Month: September 2026

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — National Public Lands Day, a nationwide event dedicated to volunteering on public lands, takes place this Saturday, Sept. 26. Thousands of volunteers across the country are expected to participate in stewardship projects on national forests and grasslands.

The annual day of service encourages stewardship by providing community members an opportunity to conserve and restore public sites. According to the U.S. Forest Service, volunteer tasks include picking up trash at campgrounds, clearing hiking trails and repairing damage caused by storms or heavy use.

Past initiatives illustrate the scope of volunteer efforts on public lands. On Sept. 28, 2025, the Mark Twain National Forest partnered with the Ozark Trail Association for the Banner Road Trail recreation project near Birch Tree, Mo. During that effort, volunteers wearing hard hats cleared brush along the trail using hand tools.

The U.S. Forest Service noted that volunteering offers participants a sense of community and connection to nature as summer transitions into autumn. The agency emphasized that stewarding public lands helps preserve the natural beauty of national forests and grasslands for visitors across the country.

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Willamette Pass Resort has completed an expansion of its snowmaking system, tripling the mountain’s overall snowmaking capacity. The upgrade more than doubles the resort’s fleet of snow guns to 19 and provides top-to-bottom snowmaking coverage.

The project serves as the first step in the resort’s Master Development Plan, a long-term roadmap for future infrastructure investments across the mountain. Located near Crescent Lake, Ore., the expanded system is designed to support earlier season openings, create more consistent winter conditions and extend the operating season by reducing reliance on natural snowfall.

The new snowmaking coverage spans multiple trails across the resort, including Kaleidoscope, Eagle’s Flight, Perseverance, By George, Rough Cut and Sleepy Hollow.

Mindy Ingebretson-Wolowicz, general manager of Willamette Pass, stated that the project focuses on reliability for resort visitors. “Everything we do at Willamette Pass comes back to giving people the freedom to ski,” Ingebretson-Wolowicz said. “More reliable snow means more days on the mountain for our guests.”

Ingebretson-Wolowicz noted that the upgrade aligns with the mountain’s history of development. “This is about helping to provide our guests and our community a season they can count on,” Ingebretson-Wolowicz said. “Every generation at Willamette Pass has built on what came before it. We’re proud to continue that tradition.”

Founded in 1941, Willamette Pass has been owned and operated by Tim Wiper and his family since 1982. Wiper built Oregon’s first snowmaking system at the resort decades ago. In 2022, the resort entered a joint venture with Durango, Colo.-based Mountain Capital Partners, which operates 17 ski resorts and outdoor assets across the United States and Chile.

The upgraded snowmaking system will debut when Willamette Pass opens for the winter season on Dec. 11, weather permitting.

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Veteran homeowners in Central Oregon may qualify for no-cost home repairs through the Veteran Restore Health and Safety Program offered by NeighborImpact. The program provides assistance to address health, safety and accessibility needs in local residences.

Funded by Oregon Housing and Community Services, the program offers grants ranging from $15,000 to $30,000 per home project. Eligible work includes roofing, heating, electrical and plumbing repairs, as well as structural repairs and hazard remediation. The funding also covers accessibility modifications such as ramps, lifts, grab bars and widened doorways.

The assistance is available to qualifying homeowners in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. To qualify, the home must be owner-occupied and serve as the applicant’s primary residence. Applicants must meet veteran eligibility standards and have a household income at or below 100% of the area median income, with specific income limits varying by county and household size.

Eligible work is determined through a home inspection that evaluates necessary safety and health repairs. The program does not cover cosmetic improvements or work that falls outside of health and safety requirements.

Andrew Spreadborough, deputy executive director of Community Development at NeighborImpact, emphasized the potential risk of putting off critical home maintenance.

“Home repairs involving a roof, heating system, electrical issue or accessibility need can be expensive, but delaying them can create bigger health and safety concerns,” Spreadborough said. “This program gives qualifying veteran homeowners an opportunity to address those needs without taking on the cost themselves.”

NeighborImpact is a private nonprofit community action agency that has served Central Oregon since 1985. In addition to housing assistance, the organization provides food security, energy assistance, early childhood education, child care resources and financial empowerment services across the region.

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes National Forest announced today that it is hiring for winter seasonal positions in central Oregon.

The agency is recruiting for five seasonal openings. These include four visitor services positions to support front desk operations and one forestry technician position with an emphasis on special uses.

Prospective employees must be at least 18 years old by their first day of work.

Deschutes National Forest Supervisor Holly Jewkes noted the importance of the seasonal positions for both the forest and prospective workers. “Our winter seasonal staff will help welcome and inform visitors and support the forest’s robust special uses program,” Jewkes said. “These positions offer meaningful local work and can be a first step into a natural resources career.”

Applicants must submit their materials through USAJobs.gov. Interested individuals need to create an account on the website and prepare a resume that fulfills federal requirements. Information regarding local openings is also listed on the Deschutes National Forest Careers and Jobs webpage.

The application window on USAJobs.gov will close on Oct. 5.

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Are you looking for something to do this weekend in Central Oregon? Adrielle Hasara highlights three local events, from the return of Annual Deschutes Historical Museum Chili Feed, to a Native Planting Day in Prineville,

For many more and to submit your own events, visit https://events.ktvz.com.