Author: KTVZ

Lynsey Harris

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new community cleanup event is taking shape in Bend, aiming to expand the work already being done through the Bend Beautification Program.

Danny Goll and his wife recently adopted Galveston Avenue through the program, and after a few cleanups there, they wanted to take it citywide. That’s how the idea for The Big Bend Pickup was born.

The first event is set for Saturday, October 4th. Volunteers can sign up at BigBendPickup.com and will be sent to designated areas identified as needing the most attention. Goll says participants will be provided with pickers and trash bags to collect litter.

Afterward, volunteers will receive a token redeemable for a free beer at participating sponsors, including Sunriver Brewing, Bend Brewing, Podski, and Silver Moon.

“The more people that participate, the better,” Goll said. “Our goal is to eventually have more than 100 people at a time so we can cover as much of the city as possible.”

Goll added that for him and his wife, the effort is about pride in their community. “We moved here because we view Bend as our little slice of paradise. It feels good to contribute, and when people honk and wave while we’re out there, it really reinforces that community feel.”

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Jillian Fortner

LA PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – La Pine is developing a first-of-its-kind outdoor education park, fully funded by ODFW.

The Lorimor Heritage Outdoor Education Park will be built on 60 acres off 6th Street in La Pine near the Midstate Substation.

The project is a partnership between La Pine Parks and Recreation, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Three Rivers Archers.

When complete, the park will feature an archery range, clay targets, a 3D archery trail, and even a community fishing pond.

La Pine Parks and Recreation District say this park is expected to bring measurable economic impact to La Pine through tourism, events and competitions. The site will host state-wide archery and clay target events, hunter education courses, and outdoor recreational training.

“The park district is on its way back,” said LPRD Facilities Coordinator, Wynn Malikowski. “Little by little, you know, you’re going to see more things coming, and we’re going to invest more in our parks.”

Right now, cultural surveys are underway at the site. Once those are complete, crews will begin bringing in equipment, building a parking lot, and installing fence lines.

There’s still no timeline for when the park will be finished.

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Barney Lerten

EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Madras man arrested last Friday along Interstate 84, accused of trafficking drugs between Washington state and Central Oregon, is facing federal charges after investigators seized about 10 pounds of methamphetamine from his vehicle.

Theodore Ernest Jokinen, 48, made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday after being charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Records show Jokinen, who has drug and other criminal convictions in Central Oregon dating back to the late 1990s, is being held at the Polk County Jail in Dallas, Oregon by the U.S. Marshals Service, pending further federal court proceedings.

According to court documents, detectives from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) observed Jokinen driving westbound on Interstate 84 near The Dalles.

As KTVZ News reported earlier this week, investigators previously received information that Jokinen had traveled to Yakima, Washington, and was returning to Oregon in possession of methamphetamine intended for distribution in the Central Oregon area.

Jokinen was initially stopped by The Dalles police officers for a traffic infraction. A certified narcotics detection K-9 alerted on Jokinen’s vehicle. Investigators obtained a search warrant for his flatbed truck, and the search turned up about 10 pounds of pre-packaged suspected methamphetamine in the passenger compartment.

Jokinen was on pre-trial release in a Jefferson County felon in possession of a firearm case and has multiple prior convictions for drug delivery, prosecutors said.

The case is being investigated by the CODE and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from The Dalles Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Mid Columbia Interagency Narcotics Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Andrew R. Doyle, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. 

Doyle also works with the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team and as a special assistant U.S. attorney for drug-related cases.

He told KTVZ News the Jokinen arrest led to federal charges “fairly quickly” because there are Drug Enforcement Administration agents on the CODE Team and “Mr. Jokinen has multiple prior convictions” for drug delivery.

Doyle said the federal government “believes he qualifies for what is known as the ‘Career Offender’ enhancement, which will result in a longer sentence” if convicted.

“We felt federal (charges) made sense here due to his Career Offender designation, the increased possible penalties, and the fact Mr. Jokinen has already been sent to (state prison) multiple times.

“From a public safety perspective, he’s a guy who has caused a great deal of harm to the community over the past few decades,” the prosecutor said.

Doyle added, “I’m also fortunate to have the support of DA Gunnels on these CODE cases – Steve was a SAUSA (special assistant U.S. attorney) himself before becoming DA. We also have a GREAT relationship with the Unites States Attorney’s Office in Eugene – so it all came together quickly here.”

“CODE would also like to thank acting Jefferson County DA Steve Leriche, who is a big supporter of the work we are doing,” the prosecutor said.

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KTVZ – News Team

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — In an effort to reduce traffic and improve air quality, Commute Options is putting on its annual “Get There Challenge.”

The contest is set to promote greener, more active, and more affordable transportation options–that includes taking transit, walking, biking, carpooling, and opting for remote work. 

The goal is to help Oregon become a better place to live, work, and play.

The event will take place from October 1st to October 14th. Participants in the challenge are automatically entered to win prizes across the state.

Top trip loggers in 10 categories can win $100 e-gift cards at the end of the two week challenge. All participants will be entered in a raffle to win prizes from local sponsors.

Click here to learn more on the Commute Options website.

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Spencer Sacks

(Update: Full Story with quotes from Bend City Engineering Director, Ryan Oster and added video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ News) — The Bend City Council voted unanimously late wednesday afternoon on a new shared bike and pedestrian bridge design.

During its bi-weekly work session, the council discussed a variety of projects in the midtown crossing area.

One of which is the Hawthorne Bridge connecting the east and west sides of Highway 97, ideally making it safer for pedestrians to cross. 

The council has now selected a new design planners believe will alleviate money concerns, and be within the city’s budget.

KTVZ News spoke with Ryan Oster, the city’s engineering director, to learn more.

“We’ve added a couple of years worth of escalation into things such as material cost and labor costs. so as projected right now, we think we’re within budget to start constructing in ’27 or ’28,” he said.

This new design, known as a Truss Bridge type, received rave reviews from the council.

While there are concerns of where the money comes from, the city got major grants from the state and federal governments, totaling close to $30 million.

Oster added, “Just want to emphasize, because I think there’s a lot of people that might not quite fully understand, that very, very little of the funding for this is actually coming from local sources. There’s very little coming from the voter passed, GO (general obligation) bond. We used that couple million dollars in seed money to acquire the state and federal grant money. So it’s a wonderful investment for the community and requires very little money from from the ratepayers here in the city.”

While there’s still a long way to go, city officials said they are excited about the prospects of what could become a landmark piece of Bend. City officials will be meeting again in the near future to finalize the specific bridge design.

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KTVZ

SEATTLE (KTVZ) – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a fisherman early Tuesday morning after his commercial fishing vessel capsized near the entrance to Waldport, Oregon. 

Around 5:40 a.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a VHF radio mayday call from the commercial fishing vessel Ambition, reporting it was disabled in the surf near the entrance to the Alsea River. 

The mariner stopped responding to radio calls shortly after, officials said. 

Sector Columbia River issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay and an MH-65E Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station North Bend.

Sector Columbia River also contacted the nearby commercial vessel, the Predator, which agreed to assist. 

The helicopter crew arrived on scene first and decided they were the best resource to assist, officials said. They deployed a rescue swimmer and safely hoisted the man from the water.

Once aboard the helicopter, the crew evaluated the captain for mild hypothermia and transported him to Samaritan Hospital in Newport for a higher level of care. 

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon Community College announced Thursday a new $1.33 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration that will provide scholarships and paid field placements in behavioral health for up to 18 students a year.

“This funding will bring essential support for students pursuing futures as qualified mental health associates and certified alcohol and drug counselors, with an overall goal of increasing the number of behavioral health paraprofessionals in our area,” said project lead Sean Roberts, Ph.D., an assistant professor in COCC’s human services program.

Here’s the rest of the COCC announcement about the new grant:

Enrolled COCC students pursuing a certificate or associate degree will receive scholarships of $4,000 and living stipends of $6,000 to complete a practicum. 

“These students will fill a critical health gap in Oregon while building meaningful careers,” Roberts added.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration has designated Central Oregon as a health professional shortage area. A 2022 study by the Oregon Health Authority found that Oregon ranked fourth in the U.S. in unmet mental health needs.

The behavioral health employment need across the country is significant, expected to rise by 17% between 2024-34, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

COCC’s addiction counseling and behavioral health program offers a workforce-ready associate degree and three-term certificate — the latter with 100 of the 1,000 supervised hours required for the state exam.

Students can complete all the certificate-focused coursework needed to pursue their addiction counseling certification in just nine months, attending classes two days a week.

The trainings provide all the necessary coursework and field experience for students to attain state certification to become a certified alcohol and drug counselor and/or a qualified mental health associate.

The program also offers an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree, with a focus on behavioral health.

For more information, contact Sean Roberts at 541-617-4614 or sroberts5@cocc.edu.

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Barney Lerten

(Update: Investigators find cause of house fire)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Authorities have found the cause of a fire that heavily damaged a southwest Redmond home Wednesday night. Residents got out unhurt and firefighters stopped its spread to nearby trees and grass.

Redmond Fire & Rescue crews were sent around 9:20 p.m. to the reported fire in the 300 block of Southwest 35th Street, Fire Marshal/Public Information Officer Tom Mooney said.

Crews arrived to find flames erupting from the single-story home and spreading to the trees and grass, he said. They quickly deployed hand lines to put out the house fire and stop its spread into the wildland-urban interface.

As the fire was quickly brought under control, crews learned all occupants escaped without injuries. Mooney said a resident was displaced and is being assisted by family members.

Mooney said Thursday that the “cause of the fire was determined to be the improper disposal of smoking material, igniting nearby vegetation. The fire then spread to the wooden deck that was attached to the residence and then damaged the residence.” 

“Redmond Fire & Rescue would like to thank Cloverdale RFPD, Redmond Police and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance,” Mooney said in a news release.

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John Carroll

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — What a trio of gardens this week!

Deanna sent in a lovely picture of her paradise complete with mountain views and birds overhead.

Suzie sent in her pergola picture that she simply calls “Our Garden.”

Finally, we have a lovely garden sent in by Audrey. This garden delight has a “real-life Gnome” hidden in the foliage. See if you can spot the Gnome.

Thanks for sending in the great pictures this week! See many more and share yours for a chance of a prize, under the Contests tab here.

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