Category: ktvz-local-news

Matthew Draxton

REDMOND, Ore. – The Oregon Lightning will host the defending Arena Football One champions, the Albany Firebirds, this Saturday, April 25, 2026, for their 2026 home opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time at the First Interstate Bank Center.

This matchup marks Oregon’s second game of the 2026 AF1 season and the first opportunity for Central Oregon fans to see the Lightning on their home turf this year. The Lightning opened their season on the road two weeks ago in Everett and now focus on an Albany team known for its physical style of play and explosive scoring ability. Saturday’s contest is the first meeting between the two franchises in AF1 competition.

Fans unable to attend the game can stream the action live on The Home Team Network, through the Oregon Lightning website and with the team’s local streaming partner, KTVZ+. Four partner locations across Central Oregon will also stream the game. These include The Moontower at 329 SW 6th St in Redmond, Bangers & Brews Westside at 1288 SW Simpson Ave in Bend, Upp Liquids at 550 SW Industrial Way #185 in Bend and New Basin Distilling Company at 2063 NW St. Andrews Dr in Madras.

After Saturday’s home opener, the Lightning will play two consecutive road games. They will face the Michigan Arsenal on Saturday, May 2 at 4:00 p.m. and the Nashville Kats on Saturday, May 9 at 2:00 p.m. Both games will be available on KTVZ+ and The Home Team Network. The Lightning will return home on Saturday, May 16 to play the Washington Wolfpack at 6:00 p.m.

Other scheduled games include home matchups against the Michigan Arsenal on Saturday, May 23 at 6:00 p.m. and the Washington Wolfpack on Saturday, May 30 at 6:00 p.m. The team will play the Kentucky Barrels at home on Sunday, June 7 at 3:00 p.m. and on the road on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. Their final regular season road games are against the Washington Wolfpack on Saturday, June 20 at 6:00 p.m., the Beaumont Renegades on Sunday, July 5 at 3:00 p.m. and the Oceanside Bombers on Friday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m.

The AF1 Quarterfinal Playoffs are scheduled for July 24-26, with the AF1 Semifinal Playoffs on Aug. 1. The AF1 League Crown Championship will take place on Aug. 8. Broadcast partners for playoff games include VICE-TV and KTVZ+.

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Kelsey Merison

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (KTVZ) — A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a 1983 cold case in Oregon.

The state justice departments says 73-year-old Marcus Sanfratello pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree.

The victim is Teresa Peroni, who was Sanfratello’s girlfriend when she went missing.

Investigators say new DNA evidence and modern forensics techniques helped them build the case decades after her disappearance.

Click here to read our Portland affiliate station KGW’s article on the case.

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Kelsey Merison

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Happening next, Lake Billy Chinook is about to get very busy.

The Oregon State Marine Board will conduct its annual marine law enforcement training on Lake Billy Chinook in Jefferson County between April 27th and May 8th.

According to the board, this intensive training is designed for new or seasonal marine law enforcement officers to train them in boating laws, boat handling, and water safety fundamentals. 

Throughout this comprehensive, nine-day marine academy, officers get time behind the wheel to develop maneuvering skills for operating jet and propeller boats.

They also learn boating safety rules that they will be enforcing to keep everyone safe on the water.

The training includes accident investigation, boating under the influence detection and apprehension, as well as other types of boater compliance.

The marine academy is hosted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, along with highly skilled deputies from around the state, taking an active role as instructors.

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Kelsey Merison

CROOK COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Prineville readers, are you missing a pig?

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office posted this to their facebook page on Tuesday:

They say this little piggy was found near Bear Creek Road.

If this is your pig, or you know who it belongs to, you’re asked to contact the Crook County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at (541) 447-6398, #1.

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Tracee Tuesday

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend police say several teenagers are facing consequences after an alleged incident involving airsoft-style weapons in one of the city’s busiest shopping and entertainment areas.

Officers say the incident happened late April 18 at the Old Mill District. According to police, a group of juveniles in a red lifted pickup truck allegedly shot airsoft or BB-style pellets at people in the area and sprayed a fire extinguisher.

The incident was reported the next morning, April 19, around 9:30 a.m., by Old Mill employees.

Police said in a statement to KTVZ News that officers have identified those involved.

“Officers have identified suspects involved. At least one of them has been trespassed for life from the Old Mill. Additional charges will be referred to juvenile justice,” the department said.

Yigitalp Uçan, a Bend chef, told KTVZ he and a friend were among those targeted.

He said the group drove by twice—first firing what he described as plastic pellets, then returning and spraying a white powdery substance.

“As they roll in, they started pulling a gun out of there… and then we just heard fully automatic… like shooting,” Uçan said. “It was all plastic or BB gun… it just hurt us for a second.”

Uçan also shared video with KTVZ News that he said shows the truck driving through the Old Mill District that night.

The Old Mill District told KTVZ it is reviewing security footage of the incident and will provide additional information when it becomes available.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be referred to the juvenile justice system.

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Spencer Sacks

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Former Central Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned from President Donald Trump’s Cabinet on Monday following investigations into alleged misconduct involving her and her husband.

Chavez-DeRemer served as U.S. secretary of labor for 14 months. She is the third Cabinet member to leave the administration in recent months, following the departures of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Allegations and response

Chavez-DeRemer’s husband had previously been banned from Labor Department offices in Washington, D.C.

In a statement posted to social media, Chavez-DeRemer thanked the president and addressed the allegations.

“Thank you, President Trump. While my time serving in the administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn’t mean I will stop fighting for American workers,” she wrote.

In a separate post, she pushed back on the accusations.

“The allegations against me, my family, and my team have been peddled by high-ranked deep state actors,” she said.

Reaction from Oregon leaders

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., criticized Chavez-DeRemer’s tenure in a statement to KTVZ.

“The only thing steady about this administration is its continued and blatant abuse of the law,” Wyden said.

“Chavez-DeRemer, whose term was plagued with widespread misconduct, was no exception. Oregonians deserve a labor secretary that cares more about protecting workers than executing Trump’s agenda and getting wine delivered to their hotel room.”

Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., declined to comment.

Portland policy controversy

During her time in the Cabinet, Chavez-DeRemer drew attention for comments supporting federal intervention in Portland.

“Thank you for what you were doing with your agents on ICE,” she said during a Cabinet meeting. “And thank you for the prosecution that I hope you will come to Portland, Oregon, and crack down.”

The remarks came amid protests in Portland related to federal immigration enforcement actions.

Political background and next steps

Before joining the Cabinet, Chavez-DeRemer lost her reelection bid to U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, who now represents Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.

Chavez-DeRemer has said she plans to pursue a role in the private sector following her resignation.

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Tyson Beauchemin

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — If you see a man riding around Central Oregon on a classic motorcycle with a big poodle in the sidecar, stop: He wants to talk to you about something very important.

Max Orsini and his service dog Gnocchi are spreading the message of Orsini’s charity, Ride4LifeNW, by traveling around the state to raise awareness of the need for organ donations.

Orsini, a two-time organ recipient himself, knows it’s difficult to talk about death. But he says it’s important to have discussions with your family.

Many people don’t realize most organ donations do not happen because the family interferes, Orsini said.

“When there is that moment of grief, the family hesitate or the family could say, ‘Please don’t talk to us about this issue right now. I don’t want to know.’ And that’s where most of the time, the process stops,” he said.

Orsini will be gearing up for his next ride around the state next month. There’s a send-off party at the Audi showroom on Friday May 22nd from 4-6:30 p.m. After that, Max will do a circuit around the state, visiting hospitals.

KTVZ News will be keeping an eye on Max, as he’s working on another record-breaking trip.

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Barney Lerten

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Madras man indicted on murder, kidnap and other charges in the 2022 killing of another Madras man was sentenced Tuesday to a 25-year prison term on a lesser manslaughter charge, after he denied shooting or burying the victim, whose grieving family members pleaded for a murder conviction and life sentence. 

Victor Manuel Romero Jr., now 29, signed a plea petition last month, pleading guilty to four of the nine charges he faced in the September 2022 abduction, assault and killing of Thomas Patrick Nielson, 61. 

Nielson was taken from his mobile home, which was then destroyed by fire. He was taken to a field in Crook County, off Lone Pine Road, where authorities said Romero and co-defendant Audrey Hahn, now 34, of Bend, shot him several times. His body was found there a year later. 

In November of 2024, Romero was returned from a California prison where he was serving time for drug crimes to face new charges in the killing. Hahn still faces the same murder and other charges, unless a plea deal is reached in her case as well. 

One of the victim’s five sons, Zack Nielson, had a statement read for him in court. He told of how, as a Marine serving in Afghanistan in 2012, he nearly killed an innocent man in the “fog of war.” Ten years later, almost to the day, waiting to retire from the Marines, he learned of the fire at his father’s home, and his disappearance. 

“I sat in that darkness for an entire year, hoping they’d find my dad, and he’d be OK.” Instead, he said, “I was robbed of a future full of freedom to visit my dad.” 

Zack Nielson said the plea deal was “made without family involvement” and that Romero and Hahn beat and kidnapped his father, torching his house and eventually killing him. 

“They should be given no relief from the consequences of their depraved actions,” he said. 

Another son, Brian Nielson, spoke in court, calling it “one of the most heinous, brutal crimes in Oregon history.” He said Romero was a “gangster” and “thug” who “came hunting for someone who wasn’t there” – not Nielson, a disabled senior who he said had “nothing to do with the gang, the cartel” Romero was associated with. 

“But innocent didn’t matter to Victor Romero,” Brian Nielson said. “This was not a crime of passion. This was not manslaughter. … What happened to my father was murder. I’m asking you from the bottom of my heart to reject the plea. … I do not believe justice is being served in this courtroom today. A plea deal is not justice – it’s paperwork.” 

“This will not be the end,” he said, vowing to pursue every avenue, from civil and federal court.  

“Your honor, please reject this plea,” he pleaded. “Give my father justice.” 

The victim’s brother, Tim Nielson, provided a recorded audio statement that was played in court. He talked of many difficulties, claiming authorities did not keep his brother’s assets secure and that the family was forced to sell his property at a loss for expenses such as like removal of the burned home and burial expenses. 

And he said the family has not issued a death notice or obituary, “for fear of upsetting the process.” 

“We hesitate to imagine what Tom endured in the hours and minutes prior to his brutal murder,” Tim Nielson said. 

Nielson provided KTVZ News with the recorded statement:

Tim Nielson – Victim Impact StatementDownload

When it was his turn to speak – if he wished, Romero said: “I did not shoot Thomas. I did not shoot the guy. I did not end his life.” But he added, “I made a mistake of being (involved). I did not shoot him. I did not bury him – other persons did.” 

He added that he was “sorry to the bottom of my heart” for what happened. 

Crook County Circuit Judge Wade Whiting, who oversaw the settlement conference, held to the agreed-upon sentence. 

“It’s clear to me this was a very senseless and horrific crime that didn’t need to happen,” Whiting said. “At the end of the day, I know my words may ring hollow” to the family, he said, adding that he hopes the sentencing “can bring some measure of closure to the family,” and that “healing can follow.” 

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Tracee Tuesday

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As Bend continues to expand, city park officials are working to stay ahead of environmental damage in a lesser-used area of Shevlin Park that’s seeing a surge in visitors.

Bend Park and Recreation District staff are presenting an updated trail plan for North Shevlin Park during a board meeting Tuesday evening, aiming to address issues caused by increasing foot traffic tied to nearby development, including Skyline Ranch.

Historically, most visitors have gravitated toward South Shevlin, known for its extensive trail network and popular gathering spots. But that’s beginning to shift.

With more people entering from the north side, unauthorized trails and informal parking areas have emerged along Shevlin Park Road — leading to erosion and damage to sensitive habitat.

“I don’t think or hope that anybody would intentionally just disregard it,” said Bend resident and frequent park user Tom Donohoe. “But they might not really be cognizant of what that actually is doing. And then if it starts, people will see that one walking trail — and then it gets worse.”

District leaders say the goal is to manage that growth before impacts become more severe, while still improving access for the community.

“We sharpened our pencils and we refined that plan trail alignment to meet up with those new neighborhood connections, but also to provide access to that park,” said Henry Stroud, Principal Planner for the Bend Park and Recreation District.

The proposed refined trail plan outlines options to formalize certain paths, create designated access points and address environmental damage already occurring in the area. The effort builds on a planned trail first included in the district’s 2024 comprehensive plan update.

Unlike Tuesday’s regular business agenda, the Shevlin discussion is informational. Board members are expected to provide feedback rather than take formal action.

Park officials say planning now is key, especially as visitation continues to climb. Data shows a significant increase in use on a main North Shevlin trail, from fewer than 10,000 visitors in 2015 to more than 24,000 in 2025.

Some community members believe small changes could help guide behavior and protect the landscape.

“I think if Bend Parks could actually maybe even get some small signs in certain areas that they really want protected, hopefully people will carry that throughout, to stay on the trails,” Donohoe said.

For now, park users like Donohoe are encouraging others to be mindful while enjoying the space.

“I would say it’s just — try and be a good steward when you’re here,” he said.

The Bend Park and Recreation District board meeting runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the district office on Southwest Columbia Street, with a virtual attendance option available via Zoom.

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