this year. Doyle said the lack of any convictions or open cases led to his release, no matter the amount of cocaine found in his possession.

The prosecutor said a bail reform act approved by lawmakers in 2001 designated more authority to local officials on what crimes are holdable and which are not.

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