Author: KTVZ

Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Big Ski’s Pierogis at The Podski Food Cart Lot in Bend is permanently closing after a 12-year run.

The food truck, which was was featured on The Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, will be closing at the end of the year. 

Owner Rich “Ski” Winiarski announced the closure via social media. He says he plans to move on to his next adventure, but the cart will remain open for business through the end of 2026.

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Campbell Porter

OREGON (KTVZ) — State and federal agencies are making multiple financial and technical assistance programs available to support Oregon communities, small businesses and agricultural producers affected by ongoing drought conditions.

Find the full press release here.

The available programs offer funding for local water infrastructure, drought mitigation planning and economic recovery.

The resources include low-interest disaster loans, emergency water grants and well repair assistance administered by agencies including the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Water Resources Department. State emergency officials are encouraging eligible groups to apply.

Erin Zysett serves as the public information officer for the Oregon Department of Emergency Management. “Drought impacts every region of Oregon differently, but the message is the same everywhere: help is available,” Zysett said.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is providing Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million for working capital to small businesses, private nonprofits and agricultural cooperatives impacted by drought in designated Oregon counties. The loans feature terms of up to 30 years with no interest or required payments during the first 12 months after disbursement. Interest rates are set at 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for private non-profit organizations.

For rural communities and federally recognized Tribes with populations of 10,000 or fewer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants. These grants provide up to $150,000 for water transmission line repairs and up to $1 million for water source development, such as new wells or treatment plants, provided applicants can document a significant decline in water quality or quantity within the last two years. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program offers funding to help water districts and regional authorities develop drought contingency plans and expand water distribution infrastructure.

Homeowners with low-to-moderate incomes and members of federally recognized Tribes in Oregon can access the Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund administered by the Oregon Water Resources Department. The program reimburses up to $40,000 for professional work and materials needed to repair, replace or abandon dry or damaged wells, including wells affected by wildfire. Funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and state officials encourage residents to report dry wells on the state’s tracking website.

Agricultural producers facing crop or grazing losses can access dedicated disaster programs through the USDA Farm Service Agency.

Available assistance includes:

The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land.

The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides eligible producers with compensation for above-normal costs of hauling water and feed to livestock as well as transporting livestock to forage or other grazing acres.

The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters including qualifying drought (includes native grass for grazing). Producers must have obtained NAP coverage for the crop year in which the loss occurs.

The Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides assistance to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers for qualifying tree, shrub and vine losses due to natural disasters including excessive wind and qualifying drought.  

The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)  provide landowners and forest stewards with financial assistance to restore damaged farmland and conservation structures or forests, including implementing emergency water conservation measures. This program may also help with damage to farmland due to natural disasters such as wildfire.

Emergency and non-emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres may be authorized to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by a severe drought.

USDA Farm Loans provide a variety of direct and guaranteed farm loans, including operating and direct emergency farm loans, to producers unable to secure commercial financing. Loans can help producers replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, cover family living expenses, or refinance farm-related debts and other needs.

The state also tracks drought conditions through the U.S. Drought Monitor, which classifies drought severity from abnormally dry to exceptional drought using streamflow, soil moisture and local field reports. Water right holders in counties under a governor-declared drought state can also utilize temporary emergency tools from the Oregon Water Resources Department, such as expedited water transfers, instream leases or temporary groundwater substitutions.

The application deadline for Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans is March 1, 2027.

For agricultural producers, the USDA Farm Service Agency updates its list of counties eligible for livestock forage assistance every Thursday.

Additional resources:

Oregon Department of Emergency Management: oregon.gov/oem

Oregon Water Resources Department: oregon.gov/owrd

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Gregory Deffenbaugh

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A 20-year-old Kentucky man died Monday evening after falling approximately 177 feet from South Falls at Silver Falls State Park in Marion County.

Authorities identified the victim as Zachary Nicholas Mertens of Burlington, Ky.

Troopers with the Oregon State Police and deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to the park following reports that someone had fallen from the top of the waterfall.

According to state police, Mertens entered a closed area at the top of the waterfall to pose for photographs before he slipped and fell into the water below.

OSP was assisted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Search and Rescue, and park rangers from the Silver Falls State Park.

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Tracee Tuesday

CENTRAL OREGON (KTVZ) — Homeless encampments along Central Oregon dirt roads have existed for decades, according to organizer Nicholas Dieringer. He said the areas were once known as “the trees,” a name based on their surroundings.

Today, they’re called Dirt World.

Dieringer said there are eight Dirt World communities across Central Oregon. His project, “Dirtworld: The Uprising,” will bring people from those communities and the broader public together for a cleanup effort intended to address trash while challenging public perceptions of those who live there.

Dieringer said he began the project after learning more about the region’s dirt-road communities and witnessing people being told to leave some areas with little notice.

“I saw these people being asked to leave and homes literally being torn apart by tractors and stuff,” Dieringer said. “I witnessed it with my own eyes. I said, somebody has got to do something.”

He said outsiders often focus on garbage, wreckage, drug use and rumors surrounding Dirt World. But Dieringer said that view fails to capture the people and families living there.

“Once you just take the time to go inside of dirt road, make a few connections, you realize you start to see that there’s a lot more inside of dirt road that people even know,” Dieringer said. “Families, communities, people that are thriving and building almost like an ecosystem.”

Dieringer said people living in Dirt World include families, people who lost homes in fires, people dealing with financial hardship, and people experiencing mental health challenges or addiction.

“There are good people within the world,” he said. “They’re human beings and they have good hearts, and they just need a chance to be heard and a voice to speak for them.”

Dieringer said the project has drawn both encouragement and criticism. Some people have questioned why the broader community should help clean up areas where trash has been left behind.

“Well, they do care,” Dieringer said. “This is the way we’re going to show that.”

The cleanup was initially planned for a Redmond Dirt World community. Dieringer said he decided against holding it there after hearing concerns from residents who were not ready to have their names, homes or daily lives filmed and made public.

Instead, he said the group plans to clean an area outside the current community where people once lived and where debris remains.

Dieringer said the approach allows people from Dirt World communities to participate while protecting the privacy of residents who do not want attention brought to their homes.

“If they’re willing to leave their world and unite outside of their home to where they once were, where the garbage still is, go out of their way, their comfort zone to clean up all the garbage, if that doesn’t speak to the city, I don’t know what does,” he said.

For Dieringer, the goal extends beyond one cleanup.

“It’s not about the actual cleanup itself, even though that’s important,” he said. “It’s what comes with that. If we join together, that’s where the change is.”

If you’d like to volunteer or receive more information about Dirt World Uprising, check out Dieringer’s social media page.

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Adrielle Hasara

Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) — Oregon ranks 45th in the nation for the proportion of home buyers younger than age 35, according to a study published by SmartAsset.

The study found that 17% of new mortgage applications in the state over the last year were made by applicants under 35.

In total, young buyers in Oregon submitted 27,275 mortgage applications during that timeframe.

The figure comes amid a high-cost real estate market in the state, where the typical home value reached $501,661 as of April.

The study examined where young Americans are purchasing homes despite nationwide housing market challenges.

Across the country, North Dakota recorded the highest share of young home buyers, with 28.3% of all mortgage applications submitted by applicants under age 35.

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Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend Police Department is offering a reminder to stay sober behind the wheel, as it’s already arrested more than 240 people for DUII this year alone.

It’s easy to avoid being a DUII statistic if you plan ahead.

“The best thing we can do, is if we’re going to be out drinking, going to bars, or even staying home and drinking, be responsible,” said Officer Tommy Charles. “Get somebody to drive for you. Call an Uber, call a taxi, whatever you need to do to keep yourself from being on the road and endangering other people.”

BPD says the worst case scenario is not that you go to jail, it’s that you get into a crash, and severely hurt yourself or someone else.

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Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — There’s good news, and it comes from our friends at Think Wild!

An adult female garter snake arrived at the wildlife hospital in early June. She was found outdoors barely moving with multiple puncture wounds, and other injuries consistent with a possible cat attack.

After more than two months of treatment and rehabilitation, her wounds have healed, and she is nearly ready for release. But on August 8th, she surprised the team by giving birth to eight babies! Six of the newborn snakes survived, and were healthy enough to be released to the wild just a few days later.

Mom will remain in think wild’s care a little longer before being cleared for release.

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Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Right now, progress continues on the Franklin Avenue project, but drivers should be prepared for another traffic closure beginning Monday, August 17th.

The closure will affect Franklin Avenue between NE Third and NE Fourth streets.

During the closure, traffic will be limited to one-way westbound travel only. There is also an existing closure between NE Second and NE Third streets. Traffic in that section will be limited to one-way eastbound travel, with detours in place.

Officials say business access and emergency response access will be maintained at all times.

For more information about the project and current traffic impacts, click here.

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