Category: ktvz-local-news

Barney Lerten

(Update: Fugitive who fled traffic stop still at large; more details from sheriff’s office)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Hundreds of residents on the north end of Bend were advised to shelter in place and report any suspicious activity for a time Thursday evening after a man wanted on a warrant fled a traffic stop near Highway 97 and Grandview Drive, eluding a major police search that included search dogs and drones

Numerous sirens could be heard periodically as the alert went out around 6:45 p.m.

The alert from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office advised of “Law Enforcement activity in the area of Hwy 97 and Grandview Drive.

“Law enforcement is on scene looking for a suspect who ran on foot from a traffic stop. He is a white male adult, 52 years old, balding with short brown & gray hair and tattoos on his neck, 5 feet 9 inches and 190 pounds. Wearing an unknown color t-shirt and shorts.

“Law enforcement is asking citizens to shelter in place and call 911 with any suspicious activity,” the alert concluded.

Shortly before 8 p.m., a follow-up alert was sent that said law enforcement were clearing the area, though the fugitive had not been found:

“THE SUSPECT WHO FLED FROM THE TRAFFIC STOP ON FOOT REMAINS AT LARGE. PLEASE CALL 911 IF YOU SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS. THERE WILL BE NO MORE UPDATES SENT.”

Sgt. David Turkington told KTVZ News the shelter-in-place alert had been lifted.

He said the vehicle was stopped on Grandview Drive near Highway 97, and they knew one of the occupants had an outstanding arrest warrant.

The man ran, Turkington said, prompting a coordinated search effort in the area. Oregon State Police and Bend Police joined sheriff’s deputies in the search, which also included K-9 teams and drones.

After the public alert went out, Turkington said they also received numerous tips from citizens who believed they saw someone in their area who matched the description.

KTVZ News will have the latest information at 10:00 p.m. on Fox and 11:00 p.m. on NBC.

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Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — At KTVZ News, we focus our resources on bolstering the health and well-being of Central Oregon’s youth—through our 21 Cares for Kids partnerships.   

This month we’re spotlighting Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit organization committed to building beds for children in need.

“Our end mission is to get kids in beds who don’t have beds, that are sleeping on the floor or on couches,” said Joseph Myers, the chapter president.

Joseph Myers

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a national organization but the Central Oregon chapter started making a difference in our community in 2020.

“In a lot of cases, these kids are 6, 7, 8 years old and they’ve never had a bed. So this is the first thing that they’ve been able to call their very own,” said Myers.

Since its start 5 years ago, its built and donated around 2,000 beds for children in need right here in Central Oregon.

Bed build in Central Oregon

“These are wonderful people that just need a hand up. And that’s why SHP plays such an important part in their life and an important part in the community,” Myers said.

But the nonprofit organization needs your help.

“With everything that’s going on right now, with the economy and things being a little unsure, a lot of our donors have pulled back a little bit. So we certainly need donations. We could use help from the community by donating. They can go to shpbeds.org/chapter/or-deschutes-co/ and there will be a donate button,” Myers said. “That money stays here in Central Oregon. We do pay a small percentage to the corporate office that covers our filing fees for the IRS and attorneys and insurance and things like that. But one of the things we’re so proud of is…97% of all of our donations go directly to the mission of supplying beds to children. So we only have a 3% operating cost, which is extremely low for nonprofit.”

Besides monetary donations, SHP has been without a space to store materials and build these beds for nearly a year and is looking for someone (or somewhere) in the community to assist. 

“When we have a build, we have to pull everything out of the storage units, put them in a rental truck, drive it to the build area, then after the build, put everything back away. And those make really long days,” Myers said. “So it would really be nice to have a building that we’re able to have our things stored, be able to conduct a small build. And we’re just kind of hoping that someone here in Central Oregon will come through for us.”

Joseph shared a heartwarming memory of a bed delivery to express what this mission means to the children it serves.

“We were putting the bed together and this little boy… He said something about how much it costs. And I said, you know, ‘It’s okay. We do this out of love and because we want to help.’ And he opened up his little wallet and he had a five dollar bill and a one dollar bill. He pulled out the five and he said, ‘Here, I want to help another child too,’” Myers reflected. “I turned to his grandma and I was kind of taken back because it’s the first time something like that has happened. And grandma said it was his birthday yesterday and that was the $5 she gave him for his birthday.”

It’s clear Sleep in Heavenly Peace has made a profound impact on Central Oregon. 

To learn more about the organization, or to find out how you can get involved, click here.

Click here to learn more about KTVZ’s 21 Cares for Kids partnerships.

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Shannon Brady

Fish play a huge role in Oregon’s culture, economy, and ecological health. People travel across the country just to cast lines in Oregon’s rivers. But changes to the climate might mean changes to your fishing trips.Local fishermen shared the importance of protecting fish passage and getting the fish upstream.

Fish passage refers to the ability for migratory fish to move freely and efficiently through a water system. Population declines of native salmon, steelhead, and trout are primarily due to obstructions to their passage such as habitat alteration and loss, hydropower development, and over-harvesting.Oregon’s state climatologist Larry O’Neill broke down a key ingredient for fish survival: “River levels decline, become warmer, and so it puts a stress on whatever ecosystems are in the river corridors…all these fish rely on a good amount of cold water.”

Confluence Fly Shop manager in Bend, and longtime angler, Tye Kreuger has noticed changes in his fishing.

He says, “During years or periods of drought or light snowfall, levels in those reservoirs have changed. In my time here, I’ve watched the quality of the fishing ebb and flow. Water temperatures, water levels, all those things are variables that impact the behavior and, I guess, the performance, if you could attach that word to it, of our fishery.”

Only a fraction of salmon and steelhead populations have returned in recent years. Currently, 28 west coast salmon and steelhead populations are listed as threatened or endangered. But, there has been recovery progress.

Habitat restoration and protection measures have been implemented on the federal, state, and local level. The continuation of these conservation efforts will be key in preserving our native species for years to come.

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Barney Lerten

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announced Friday that it’s updating some visitor fees at select parks “as part of a broader, proactive effort to build a more resilient financial future for Oregon State Parks.” 

Starting Oct. 1, Oregon State Parks will no longer waive the parking fee at 21 additional day-use parks. The parking fee is currently $10 for in-state visitors and $12 out-of-state visitors.  

Parks that will charge for parking starting Oct. 1 include La Pine State Park and Prineville Reservoir State Park.

The parking fee does not apply to visitors who walk, bike, use public transportation, have a valid hangtag from camping at an Oregon State Park or a 12 or 24-month parking permit. Currently, OPRD charges for parking at 25 parks and waives parking fees at over 225 parks across the state.   

The 21 additional parks include some of the busiest parks in the system such as Harris Beach State Park, which experienced an estimated 2 million day-use visits last year. Visitor fees help pay for maintenance and operation.  

Some overnight camping rates will also see updates for visits beginning May 1, 2026: 

Overnight rates at our 29 busiest parks will increase to the top of the current rate range from May 1 through September 30. This increase will apply year-round on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (Top rate is $29 for tents and $52 for full hook-up RV) 

At all parks:  

Cabin and yurt prices will increase to the top of the rate range year-round. (Top rates vary from $72 for rustic yurts to $129 for deluxe cabins/yurts)

Boat moorage fees will increase from $15 to $20.  

Overnight parking, overflow camping and primitive camping fees will increase from about $10 to at least $15 per night.  

The park system faces a projected 14% budget shortfall due to increasing costs, impacts from record visitation and a reduction in lottery funds for operations.

“These targeted fee adjustments, along with internal efforts to reduce costs, modernize procurement and explore new revenue, will help maintain current service levels and ensure the system remains strong and accessible now and in the future,” the agency said.

“State parks are some of the most beloved spaces in Oregon, but we have struggled as a state to sustainably fund them. We’re working to reimagine the future of Oregon State Parks as financially resilient system that will serve generations to come,” said Director Lisa Sumption.  

State Parks has three main sources of funding: a little less than half comes from constitutionally dedicated lottery funds, about 15% comes from recreational vehicle license plate fees and roughly 35% comes from park fees from visitors. It is not funded by general fund taxes. 

For visitors looking to save on parking, there are annual and 24-month parking permits available for Oregon State Parks. The 12-month parking permit costs $30 and the 24-month permit costs $50. You can buy them online.  

Oregon State Parks is also collecting feedback to help guide its effort to reimagine a stronger resilient park system. The survey includes priorities for new and existing experiences, services and amenities as well as views on public-private partnerships, sponsorships and other funding options.  

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Barney Lerten

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Beginning Monday, August 4, the Sisters Ranger District Station will be temporarily closed for public and employee safety while construction of the new ranger station nears completion and staff relocate.

The closure may remain in place through Wednesday, August 27, depending on construction and office relocation schedules. The Deschutes National Forest will resume visitor services at the new Sisters Ranger District Station as soon as possible.

Once the new building is ready for occupancy, employees will need time to move into the new office and ensure they can safely support visitor services again prior to re-opening. Phone lines, internet, and computer systems will need to be installed and tested and permits and merchandise items will need to be transitioned and organized.

Forest Service visitor services will be temporarily unavailable in Sisters while the office is closed. The public can obtain day use and annual Northwest Forest passes by visiting a local vendor (see vendor map here) or purchasing online at Recreation.gov.

While visitor services are temporarily disrupted, the public can call or visit other nearby Forest Service offices on the Deschutes or Willamette national forests. Addresses and contact information for Deschutes National Forest offices can be found here: fs.usda.gov/r06/deschutes/offices and information about neighboring Willamette National Forest offices can be found here: fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/offices.

For more information about the upcoming office closure and transition, reach out to the Sisters Ranger District at (541) 549-7700.

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Tracee Tuesday

(Update: Adding video from day three at Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo)

REDMOND, Ore. [KTVZ] — The Deschutes County Fair in Redmond is celebrating 105 years. 

The fair, which is governed by Deschutes County, is who benefits from the profits of the fair. 

According to Geoff Hinds, director of the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, the annual fair’s economic impact is over $50 million each year.  

But how is that profit utilized?

Hinds said the profits are invested back into the facility. 

“Now over 25 years old and requires continued investment. Not only in buildings, but also in operating equipment like air conditioners, heaters, light switches, electrical operation, toilets, sewers. But also things as simple as the grass. Just like you have to take care of your grass at home. We have to take care of over 100 acres of grass. So, we have to generate a significant amount of income in order to expend it back on those. And then the other thing we’re able to do is provide some funding to non-profits, either through fee reduction or, for use of the facility or, sometimes we can find causes that are important where we can provide donations to, and we’re, we’re excited to do that this year. If it were to do with Folds of Honor and Wrangler Tough Enough to Wear Pink: Bucking Cancer Together programs.” 

The fair is also an opportunity to highlight local businesses. 

Patrick Gordon, the owner of Hazard the World, said, “That really means a lot to us to have people come back, say hi, get to visit with them, and they come in and get more stuff from us, which we just are so humbled by, and people just are really supportive of our brand here in the Deschutes County. So, it means a lot to us to be here,” said

Each year, thousands come out to enjoy the festivities of the fair, but as Redmond City Councilman John Nielsen points out, it also poses challenges. 

Councilman Nielsen told KTVZ News:  

“As the fair has grown in popularity, our transportation infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. Redmond is actively investing in eastside roadway improvements to meet rising demand, but large-scale events like the fair highlight a critical gap: South Highway 97 is overburdened, and Redmond needs a southern interchange beyond Yew Avenue to support both major events and everyday travel.” 

From many, many months of planning the fair, the ultimate reward is the fairgoers. 

Bend resident Liesl McLendon said, “We live in Bend. This is our first time ever to the fair, because of Brothers Osborne. So the concert actually brought us out here.”

Liesl’s husband, Daniel, added: “We’re really excited to be here. That’s amazing. It’s going to be fun. We’re looking forward to all the things that the fair has to offer.” 

The Deschutes County Fair is open for five days, through Sunday.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the dates and times:  

Wednesday, July 30: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM 

Thursday, July 31: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM 

Friday, August 1: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM 

Saturday, August 2: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM 

Sunday, August 3: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM 

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Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– A group of women came together to make a big difference for our local Meals on Wheels program. The group is called 100 Women Who Care. There are actually more than 100 of them. 4 times each year, each member puts up $100 into a collective fund. That fund is then given to a worthy charity. This week they managed to give more than $14,000 to Meals on Wheels. One of the members gave a heartfelt speech about why they should select that particular charity.

Christi Haynes from 100 Women Who Care told KTVZ News “These people, many of them are isolated, and the only people they see are the Meals on Wheels delivery person who brings them food and it lightens and brightens their day when someone who visits them continually comes.”

100 Women Who Care celebrate their 10th anniversary this year. Since its founding in 2014, the group has raised more than $800,000 for Central Oregon nonprofits.

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John Carroll

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — This week, we serve up three lovely gardens from Central Oregon. One of the gardens gives great joy to the tender, as all the hard work pays off with beautiful flowers and plants. Another is a combination of enjoying the wonderful sunset, as the blooms are all around you. Third is a cool display of poppies and bachelor buttons. These are just a small sample of the gardens across our region. Keep those pictures coming! You can find the entry info and a great garden gallery under the Contests tab.

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Barney Lerten

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A pair of fun and friendly sea lions featured at the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo didn’t just flap their flippers and dance in unison Wednesday evening for our Lynsey Harris, but they also nuzzled her like a pet puppy.

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Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– A new hub for creatives in Bend is opening its doors. This was the scene at the open house for the new Open Arts Center on Greenwood Avenue.

The center is going to be a hub for artists and a hangout spot for teens. The center is free for any teen who wants to be part of the program. There, they can practice their existing skills, learn new ones, or even get mentorship from adult artists.

It also marked the realization of a long-held dream for the founders.  

Maija Kellner-Rode and Claire Brislin, co-founders of the Open Arts Center, told KTVZ News: “We met two years ago, and it really felt like a moment of destiny, where two individuals who had been dreaming of this idea individually came together and were ready for it.

“There’s a real gap here in creative community hubs for a larger community, and having a place where people can come to share ideas, create community, create belonging, all in one center.”

It’s the founders’ hope it becomes a place for traditional art, dance and music.

This is only the beginning, when it comes to renovations they have planned for this space. The center will also be looking for donations from the community, when it comes to furniture, instruments, and art supplies.

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