Author: KTVZ

Barney Lerten

COOS BAY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon State Police arrested a Coos Bay man upon release from a Eugene-area hospital Monday evening on two counts of manslaughter and numerous other charges in a crash that killed the coach and a player with the Umpqua Community College softball team. 

Johnathan James Dowdy, 32 was booked into the Coos County Jail, also facing charges of DUII, eight assault charges, 14 counts of reckless endangering of a person, and single counts of aggravated driving with a suspended or revoked license, reckless driving, criminal mischief and driving with a suspended license, troopers said Tuesday. 

Kiley Jones, 19, a freshman softball player from Nampa, Idaho, died at the crash scene Friday evening on state Highway 42 as the 10 team members and coach returned to the college from a game in Coos County. The head coach, Jami Strinz, who was driving the small Chevy Express bus, died later at the hospital. The eight other players on the bus suffered moderate to serious injuries, OSP said. 

Troopers said Dowdy was driving a Chevy Silverado that crossed the center line and struck the eastbound bus head-on. 

Court records show Dowdy was charged last month in a January DUII case in Coos County. He had been cited numerous times since 2019 for driving with a suspended license and without insurance and previously for driving without a license.

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Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video, comments from executive director)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Mountain View Community Development is one step closer to building a 75-home village in Redmond for disabled people who have been homeless, thanks to a decision by the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners Monday afternoon.

“The community of Redmond has been really innovative and has provided congregate shelter and safe parking, and permanent sort of housing. I think Redmond is getting some things right,” said Executive Director Rick Russell.

In July, the nonprofit asked the county to lease a 9.5-acre property north of Oasis Village and south of a proposed managed homeless camp off Highway 126 in Redmond.

On Monday, the commissioners approved the lease agreement, which will run for 65 years at no cost to the nonprofit.

But it was a 2-1 vote, with Commissioners Phil Chang and Patti Adair in favor of the move and colleague Tony DeBone voting no. He did the same a bit earlier on a companion measure, an amendment to an existing ground lease to the city of Redmond, now scaled back from 12 to about three acres.

DeBone later explained to KTVZ News he’s not at all opposed to the project. But he believes the city of Redmond should be taking the lead on such efforts, as originally intended, not the county.

“I’m kind of done giving away free stuff,” he said.

Mountain View Community Development currently runs a safe parking program, but says the area needs more permanent solutions.

“We see people come into safe parking, and they get stable, and they start working on a plan to move forward. But so many of our older people are stuck waiting for a voucher for a subsidized apartment,” Russell told KTVZ News on Tuesday. “And they can wait not just months, but they’ll wait years for their number to come up.”

Here’s the rest of the Mountain View Community Development news release:

“Homelessness requires a whole community response, and we’re grateful for this successful collaboration with local government, private business, and nonprofit partners,” said Rick Russell, Mountain View Community Development’s executive director.

“The main barrier to our Safe Parking participants getting into stable housing is that there simply aren’t enough places to live, and waitlists are years long. This project will provide dozens of households with a place to live, on-site case management, along with an intentionally built community.

“What the county has done today is open the doors to more people gaining housing, and that is good for our unhoused neighbors and the community at large,” Russell said.

The 75 cottage-style homes will range from 400 to 600 square feet and will be designed and built by Simplicity by Hayden Homes, an affiliate of Redmond-based Hayden Homes. Land development is tentatively scheduled for this fall. with vertical construction to follow in 2026. 

“Redmond is our hometown, and it’s important to Simplicity and Hayden Homes that we help our city solve the housing crisis,” said Ryan Jennings, President of Simplicity by Hayden Homes. “Simplicity has been building quality cottages for nearly 15 years, and we are proud to help Mountain View Community Development provide a safe, welcoming home to so many of our unhoused neighbors.”

For people to qualify to live in the village, they must be chronically unhoused and have a disability. Russell said he expects that most people will be 55 or older. Residents will pay 30 percent of their income for rent, and the remainder will be subsidized.

Mountain View Community Development will have case managers on site, and 10 percent of the homes will be reserved for people who haven’t been unhoused but want to live in the community as an informal support system.

The development will be funded by Oregon Housing & Community Services, which will also provide a rental subsidy and operations support. The nonprofit will apply for a $3 million grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank, as well.

It is also seeking private grants and funding, Russell said.

For more information, visit Mountain View Community Development’s website, www.mvcdoregon.org.

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Barney Lerten

SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Sunriver Service District said Monday is proud to announce the appointment of Peter J. Rasic as the new Sunriver Police Department Chief of Police.

“Chief Rasic brings nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, leadership and community engagement to his new role, making him an outstanding choice to lead Sunriver’s public safety efforts,” said the announcement, which continues in full below:

Chief Rasic joins Sunriver after serving with the El Monte Police Department in California, where he most recently held the rank of Lieutenant.

Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a commitment to public service, officer development and innovative policing strategies. His leadership experience includes overseeing patrol operations, emergency preparedness, personnel management and budget oversight for a department with 167 employees and a $44 million budget.

Beyond his professional experience, Chief Rasic holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech from California State University, Long Beach. He has also completed prestigious leadership training programs, including the FBI National Academy, the Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, and the West Point Leadership Academy.

Throughout his career, Chief Rasic has been recognized for his dedication to public safety and community involvement. His accolades include awards from the California Narcotics Officers’ Association, the American Red Cross and the City of El Monte, as well as a United States Congressional Letter of Merit for his exceptional service.

Chief Rasic is no stranger to Sunriver, as he and his family have vacationed here for many years and are deeply familiar with the community.

The Sunriver Police Department and the community warmly welcome Chief Rasic and look forward to hisleadership in continuing to uphold the highest standards of public safety and service.

For more information email ssdadmin@sunriversd.org

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Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video, No indication weapon was found; incident took about 10 minutes)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A 21-year-old man reported by a screaming 911 caller to be armed at a southeast Bend home ran from officers late Monday morning and was soon arrested in the parking lot of nearby Silver Rail Elementary School, which was alerted of the large police presence.

Around 11:45 a.m., officers rushed to the area of Whitetail Street after someone called 911 screaming before hanging up the phone, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.

Officers en route to the call learned from subsequent 911 calls that the man was reportedly armed at a home in the 61500 block of Whitetail Street and in violation of a restraining order, Miller said.  

When officers arrived, the man was outside the home and ran southbound through the neighborhood before doubling back toward the school.

Officers engaged the suspect in the school’s parking lot, placed him in a WRAP restraint device and took him into custody around 11:55 a.m., 10 minutes after the initial call. There was a large police presence near the school, and the school was alerted to the activity, Miller said. 

The man first was taken to St. Charles Bend. Miller said that upon release, he will be booked into the Deschutes County Jail on suspicion of two counts of harassment, a restraining order violation and a charge of resisting arrest.  

KTVZ News policy is not to name arrested individuals until and unless formal charges are filed.

Miller said that while the initial caller reported a weapon, she’d seen no reports indicating he was found with a weapon in his possession.

Silver Rail Elementary School was not placed in a “secure” status because “from what we understand, the incident was resolved soon after police engaged with the subject,” Bend-La Pine Schools Director of Communications Scott Maben told KTVZ News.

Here is the notice sent to Silver Rail families Monday afternoon:

“Dear Silver Rail families,

“Just before 12 p.m. today, we were notified that local law enforcement was conducting an arrest in our school parking lot near Brentwood. The arrest was unrelated to our school community. It was followed by a large police presence outside our front parking lot entrance. A few of our fifth-grade students who were returning from recess may have witnessed police interact with the subject prior to the arrest.

“Our staff was in constant contact with Bend Police officers throughout the incident, and we were informed there was no threat to our school community.

“We want to make sure you are fully informed when there is police activity in the area. The safety of our students, staff and families is our highest priority. Thank you for your trust.

Sincerely,

Lybe Hawkins

Principal, Silver Rail Elementary”

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Barney Lerten

(Update: Prescribed burning underway)

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District firefighters were conducting up to 169 acres of prescribed burning Tuesday about five miles northeast of La Pine, near Ogden Group Camp and McKay Crossing Campground, the Deschutes National Forest said.  

Ignitions got underway after successful test firings, officials said.

Smoke may be visible from La Pine, Sunriver, Highway 97, and the surrounding area. Residents in La Pine and Newberry Estates were encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours.  

No trail or road closures are planned, officials said. Smoke impacts are possible across Highway 97 during prescribed burning operations, as well as overnight and in the early morning hours. 

Firefighters implement understory prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk to communities. Prescribed burning reintroduces and maintains fire within our fire-dependent ecosystem by removing concentrations of vegetation and restoring forest health while increasing public and firefighter safety. 

Fire management officials work with Oregon Department of Forestry smoke specialists to plan prescribed burns. Prescribed burns are conducted when weather is most likely to move smoke up and away from our communities. While prescribed fire managers take significant preventive measures, it’s likely that communities may experience some smoke during or immediately after a prescribed burn.  

What does this mean for you? 

During prescribed burns, smoke may settle in low-lying areas overnight and in the early morning hours.  

All residents are encouraged to close doors and windows at night to avoid smoke impacts. 

If available, use a portable air cleaner. Air cleaners work best running with doors and windows closed. You can also create a DIY air cleaner. 

If you have a central air system, use it to filter air. Use high-efficiency filters if possible. 

When driving in smoky areas, drivers should slow down, turn on headlights and turn air to recirculating. 

If you have heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, pay attention to how you feel and if symptoms of heart or lung disease worsen, consider contacting your health care professional. 

Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and prescribed burning in Central Oregon and visit When Smoke is in the Air for more smoke preparedness resources. 

For more information on prescribed burning in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and for information specific to the Deschutes National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes. Follow us on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts. 

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Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Here’s a story that’s sure to make you hungry, featuring a ‘modern cowboy steakhouse’ in Bend.

And if you’re a Food Network fan, you might recognize some of these names. 

At Hawkeye and Huckleberry, customers come for the food and drinks but stay for the service and atmosphere.

Hawkeye and Huckleberry plates

“This place consistently has such great energy!” Neil Connelly, a repeat customer, said in a recent interview with KTVZ News. “The cocktails are phenomenal! The food is always phenomenal and consistent. Every single person that works here just absolutely loves working here.”

“It’s like our local ‘Cheers’ bar,” said Tomi Connelly. “I had one of the steaks – it was so good. It was like buttery.”

Tomi and Neil

That’s the goal of one of Bend’s hottest food spots, created by chefs Brian Malarkey and Carlos Anthony — who you might have seen on Food Network.

Brian (left) and Carlos (right). Credit: @chefslivetv (YouTube)

“I have worked with Brian Malarkey, our owner, for the last 17 years. This is my 15th restaurant with him,” Chef Carlos told KTVZ. “I was so excited about the opening of this place, and I came out here for a couple of weeks to help open, and I fell in love with it. Not only the restaurant, but fell in love with Bend, with the people, with all the exciting things you can do.”

Chef Carlos originally planned on being in Bend short-term, to get the restaurant off the ground.

Cooking in the kitchen

But those plans quickly changed.

“(Bend) really took me on, and I fell in love with it. I recently married, so as soon as my wife decided she also loved it, we moved up here as soon as we could. I’ve come up here full-time, and I’ll never look back,” Chef Carlos said. “You have to be in here every day. You have to be listening to what people are coming in and talking about because it’s easy to be a flash in the pan. It’s hard to be something that lasts and that has substance. Really, I actually feel very privileged to be here.”

Now he’s focused on bringing fresh food to the table.

“We have this incredible access to the food we serve. Having our own ranch in Tumalo is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s ranch to table. And to be able to source something so connected to Central Oregon and then bring it directly to the restaurant, that’s a chef’s dream,” Chef Carlos said. “It’s not just from our ranch. There’s incredible farmers out here, incredible ranchers. We work with Rainshadow (Organics), an incredible farm down the road. I love how much Central Oregon has to offer!”

Chef Carlos

And he says he couldn’t do it without their incredible staff.

‘When you make a restaurant, it’s about 50% food, and the rest is who you hire. Having good people, good staff, good bartenders, and good servers that make that experience,” said Chef Carlos. “Listen, people will come to a restaurant for a celebrity chef, but they will come back for the service.”

“The staff here is incredible. Great energy. They bring a good time here,” Neil said.

You can check out the menu by clicking here, or head on down to Hawkeye and Huckleberry at 225 SW Century Drive.

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Isabella Warren

(Update: Adding video, comments by Garrity, KTVZ News Poll)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Service providers Chuck Hemingway and Eric Garrity, along with four other homeless people living off China Hat Road, have filed suit in U.S. District Court, seeking a temporary restraining order against the U.S. Forest Service to block the May 1 closure of China Hat Road, less than two weeks before the deadline.

“The Forest Service has now been served,” Garrity told KTVZ News on Monday.

Dozens of homeless residents in the area filed disability discrimination complaints last month, and a detailed request to delay or cancel the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project and related May 1 deadline for homeless people to move out of the area for its closure.

Penny Gartner and Mandy Bryant said they are long-time residents in the forest who “are about to be displaced from our homes and lose everything we have within 40 days” if the nearly 28,000-acre Cabin Butte Vegetation Project proceeds as planned.

Garrity told us Monday, “I think at the end of the day this this action, this lawsuit is intended to make sure that the Forest Service is compliant with their own regulations. And those regulations really do have a beneficial impact and keep the entire community safer and healthier and happier.”

The Forest Service announced earlier this year it would close nearly 35,000 acres south of Bend to visitors and the encampments, starting May 1, for at least a year, to ensure public safety and support critical forest restoration efforts. Many KTVZ News recently talked to said they have nowhere to go.

In the cover letter to their 81-page submission (including attachments), addressed to Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District Supervisor Holly Jewkes, the pair says the environmental documents published two years ago “failed to take into account the impact on the human environment, most importantly us.”

Below is the complaint filed with the U.S. District Court in Eugene. KTVZ News reached out to the Forest Service for any comment or statement, and has not yet heard back. We will continue to update you as we learn of new developments.

Filed District Court Case 18 April 2025 (1)Download

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