Author: KTVZ

Spencer Sacks

(Update: Adding video, comments)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County commissioners voted 2-1 on Wednesday to approve a new districting plan that would change how commissioners are elected. The proposal is now set to appear on the ballot for the November general election.

Commissioners Tony Debone and Patti Adair voted in favor of the plan, while colleague Phil Chang cast the dissenting vote. The decision follows months of public debate regarding the map, which would divide the county into five distinct districts for future commission seats.

The approved map establishes five specific districts to replace the current at-large system. Under the plan, two seats are designated for Bend, while Redmond, Sisters and the Sunriver and La Pine area are each assigned one seat.

Supporters argue this structure ensures geographic diversity on the board, while critics have raised concerns about potential gerrymandering. The Deschutes County Mapping Adviser Committee (DMAC) spent several months developing the proposal within established legal parameters and guidelines.

Phil Henderson, a member of the advisory committee, spoke in favor of the board’s decision to move the matter to the public. “Well, I really am. I’m happy that the commissioners are giving the voters in Deschutes County a chance to vote on this issue,” Henderson told us after the vote.

Other members of the committee suggested the final recommendation did not represent a unanimous viewpoint.

Carol Loesche, who also served on the mapping committee, noted that the commission’s vote was expected but did not capture the full range of committee sentiment. “As part of the process. I’m not surprised with how the vote came down.

You can watch the full meeting here:

“However, it didn’t truly reflect all of the DMAC People,” Loesche said.

Community members who attended the meeting offered differing opinions on the impact of districting. Terrebonne resident David Cosper expressed support for the change as a way to refine the selection process.

“I think that gives us an opportunity to get the commissioners SELECTED that we need to. And then, move on to the map after that. I think that’s the right decision,” Cosper said.

Some residents emphasized that the new map could help different regions feel more involved in county governance.

Jim Barnett, a resident of Sisters, spoke about the necessity of fair representation across the county.

“I think it really matters whether or not everyone in the county feels that they’re equally represented. And I feel like the map and the districts are the best way to achieve that goal,” Barnett said.

However, the decision also met with resistance from those who prefer the current at-large system. Eva Eagle, who lives outside Sisters, argued that the new districts add unnecessary complexity to the election of the five commissioners.

“I think it’s the wrong decision. I think it was really important to have the selection of the five commissioners. Not complicated by dividing the county into the district,” Eagle said.

The districting plan will appear on the ballot for voters to consider during the 2026 election cycle. This vote represents the first of several procedural steps required to implement the new map.

Click here to follow the original article.

Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Visit Bend is accepting grant applications now through March 27th for high-quality arts and culture events support, funded entirely by lodging taxes paid by overnight visitors.

From musical productions to art exhibits to film festivals and more, the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund supports cultural opportunities that draw visitors to Bend–and $300,000 in grants will be distributed this year.

Submissions must be received by March 27th at 5 p.m. and awards will be announced on or around May 19th. Click here to apply or to learn more.

Read the full press release from Visit Bend below:

“Visit Bend is now accepting grant applications to support high-quality arts and culture events held during Bend’s shoulder season and winter months. Funded entirely by lodging taxes paid by overnight visitors, the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) strengthens our community’s cultural vibrancy while supporting a more balanced visitor economy. Grants are available in a range of amounts and may be used to promote events, market them, and/or research new ones. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March 27, 2026, with awards announced on or around May 19, 2026.

Visit Bend, a non-profit, has $300,000 to award this year. That’s 7.5 percent of its annual budget, which comes entirely from room-night lodging taxes collected by hotels, vacation rentals, and other lodging properties in Bend. The City of Bend receives the vast majority of those dollars—about $9 million annually—to support core services like road maintenance, police, and fire, helping reduce the tax burden on local residents. Visit Bend redirects significant portions of the remainder back into the community through partnerships and programs, including grants. Past BCTF grants have supported Bend Film Fest, WinterFest, Greenhouse Cabaret, and concerts at places like at the Volcanic Theatre Pub. Find a complete list of projects at bendculturegrants.com.

To apply, organizations are encouraged to reach out to Laurel MacMillan, BCTF grant administrator, through culture.visitbend.com/contact-us/, for support, and to Zavier Borja, Visit Bend’s destination stewardship director. The grant application is online at bendculturegrants.com. Eligible projects should strengthen Bend’s arts, culture, and creative economy; attract visitors from more than 50 miles away during traditionally low-occupancy periods; enhance residents’ quality of life; and help position Bend for long-term investment. Applications are reviewed and scored by the independent Bend Cultural Tourism Fund Commission, which makes funding recommendations. Visit Bend’s board of directors provides final approval and has historically adopted the commission’s recommendations in full.

“This fund is about reinvesting in the creative energy that defines our community,” said Zavier Borja, Visit Bend’s destination stewardship director. “By redirecting visitor dollars into arts and culture, we’re turning Bend’s popularity as a destination into direct support for the people and organizations that make it a great place to live and visit.”

Last year, the BCTF awarded 20 grants totaling $300,000 to help organizations expand their cultural events. Now in its 11th year, the fund has already awarded $2,578,418 to 133 projects from 50 organizations. A separate but complementary Visit Bend program, the Bend Sustainability Fund, has awarded to date more than $3.3 million to projects that protect Bend’s natural environment, improve tourism-related infrastructure, and expand equitable access to the outdoors. Together, the two grant programs will have reinvested more than $6.5 million in visitor-tax money into our community by the end of 2026.

ABOUT VISIT BEND:  Visit Bend is a non-membership, non-profit organization dedicated to stewarding a vibrant and sustainable community in Bend, Oregon, while supporting and enhancing the visitor experience. Learn more at visitbend.com.

ABOUT THE BEND CULTURAL TOURISM FUND: The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) is a grant program dedicated to enhancing the local economy through the promotion and cultivation of Bend’s cultural tourism programs, with an emphasis on activities that help attract cultural tourists during the shoulder seasons and winter months. For more information, please see the website at culture.visitbend.com.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Tracee Tuesday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Crude oil prices climbed to a four-month high last week, reaching more than 65 dollars a barrel.

Triple-A says the surge was fueled by rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, along with severe winter storms that disrupted oil production across much of the country.

Those factors pushed gas prices higher in most states, including Oregon. The state average jumped 10 cents to 3.48 a gallon, while the national average slipped slightly to 2.88.

Triple-A reports that oil prices have settled down to start the week, but a seasonal climb could still be ahead.

On the West Coast, refineries are already beginning the transition to summer-blend gasoline, which is tightening supplies and could keep prices elevated heading into spring.

Click here to follow the original article.

Tracee Tuesday

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Governor Tina Kotek is calling for more affordable housing options for Oregon’s aging population. On Tuesday, she testified before the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness in support of House Bill 4082, which aims to expand housing for residents 55 and older as well as for working-class Oregonians.

The bill would allow cities to add land for affordable and age-restricted housing or manufactured home communities. Depending on city size, it could make space for between 200 and 400 manufactured homes—units that cost about one-third the price of a traditional site-built house.

Kotek says the goal is to help seniors stay in their homes and communities. “Too many older Oregonians are one emergency away from losing their housing,” she said in her testimony. “House Bill 4082 helps cities create affordable homes for seniors and supports lower-cost communities so people can age in place with dignity and stability.”

Housing experts say the measure could help address Oregon’s ongoing affordability crisis, which weighs heavily on older adults. Nearly 20 percent of Oregonians between 55 and 64 spend more than half their income on housing, and that number climbs sharply for older residents.

If passed, HB 4082 would also require developers to build “complete communities,” giving residents access to nearby services, shopping, and recreation. The proposal is one of several housing-related bills lawmakers are considering this session.

Click here to follow the original article.

Campbell Porter

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Here’s some especially good news, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

A Madras couple took their relationship to new heights when pilot Dallas Tronsdale proposed to his girlfriend, Reniyah M’Beceah, right after they landed at the Madras Airport, Tuesday afternoon.

KTVZ cameras were there as the surprise unfolded. The couple had just finished a joyride over Central Oregon when Tronsdale revealed a heartfelt surprise waiting on the runway: a sign, flowers, and a ring.

He got down on one knee and asked Reniyah to be his co‑pilot for life.

Adding to the magic, Reniyah’s best friend helped orchestrate the entire proposal, and even captured it all on video.

Best wishes from KTVZ, to the future Mr. and Mrs. Tronsdale as they start their next adventure together.

Click here to follow the original article.

Barney Lerten

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend man faces assault and DUII charges after a pickup-pedestrian crash on Highway 97 in Redmond Monday night that seriously injured a Warm Springs woman.

Jordan Keeney, 24, was arrested by Redmond police after the crash was reported around 9:22 p.m. on Highway 97 at SW Veterans Way, Oregon State Police told KTVZ News. Troopers indicated Keeney’s license showed he was a Terrebonne resident, but in court records, he listed a Bend address.

OSP assisted with a crash reconstruction at the scene of the collision, which occurred near the Redmond Safeway.

Map of crash and arrest.

Troopers said the crash victim, Melissa Bryant-Jimenez, 33, of Warm Springs, was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Bend.

Court records show Keeney was arraigned Tuesday afternoon on initial charges of third-degree assault, a Class C felony, and DUII, a Class A misdemeanor.

Prosecutors filed an initial charging document alleging Keeney “did unlawfully and recklessly cause serious physical injury” to the woman, and that a blood-alcohol test found he was above the legal limit of .08.

A jail officer confirmed to KTVZ News Circuit Judge Raymond Crutchley agreed to Keeney’s conditional release from jail. He’s due back in court March 3 for arraignment on an expected formal indictment.

Click here to follow the original article.

Barney Lerten

PRINEVILLE, Ore., (KTVZ) — Prescribed fire operations on the Crooked River National Grassland southeast of Madras that were scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions, officials said.

“The delay was due to unfavorable transport winds and the heavy smoke impacts that could result,” Ochoco National Forest representative Isabella Isaksen told KTVZ News.

She said fire managers will continue to monitor conditions and are evaluating potential opportunities to conduct pile burning early next week, pending favorable weather and required approvals.

The prescribed pile burning is planned for about 70 acres on the Crooked River National Grassland, located about four miles southeast of Madras, in the vicinity of Buck Butte and east of Highway 26.

Prescribed fire operations are only conducted when weather, fuel moisture, and air quality conditions align to ensure public and firefighter safety and to meet project objectives. Weather conditions are evaluated immediately prior to ignition, and scheduled activities may be postponed or canceled when conditions are not suitable.

Earlier story:

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ-Feb. 3, 2026) — The Crooked River National Grassland and Ochoco National Forest plan prescribed fire operations on Wednesday, pending all required approvals.

Hazardous fuels reduction work is planned on about 70 acres in the Crooked River National Grassland, an area located about four miles southeast of Madras, in the vicinity of Buck Butte and east of Highway 26

“Prescribed burning will be managed by Forest Service resources from the Ochoco National Forest. Forest Service personnel will be on scene throughout the operation to ensure safe and effective implementation,” the agency said in a news release.

Officials said smoke could be visible from Prineville, Terrebonne, and Madras. Smoke impacts are anticipated along Southeast Grizzly Road and the Highway 26 corridor, particularly overnight and in the early-morning hours as air settles into low-lying areas.

Prescribed burn warning signs will be placed along Grizzly Road and Highway 26, officials said. Drivers should slow down and use headlights if visibility is reduced.

“Prescribed burning will only occur when weather, fuel moisture and air quality conditions meet criteria for safe and effective operations,” the Forest Service said. “If conditions are not suitable, ignitions will be postponed.”

Weather conditions will be evaluated in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled, the agency said

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to AirNow online or download the app. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road. For more information on prescribed burning in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and for information specific to the Ochoco National Forest visit fs.usda.gov/r06/ochoco.

Follow on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.

Click here to follow the original article.

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — After 35 years of fun under the often-hot summer sun, the Bend Summer Festival will be kicking off the season with a new, earlier schedule – and a new title sponsor.

The 2026 Hixon Mortgage Bend Summer Festival returns to downtown Bend Friday–Sunday, May 29–31, marking the event’s first-ever move to late May – technically, before the June 21 arrival of summer – but “offering ideal early-summer weather for a full weekend of celebration,” the organizers, Lay it Out Events, announced in a news release this week.

Hixon Mortgage President Derek Meyer said the company “is fired up to be part of Summerfest and celebrate what makes our community so special!”

Hixon Mortgage is a locally owned mortgage company that says it’s “focused on helping families achieve the great American dream of homeownership. We love and are proud to support events like Summerfest in an effort to bring the community together to celebrate local vendors and businesses.”

The annual community favorite will once again take over multiple blocks in downtown Bend with art, music, food, shopping, and family-friendly fun — “now perfectly timed to launch the summer festival season,” organizers said

The festival weekend kicks off Friday, May 29, from 4–10 p.m. with music and food along Oregon Avenue. Saturday, May 30 (11 a.m.–10 p.m.) and Sunday, May 31 (11 a.m.–5 p.m.) feature full festival programming across downtown.

The organizers said, “Festival-goers can expect a vibrant mix of fine art, hand-made goods, local shopping, live music and pop-up performances throughout the weekend.”

More than 80 regional and national artisans will line Bond Street, while additional vendor areas highlight clothing, jewelry, specialty foods, wine, and Central Oregon businesses. Live music and performances will run all weekend, with the 2026 lineup to be announced soon.

Presented by Hixon Mortgage, the Bend Summer Festival is produced by Lay It Out Events and supported by a wide range of local and regional sponsors.

For a full schedule, sponsorship and vendor opportunities and more event details, visit bendsummerfestival.com.

Lay It Out Events, which annually produces more than 20 events and has donated more than $340,000 to Central Oregon charities in the last decade. Events include WinterFest, Bend Fall and Summer Festival, The Little Woody, Cascades Wedding Show, Balloons Over Bend, and Theater in the Park. Learn more at www.layitoutevents.com.

Click here to follow the original article.

Claire Elmer

(Update: adding video)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A bookstore in Crook County is turning the month of February into a community-wide celebration of reading.

Oliver Books in downtown Prineville is hosting a month-long reading challenge designed to bring people together, support local business, and share a love of literature.

The challenge is open to readers of all ages, and parents are encouraged to read along with their children. Participants can track their reading, share book reviews, and earn store credit — all while supporting a homegrown, independent bookstore.

Owner Hannah Oliver said Tuesday the heart of the challenge is about more than just numbers or prizes — it’s about connection.

“I’m hoping that it just achieves a love for reading, especially amongst our youth. I feel like it just stirs excitement in the community for something to do,” Oliver said.

“I believe that literacy is really important, reading is really important. By doing this, I believe that it helps people learn to love to read. It’s something that’s really important to me, and I hope that it encourages people to read more.”

Oliver said community members have already embraced the idea, with dozens of reading packets handed out and some readers already turning in their completed challenges.

The reading challenge runs through the end of February. Sign-up packets are available in person at Oliver Books, or you can find the PDF version to print at home below.

Rules (from Oliver Books):

Read 6 books in the month and get $10 in store credit for completing the challenge, and additional $5 if you bought at least three of the books from Oliver Books.

Kids have to read 10 books for $10 store credit, and buy 3 books from us for an additional $5.

You get an extra $5 in store credit if you make up a book review for your favorite book that will be shared on social media and the book will be added to inventory if it’s not already in the store.

You will also be entered to win an additional $50 in store credit if you write up a review.

book challengeDownload

Click here to follow the original article.

Harley Coldiron

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Oregon State University-Cascades has published the findings of a years-long study of sustainable tourism, revealing that the costs of the industry are beginning to outweigh the economic benefits for residents in many popular destinations.

The research suggests that local communities are increasingly reaching a breaking point where tourism pressures negatively impact their quality of life.

The university conducted interviews with people living in tourism hubs across Central Oregon, the United States and international locations.

While tourism remains a vital economic driver—accounting for approximately 10.2% of global gross domestic product—the study highlights a growing backlash fueled by externalities such as traffic congestion and housing pressures.

The study found that residents often serve as the earliest and most sensitive indicators of a destination’s strain. While physical or environmental limits can be difficult to quantify, researchers noted that sociocultural carrying capacity is frequently reached first. This occurs when residents experience a decline in their quality of life or perceive that the social costs of tourism have become too high.

Todd Montgomery leads the Sustainable Tourism Lab at OSU Cascades and served as a primary researcher for the multi-year study. He proposed addressing these community imbalances through structured pricing strategies that differentiate between residents and visitors.

“So we propose a set of guidelines around fees that incentivize and give breaks the locals, but also apply the fees of the impacts to tourists,” Montgomery said.

Evaluating-Economic-Policy-Responses-to-Appease-Growing-Dissent-in-Tourism-Montgomery-Dec-2025Download

A hypothetical application of these guidelines includes implementing a dual-rate system for public services. Under this model, residents in an area like downtown Bend could receive significant discounts on parking fees, while tourists are charged a higher rate to help mitigate the costs of congestion.

The economic significance of tourism remains substantial in Oregon, where the industry functions as an export by bringing outside money into local communities.

In Bend, tourism-generated tax revenues provide about $9 million a year to the city’s general fund. That represents nearly 5% of the city’s total tax revenue and supports essential services such as fire protection, emergency response and public safety. Research indicates that traditional models focused solely on marketing and increasing visitor numbers may be unsustainable.

Historically, many communities developed tourism organically without long-term management structures. This often led to unintended consequences as destinations reached a growth phase characterized by high-volume arrivals and increased pressure on local infrastructure.

The full findings of the study are available to the public in a report published on the OSU Cascades Sustainable Tourism Lab webpage.

Click here to follow the original article.