Category: ktvz-local-news

Barney Lerten

Judge had urged her not to speak; Jessica Andersch said she killed to protect her son

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Redmond woman facing a murder charge in the fatal stabbing of her mother two months ago admitted the crime during a court hearing Thursday, claiming she did so to protect her son. 

Despite a warning by Deschutes County Circuit Judge Wells Ashby that her statements could be used against her in court and urging her to stop, Jessica Marie Andersch, 42, made her statement twice during a plea hearing on a second-degree murder charge. 

“Your honor, may I say something?” Anderch asked, taking part in the proceeding by video from the county jail, where she’s being held without bail since her arrest. 

Ashby urged her not to speak now, in order to protect her rights. But she proceeded to do so anyway. 

“Aside from that, I did stab my mother,” she said. “I did stab the being that represented herself as Tracy Berry.” 

“Ms. Andersch, please stop,” the judge said. “Please, stop.” 

But Andersch continued: “I just, I just – please, send me to prison. I’d rather be there than around these people that I believe hurt my son.” 

It was not the first such admission by Andersch, who lived with her mother at a home on SW Glacier Avenue. Authorities said she called 911 to report she’d killed her mother, and arriving officers found her at the home with blood on her clothing, hands and face. 

On Thursday, at the request of her attorney, Lee Griffith, Ashby delayed her plea entry a second time, to Oct. 1. The judge also agreed to a request by Andersch that she be transported to the courthouse to appear in person at the next hearing, rather than by video from the jail. 

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Jillian Fortner

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A new sign at Riverbend Park is asking river users to choose “river-friendly” sun protection. It’s part of Girl Scout Serafina Quercini’s Gold Award project, aimed at reducing sunscreen chemicals that can wash into the Deschutes.

I was curious because most people know that coral reefs are impacted by sunscreen. Because our river is such a big part of our community here. I wanted to know if sunscreen had that affect on freshwater,” Quercini said.

Many popular sunscreens contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, chemicals that protect skin from powerful UV rays but can harm fish, aquatic insects, and overall water quality once they enter the water.

Serafina says sunscreen chemicals can disrupt fish reproduction, harm aquatic insects, and lower water quality, impacts that ripple through the entire freshwater ecosystem.

Oregon State University toxicologist Professor Robyn Tanguay says the effects are similar in saltwater and freshwater.

“In areas where lots of people are in the water, those concentrations can build up and become harmful,” said Tanguay.

That concern is why places like Hawaii have banned certain sunscreen chemicals to protect coral reefs and marine life.

“These are manmade chemicals,” said Tanguay. “Some of them, not all of them, bio accumulate. So that means the low concentrations in the water, but you keep adding more to the water that those chemicals concentrate into tissues like human tissues or fish and, etc..”

As part of her project, Quercini partnered with Bend Park and Recreation District to design and install the new sign. She also created educational rack cards now being shared at hotels, water-sport shops, and tour companies.

“I enjoyed collaborating with Serafina on her project because it fits well with our other efforts to raise awareness of how to responsibly enjoy river recreation,” said Julie Brown, Community Engagement Director for Bend Parks and Recreation.

Quercini plans to continue this line of study in college; she’ll be pursuing marine science at UC Berkeley.

“I didn’t know that this project was going to go as far as it did, and I’m really glad it did. It took a lot of work,” Quercini said. “It makes me hopeful that people will change their mind about their sunscreen and that it will hopefully have an impact, and that a small Girl Scout from Bend, Oregon can make a difference.”

Quercini says look for products that are mineral based, or that don’t include harsh chemicals like oxybenzone or octinoxate. Aerosol sunscreens often contain propane and butane, which are harmful propellants. To be eco-friendly, stick to lotion or liquid options.

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Tracee Tuesday

SISTERS, Ore. {KTVZ} — In Sisters Wednesday night — a debate over public art is stirring strong opinions. At the heart of it — a proposed bronze statue honoring rodeo legend Lane Frost and the famous bull, Red Rock. 

The Sisters City Council met for a workshop and regular meeting, with one agenda item generating plenty of discussion — the roundabout art procurement process.  One proposal — a life-sized bronze of Lane Frost riding Red Rock — would be placed in the roundabout at U.S. 20 and Locust Street. 

Four of the five council members say they oppose putting the statue there, citing safety concerns. 

Mayor Jennifer Letz said: “We just feel that if there’s something that’s too attractive, it’s going to, maybe attract the type of activity that we don’t want.” 

Councilman Gary Ross offered: “I don’t want somebody to be clobbered by some idiot going too fast around that round about what they’re trying to get across the street so that you could get a picture in front of a piece of art, you care about.”  Many residents in favor of the statue say that reasoning is hard to accept — pointing out Red Rock’s local roots and legendary status in rodeo history. 

“The safety issue that you’re talking about is nonsense to me, and you mentioned, you know, you got a thousand critters on the fence down here and cougars and lions and people, you don’t see people crashing… And fact is, the traffic going so slow. If everybody bumped into each other, you wouldn’t have any issue,” said Sisters resident, Gary Tewalt.  

“The history is so important in this town has zero history that we support, and Red Rock could be the first piece of it,” said Curt Kallberg.   Councilman Michael Preedin was the lone member in favor of placing the statue in the roundabout. 

“It’s a beautiful piece of art. It couldn’t be more Sisters-based; Red Rock grew up in this town.” 

The sculpture’s co-designer, Dyrk Godby, spoke about his passion for Red Rock. 

“Later in life, they retired him [Red Rock], but they brought him out of retirement back to his hometown, and back to the arena where he grew up and learned his trade and had a match between Lane Frost, who was also the world champion bull rider in 1987. So it was kind of an all Ali-Frazier moment was the biggest bout in rodeo history right here in Sisters.”

Red Rock was born in 1976 in Burns, Oregon, later raised in Sisters by stock contractor Mert Hunking. The bull went on to buck off 309 professional cowboys without a qualified ride before retiring in 1987.  In 1988, Red Rock faced Lane Frost in the famed “Challenge of the Champions,” including a showdown at the Sisters Rodeo — where Frost eventually made a qualified ride in four of seven matchups. 

The Sisters City Council members decided to push the decision to a future meeting — and may consider forming an art committee to weigh in on roundabout art projects. 

No date has been set for when the statue proposal will come back before the council. 

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John Carroll

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — KTVZ Chief Meteorologist John Carroll spoke at the monthly meeting of EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 1345 High Desert Flyers at the Bend Municipal Airport Wednesday night.

The High Desert Flyers are a group of aviation enthusiasts, aircraft builders and pilots who meet each month to share ideas, exchange information, encourage safety and serve the local aviation community.

John discussed the daily weather duties associated with broadcast meteorology, along with severe weather coverage and fire weather forecasting.

A big part of the “Flyers” is the Young Eagles program, which encourages youth in Oregon to become aviators.

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John Carroll

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — We had a wide range of gardens today that each have their own personality. First off, a garden consisting of a re-purposed hot tub and a quiet pond. A “rockin’ rock garden” complete with blue stones and colorful flowers, followed by a corn field that goes on for “daze” and may someday become a “maze.”

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The City Council recently approved the construction contract for the Butler Market & Wells Acres Roundabout & Butler Market Key Route Project. Construction is expected to begin in early-mid September.

To reduce traffic impacts, eastbound traffic on Butler Market Road will remain open throughout construction. Westbound Butler Market Road will be closed from Brinson Boulevard to Eighth Street.

The City of Bend will host a Preconstruction Open House 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19, at Hollinshead Barn, 1235 NE Jones Road. Community members are encouraged to drop in, meet the project team, ask questions, and learn what to expect during construction.

Improving the intersection of Butler Market and Wells Acres Roads has been a priority for the surrounding neighborhoods for many years. A new roundabout at this location will improve safety and efficiency for all modes of travel. The project includes sewer main installation, construction of a new roundabout and key route bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

Once complete, the project will deliver a long-desired improvement to intersection safety and time reliability, and provide safer, easier connections for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling between neighborhoods, schools, parks and businesses in the area.

Sign up to receive project email updates and download the construction detour map at bendoregon.gov/butler-wells.

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KTVZ – News Team

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) —  Children’s literacy nonprofit SMART Reading is now open for donations of new and gently used children’s books on an ongoing basis.

The organization, which pairs volunteers with students for one-on-one reading sessions and gives participants two new books to keep each month, is in the early phases of opening a Book Bank in Central Oregon that will enhance the organization’s efforts to ensure local kids have books of their own. 

A 2020 study in the Journal of Global Health found that the likelihood of being on track in literacy almost doubled if at least one book was available in a student’s home.

“The Book Bank offers a sustainable way to increase book ownership and ensure that books kids have outgrown can find a new home with another child,” says SMART Reading Area Director Jennifer Zardinejad. All donated books will be sorted and cleaned with the help of volunteers before being given away to Central Oregon students. 

Thanks to community donations and book drives with local businesses, SMART was able to host its first schoolwide, free book fair this spring at Culver Elementary. Students took home over 1,000 refurbished books ahead of summer break – a period of time when students are at risk of losing important reading gains they made during the school year.

Donations of new or gently used children’s books are accepted at SMART Reading’s office Monday through Friday by appointment. To schedule a book drop off, call 541-797-7726. SMART Reading is located at 1029 NW 14th Street, Suite 101, Bend, OR 97703.

From now until Sunday, August 31, books can also be dropped off during business hours at the following two locations in Bend:

Play Theory Cafe, 2221 NE 3rd Street, Suite 200; and

Strictly Organic Coffee Co., 6 SW Bond Street (in the Box Factory). 

To see SMART’s book donation criteria or learn how to host a book drive at a business, school, or community organization, visit www.SMARTReading.org/central-area. 

About SMART Reading:

SMART Reading is a statewide children’s literacy nonprofit that serves kids in Oregon’s highest-need schools and communities with two ingredients critical for literacy and learning success: shared reading time and access to books. We mobilize volunteers to read with PreK through third-grade children, building confidence, literacy skills and a love of reading. Since 1992, we have paired over 158,000 volunteers to read with 334,000 children, and have put over 4.9 million books in the homes of the children we serve. Visit www.SMARTReading.org or call 541-797-7726 to learn more.

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — An intentionally set fire, possibly involving fireworks, broke out along the Bend Parkway and was stopped quickly by fire crews on Wednesday afternoon.

The fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. beside the northbound parkway south of Reed Market Road.

“Fire crews were able to stop it quickly before it threatened any structures,” Bend Fire & Rescue Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki told KTVZ News.

It burned about a quarter-acre, he added.

One northbound lane of the parkway was closed for about a half-hour during firefighting efforts, causing traffic to quickly back up.

Derlacki said Bend Police are investigating the intentionally set fire, possibly involving fireworks. Anyone with information about the incident was asked to contact police at 541-693-6911.

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KTVZ – News Team

(Update: Evacuation level lowered, lines hold overnight)

POST, Ore. (KTVZ) — Firefighters working through the night held the lines on the 50-acre Pine Fire that broke out Wednesday in southeastern Crook County, sheriff’s deputies said Thursday morning as the evacuation alert was lowered from Level 3 GO NOW to Level 2 GET SET in the area.

Here’s the sheriff’s office’s 9 a.m. update:

Fire crews worked through the night, successfully holding the fire lines. While there is still fire activity within the established perimeter, crews are making steady progress in containing it. Helicopters, engines, dozers, and personnel remain active in the area. For everyone’s safety, please avoid the area as suppression efforts continue.

Crook County Emergency Management will continue to work with the Fire Incident Command and provide information as it comes in. Continue to monitor the Crook County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, Genasys, and Watch Duty for any updates.

POST, Ore. (KTVZ) August 13 — A new fire, named the Pine Fire, broke out Wednesday afternoon southeast of Post in Crook County’s Maury Mountains and quickly grew to about 50 acres, prompting a Level 3 GO NOW evacuation in the area.

The Level 3 evacuation was issued for Zone CRR-7S-E by the Crook County Sheriff’s Office. The zone can be viewed on the Watch Duty map & on the Genasys Evacuation Map.

The sheriff’s office said the evacuated area is on SE Pine Creek Road (Forest Service Road 17), south of Pine Creek Reservoir to the FS RD 17/150 spur.

Level 3 GO NOW evacuation zone (Map courtesy Crook County Sheriff’s Office)

Central Oregon fire officials issued this fact sheet:

UPDATED: 8/13/25 3:33 p.m.

Start Date: August 13 at 12:18 p.m.

Location: 44°05’28.9″N 120°24’13.7″W

Between the Maury Mountains and Hwy 380, along Pine Creek Road

Jurisdiction: BLM Prineville District, Crook County

Fire Size: Approximately 20 acres. Fire behavior has moderated. Crews are making good progress.

Cause: Under investigation

Fuels: grass, juniper and timber. Increasing fire activity and torching

Structures: no structures threatened

Fire Crews/Resources: 3 engines, 2 dozers, air attack, 2 Type 1 helicopters, 6 SEATS (Single Engine Air Tankers), 1 Type 1 helicopter, 2 eight-person hand crews, 2 Type 2 IA crews, the local RFPAs (Rangeland Fire Protection Associations), and the La Grand Hotshots have been ordered.

Visit the official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire. For smoke and air quality information, visit fire.airnow.gov.

UPDATE: New information from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office was posted on Facebook concerning the Pine Fire.

CCSO Emergency Management is on scene of the Pine Fire located on SE Pine Creek Road (Forest Service Road 17) in Post. Currently, there is a 20+ acre fire actively burning. CCSO Emergency Management is working closely with Forest Service Fire Incident Command and monitoring the growth of the fire.

Currently, there are ground crews, dozers, skidgens, and air attack on scene.

At this time the fire is burning on Forest Service land and there are no threats to any subdivisions out in the Post area. We ask that the general public avoid the area due to the large volume of fire personnel and equipment in the area.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new wildfire, named the Pine Fire, is burning an estimated 20 acres in Crook County as of Wednesday afternoon.

The fire is located near NF-17, south of the Paulina Highway.

Details about the fire’s cause and containment are limited at this time.

No structures are immediately threatened, and no evacuations have been ordered.

Stay with the platforms of KTVZ News for urgent updates as more information becomes available.

Another fire, the Glass Butte Fire, broke out on BLM Prineville District-managed land in Lake County. Here’s the fact sheet on that fire:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2025

UPDATED: 8/13/2025 4:11 p.m.

Start Date: August 13 at 1:27 p.m.

Location: 44°02’17.5″N 121°18’30.6″W

 South of Hwy 20 near Glass Butte area

Jurisdiction: BLM Prineville District, Lake County

Fire Size: 5 acres. Fire behavior is active with a low rate of spread.

Cause: Under investigation

Fuels: grass, brush and sage

Structures: no structures threatened

Fire Crews/Resources: 5 engines, 1 dozer, 1 load of smoke jumpers, air attack, 4 SEATS (Single Engine Air Tankers) and 2 helos have been ordered,

Visit the official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire. For smoke and air quality information visit fire.airnow.gov.

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Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend man was arrested Wednesday afternoon on assault and other charges, accused of stabbing his older brother in the lip early Wednesday morning, police said.

Around 1 a.m., Bend Police responded to a report of a domestic dispute. Neighbors at an apartment building in the 600 block of NE Bellevue Drive reported hearing a loud argument, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said in a news release.

When officers arrived, they encountered a 21-year-old man who reported he’d been stabbed in the lip by his brother, 19-year-old Marcus Randall Slocum, who had left the scene, Miller said.

The knife used in the incident was recovered at the apartment, and the victim was treated and released by Bend Fire & Rescue medics at the scene. 

Miller said officers learned Slocum was likely at an apartment in the 2000 block of Linnea Drive, and members of the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team responded to the complex to join patrol officers in attempting to locate the suspect. They conducted a search of the apartment and did not find Slocum, Miller said.

Around 1:30 p.m., officers saw Slocum return to the Linnea Drive apartment. He was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Deschutes County Jail on charges of second-degree assault, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon.

Kennedy Emily Lacy, 19, also of Bend, was with Slocum when he was arrested and was cited and released at the scene for resisting arrest, hindering prosecution and interfering with a peace officer. 

Court records show Slocum pleaded guilty in March to fourth-degree assault and was allowed to enter the Domestic Violence Diversion Sentencing Program.

 

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