Category: ktvz-local-news

Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– It wasn’t just high heat and fire risk today, we also saw strong wind gusts. One gust nearly destroyed a beloved Bend fruit stand. One of our viewers, Bill Moore, took this video at Farmer Brown’s fruit stand on Knott Road. You can see strong wind gusts blowing the entire stand over and destroying many items. In the aftermath, the tent and most of the stand are broken or blown out of place. We were not able to reach Farmer Brown’s for comment. The stand carries products from more than 50 Pacific Northwest farms and has been a staple in Bend for decades.

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Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– There’s a new food destination in Bend with Southeast Asian flavor.

Tekka Tiger is just across the street from the last Blockbuster Video on Earth. It’s owned by a family from Singapore who wanted to bring a variety of different dishes to Bend.

Its cart features a rotating menu from Laos and Indonesia, Malaysia and many other countries. Authenticity is key, when it comes to the food served.

Khly Dhillon, Owner of Tekka Tiger told KTVZ News, “So I make everything from scratch. We use a lot of big, bold flavors -lots of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, shrimp paste, fish sauce, so we’re not shying away from those big, bold flavors. When you come to Tekka Tiger, you’re going to taste the dishes the way it should be in Southeast Asia.”

The family often travels in backpacks in these countries, looking for new dishes, ingredients and flavors to bring back to Bend. Tekka Tiger wants people to contact them on their Instagram and suggest authentic dishes that they’d like to see.

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Barney Lerten

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — There will be plenty of friendly animals on display at this week’s Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo, but only one “Super COW” – and this tall addition is all about the cellphone in your pocket.

AT&T says it’s bringing its largest “Super COW” (Cell on Wheels) to the Deschutes County Fairgrounds for three events over the next couple of months, part of what the company calls its “effort to supercharge wireless capacity at Oregon’s major festivals this season.”

This mobile cell site will enhance connectivity for customers at three upcoming events. Along with the county fair, the mobile cell tower will help keep signals strong at the Reggae Rise Up Oregon music festival, August 29-31 and the Cascade Equinox Music Festival, Sept. 19-21.

“The Super COW helps keep people connected by handling lots of phone and data use at once, even outdoors — so visitors can enjoy a smooth and reliable experience all festival season,” said Suzanne Trantow of AT&T Regional Media Relations.

Fair & Expo Center Director Geoff Hinds told KTVZ News, “AT&T has had a COW on site for the last two years, but sounds like this one is an even bigger, better, more enhanced version.”

“When we reach full capacity on grounds, we can more than double the number of people in the area of Redmond, so cell service can sometimes be a bit spotty,” Hinds said. “So the COW provides additional service options for both fair attendees, as well as people in the local region.”

“No other cell company brings a COW or device on site,” the fairgrounds manager added, “but we do work with other providers, who increase their service in other ways.”

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — What began as a peaceful morning walk turned into a 12-hour rescue mission in Bend on Saturday that showed the community coming together to find a partially blind and deaf dog named Buddy.

Buddy bolted from his walker near the Deschutes River trailhead at Meadow Park on Saturday.

Despite being with other dogs and an experienced walker, Buddy took off, eventually disappearing near Widgi Creek Golf Course.

And that launched a massive search effort on Saturday afternoon. Friends, strangers, even kayakers and drone pilots joined in scouring the trails, canvassing neighborhoods and tracking sightings.

At one point, Buddy was seen swimming across the Deschutes River, as daylight faded. Hope dammed until someone spotted him on a small lava rock island in the middle of the river.

With help from local dog searcher Katie Albright and her drone, rescuers crossed slippery rocks and lit their path to reach Buddy.

Twelve hours after it began, he was found – exhausted and thirsty, but safe.

Buddy is now back at home, thanks to a community that dropped everything to bring him back home.

You can read more about how it all happened and the community’s response at this post, “The Lost and Found Gratitude Club,” on Reddit’s Bend subreddit.

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Tyson Beauchemin

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Wednesday marks the start of the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo. Through next Sunday, you can enjoy games, food, rides, and more at the Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Redmond.

It’s also kicking off the Kendall Toyota of Bend free summer concert series, with Brothers Osborne. A full list of performing artists and times is on the fair’s website.

Driving and parking at the fairgrounds should be easy. All the gates on Southwest Airportway will be open. A parking crew will be out there to guide you to a free parking spot. Once you’re there, you could buy tickets at any of the three fairgrounds gates.

Your general admission ticket gets you access to everything: the fair, the rodeo, and all of the concerts. The only extras are rides and food. And there will be some exciting new food vendors to check out this year.

Deschutes County Fairgrounds Director Geoff Hinds said, “Whether it’s the brand new Wahlburgers stand that’s making its debut for the first time ever. We’ve got a Wahlburgers owned by the Wahlberg brothers, Mark, Donnie and that family. They’re having their Oregon debut here in just a few days, or some of the other stands that we’ve got, a lot of the traditional fair food, but some new, fun opportunities as well.”

This year, there is no official shuttle to the fair, but the bus is running to the airport, which is within walking distance. Bend’s party bus is also selling tickets for its shuttle service.

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Gregory Deffenbaugh

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — .A fire Sunday afternoon heavily damaged a home atop a hill off U.S. Highway 26 south of Madras, and water shuttles to fight the blaze closed the highway for a time.

Jefferson County Fire & EMS crews were dispatched after the fire was reported around 2:45 p.m. at a home in the 2500 block of Highway 26.

Fire Chief Jeff Blake told KTVZ News the 4,500-foot home was built with materials such as a tile roof and stucco, which, along with high winds led to a rapid spread of the fire.

Despite fire crews’ swift response, most of the home was destroyed, Blake said. No one was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Jefferson County Fire called in other fire agencies, including Redmond, Crook County, Crooked River Ranch and Cloverdale, for assistance at the scene, Blake said. They all helped with opening up the structure to get to the fire and conduct mop-up operations.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office will conduct an investigation into the cause, Blake said.

Track LIVE traffic conditions by clicking here.

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Barney Lerten

HILLSBORO, Ore. (KTVZ) — Governor Tina Kotek on Monday commemorated the signing of House Bill 2138, House Bill 3031, House Bill 2258, Senate Bill 684, and House Bill 3145, “bipartisan bills aimed at building the housing that Oregonians need with the urgency they deserve.”

“These bills are an essential component of the Governor’s work to break down barriers to more housing construction and bring down the costs of housing across the state,” according to a news release from the governor’s office, which continues in full below:

“Families struggling with the high cost of living are forced to make impossible choices, between staying in the communities they love or finding a place they can afford. This affordability crisis is the stubborn engine of our homelessness crisis,” Governor Kotek said.

“Solving this decades-old problem demands that we bring creative, practical solutions to increase the supply of all kinds of homes as fast as we can. We have to cut red tape and get out of our own way. We have to invest in affordable housing projects. We have to help our cities and counties build the infrastructure they need to start building new homes.”

Habitat for Humanity hosted the event at their site in Hillsboro, Century Commons. Construction at Century Commons will soon be complete, with 18 affordable homes, including townhomes and single-level, ADA-accessible homes. The governor spoke at the event with Deborah Flagan, Vice President of Hayden Homes; Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar, and Brett Dery, a homeowner. 

House Bill 2138 legalizes and speeds up the production of middle housing, to give Oregonians the housing options that suit their needs and lower the price of housing for everyone. The bill builds on the governor’s long history of right-sizing state housing policy to better meet Oregon’s needs and turn back the impacts of exclusionary and discriminatory zoning policies.  

“I never thought I’d be able to say this, but I’m a homeowner in Bend, Oregon, and that’s because affordable housing is finally being prioritized,” Central Oregon Homeowner Brett Dery said. “The legislation Governor Kotek signed will help families like mine find stability, freedom, and a real place in their community. It means living where we work, biking through our neighborhood, and building a future with confidence. I’m grateful for the governor’s leadership and commitment to making homeownership possible for more Oregonians.”

House Bill 2258 will provide a series of pre-approved building plans, streamlining approval processes and eliminating barriers to building small apartments, single-unit dwellings, duplexes, townhomes, and other middle housing options. The bill would also create land use and design standards for the plans, providing clarity and predictability for developers, cities, and counties.

“At Hayden Homes, we’re committed to building homes that the area median wage earner can afford. This year, we opened new communities in Albany, Cottage Grove, and Bend, with homes starting between 90-100% average medium income,” Deborah Flagan said. “These communities are a direct result of past bipartisan legislation allowing for zoning reform and the integration of mixed housing types. I want to thank Governor Kotek for her unwavering leadership. Today’s bill signing reflects the continued commitment to tackling Oregon’s housing shortage head-on.” 

House Bill 3031 creates the Housing Infrastructure Project Fund, which is designed to reduce infrastructure barriers to development with strategic investments. It would provide loans, forgivable loans, and grants to cities, counties, special districts, and federally recognized tribes to fund transportation, water, wastewater, stormwater, and site development projects that are directly linked to housing development.

“When I started working on housing in Tillamook County, we hadn’t seen a new affordable development in nearly 20 years. We needed homes for families, seniors, and our workforce, not just vacation properties,” Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar said. “One thing was clear: this work needs a champion. For Oregon, that’s Governor Kotek. Thanks to her leadership, communities like ours are finally making real progress.” 

Senate Bill 684, introduced by Senator Khan Pham, creates the Construction Revolving Loan Fund, a new tool to provide long-term financing for mixed-income residential housing.

“Senate Bill 684 allows us to take the first steps towards building a revolving loan fund that in the future can get subsidized construction loans in the hands of developers eager to build both market-rate and affordable housing in communities across the state,” Senator Khanh Pham (D-Outer SE & NE Portland) said. 

“Housing is a bipartisan problem and requires bipartisan solutions,” Senator Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City) said. “It is clear Governor Kotek and the Legislature are committed to finding solutions to our housing crisis.”

House Bill 3145, introduced by Representative Pam Marsh (D-Southern Jackson County), sets aside $25 million in Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) funds to build factory-produced housing. These modular homes can be built faster and at a lower cost than traditional construction, positioning them as a crucial tool to urgently meet the state’s housing goals.  

“Getting out of this housing hole requires us to re-examine our conventional ideas on so many fronts, including land use, permitting, design, and financing. The use of factory-based components that can get homes on the ground more quickly and, perhaps, more inexpensively, needs to be a pillar in our state’s housing strategy,” Representative Marsh said. “House Bill 3145 provides Oregon developers, builders, factory operators, and communities the chance to test new approaches that could help us break through barriers to housing production.”

Since Day One of her term, the Governor has been laser-focused on solutions to create a healthy housing market, where everyone can afford a home. As a result, the state estimates that in the Governor’s first biennium in office, 2,800 affordable housing units were financed and infrastructure for over 25,000 affordable and market-rate housing units were provided. Additionally, tools have been established to continue to accelerate the development of more housing, including the Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO), a moderate-income revolving loan (MIRL) fund, and a state land inventory.

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Barney Lerten

SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — KTVZ viewer Brad Baer shared with us a video of a black bear sighting just before 2 p.m. Monday, ambling along in the woods near Huntington Road, south of Sunriver.

According to Baer, the bear was “slow-moving and minding its own business.”

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon is home to about 25,000 to 30,000 black Bears, North America’s most common bear species. By the way, while generally black in color, they can also be brown, cinnamon or blond.

Read more about them at this ODFW web page.

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Think Wild, Central Oregon’s wildlife hospital and conservation center, said Monday it recently admitted an orphaned northern flying squirrel for rehabilitation.

The young female squirrel was found on July 20, 2025, in the middle of a trail at Virginia Meissner Sno-Park near Bend. The finder initially thought the squirrel was deceased, but she began to move when approached, prompting the finder to contact Think Wild for assistance.

Here’s the organization’s full release on how the flying squirrel is doing: 

At intake, the squirrel, estimated to be a few weeks old, was underweight, hypothermic, and showing signs of external parasites, including fly eggs on her back and tail. She also had mild dehydration, but no serious injuries.

After receiving an initial exam and treatment, she was placed in a heated incubator to regulate her body temperature and begin recovery. 

This is the first time Think Wild has treated a flying squirrel patient, so staff contacted Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wildlife Care Center for treatment protocols.

Following these protocols, staff are offering the young squirrel five feedings a day, with a formula designed to support her growth and weight gain. As of last week, she has also begun eating solid food, including crushed rodent blocks, greens, and fruit. 

Unlike their name suggests, flying squirrels do not truly “fly,” but glide from tree to tree, using a membrane that stretches between their limbs. They are nocturnal and primarily feed on plant material, tree sap, fungi, and small animals such as insects and bird eggs. They are typically found in old-growth forests, where they can nest high in the trees, away from predators.  

“There are two species of flying squirrels in Oregon: the Humboldt’s flying squirrel and the northern flying squirrel. Recently documented as a new species in 2017, the Humboldt’s flying squirrel is typically smaller and darker, but the two species are very difficult to distinguish without genetic analysis, and work is still being done to accurately determine their distribution, says Kaly Adkins, ODFW’s regional wildlife diversity biologist.

“They are not commonly observed, due to their mostly nocturnal behavior and use of tree cavities for nesting,” Adkins said. “However, flying squirrels can be found in both hardwood and coniferous forests throughout Oregon.” 

Bert Skillen, a local wildlife biologist, said, “Flying squirrels are fascinating creatures who play an essential role in maintaining the health of our forests. They help promote forest health by eating fungi, especially truffles, and dispersing the fungal spores throughout the forest with their droppings. These fungi are critical for trees to take up nutrients.

“Flying squirrels are also an important prey species for the endangered spotted owl,” Skillen added. “A fun fact is that flying squirrels do not hibernate, but they will congregate together in one nest tree in the winter to stay warm. As many as 50 flying squirrels have been found in one nest tree during the colder months – that’s a lot of cuteness in one place!” 

Think Wild took in a rare, orphaned northern flying squirrel, seen at intake exam and being hand-fed formula, peering out from enclosure that simulates tree crevices

Adkins added, “Although this species faces threats of climate change, habitat loss and invasive species, (they are not) currently listed as a species of greatest conservation need in the state of Oregon.”

Though northern flying squirrels are not a species of immediate concern, successful rehabilitation of this young patient will help her continue her important role in maintaining forest health and supporting the ecosystem, Think Wild says. She will continue to receive care under strict protocols designed to promote weight gain and independence. Once she is strong enough, the goal is to release her back into her natural habitat. 

To support the care of this young flying squirrel and other patients like her, Think Wild invites the community to make a donation to the nonprofit wildlife center. Contributions are tax-deductible and help cover food, medical treatment and housing needs.

Donations directly support the rehabilitation of Central Oregon’s native wildlife and can be made at www.thinkwildco.org/support-us/donate.  

About Think Wild 

Think Wild is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Bend, Oregon. Our mission is to inspire the High Desert community to care for and protect native wildlife through rescue and rehabilitation, outreach and education, and conservation. We provide veterinary treatment and care at the wildlife hospital, staffed by expert wildlife rehabilitation staff, animal husbandry volunteers, and our staff veterinarian. Wildlife conflicts or injuries can be reported to our Wildlife Hotline at (541) 241-8680, which is monitored seven days a week from 8 AM to 4 PM. Visit us online at thinkwildco.org, or on Instagram or Facebook @thinkwildco.   

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, passed by the Legislature in 2021, officially took effect on July 1.

With this new change, residents can now recycle food and beverage cartons, pizza boxes and small scrap metal (less than 10 pounds) in their curbside carts, county officials said in a news release Monday:

The RMA makes recycling simpler by creating one easy-to-follow statewide recycling list. It also brings significant changes to how packaging, paper, and food service ware are funded, collected, and recycled.

“I’m excited for what the RMA means for Deschutes County residents,” said Tim Brownell, Director of Solid Waste. “In the coming months and years, we will be expanding recycling opportunities throughout the county and ensuring that materials are responsibly recycled. Residents with curbside service should watch for updated recycling guides from their providers. Recycling saves resources, reduces climate impacts, and creates local jobs.”

What’s Changing in Deschutes County?

Deschutes County has updated the list of items that will be accepted in curbside recycling carts and drop-off centers to align with the new Uniform Statewide Collection List.

Newly accepted in curbside carts:

Food & Beverage cartons (milk, broth, juice)

Pizza Boxes (no food residue)

Small scrap metal (under 10 pounds or 18 inches)

No longer accepted in curbside carts:

Shredded paper (can be recycled at Deschutes Recycling, located at Knott Landfill, or any Deschutes County Transfer Station and placed in a shredded paper bin).

Before the RMA, recycling programs varied widely across Oregon. The new law requires that producers of packaging, printing, paper, and food service ware help fund consistent recycling services statewide.

Learn More

Deschutes County Recycling Information: https://www.deschutes.org/solidwaste/page/recycling-what-can-i-recycle

About the Recycling Modernization Act.

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