Category: ktvz-local-news

Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video, recorded livestream from meeting with reporters)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, announced Thursday that he will seek re-election to a fourth term in 2026, “pledging to continue to fight for working families and stand firm against growing threats to democracy, freedom, and economic justice,” his campaign stated.

“For years, I’ve worked to lift up the voices of ordinary Americans and take on the powerful interests that rig our system,” Merkley said. “Now, with Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies working overtime to destroy the checks and balances of our ‘We the People government’ and shred programs families rely on, we’re in the fight of our lives, and I’m not backing down.”

You can watch his message to his fellow Oregonians by clicking here.

Merkley also spoke with reporters Thursday afternoon, and we have some of his remarks livestreamed on KTVZ.COM and KTVZ+ on this article.

Here is the rest of the full announcement from the senator:

In the Senate, Merkley has built a reputation as a bold, relentless progressive, fighting to protect voting rights, take on corruption, tackle the climate crisis, and expand housing and health care. He has been a fierce champion for reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, civil liberties, and consumer protections. He’s led national efforts to stop billionaires from buying elections, strengthen American democracy, and hold Wall Street accountable. His work has been driven by one clear goal: building a country where families thrive and billionaires pay their fair share.

As the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, Merkley has been on the front lines pushing back against what he calls the Republicans’ “families lose, billionaires win” agenda. He condemned Trump’s efforts to slash Medicaid, gut food assistance, and demolish clean energy progress, all to hand massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy at the expense of hardworking Americans.

Before joining the Senate, Merkley served in the Oregon House of Representatives. As Speaker of the House, he led efforts to expand affordable housing, balance the state budget, advance clean energy, defend marriage equality, and throw payday lenders out of Oregon. 

Raised in a blue-collar Oregon family, with a father who worked as a union machinist, Merkley was the first in his family to graduate from college. He still lives in the neighborhood where he grew up and remains rooted in Oregon values: equity, community, sustainability, and opportunity for all. Since 2009, he’s held town halls in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year, listening directly to the people he serves and bringing their voices to the Senate floor.

“This is a dark and dangerous time for our democracy, and the only way through it is together,” Merkley said. “I’m asking Oregonians to be my partners once again — to join me, organize, vote, and stop Trump’s march toward a strongman authoritarian state. If we stand together, we can win a future where every child grows up with real opportunity, every family has a fair shot, and future generations inherit a democracy that works for all of us.”

You can learn more and get engaged with Jeff Merkley’s campaign for re-election by visiting www.jeffmerkley.com.

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Tyson Beauchemin

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — There’s a new bookstore in Prineville with a bit of a twist. Oliver Books has opened its doors on Court Street.

The owner, Hannah Oliver, says it’s always been her passion to own and operate a bookstore. That passion shows in the inventory of the store. It has the staples of classic literature, trending BookTok books and obscure, hidden gems.

They sell both new and used books and have a surprising selection of current best-sellers with only one previous owner. There is even a room dedicated to valuable vintage and antique books.

As important as the books are, the owner has gone out of her way to create areas in the store for people to sit and read together.

“They give the community a place to go and spend time with other people,” Oliver said. “To develop community with other people. I believe that a bookstore is a perfect place for that. And these spaces are not very plentiful in Prineville. And so it was something that was important to me, to provide that space that people could go and spend time and know that they don’t have to pay.”

The store has also become a meeting place for local craft clubs and parents who read to their children after school.

Oliver Books is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

You can even shop online, using the store’s website.

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ — The Wanoga Downhill Trails project, which has been years in the making, broke ground in mid-June and plans to add a total of five mountain bike trails to the Wanoga Sno-Park Complex. Two of the trails opened to the public Wednesday, including an advanced/black downhill flow trail and a climbing trail.

Most of the trails in this zone will be intermediate or advanced, with jumps, drops, and bermed turns and an elevation gain of 350 to 400 feet. The remainder of the trails are expected to open by the end of summer.

This project is supported by the Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend Project. Funding from the Bend Sustainability Fund allowed the Central Oregon Trail Alliance to hire a seasonal trail builder to build a portion of the trails and to hire Sensus R.A.D Trails, known for their freeride and slopestyle trail building style, to build the remainder of the trails. The downhill trail that opened Wednesday was built by Sensus R.A.D. Trails.

COTA advocated to the U.S. Forest Service for the project for years after listening to public desire for more freeride and slopestyle trails.

COTA volunteers have also been critical to the success of the project. In particular, Tom Lomax, the former Director of Operations for Mt. Bachelor, has been critical to the project’s success.

“This project has a lot of moving parts. Without Tom, Sensus R.A.D. Trails, the Bend Sustainability Fund, the Forest Service, and COTA’s staff and many volunteers, this project would not have come together as smoothly as it has,” said Emmy Andrews, COTA’s executive director.

The Wanoga Downhill Trails project is part of the larger West Bend Trails Project, which was approved by the Deschutes National Forest in January after undergoing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

This project will include several trail additions across the Deschutes National Forest and improve wildlife core habitat availability and connectivity by decommissioning unofficial routes.

COTA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that builds and maintains trails in public land throughout Central Oregon. COTA’s mission is to develop, protect, and enhance the Central Oregon mountain bike experience through trail stewardship, advocacy, collaboration, and education. COTA currently stewards 600 miles of trails, including 14 miles of winter fat biking trails, and 5 bike parks in the tri-county area.

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Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Cascades East Transit (CET) will launch Route 8, a new fixed-route bus line serving Northeast Bend, starting next Monday.

The new pilot service will operate Monday-Friday from 6 AM to 7 PM to help connect people to jobs, schools, shopping, and recreation opportunities.

Route 8 will start and end at Hawthorne Station, which is CET’s main transit hub that provides connecting bus services throughout Bend and the region. 

An express route to Cascade Village 

Route 8 offers express service from Hawthorne Station to Cascade Village, which is a great option for employees and shoppers to quickly access one of Bend’s busiest retail hubs from Hawthorne Station. 

Accessible transit connections to popular destinations 

Route 8 utilizes ADA-accessible buses to serve Sky View Middle School and Realms High School, as well as newer housing communities such as Canal Commons and Empire Village Townhomes.

Major employer sites such as Les Schwab Headquarters, Humm Kombucha, the Boyd Acres Industrial Park, and the future City of Bend Public Works Campus are also along the route for commuters looking to save money on gas and vehicle expenses.

Route 8 also provides access to Pine Nursery Park, a local favorite for biking, walking, rolling, and sports activities. 

Hop on Route 8 for free and explore nearby amenities 

Route 8 is currently designed as a free pilot route to connect Northeast Bend residents to services and amenities via transit.

“Route 8 helps fill a gap in transit services in Northeast Bend,” noted Bob Townsend, CET Transportation Director. “CET is excited to launch this new pilot service to provide a new travel option for residents and visitors to access key destinations throughout Bend without needing to rely on a personal vehicle.” 

Route 8 maps, schedules, and additional information can be found on CET’s website at https://cascadeseasttransit.com/route-08/ 

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker is about to announce a new bishop who will succeed the current bishop, the Most Reverend Liam Cary.

KTVZ News has been invited to a Thursday morning news conference, set to take place at the diocese office in Redmond.

Reporters will be able to speak with the new bishop-elect and with Bishop Cary, who was ordained and took the position in May 2012, overseeing a diocese with roots dating back to 1903.

KTVZ News spoke with Cary in May after Pope Leo XIV was chosen. He expressed surprise at how quickly the new pope was chosen by the conclave of bishops.

We will have a full report on the newly chosen bishop on Thursday on KTVZ.COM and KTVZ News.

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Isabella Warren

(Update: Adding details, video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– Just weeks before embattled Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp retires from his position, an internal investigation has been started against his former political opponent, Captain William Bailey.

An anonymous tip to KTVZ News earlier this month claimed Bailey was under internal investigation over comments made on a local radio show. A third party is now investigating.

Van der Kamp confirmed to KTVZ News on Wednesday that Bailey is under internal investigation for violating policy after discussing the sheriff on La Pine radio station KNCP, though the sheriff said he has not personally listened to the interview and could not provide many details, due to the ongoing investigation.

According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Bailey spoke on the Muddtoe Radio Show about the sheriff’s failure to continue campaign promises and also alleged he was demoted following his loss. 

Van der Kamp did confirm that Bailey’s administrative roles had been stripped as a result, which Undersheriff Aaron Wells has now taken on.

Captain Bailey said he was unable to comment on the investigation, as it is still ongoing.

Bailey was van der Kamp’s political opponent during his last year’s contentious run for sheriff. Bailey was endorsed at the time by departing Sheriff Shane Nelson, who had publicly denounced van der Kamp during the election. Bailey was mentioned in a tort claim filed by van der Kamp against the sheriff’s office, alleging political interference, harassment and targeting.

Sheriff van der Kamp confirmed earlier that his last day in office is July 31st, as he retires following public and internal pressure to step down after local and state leaders found the sheriff untrustworthy. District Attorney Steve Gunnels had earlier this year placed van der Kamp on the Brady List of those officers who are not to be called to testify at trial, claiming he lied about his educational background during previous cases.

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Barney Lerten

(Update: Sunday update; containment established, evacuations reduced to Level 1)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Sunday, the Willow Fire has grown to 4,417 acres, burning on Prineville District BLM and private land in southeast Crook County, officials said Friday.

Fire personnel released new information putting containment at 75%, and is expected to be at 90% containment by the end of Sunday evening.

Firefighters still assigned to the Willow Fire, will patrol and monitor for hot spots, and work on repairing any resource damage done during active suppression efforts, including repairing fences and naturalizing constructed fire lines.

Fire crews will be transitioned to a Type 4 Incident Management Team with approximately 35 people beginning, Monday.

Crook County sheriff’s deputies announced the lower Level 1 evacuation notice for the area on Friday morning but advised, “Please continue to be alert for potential evacuation changes.”

Evacuation Levels 2 and 3 were replaced Friday by Level 1 GET READY near the Willow Fire

Other fire information:

There was minimal activity on the fire Thursday, and with favorable weather Friday, BLM and USFS engines, dozers and skidgens, along with Brothers-Hampton Rangeland Fire Protection Association (RFPA) resources will focus on completing fire line construction and to begin securing the fire perimeter and mopping up where possible.

The Sunrise Fire, meanwhile, is now 90% contained at 307 acres in the South Fork Wilderness Study Area and firefighters are continuing to work on mopping up and securing the perimeter

The Foley Creek and Board Hollow Fires on private land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), 20 miles north of Prineville, are both 80% contained at 30 acres and 21.5 acres, respectively.

Firefighters responded to four new fires Thursday will continue to remain vigilant for new starts that result from lightning earlier in the week. As resources continue to work these fires, the public is reminded to be careful with all ignition sources, especially with forecast high temperatures this weekend. Do your part to prevent one more spark.

Information on all fires in Central Oregon will be posted on the only official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org or on X/Twitter @CentralORfire.Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire. For smoke and air quality information, visit fire.airnow.gov.

 BLM closes certain lands in Crook County due to Willow Fire

Prineville, Ore. — The Bureau of Land Management announces an immediate temporary closure of public lands in Crook County due to an active fire in the area. This action is taken to ensure public safety, protect land health, and maintain resource integrity, while minimizing conflicts with emergency response teams engaged in fire suppression efforts. 

Closure Details: The affected public lands include portions of the following townships as shown on the attached map: 

Tp. 20 S., Rg. 23 E 

Tp. 20 S., Rg. 24 E 

Tp. 21 S., Rg. 23 E (north of Buck Creek Road) 

Tp. 21 S., Rg. 24 E 

This closure is effective immediately and will remain in place until conditions permit safe public access. 

Exceptions to the Closure: Certain individuals may be exempt from this closure, including: 

Federal, State, or local officers or members of emergency crews engaged in official duties. 

BLM employees and contractors performing their official tasks. 

Individuals with existing rights for access or those holding written approval from the BLM Authorized Officer. 

Legal Penalties: Violations of this closure may result in legal action, including fines and potential imprisonment. Vehicles found violating this order may be towed. 

For further information, please contact the Prineville District Front Desk at 541-416-6700.  

Details of the closure and relevant maps will be available online at Fire Restrictions – Oregon-Washington Bureau of Land Management. 

In southern Klamath County, crews made progress overnight on the nearly 2,600-acre Elk Fire, which also remains at zero containment. No more growth was reported amid cool overnight temperatures, officials said Friday.

—

Earlier info:

Officials said late Thursday that “crews made good progress constructing direct fire line.” They also said firefighters responded to a new blaze Thursday on Hampton Butte, adjacent to the Willow Fire.

Lightning strikes have ignited nearly two-dozen fires across Central Oregon this week, the largest of which is the Willow Fire, estimated earlier Thursday to be 1,000 acres, with the head of the fire on the east side of Buck Creek, nearly reaching the border of the Malheur National Forest.

The lightning storm that passed through Central Oregon Tuesday ignited about two-dozen fires being fought by crews Wednesday, the largest one in southeast Crook County that quickly grew to about 500 acres and forced Level 3 and 2 evacuations.

The largest new blaze, the Willow Fire, was reported shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday near Willow Ridge in southeast Crook County. It had burned about 500 acres by early evening, Watch Duty reported.

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office issued Level 3 GO NOW and Level 2 BE READY evacuations in the Willow Butte area.

Two large air tankers, two single-engine air tankers and an air attack plane were heading to the fire, burning on BLM land about 20 miles north of Glass Butte.

Central Oregon Fire Information Officer Kassidy Kern told KTVZ News several engines, a bulldozer and skidgen were on scene or en route. Two Type 1 helicopters were ordered up, as well as a SEAT plane and a large air tanker out of Medford.

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Jillian Fortner

(Update: Adding video, details, comments)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – As wildfire season intensifies, many Central Oregonians are turning to the Watch Duty smartphone app or website to stay informed. Since its launch in 2021, the app has become a widely used source for fire information around the region.

Watch Duty co-founder Dave Merritt told KTVZ News on Wednesday that the app was created in California and now reaches millions of users across several states.

“We started in the communities that we knew and knew needed it the most, in Sonoma, Napa, and Lake County,” Merritt said. “At the end of that first year, we realized that, you know, we had like 100,000 people that had downloaded the app, and people really, really liked it.”

The app is run by active and retired firefighters, dispatchers and first responders who monitor radio scanners and official sources, collaborating 24/7 to deliver information quickly.

Merritt said Watch Duty saw a major spike in downloads during the January wildfires in Los Angeles.

Deschutes County officials say Watch Duty has become a helpful tool over the years, but they still encourage residents to sign up for official emergency alert systems.

“A lot of people use it. It’s a great tool. But we do also ask that people look at official sites as well,” said Nathan Garibay, emergency manager for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Garibay said the Watch Duty team has been open to local feedback and has made efforts to align their alerts with Deschutes County’s communication practices.

“They seem receptive to that feedback and have made adjustments to get information out in a format that is consistent with our practices,” Garibay added.

Garibay noted that not every fire poses a major threat, and that’s why the county is selective with its emergency alerts.

“We don’t want people to get fatigued around getting those alerts,” he said. “But we want them to be aware of what’s going on and where the risk is, and that when an incident occurs that is potentially threatening to them, they get the right information in a timely fashion.”

In addition to wildfire notifications, Deschutes County Alerts also sends warnings for severe weather, neighborhood emergencies, and missing persons.

As Watch Duty continues to grow, both its co-founder and local emergency officials agree it’s not about picking just one source. They say staying informed means relying on multiple, trusted channels.

“We should be viewed as supplementary to official sources, you know – especially around wildfire,” Merritt said.

Watch Duty currently focuses on wildfires, but the team hopes to expand to other natural disasters in the future.

“So what happens if there’s a flood? What happens if there’s a tornado? What happens if there’s a tsunami?” Merritt said. “You know, we don’t necessarily know how we’ll fit into those different ecosystems and challenges, but we want to try to provide good, free services to the public to help them when an emergency strikes.”

Watch Duty is available on the App Store, Google Play and on your web browser. 

You can sign up for Deschutes County alerts here. If you join, you’ll receive phone calls, an email or text messages about emergency evacuations, natural disasters and neighborhood emergencies. 

Jefferson County and Crook County also have alert services.

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Tracee Tuesday

REDMOND, Ore. [KTVZ} — “I don’t like raising rates.”  

That’s Enviro Shuttle owner, Bill Calidonna, responding to the Redmond City Council approving an increase in June 2025, in rates to provide ride-share services to and from Redmond Airport. 

Rate increases of 200 to 300%. That’s what local shuttle services like Enviro Shuttle have now to do business at Redmond Airport . As a result, we’ve had to pass on those cost to the customer.   

“You know, you’re answering to the customers. You have to explain to them, you know, what?  What’s the reason for such an increase? And, when they’re tripling our rate to be here, our rates have to go up,” said Calidonna.    

Enviro Shuttle says it’s frustrated after the Redmond City Council approved a new rate increase, tripling the fee from a $1 to $3 for each shuttle trip to and from the Redmond Airport. The shuttle company says this move makes it harder for small, eco-friendly operators to stay competitive.   

“When I first started, it was 250 a year, and now it’s going to be 30,000. I mean, that’s a 12,000% increase, and he just basically told us we didn’t like it. He would tear out the taxi lane and put in parking spots,” said Calidonna. 

Calidonna is speaking of Airport Director Zachary Bass. KTVZ was able to speak with Bass via phone, today.  

Bass: “The ground transportation – fee increase is from $1 to $3 per pickup.”  

Tracee: “So that’s more than half then, right?”  

Zachary: “I guess you can look at it that way. The way we calculate that is, based on cost recovery.  What it cost us to operate the taxi lanes; all of the operating agreements; the snow removal as part of that.”   

As to how much of a cost will be passed to travelers – what you’re paying now – add any where from $3 to $5, which compared to other taxi and ride-sharing services, is still competitive, Calidonna says. Still, as a local business owner, he is unhappy with both Bend and Redmond City Councilors.   

“It just seems like our city leaders are against us everywhere. From the airport to both Redmond and Bend City Councils.”   

Redmond Airport says as they expand, so will be the need for ground transportation to expand, which means cost will expand. That cost may ultimately be passed down to the travelers.  

Nevertheless, Enviro Shuttle says they will be there to pick you up and drop you off.

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Harley Coldiron

(Update: Adding video)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Right now, Oregon Fish and Wildlife’s Ochoco Office in Prineville is asking the public to report any porcupine sightings or encounters, as it begins a two-year project to learn more about the elusive mammal’s population, habits, and ecosystem.

The population of these large rodents with coats of quills has dramatically dropped over the years, and nobody is quite sure why.

“They’re an unprotected mammal in Oregon right now. So, unfortunately, we don’t have many population metrics on them, and there’s very little known about their life history,” Mikayla Bivona, acting assistant wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Ochoco District in Prineville told KTVZ News in an interview.

Bivona says the Porcupine Project aims to change that, but first they need your help finding the elusive sharp-spined swimmers, “They are pretty hard to find, unfortunately”.

If you see or believe there may be a porcupine in your area, Bivona asks that you either call their Ochoco Office at 541-591-1629 or submit their reporting form, which can be found here.

Once found, Bivona says her and other ODFW biologists will put trackers on them, similar to what you see on some wolves and deer, “So they’ll just get a really cute, tiny version of that, and then we’ll get GPS points to track their habitat, use. We’re going to be doing diet analysis, cause of mortality”.

Project Porcupine is already seeing success. They’ve found six so far, and those numbers are growing fast. “They’ve all had babies, a few of them. So when we get a little porcupette, which is the name of a baby porcupine, it’s really exciting,” Bivona said.

Besides reporting any porcupines you or your pets may encounter, ODFW is also looking for proactive volunteers who want to track down porcupines themselves. Training sessions will be held with the High Desert Museum once volunteers have signed up.

Sign up to volunteer by clicking here.

Report any porcupine sightings or encounters by clicking here.

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