Category: ktvz-local-news

Adrielle Hasara

Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon Community College’s Small Business Development Center is accepting applications for its 2026-27 Small Business Management Program. The nine-month program is designed for established business owners looking to address challenges and develop strategies for growth.

The program combines business coaching, peer learning and real-world case studies with individual advising from center staff. Participants work on a strategic project for their business, culminating in a live pitch competition for a share of a $6,500 prize pool. Tuition is $1,499 per person.

To qualify, businesses must have been in operation for at least one year, submit monthly financial statements and be prepared to work on their business throughout the course. The curriculum uses a flipped-classroom model where participants analyze case studies from active businesses and work in small peer feedback groups.

Group meetings are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on the second Wednesday of each month from October 2026 through June 2027. Most sessions will take place at Citizens4Community’s The Hub in Sisters. The opening session and final pitch competition will be held on the college’s campus in Bend.

In addition to group sessions, participants will receive one hour of individual advising each month from Keith Sherrill, coordinator of the Small Business Management Program at Central Oregon Community College. Participants will also have access to advisers across the Small Business Development Center.

“Running a small business means making important decisions every day, often without the benefit of a team of people to work through them with,” Sherrill said. “This program gives owners the space to step away from the day-to-day, learn from other entrepreneurs and really dig into a challenge or opportunity within their own business. The goal is for participants to leave each session with something they can immediately put to work.”

Applications for the program are due Sept. 30, with acceptance decisions scheduled for Oct. 7. The program begins Oct. 14.

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Adrielle Hasara

Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) — The Bureau of Land Management’s Pumpkin Pi timber sale in western Oregon brought in nearly $10.6 million and will produce 23.5 million board feet of timber across 400 acres. The sale surpassed the federal agency’s previous record for the region by nearly 5.5 million board feet.

The auction was part of a larger series of timber sales across approximately 1,400 acres in western Oregon during August. In total, the agency sold more than 40 million board feet of timber, earning over $17 million. Officials estimate the August timber production will generate enough material to construct 2,500 single-family homes while supporting 550 jobs.

Revenue from timber harvested on Oregon and California lands is split between the U.S. Treasury and 18 western Oregon counties. Local government officials use these funds to build county facilities, fairgrounds, museums, libraries, schools and jails, as well as flood-control dams and reservoirs.

Steve Pearce serves as the director of the Bureau of Land Management. Pearce discussed the broader financial impact of the transaction on the surrounding region.

“This record-breaking timber sale is a major boon for western Oregon’s economy,” Pearce said. “Beyond the revenue shared with 18 counties, this sale will generate more than $70 million in local economic activity.”

Forestry programs in western Oregon are governed by the Oregon and California Revested Lands Sustained Yield Management Act of 1937. Additionally, under the Secure Rural Schools Act, revenue from public timber harvests helps fund emergency search and rescue operations, federal land restoration projects and local wildfire protection initiatives.

Pearce attributed the increased volume and revenue to public land policy changes.

“Under the Trump Administration, streamlined approvals and expanded tools for public land managers helped make record setting sales like this possible, strengthening America’s domestic lumber supply, supporting rural economies and reducing reliance on foreign sourced building materials,” Pearce said.

The BLM oversees 2.4 million acres of forest land in western Oregon. According to the agency, its forestry management operations focus on reducing wildfire risks, improving fish and wildlife habitats and lowering energy production costs.

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Adrielle Hasara

Bend, ORE. (KTVZ)— Little Woody Bend will host its annual beer festival and 5K this Saturday, Aug. 29, featuring an untimed race from The Commons through Drake Park and downtown with four craft beer stops along the way.

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Tracee Tuesday

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As electric bikes and scooters become more common on Oregon streets, health officials are reporting a sharp rise in injuries, with doctors across the country warning that more children are ending up in emergency rooms after crashes.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters more than doubled statewide between 2021 and 2025 as use of the devices expanded. In 2025 alone, Oregon hospitals and emergency departments reported 509 e-scooter injuries.

The trend is raising concerns among medical experts, especially as children and teenagers increasingly ride electric-powered devices capable of reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.

Unlike cars and motorcycles, there are no federal minimum age requirements for riding e-bikes or e-scooters. Safety advocates say that means many young riders may be using powerful devices before they have the experience or skills needed to operate them safely.

According to our NBC affiliate in Wisconsin, for one Wisconsin family, a seemingly harmless ride turned into a life-changing injury.

Jamie Cline said he bought his son Garrett an electric trike for his 12th birthday, believing it was safe because it had a top speed of about 15 miles per hour.

But while riding in his neighborhood, Garrett looked over his shoulder to check on a friend. When he turned back around, he crashed into a parked car.

“If you saw what happened to Garrett, you would understand,” Cline said. “The angle of the seat and the handlebars, if you were to impact something, your body is just going to pivot forward.”

The crash shattered Garrett’s right cheekbone and required three surgeries to reconstruct his face.

Doctors say stories like Garrett’s are becoming increasingly common.

New data show emergency room visits for e-bike and e-scooter injuries among children and teens have increased more than 600% over the past three years. Head and neck injuries are among the most frequently reported.

Dr. Nick Kuehnel, a pediatric emergency physician at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, said he now treats at least one child a day for e-bike or scooter-related injuries.

“We’re seeing severe head injuries with skull fractures and bleeds,” Kuehnel said. “We’re seeing injuries to the extremities, and we’re seeing internal injuries even to the organs inside.”

Kuehnel said the combination of high speeds, sudden acceleration and braking, distracted riding and inexperienced operators can create dangerous situations for young riders.

“I don’t think that parents truly know the severity of the injuries that we’re seeing with this,” he said.

As e-bikes and scooters continue to gain popularity in communities across Oregon, experts encourage parents to research age recommendations before purchasing one, discuss the risks with their children and make sure riders wear properly fitted helmets every time they ride.

For Garrett, now 15, recovery has meant getting back to the things many teenagers take for granted.

His father said he’s looking forward to seeing his son spend time with friends, make new memories and continue working toward a bright future.

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Tracee Tuesday

CENTRAL OREGON (KTVZ) — Drivers in Central Oregon may have caught a small break at the pump recently, but that relief could be short-lived.

According to the Lundberg Survey, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline fell 3 cents over the past two weeks to $4.15 per gallon. However, a sharp increase in oil prices is raising concerns that gas prices could soon move higher.

The survey found oil prices jumped nearly $9 per barrel during the same two-week period. As a result, analysts say gasoline prices are likely to follow oil prices upward, potentially increasing by 10 cents or more in the near future.

For Oregon drivers, gas prices remain well above the national average.

The average price of regular gasoline in Oregon is $4.76 per gallon, which is 61 cents higher than the national average reported by the Lundberg Survey.

Central Oregon motorists are paying slightly less than the statewide average, but still significantly more than drivers across much of the country. A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Central Oregon costs about $4.66 per gallon, 10 cents below Oregon’s average but 51 cents higher than the national average.

The latest numbers mean Central Oregon drivers continue to face some of the highest fuel costs in the nation. And with crude oil prices climbing, any recent savings at the pump could quickly disappear if the upward trend continues.

For drivers planning late-summer road trips or daily commutes across the region, the coming weeks will be closely watched to see whether rising oil costs translate into higher gasoline prices locally.

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Kelsey Merison

CENTRAL OREGON (KTVZ) — The Rowe Creek Complex Fire, burning in Crook, Jefferson, Wasco, and Wheeler counties, has burned nearly 374,000 acres and is now 91% contained.

Fire activity was minimal overnight, with crews using thermal cameras and drones to find hot spots in the Mill Creek and Duncan Creek areas. Today, crews continued suppressing hot spots and began chipping operations along Oregon Route 207 between Mitchell and Service Creek.

All remaining level three evacuation areas in Crook County were downgraded to level two, and Wheeler County has all evacuation levels lifted.

There’s a Listening Session at Golden Coffee Co. in Prineville, Oregon on Tuesday, August 25th from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This will be an informal session where community members can ask us questions or just simply chat about the fire.

You can check Watch Duty for the latest on containment efforts.

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Tyson Beauchemin

The U.S. Forest Service has posted nearly 2,000 full-time and seasonal jobs for the upcoming fire season across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The job listings were published on USAJOBS.

The recruitment drive features entry-level positions with provided training, alongside specialized roles such as air crew, dispatchers and smoke jumpers.

Shalyn Whitson, who works in workforce development for the Forest Service, highlighted the impact these roles have on local areas.

“There’s a lot of opportunities and it’s really a rewarding job,” Whitson said. “And helping small communities.”

While recruiting for future seasons, agency officials also issued a reminder for the public to remain vigilant and avoid starting new fires to support current firefighting efforts.

Applications for all posted positions must be submitted on USAJOBS by Sept. 22. Visit the Forest Service careers webpage to learn more about careers, benefits, and other resources. The Forest Service has asked us to post this outreach notice, detailing the positions they are hiring for.

R6_FALL_2026_Perm_Firehire_Outreach 8-24-26Download

Most hired workers will report to their jobs next year after completing their required training.

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Tyson Beauchemin

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Crook County Sheriff’s Office has recovered nearly $20,000 worth of stolen goods following an operation that extended to Portland.

On July 20th a Brasada Ranch employee reported a large number of golf clubs, bags and other equipment missing

While investigating, Sheriff’s officers saw a Facebook Marketplace listing for similar clubs. The listing featured photos which displayed serial numbers matching the missing clubs. The listings were linked to a 44-year-old Portland man, who because their chief suspect. The photos of the golf club also contained another clue: id card for a storage unit in the background.

With some detective work, officers were able to match the logo on the card to a rental in the Portland-Metro area. They were able to contact the business, and were given security camera video of the suspect moving golf clubs into a unit.

Deputies got a search warrant for the storage unit, and arranged a fake buy. When they arrested the suspect, he said he had already sold several sets of clubs. The remaining clubs were recovered from the storage unit.

The suspect was taken back to the Crook County Jail and the case is being handled by the Crook County District Attorney.

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is ongoing.

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Adrielle Hasara

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — KTVZ News has learned Panera Bread will be moving into the former Cracker Barrel in north Bend.

According to online documents filed with the city, permits have been filed to turn part of the building into the fast-casual restaurant.

This comes as Carhartt announced they will be moving into the building in the near future.This is a developing story. Stay with the digital platforms of KTVZ News for updates.

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Adrielle Hasara

Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) — The U.S. Forest Service opened applications today for permanent and permanent seasonal wildland firefighting positions within the Deschutes National Forest in Central Oregon.

The hiring effort includes openings across several specialized operational units, including hand crews, engine crews and hotshot crews.

Prospective firefighters must submit their applications online through USAJobs.gov. The application window is open from Aug. 24 through Sept. 22, with employment start dates varying depending on the position.

Job announcements on USAJobs.gov detail specific application deadlines and required documentation. Position listings and application resources are also available through the Deschutes National Forest careers webpage.

The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public land across the country. Through partnerships with state and private landowners, Tribes and other organizations, the agency assists in stewarding an additional 900 million forested acres nationwide.

Applications will be accepted online through USAJobs.gov until Sept. 22.

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