Category: ktvz-local-news

Barney Lerten

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) — “Lillian Pitt: Art, Memory, Home” — a major exhibition featuring the art of celebrated artist Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs, Wasco, Yakama) and the art of a number of the artist’s closest friends from her personal collection and collections of other art institutions — will open Thursday, May 21, at The Museum at Warm Springs. 

The exhibition will be on view through Saturday, October 10. 

Angela Anne Smith (Warm Springs, Yakama, Nez Perce, Diné) is the exhibition’s curator. Rebecca Dobkins, curator of Native American art at The Hallie Ford Museum of Art and professor emeritus of anthropology at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon is a contributing curator. 

Museum Members and the general public are invited to the opening reception on Thursday, May 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Museum (2189 US-Highway 26, Warm Springs). The reception is sponsored by The Ford Family Foundation, in recognition of the Inaugural 1905 Legacy Award in the Visual Arts, which was recently awarded to Pitt. For more information about The Ford Family Foundation’s 1905 Legacy Award in the Visual Arts visit https://bit.ly/3QQyKa8. 

Reception speakers will include The Ford Family Foundation President and CEO Kara Inae Carlisle; Indigenous scholar, artist, writer and traditional healer Phillip Cash Cash (niimíipuu, weyíiletpuu); Alfred (Bud) Lane III, vice chairman of The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and Pitt. 

Pitt is a Pacific Northwest Native artist whose ancestors lived in and near the Columbia River Gorge and its tributaries. The focus of her work is on creating contemporary fine art pieces that delight today’s art lovers, and at the same time, honor the history and legends of her people. 

Pitt’s art can be found in personal collections, art galleries, and museums. Her works are also displayed in numerous public spaces including parks, schools and cultural institutions. 

Other artists represented in the exhibition include Rick Bartow, Gabrielle Belz, Joe Cantrell, Phillip Cash Cash, Joe Feddersen, June Grant, Harry Fonseca, Analee Fuentes, James Lavadour, Darcy Nicholas, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Gail Tremblay, Toma Villa, Colleen Waata-Urlich, Tina Wirihana and Elizabeth Woody. Selected artworks are on loan from s’gʷi gʷi ʔ altxʷ (House of Welcome), The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington; The Hallie Ford Museum at Willamette University, Salem, Oregon and PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, Oregon. 

Six themes in Pitt’s life and art will be explored, including: Ancestry, She Who Watches, Lillian and the Art of Business, Lillian as Educator, Pacific Rim Indigenous Connection, and Collaborations and Public Art. 

“My Aunt Lillian Pitt held ground and broke ground in major art institutions and academic venues that had not previously shown contemporary works from thriving Indigenous artists of her generation,” said Elizabeth Woody (Warm Springs, Yakama, Diné), executive director of The Museum at Warm Springs. “We are so honored at The Museum at Warm Springs to be hosting this prestigious, major exhibition of Lillian’s art and the work of those who she called her kindred spirits.” 

A 96-page fully illustrated catalogue edited by Anne Keala Kelly (Kanaka Maoli, Irish) and published by The Museum at Warm Springs will retail for $40. Visitors to The Museum while the exhibition is on view from May 21 to October 10 will be able to purchase the catalog for $30, with Museum Members receiving an additional 10% off. 

The catalog essays were written by Phillip Cash Cash, Rebecca Dobkins, Alfred “Bud” Lane III, Anne Keala Kelly, Donald J. Stastny (FAIA emeritus and Board of Directors, The Museum at Warm Springs) and Elizabeth Woody. The majority of photographs in the catalog were shot by Dennis Maxwell with additional photos by Joe Cantrell. 

The catalog was designed by DeeAnn Glazier, senior graphic designer at XPress Printing, Inc., in Sisters. An 18-by-12 inch color poster also will be available for $10 in the Museum Gift Shop. 

Selected artworks in several media by Pitt and some of the other artists from the exhibition will be available for sale with a 20% commission going toward The Museum. “This will be a rare opportunity to buy artwork by this amazing collection of artists and support The Museum at Warm Springs at the same time,” said Woody. 

Become a Museum Member 

There are several levels of annual Museum Membership, which begin at $25 for elders and students. All Members receive these benefits: free admission for one year, 10% discount in the Museum Gift Shop and special invitations to exhibits and programs. Members have access to the Northwest Attractions Alliance. Through this program, membership in The Museum at Warm Springs offers free admission for individual Members and three guests of any age to a different attraction each month. Join The Museum by visiting https://museumatwarmsprings.org/ and click “Join” to see Membership levels and online payment information. Or send a check to: The Museum at Warm Springs, P.O. Box 909, Warm Springs, OR 97761 (Attn: Membership). 

About The Museum at Warm Springs 

The Museum at Warm Springs opened its doors to the public on March 14, 1993 and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. Built to Smithsonian Institution professional standards, The Museum’s mission is to preserve, advance and share the traditions, cultural and artistic heritage of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon. Regular Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission: Museum Members (free), Adults ($7), Senior Citizens over 60 ($6), Students 13-18 with student body card ($4.50), Children 5-12 ($3.50) and Children 4 and younger (free). The Museum is located at 2189 Highway 26 in Warm Springs. Phone: (541) 553-3331. For more information, visit https://www.museumatwarmsprings.org/. 

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend Park and Recreation District said Tuesday it has completed its seasonal changeover at The Pavilion and is now open for roller activities.

Spring through early fall welcomes roller skating, inline skating, skateboarding and scootering at The Pavilion’s non-ice season rink and skatepark. See the schedule for all details. There is also registration space available for programs beginning soon for roller hockey, learn to roller skate and cornhole league.

These drop-in sessions are offered from now through mid-June:

Friday Night Roller Dancing including themes of Glow Night on first Friday, Pajama Party on second Friday, Queer Night & Friends on third Friday, DJ Dance Party on fourth Friday and Costume Party on fifth Friday.

Adult Saturday Night Roller Jam – beginning May 23

$8 Cheap Skates & Skatepark on Wednesday afternoons

$8 With A Child Skate & Play, Friday mornings

$8 Sunday Family Skate & Skatepark

Open Skate & Skatepark

Fees: $8 youth (age 3-18); $9 older adult (age 65+); and $10 adult (age 19-64). Skate rental is $4 per person.

In addition, from now through September, The Pavilion skatepark features are included during Open Skate, With A Child Skate & Play, Cheap Skate and Sunday Family Skate times. Roller skates, skateboards and scooters are allowed in the skatepark – sorry, no bikes.

You can learn more at The Pavilion website.

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Barney Lerten

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University-Cascades, and Sisters High School are teaming up this month to conduct a “bioblitz” at four proposed wildlife crossing structure locations along US Highway 20.

A bioblitz is a communal effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible, as a way to gauge and understand the biodiversity of an area.

From April 14-27, the 16 participating high school students are collecting information on the presence of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, insects, plants and fungi in the forests and meadows near Black Butte, Central Oregon LandWatch said in a news release Monday that continues below:

This biologically rich area can also be a dangerous one for wildlife. The section of Highway 20 between Suttle Lake and Bend sees one of the highest densities of wildlife-vehicle collisions in the state, with 200 to 650 mule deer and elk killed yearly by vehicle strikes.

A desire to address this risky situation for both wildlife and people led to the formation of the Bend to Suttle Lake Wildlife Passage Initiative.

The group of state and federal agencies, nonprofits, landowners, and institutions brings together the necessary expertise and regulatory authority. Central Oregon LandWatch manages the B2S coalition, in partnership with the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, the coalition’s fiscal sponsor.

Currently in Phase II of this multi-year, multi-phase project, coalition members are actively working on the engineering and design for the top four priority crossing locations, as well as engaging local communities within the Bend to Suttle Lake corridor.

“I love seeing the students using field sampling methods and really diving into the process,” said Rima Givot, a veteran science teacher at Sisters High School, known for using hands-on learning techniques and mentoring students in community science projects.

As ODFW and OSU-Cascades biologists are focused on collecting pre-construction data to inform the design of the wildlife crossing structures, knowing what species are present in the vicinity of these crossing structures and how they’re using the area are key pieces of the puzzle.

“The bioblitz is a great opportunity to engage with the community while also allowing us to teach students about the native wildlife species in our area that would benefit from improved habitat connectivity provided by crossing structures,” said Jessica Wilkes, Wildlife Habitat Biologist for ODFW, adding, “I am excited to see what the students come up with in their designs for the crossings, especially habitat elements that could be included.”

Crossing construction is expected to start between 2027 and 2030.

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Families in the Bend-La Pine School District with children entering kindergarten this fall can register at a neighborhood park this Saturday.

The mobile registration event will also provide details for the 2026-27 school year, including school boundary information, required enrollment documents and more, officials said this week.  

“On the Road to Kindergarten is a fun registration and orientation event that goes out in the communities to meet families and incoming kindergarten students where they are — the local parks,” said Tammy Doty, executive director of elementary programs for Bend-La Pine Schools.

“At the events, families make what is often their first contact with their school community where they can talk to teachers and staff who get them excited and ready for school.,” Doty added. 

Families can find the yellow school bus at the following locations on Saturday, April 25: 

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 

Hollygrape Park – 19489 Hollygrape Street, Bend 

Sun Meadow Park – 61141 Dayspring Drive, Bend 

Pilot Butte Neighborhood Park – 1310 NE Highway 20 

Sunriver/Three Rivers area – Three Rivers K-8 School, 56900 Enterprise Drive, Sunriver 

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 

Education Center – 520 NW Wall St., Bend 

Ponderosa Park – 225 SE 15th St., Bend 

Canal Row Park – 1630 NE Butler Market Rd., Bend 

Frontier Heritage Park – 16405 First St., La Pine/Rosland area 

(Photos courtesy Bend-La Pine Schools)

To be eligible for kindergarten for the 2026-27 school year, students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2026.  

To learn how to register online, visit bls.fyi/kindergarten. Find your neighborhood school through their Attendance Area page: bls.fyi/attendanceareas. 

Those who are unsure about their child’s school of attendance or have more questions about kindergarten registration are urged to call 541-355-8750 to reach a staff member who can answer questions in English and Spanish.  

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Barney Lerten

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — As the busy recreation season begins, the Bureau of Land Management’s Prineville District is reminding visitors that Teaters Road remains open for public access.

Gates along the road may be closed for short periods of time, but they will remain unlocked, officials said Monday. Visitors may pass through and should leave gates as they are found — open or closed.

Teaters Road provides a direct connection between Highway 380 north to the BLM North Fork Crooked River area and the Ochoco National Forest, both popular recreation destinations and important areas for timber production. 

It also serves as the only public access point to a 160-acre “island” parcel of BLM- administered public land along Teaters Road.

The BLM is encouraging all visitors to travel respectfully when using Teaters Road to access public lands. Much of the road runs through private land, so visitors should drive slowly and watch for livestock.

 For more information about recreation access in the Prineville District, contact the BLM office at (541) 416-6700.

TeatersRdROWDownload

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Kelsey Merison

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — In recognition of Earth Day, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is highlighting its investment in a more sustainable future through hands-on weatherization training at the Oregon Training Institute. The Oregon Training Institute, located in Salem, prepares workers to improve home energy efficiency, reduce utility costs, and create healthier living environments, especially for low-income households.

The program also addresses a critical workforce gap in Oregon’s energy efficiency sector.

The weatherization training equips participants with technical skills to upgrade existing homes and reduce energy use.

It focuses on alleviating the energy affordability burden for many Oregonians by providing necessary home upgrades like adding insulation, replacing heating or cooling systems and improving windows.

Oregon Housing Executive Director Andrea Bell and Community Services, explained the broader impact of the initiative. “Weatherization plays a vital role in alleviating the energy affordability burden faced by many Oregonians through necessary home upgrades – adding insulation, replacing heating or cooling systems, and improving windows,” Bell said. “OHCS and our partners are helping keep more money in people’s pockets each year while improving quality of life. The weatherization training center also supports good-paying jobs and increases workforce readiness.”

Oregon Training Institute Director Drew Sizemore underscored the program’s community focus. “Weatherization is very focused on the best outcomes we can have for our low-income communities and neighbors,” said Sizemore. “Any of the work we do here is to better the outcomes of weatherization work and better the outcomes for people that are in our communities.”

With support from state and federal funding, OHCS and the Oregon Training Institute work to expand access to training and strengthen Oregon’s weatherization workforce. This helps communities across the state become more resilient to rising energy costs and climate challenges.

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Kelsey Merison

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans will join Kendall Toyota of Bend’s Free Summer Concert Series on Wednesday, July 29th. The concert will kick off a week of live music and fair experiences.

General admission to the concert is included with fair admission.

The Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo aims to provide a family-first experience, combining live music with traditional fair attractions. Wednesday night’s concert sets the stage for a full week of entertainment, including rides, food, exhibits and community tradition.

Evans is one of the most recognized names in country music, known for her powerful voice and chart-topping hits. She is the fifth most-played female artist at country radio in nearly two decades, with five No. 1 singles including “Born to Fly,” “Suds In The Bucket” and “A Little Bit Stronger.” Several of her No. 1 songs spent two weeks in the top spot and were certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. Overall, she has had 15 songs chart in the top 20 and is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.

VIP front-stage access tickets for the concert go on sale this Friday at 10:00 a.m. Both fair admission and VIP concert tickets are available for purchase online at www.tickets.deschutesfair.com.

The fair provides entertainment beyond music, offering activities from afternoons at the petting zoo to evenings filled with music on the grass.

The Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo thanked its concert sponsors, which include Wilco, Indian Head Casino, Kendall Toyota of Bend, and Mike’s Fence Center.

Fair admission tickets are currently available for purchase. The next concert announcement for the 2026 lineup is scheduled for next Tuesday.

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Kelsey Merison

BANDON, Ore. (KTVZ) — Back in February 2025, KTVZ News brought you a developing story regarding the West Coast Game Park Safari in Bandon, after a December 2024 inspection conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed the safari’s conditions.

Several big cats appeared malnourished with visible ribs and hip bones. Coos County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 52-year-old Brian Tenney in May 2025 in connection to the multi-agency investigation into the game park safari that he owns.

On Monday, April 20th, 2026, Tenney pled guilty to 47 criminal charges, 43 of which related to neglecting the animals.

PETA Foundation Managing Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler shared the following statement with us:

“After years of starving and neglecting animals and imprisoning them in filthy, decrepit enclosures, including condemning a highly social chimpanzee to solitary confinement, Brian Tenney may now get a taste of what it feels like to be stripped of his freedom, locked in a cage, and deprived of everything meaningful to him. PETA is grateful to the Oregon State Police for investigating Tenney’s crimes and urges the court to impose the maximum penalty at his July 20 sentencing.”

After executing multiple search warrants at the roadside zoo in May 2025, law enforcement officials confiscated 322 animals.

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Barney Lerten

UPDATE: Adding video

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend man facing two counts of murder and conspiracy in the 2020 murder-for-hire deaths of a couple at their northeast Bend home has pleaded guilty to reduced charges of manslaughter and is expected to receive a 20-year prison sentence.  

Last week’s plea deal comes less than a month after Nathan Shane Detroit’s uncle, Kenneth Wayne Atkinson, also pleaded guilty to the same crimes and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. 

Atkinson, now 61, and his nephew Detroit, now 35, were arrested in October of 2021 on murder and conspiracy charges in the August 2020 killing of Atkinson’s younger brother, Ray Atkinson Jr., 34, and his fiancé, Natasha “Tasha” Newby, 29. 

The couple’s bodies were found in the basement of their Northeast 12th Street home by a concerned friend and relative checking on their welfare. Authorities said they died of blunt force trauma. 

Atkinson pleaded guilty March 20 to four of the six felony charges – two counts each of first-degree manslaughter and conspiracy to commit murder – and his nephew has now done the same. 

Detroit was scheduled for an eight-week jury trial that was to begin June 15. Instead, he will be sentenced on April 29.

Kenneth Atkinson, Nathan Shane Detroit II (Photos: Deschutes County Jail)

Under a manslaughter charge, defendants admit acting “unlawfully and recklessly, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.” 

In a note sent to the victims’ families, DA’s office Victims’ Advocate Keaton Boileau noted that Detroit will be able to earn “good time,” which potentially could reduce his sentence by two years. 

Regarding the plea deal, he wrote, “This is not something our office took lightly,” but said pretrial issues, potential rulings, defense attorneys’ strategy and possible appeals were factors in the decision.  

“This resolution provides finality, and it doesn’t come back in a couple years to get retried,” Boileau wrote. 

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Barney Lerten

UPDATE: Adding video

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Members of 100+ Women Who Care of Central Oregon have collectively donated $19,500 as of April 15 to M Perfectly, a Central Oregon nonprofit dedicated to ensuring the long-term success of women in recovery.

M Perfectly’s mission is simple yet powerful: to equip women in recovery with the education, opportunities, and resources they need for long-term success.

M Perfectly believes that when women are empowered to overcome their past and build a new future, they create a ripple effect of positive change that strengthens families, communities, and society as a whole. For more information, contacthello@mperfectly.org or phone: 843-870-3844.

“This extremely generous investment from ladies from 100+ Women Who Care, will directly support the organization’s Wheels of Hope program, which hopes to provide three to four reliable vehicles each year to women working toward stability and independence,” said Ashley Smith, executive director for M Perfectly.

“Through valued partnerships with COCC and Bar Towing, the vehicles become more than transportation; they will represent opportunity, dignity, and a pathway forward for women rebuilding their lives.”

With more than 180 members, 100+ Women Who Care Central Oregon meet quarterly to support local nonprofits that change lives in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.

At each meeting, members nominate organizations, then listen to three short presentations, and vote for the recipient to receive funds. Each member donates $100 directly to the chosen nonprofit, and together those individual gifts add up to major community impact.

Women also have a time to network with one another, plus learn more about how to support their community through collaboration and volunteerism.

“Being involved with 100+ Women Who Care fills my heart. Each quarter, we make a collective donation that truly impact lives through the power of giving,” said Christi Haynes, leader of 100+ Women Who Care Central Oregon. “We make a difference.”  

Since its founding in 2014, 100+ WWCCO has raised more than $880,050 for more than 50 nonprofits in Central Oregon. The next meeting will be Monday, June 1, at the Council on Aging, 1036 NE 5th Street, Bend with networking starting at 5:15. Space is limited. RSVPs are appreciated.

For information about membership, or nonprofit nomination and eligibility criteria, visit www.100wwcco.com.  Follow us on Facebook for updates and photos.   

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