Category: ktvz-local-news

Claire Elmer

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — When Barbara Bracey opens her mailbox, the glossy catalogs inside feel familiar.

“I get the catalogs, I go through them…Oh, I need a new one of those,” Bracey said. As she is mostly home-bound and doesn’t know how to work a computer, it’s an easy way for her to shop for essentials, and more.

Her son, Jon Martin, is his mother’s caretaker. He discovered she had a line of credit through Stoneberry — a catalog retailer that offers installment financing for a variety of products. He says the interest rate quietly increased over time.

“It started out at, I think it was 13%. In just last year, or within a few years, it jumped up to 27% interest,” Martin said.

In the last three years, 166 complaints were filed with the Better Business Bureau against Stoneberry’s parent company, Mason Companies Incorporated. The Oregon Attorney General’s Office has also received five complaints.

The complaints cite concerns about high interest rates, billing disputes, and allegations of predatory tactics. The company is not BBB-accredited, but that alone doesn’t mean a business is acting improperly.

Cameron Nakashima with the BBB says their organization can be a helpful resource for consumers to make informed decisions.

“Maybe something just feels not 100% when you’re talking with a business, always look them up. And it really doesn’t have to be a super heavy, deep dive. Take 2 to 5 minutes to look up this business and do that gut check,” Nakashima said.

Bracey wants to help warn others who may not have the support she has from her son.

“I was afraid they were going to take me to court and sue me. It was a kind of a fear factor too. I hate to think of other elderly people being taken advantage of, and we get taken advantage of a lot,” she said.

Martin’s breaking point was a letter asking to share his mother’s information with other companies.

“Who knows how many other companies would have been targeting her or them because they shared all of her personal information,” Martin said.

Consumer advocates encourage those who may have concerns to look up a company or reach out to local organizations that may be able to help. The BBB also has resources for older adults and caregivers to protect vulnerable loved ones.

But Martin’s advice? “Watch out for your neighbors and watch out for each other. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

KTVZ reached out to Stoneberry for comment but did not receive a response.

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Tracee Tuesday

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (PRINEVILLE REVIEW) — An investigation by our media partner, the Prineville Review, has prompted a public response from TDS Telecom’s president and CEO following weeks of customer complaints about price increases on the company’s “Price for Life” internet plans.

In a Feb. 24 email sent to affected customers, TDS President and CEO Ken Dixon apologized for what the company described as a billing system error, which caused some subscribers to be overcharged by as much as $7 on their most recent bills.

“We’re reaching out to apologize for an error that appeared on your recent bill,” Dixon said in the message shared with the Prineville Review. “A small group of customers enrolled in specific price promotions, including Price for Life, were incorrectly charged due to a billing system error. We sincerely regret this mistake and are taking immediate action to resolve the issue.”

According to TDS, affected customers will automatically receive credits on their next billing statements. The company said no action is required from customers and that the lifetime pricing agreements remain in place.

The issue came to light earlier this month after the Prineville Review received multiple reports from Central Oregon customers questioning unexpected price increases. Some customers said they only discovered the overcharges after reviewing their monthly statements, while others said corrections were made only after pressing the issue with TDS customer service.

TDS has said the problem affected only a “small group” of customers, though complaints have been reported from several communities across Central Oregon. The company has not yet responded to follow-up questions from the Prineville Review regarding its claim that customers had been notified of the issue earlier in February.

Dixon became president and CEO of TDS Telecom in June 2025 after holding several executive roles within the company’s parent organization.

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Spencer Sacks

(Update: adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — More than 500 participants gathered in Riverbend Park, for the annual Polar Plunge. Despite water temperatures of 38 degrees, the event saw record attendance from local residents, students and community groups.

This year’s event grew to 550 participants, up from 300 people the previous year. The surge in popularity caused the event to start 20 minutes late after more than 100 people registered between late Friday night and the morning of the plunge.

Emily Rose, vice president of development and marketing for Special Olympics Oregon, noted the impact of the increased turnout.

“So to go from 300 to 500 and 50 in 1 year is amazing,” Rose said. “It’s great to see the Central Oregon community come together to support people with intellectual disabilities in their community.”

The event featured a 5K run and a costume contest. More than 28 different groups were represented during the plunge, including students from several local high schools such as Mountain View High School. Participants dressed in various costumes to spread awareness for the organization.

Deschutes County Interim Sheriff Ty Rupert was among the first-time participants taking the plunge. Rupert noted that many members of his agency joined the event.

“I am going to take the plunge. I’m excited to take on going just like this,” Rupert said. “This is a great event. It’s the Special Olympics Oregon. We have a lot of people from our agency participating. I’m super proud of them.”

Safety and support teams were stationed in the water during the festivities. Alex Beck, a member of Deschutes County Search and Rescue, monitored the area as participants jumped in.

“I’m stoked being in the water out here,” Beck said. “See all the smiles on Everybody’s faces and just have some fun.”

The cause resonated with local workers who interact with the athletes through their daily jobs. Lavonne Sholes, a Bend-Lapine Schools bus driver, said the event supports a group she knows well.

“It’s just an awesome cause,” Sholes said. “I take lots of trips with this Special Olympics groups and special needs groups and they are a fantastic group of kids so I want to support that for sure.”

While many were new to the event, others returned to continue their support for the charity. Abraham, representing Bend Honda and the Lithia Group, completed his fourth year at the plunge.

“You know, doing something for charity. That’s always wonderful about this,” Abraham said. “My fourth year doing it and I’m just happy to be doing it.”

Steve, another participant in the plunge, emphasized that the goal of the gathering was to raise awareness while bringing joy to the community. “It’s just a fun way to raise awareness for Special Olympics,” Steve said. “That’s what we’re out here doing, is making people smile.”

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Barney Lerten

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning Friday of another scam that has echoes of many over the years, impersonating officers and trying to part you from your money.

“They change from time to time but it’s important to be vigilant,” the Facebook post stated.

“We won’t ask for money,” they said. “We do not accept Bitcoin. We won’t call and take bail, this is all done in person. We don’t call you for missing jury duty. We will not call you about a warrant for your arrest.”

The best court of action is familiar as well: “Always hang up.”

“If you feel like it’s fishy, you can always call our office directly to see,” the agency said, noting that the scammers “mask the number, and sometimes it comes up as ours.”

“They will use names of real deputies and administrative personnel we have on staff to make it seem more ‘legit,'” the sheriff’s office added.

“If you ever question the call, real or not, you can always hang up and call our front office staff directly and we will verify it for you,” they said.

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Tyson Beauchemin

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Think Wild’s educational outreach program is at risk of disappearing. The wildlife rehabilitation organization lost $16,000 in grant funding over the last two weeks.

Based in Jefferson County and and Warm Springs schools, Think Wild offers these hands-on learning experiences to schools at no cost. The program provides free weekly classes to local students to teach them about the animals and plant of Central Oregon. The outreach program specifically serves Title I schools.

The program was already facing a potential scale-back after the loss of a first grant. Following the second rejection, the organization reported that the entire outreach effort is now at risk of being canceled.

Molly Honea serves as the communications manager for Think Wild. She noted that while receiving occasional rejections is a standard part of the grant process, this is something more.

“You know, with grant funding, you’re used to getting some yeses and getting some nos. But two in a row starts to make you feel a little anxious,” Honea said. “So we’re we’re definitely hoping to do some community fundraising and get some support from the people around here, because if we want to be able to offer this programing, we gotta have money to do so.”

Each rural program session in Central Oregon typically costs between $200 and $300 to operate. This figure is basedon required for materials for every class provided to the schools.

Organization officials stated that grants are becoming increasingly competitive as federal and state funding sources disappear. This shift has resulted in a higher number of nonprofit organizations applying for the same limited pools of money.

Think Wild is now turning to community fundraising to bridge the funding gap. The organization is seeking donations of any amount to ensure the wildlife learning programs can continue in the classroom.

To support Think Wild, visit their website.

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Lee Anderson

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Humane Society of Central Oregon is not just about cats and dogs.

They have a variety of other fun animals to consider adopting, including several rabbits. Lynne Ouchida brought one, fittingly named Bunny, for Friday’s Pet Pals segment.

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Tyson Beauchemin

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Playful Paws Cat Café is celebrating a milestone after reaching its 400th adoption. The facility has provided homes for hundreds of animals since opening its doors in late 2023.

The cafe partners with Cascade Canine Rescue East and West, a nonprofit organization based in Tumalo. This collaboration focuses on finding homes for cats that arrive at the rescue as either strays or owner surrenders.

Regardless of how the cats come to the cafe, every adoption story is it’s own story, according to the cafe’s owner, April Ferguson,.

“People will come in and they have a specific cat in mind,” Ferguson said. “I want to get a tabby cat female and they will fall in love with a male black cat and take it home. Other times they need to come in a few times. We meet and greet and see who we have and then sometimes the cat will pick you. We had a guy come in who was not looking to adopt and a kitten sat right on his head and that’s who he went home with.”

While the business accepts walk-ins, management prefers that people schedule their visits in advance. Visitors can book an appointment online to spend quality time with the cats even if they are not currently planning to adopt a pet.

To get your time with the cats, visit Playful Paws Cat Café’s website.

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Culver woman who ran a stop sign and crashed into the side of a small school bus in Redmond nearly two years ago has pleaded guilty to 17 charges, including DUII and third-degree assault, a month before she was due to go on trial. 

Katrina Nicole Dacus, now 36, earlier pleaded not guilty to 26 charges, including numerous counts of reckless endangering and fourth-degree assault, filed after the March 22, 2024 crash on Highway 126 and SW Helmholtz Way in Redmond. 

Dacus was at the wheel of an SUV that crashed into a Baker High School bus carrying 14 Baker County Future Farmers of America students, who were in Redmond for a state convention. Three students were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. 

The charging document said Dacus was driving with a measured blood alcohol level of at least .15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit of .08.

The crash sent the school bus off the highway’s eastbound shoulder and into a ditch.

In the plea petition filed Monday, Dacus agreed to serve a two-year prison term, with a potential “good time” reduction, along with three years probation and a five-year suspension of her driver’s license, to begin upon release from prison.

Deschutes County Circuit Judge Raymond Crutchley accepted the guilty pleas at a hearing Thursday afternoon. The eight-day jury trial scheduled to begin March 31 was canceled. Dacus is due to be sentenced on April 13. 

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Barney Lerten

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The challenging off-and-on season is back on again at Hoodoo Ski and Recreation Area, which reopened on Friday, a few days after heavy rainstorms caused flooding that forced its closure. 

“Fortunately, the waters have largely receded and things have firmed back up, so we are able to bring you some fun once again,” the resort said in Friday’s mountain conditions report. 

The snow base remains low, at 25 inches, but the resort called it a “perfect spring day. … With light winds, mostly sunny skies and a high near 46 degrees, it doesn’t get much better.” 

Early-season conditions are still in place, so visitors were urged to “please keep an eye out for marked, unmarked and hidden hazards, right with caution and, as always, scout before you send it.” 

Hoodoo had reopened on Thursday, Feb. 19 after a mid-winter shutdown caused by days of warm, dry weather.

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Spencer Sacks

(Update: Adding video, KTVZ.COM Poll, local law enforcement involvement)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) Officers from the Bend and Redmond police departments and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office will gather at Riverbend Park on Saturday morning with family, friends and fans for the annual Polar Plunge. The event serves as a major fundraiser for the Special Olympics.

The tradition has been held annually in Bend since 2007 to support the Special Olympics, an organization that provides sports for people with intellectual disabilities. This year, participants will dive into river water that is currently measuring about 36 degrees.

Between all participating departments, more than $10,000 has been raised for the organization this year alone. This fundraising total fuels a friendly competition between the agencies, as the amount raised determines the order in which teams enter the river.

Detective Dallas Wilson of the Bend Police Department said the competition adds to the event’s energy. “Whoever raises the most money gets to go into the water first,” Wilson said Friday. “So the excitement of trying to raise that money so you can go in and out the quickest. It’s pretty. It’s very fun.”

While some may be hesitant about the cold, some participants embrace the low temperatures.

Lt. Jeff Sundberg, with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, described himself as a person who enjoys cold-water challenges like ice baths.

“For me, I am a sucker for punishment. I love cold water. So between ice baths and jumping in the river, it’s exciting,” Sundberg said. “I think there’s so much adrenaline flowing. So you get out there, you plunge in there, and you just get a sense of accomplishment.”

Registration remains open for community members who wish to join the law enforcement teams. To participate in either the 5K run or the plunge, individuals must fundraise or donate $60. Those who wish to participate in both events are required to raise $100.

April Huey, administration lieutenant for the Redmond Police Department, highlighted the community impact of the gathering.

“It’s a great day of fun, meeting lots of new people, and supporting a great cause, the Special Olympics,” Huey said.

The Polar Plunge will take place Saturday morning at Riverbend Park. Results and footage from the event will be featured during the weekend news broadcasts.

You can register online here.

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