Author: KTVZ

KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) –Happy Trails Horse Rescue in Bend has earned global recognition for its work helping horses in need.The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries awarded Happy Trails full accreditation earlier this month.

The designation means the rescue meets rigorous animal care and management standards confirmed through an on-site inspection.

GFAS leaders praised the Happy Trails team for providing safe refuge for horses at risk and for supporting the community through education and outreach programs.

Happy Trails founder Dianne Scott says the process helped strengthen operations and reaffirm the group’s commitment to transparency and high-quality care.

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Kelsey Merison

TUMALO, Ore. (KTVZ) — For this month’s ‘Making a Difference’, we’re spotlighting Healing Reins, where lives are transformed through the power of horse therapy.

KTVZ News spoke with Executive Director Polly Cohen about what 2025 looked like at the nonprofit and what the team is looking forward to most in 2026.

“These animals are incredible to talk to. Whether it’s the goats, the chickens, even the miniature cow or the horses themselves, people would rather be outside and interacting with them,” Polly said.

At Healing Reins in Tumalo, people of all ages come to receive a special type of support.

“It’s just a great opportunity to have that talk therapy or those other therapy services in an outdoor setting that encourages people to interact in a safe manner,” Polly said.

The nonprofit serves around 1,000 individuals with various needs per month. 

“On a weekly basis, we’re right about 250, and that’s like a little bit of a steady climb as we’re adding more services that people want to come out here for,” Polly said. “You know, occupational therapy, physical therapy, mental health services.”

This year, Healing Reins is especially grateful for its donors.

“It’s been an adventure with funding,” Polly said. “We’re thankful for all the support from all the donors. I mean, that’s a big deal… Grant funding was a lot less this year, but the community stepped up and able to provide. Because these horses are expensive.”

It’s not just monetary donations that make their mission possible. 

“Our horses go through 70 to 90 tons of hay a year, which just is an enormous amount. And so hay to us is basically gold, for our industry. And so we’re very appreciative for all the hay donors who have given us hay this last year,” Polly said.

Healing Reins is looking forward to another year of making a difference in Central Oregon. 

“2026 is the year of the horse, which I think is spectacular toward what we do here on a daily basis. This next year is just kind of a grounding year for us,” Polly said. “Next year is continuing to settle into this beautiful site. We actually have a new mission, vision, and tagline that we’re excited to share with the community in January. And so, we’re just looking forward to that kind of new growth for us.”

Here’s another fun way to help out Healing Reins: you can donate your Christmas tree to the goats! They’re full of vitamins and a natural de-wormer. 

You can learn more about donating, volunteering, and its services by clicking here.

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KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) —   The Ducks have had an impressive season so far. They have gone 12-1 in the regular season and have already had a monster win against James Madison.

So what has been their superpower this season?

Ducks coach Dan Lanning answered this on The Pat McAfee Show.

Dan Lanning said, “I think our superpower is the amount of guys that make an impact on this team. I think strength in numbers is really, been a superpower for us. We’ve been down players and then we’ve had players available. We’ve had guys that you didn’t expect to make an impact, making huge impacts. So I think are really our superpowers, the strength, the numbers and the buy in from our players.”

The Ducks take on the Texas Tech red Raiders on New Years Day at 9 am pacific

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KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) —     Across Central Oregon, stores were packed with last minute shoppers. One of the business places in Bend is Leapin Lizards Toy Store downtown.

They’re not just popular for last minute gifts for kids, but also because they offer free gift wrapping in store.

This years toy buy trends are changing. While fidget toys are still very popular, they’re seeing a big movement towards activity based toys like games, and puzzles. Kids want something they can do with friends, or family.

Suzy Reininger, owner of Leapin Lizards told KTVZ News, “We’ve realized, the more that we rely on tech, the further we get away from building relationships and especially the holidays. All about relationships is lovely.”

One of their best sellers this year has been the game called “Volley Shot”. Kids and adults have been competing to see who can have the longest streak, and break the store’s record.

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KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) —  Getting Chinese food on Christmas Eve might be a tradition for your family.

Down at Chan’s in Bend, they’re bracing for their busiest day of the year.

Just before noon today, they were seeing what they call the calm before the storm. Employees tell KTVZ by 6 pm the phone is always ringing off the hook, and the dining room is full.

Mark Hanson a waiter at Chan’s told KTVZ, “You got a lot of vacationers, finally got snow on the mountain. So we’re going to be, you know, a lot of skiers, hotels are full and book so and even people, you know, that used to cook at home or have family dinners is changed. And there’s more people, you know, just doing takeout. Some people that order takeout food tonight is actually for tomorrow.”

After 6, the wait on to-go orders can get as long two extra hours.

Even with the rush, Chans says they see a lot of regulars every year, and enjoy people that share their holidays with them.

Chans will be closed on Christmas day.

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KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Ducks gave their fans an early Christmas present. As with every week they play, the Ducks are always dressed to the nines with uniforms that amaze.

On Wednesday, the Ducks released their jersey combo for their second round playoff game in the Orange Bowl.

The Ducks will be wearing black helmets, white jerseys, and grey pants.

The post on twitter features the Ducks offensive line with the mantra “Stronger as One.”

The Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders on New Years Day at 9 am pacific.

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KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Fire and Rescue were called to a house on Terra Meadow Drive just before 2pm for a garage fire.

The fire was traced back to a failed lithium battery in an electric vehicle. The fire was quickly put out and no damage was found in the house.

Bend Fire & Rescue wants you to know if any portion of your vehicle or charging station stops working you should stop charging immediately and have the entire system checked out by a qualified professional.

Read the full release below:

Bend Fire & Rescue was called to a house on NW Terra Meadow Dr Christmas Eve just before 2pm for a fire in a garage. Occupants and neighbors both reported a fire in the garage. Fire crews arrived and quickly extinguished the fire. The fire was reported to be related to an electric car in the garage. During the fire neighbors were asked to shelter in place due to the possible smoke containing lithium-ion by products which can be toxic. The 2 adults and 3 dogs in the house safely evacuated prior to our arrival. 

The fire was traced back to a failed lithium battery in an electric vehicle. The vehicle was a passenger car converted from gas to an electric vehicle. The battery failed and caught fire, spreading to the contents of the garage. The occupants and neighbors noticed the fire and quickly called 911. With little delay in getting the fire department notified and the construction of the garage, the fire was kept inside the garage. Minimal smoke damage was found throughout the house. The smoke alarms did sound but not right away as the smoke was in the garage until after the occupants opened the door ingo the garage during the incident. The house is not occupiable anymore due mostly to the damage to the home utilities that all come through the garage, but all the family’s Christmas presents and much of their personal belongings were saved from damage. Modern attached garages are built with fire barriers between the garage and the main part of the house. This includes more sheet rock and heavier duty doors leading into the house to prevent a fire in the garage from spreading into the house.

Bend Fire & Rescue wants to if any portion of the vehicle or charging stops working or is not working as it normally does, stop all charging immediately and have the entire system checked out by a qualified professional. This goes for cars, bikes, scooters, and all other types of electric vehicles.

Here are some safety tips for charging EVs from the US Fire Administration, a branch of FEMA:

Follow manufacturer’s guidelines when charging your vehicle. Check with your local dealer if you need additional information.

Purchase a charging device that is certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

Plug Level I EV chargers directly into an outlet designed to handle the amperage of the charging device. Never use a multiplug adapter or extension cord.

Install a residual current device with the charging unit. It will turn off the power if a fault is detected and help prevent a fire.

Place all charging device components out of reach of children when not in use.

Maintain the components of your charging station according to the manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines. Signs of excessive wear may indicate a potential shock hazard. Never use an EV charger with obvious signs of damage.

Cover the EV charging station outlet to stop water from entering. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines to make sure it is safe to charge your EV in wet conditions.

As always, never throw any lithium batteries into the trash. These batteries will end up in the landfill where the process of trash collection, dumping, and packing into the landfill can cause the damage needed to start a fire. A fire in the landfill is a major concern of any solid waste department. This includes items with built in lithium batteries such as flashlights, alarms, and other small electronics. Contact your trash service provider, your local landfill, or many electronics stores for safe recycling options in your community.

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Campbell Porter

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon households that lost food bought with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during recent storms now have extra time to request replacements, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS).

The agency announced Tuesday that residents in 19 counties will have 30 days, until Jan. 16, 2026, to report food losses caused by power outages that began on Dec. 17.

The extended deadline applies to households in Jefferson county. It also applies to those in Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Douglas, Hood River, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Wallowa, Washington, and Yamhill counties.

For residents outside those counties, the usual 10-day rule for reporting food loss still applies, and applicants may need to provide proof of loss.

How to request replacement benefits

ODHS says people can request replacement SNAP benefits in several ways:

Call 800-699-9075 (relay calls welcome).

Fill out a request form and email it to oregon.benefits@odhsoha.oregon.gov.

Visit a local ODHS office.

Mail requests to:ONE Customer Service CenterPO Box 14015Salem, OR 97309(Mail must arrive by the deadline.)

Or, log in to a ONE Online account.

Approved replacement benefits will be loaded onto the household’s existing EBT card. The amount cannot exceed the household’s normal monthly SNAP benefit.

Where to find help

For Oregonians in need of additional food or community resources:

Visit oregonfoodbank.org to find a local food pantry.

Contact the Aging and Disability Resource Connection at 1-855-673-2372 or visit adrcoforegon.org.

Dial 211, text a ZIP code to 898-211, or go to 211info.org for local assistance.

ODHS oversees SNAP in Oregon, a federal program that supports roughly one in five Oregonians with food assistance. Applications for SNAP and other benefits are available at benefits.oregon.gov

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Tracee Tuesday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon health officials are reminding beachgoers to take precautions even though the state’s beach monitoring season has ended for the year.

The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program, part of the Oregon Health Authority, wrapped up its 2025 sampling season in mid-September. Still, officials say bacteria levels can rise after periods of heavy rain, increasing health risks for swimmers.

Visitors to the coast are encouraged to wait at least 48 hours after rainfall before entering the ocean, shower after swimming, wash hands before eating, and avoid swallowing seawater.

The seasonal monitoring program operates from mid-May through mid-September, issuing advisories only during active sampling months.

For current beach conditions and more safety information, visit healthoregon.org/beach or contact OBMP at 1-877-290-6767.

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Campbell Porter

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Governor Kotek announced a $65 million statewide investment Tuesday, to add 146 new residential behavioral health treatment beds. Among the more than a dozen funded projects across Oregon, $1 million is going towards The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. That money will fund a residential treatment home with a 5-bed capacity.

Below is the press release provided by Governor Tina Kotek’s office:

Today, Governor Tina Kotek announced a $65 million statewide investment that will add up to 146 new residential behavioral health treatment beds and support the continuation of 128 existing beds, significantly increasing Oregon’s capacity to serve adults who need care. The funding was made possible through House Bill 2059 from this year’s legislative session to increase the capacity of residential behavioral health services providing withdrawal management, residential treatment, and psychiatric inpatient care services.

Projects were selected to meet urgent local needs and to open as quickly as possible, with new beds expected to come online between December 2026 and January 2028.

“Every bed we add is a safe place for an Oregonian who needs help,” Governor Kotek said. “Since I came into office, we have identified what types of treatment access we need and where we need it. Now we must stay the course on closing the gap. This investment is one more step to the Oregon I know is possible – where access to mental health and addiction care is affordable and close to home.”

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) worked closely with community partners to shape the investment and ensure funding is directed to regions and services with the greatest need.

“These investments put real momentum behind Oregon’s efforts to expand residential behavioral health services,” said OHA Behavioral Health Division Director Ebony Clarke. “We are adding and preserving treatment beds across the state so people can get care sooner, closer to home, and in the right setting. This funding reflects what communities told us they need most.”

Funded projects include:

Sequoia – $4 million for a 12-bed secure residential treatment facility in Washington County

Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare – $7.7 million and $7.6 million for two 16-bed secure residential treatment facilities in Multnomah County

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs – $1 million for a 5-bed residential treatment home in Jefferson County

Sanctuary Agency LLC – $200,000 for a 9-bed residential treatment facility in Marion County

NiBBus – $1.2 million for an 8- to 16-bed residential treatment facility in Curry or Coos County

Shangri-La – $2 million for a 5-bed residential treatment home in Marion County

New Narrative – $5.2 million for a 10-bed residential treatment facility in Washington County

Samaritan Health Services – $7.5 million for a 10-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Benton County

Volunteers of America – $1.53 million to preserve 54 substance use disorder treatment beds in Multnomah County

Central City Concern – $6 million to preserve 74 substance use disorder treatment beds in Multnomah County

On Track – $150,000 for a 10-bed substance use disorder residential treatment facility and $5.52 million for a 21-bed treatment and withdrawal management facility in Jackson County

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde – $1 million for a 16-bed withdrawal management facility in Marion County

In addition to supporting new and expanded facilities, a portion of the funding will be held in reserve to address rising construction and labor costs, helping ensure projects can be completed successfully. Project details may be updated as final plans are completed.

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