Category: ktvz-local-news

KTVZ – News Team

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Visit Bend is looking for community members who want to help shape the city’s future in tourism, recreation, and sustainability. The city’s nonprofit destination marketing organization plays a key role in promoting Bend while prioritizing environmental, social, and economic health.​

The tourism organization is currently accepting applications for four open seats on its board of directors. The new members will serve three-year terms beginning in March, and the deadline to apply is January 30.

Visit Bend is seeking applicants with ties to the city’s visitor economy — including those working in tourism, hospitality, outdoor recreation, or related industries — as well as individuals whose work supports the group’s mission of environmental and economic stewardship.​

Those interested in applying can send an email to boardinquiry@visitbend.com with a brief bio and a statement explaining why they’d like to serve. More information about the board positions and Visit Bend’s initiatives is available at their website.

About Visit Bend

Visit Bend is the destination marketing and management organization under contract with the City of Bend, funded primarily through citywide transient room tax collections. Its work focuses on attracting visitors, supporting local businesses, and reinvesting tourism dollars into community assets, with an emphasis on sustainability and respect for Bend’s natural resources.

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KTVZ – News Team

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A beloved Central Oregon winter tradition is back on the mountain. Oregon Adaptive Sports has relaunched its long-running Ski for Life program, offering youth with disabilities a chance to experience skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo.

Students from more than ten Central Oregon schools are taking part this season. The program pairs each participant one-on-one with a trained volunteer coach, giving students the opportunity to build confidence, independence, and community through adaptive snow sports.

Ski for Life runs in four-week cycles through April, thanks to the support of volunteers, donors, and local partners. Organizers say programs like this not only create access to outdoor recreation, but also empower young athletes to continue discovering what’s possible on and off the mountain.

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KTVZ – News Team

Redmond, Ore. (KTVZ) — New video captured by KTVZ on Monday shows major progress on Redmond’s long-awaited recreation center, signaling a big step forward after previous construction delays.

The 56,000-square-foot Redmond Aquatic and Recreation Center will dramatically expand community services, featuring indoor and outdoor pools, fitness areas, childcare facilities, and a full gymnasium.

Officials with the Redmond Area Park and Recreation District say the project is on track to open in July. The facility is funded by a $49 million bond measure voters approved in 2022.

Once completed, the center is expected to provide year-round recreation options and become a key gathering space for community members of all ages.

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Triton Notary

KLAMATH CO. (KTVZ)– A two-vehicle crash on Highway 97 near milepost 228 in Klamath County resulted in one fatality Friday evening, according to Oregon State Police.

OSP responded to the crash at approximately 6:20 p.m. on Friday, January 9th, 2026. Investigators determined that a Ford F-450, operated by Douglas Alan Fordyce, 61, of Caldwell, Idaho, was stopped westbound on Silver Lake Road at the intersection with Highway 97.

When the Ford attempted to enter the highway, it was struck by a southbound Freightliner commercial motor vehicle and trailer operated by Sebastian Mercado Juarez, 29, of Fresno, CA resulting in a side-impact collision.

Fordyce was declared dead at the scene.

Sebastian Mercado Juarez and a passenger in the Freightliner, Christian Mercado Juarez, 31 of Fresno CA, sustained reported minor injuries.

Highway 97 was impacted for approximately two hours while emergency crews conducted the on-scene investigation.

Oregon State Police were assisted by Chiloquin Fire and Rescue, Chemult Rural Fire District, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

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Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– A new study finds that a pilot program combining direct cash payments with wraparound support is helping Oregon youth experiencing homelessness get and keep stable housing. The Direct Cash Transfer Plus (DCT+) program provides cash assistance alongside housing navigation, financial education, and other services, and was found to significantly boost both housing stability and independence for young adults.

DCT+ is run through a partnership between Point Source Youth and the Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program (YEHP) at the Oregon Department of Human Services, with services delivered by three community partners: the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), Antfarm, and JBarJ Youth Services. In a study by Young People to the Front, 63 of the first 120 participants completed surveys over two years; 94 percent of them self-reported being housed at the end of the program.

“We are very encouraged by the early results showing that Direct Cash Transfers help youth move beyond survival mode and toward building more stable, independent lives,” said YEHP Program Manager Matthew Rasmussen, adding that the approach helps build emotional stability, financial skills, and rental history, and reduces the likelihood of chronic adult homelessness. The cash support can be used for rent, deposits, furniture, and transportation, helping youth overcome barriers like lack of credit history and insufficient income.

Larry Cohen, co-founder and executive director at Point Source Youth, said Oregon’s outcomes match earlier results in New York: when the real cost of shared housing is covered for two years and paired with support, “young people stay housed.” He said flexible cash gives youth the time and “breathing room” needed to build long-term stability.

Other findings from the first two years of the pilot include: 72 percent of participants were working or enrolled in school; the share of youth with a high school diploma rose by 8.1 percent; and participation in financial literacy workshops increased by 23 percent. Program leaders say the combined supports give young people a real chance to change the trajectory of their lives.

“DCT helped me move from survival mode into a place where I could heal, grow, and plan for a sustainable future,” said participant Gabrielle Huffman of Bend. She said that one year after finishing the program she is in her own home, halfway through a business degree, focused on creating stability for herself and her daughter, and working toward becoming a nonprofit leader in her community.

The pilot first operated in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Deschutes counties and has since expanded to Jackson County for a second group of 120 participants. Youth must be 18 to 24 when they apply and can receive up to two years of support. The second cohort has already been selected, and the pilot is not currently accepting new applications.

Participants work with a case manager to set self-directed goals around long-term housing stability and overall well-being, while the cash assistance helps meet ongoing needs as they work toward permanent housing. Initial funding for the pilot came through an agreement between ODHS and Oregon Housing and Community Services, with the second cohort supported by a $1 million philanthropic gift and additional funds from Senate Bill 5526.

Direct Cash Transfer Plus is one of several services offered through YEHP, which serves youth ages 14–24 experiencing homelessness via a network of community partners. Those partnerships connect youth with essential services such as showers, laundry, academic and employment support, as well as temporary shelter and housing opportunities.

YEHP’s tuition and fee waiver assistance is also showing impact: from fall 2023 to now, the program has approved 267 tuition and fee waivers for eligible youth experiencing homelessness through agreements with Oregon’s public universities and community colleges, which waive costs for qualifying students. YEHP continues to expand prevention and housing-stability efforts with the goal of keeping youth from entering homelessness in the first place and helping those who do to secure and maintain stable housing into adulthood.

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KTVZ

LAKEVIEW, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Monday for Lake County and southern Klamath County and extends the advisory for southern Deschutes County due to stagnant air conditions trapping smoke and other air pollutants near the ground where people breathe.

DEQ said expects the air quality advisory to last through Friday morning at 10 a.m.

Here’s the rest of their news release:

Check current air quality conditions and advisories on DEQ’s Air Quality Index or by downloading the OregonAIR on your app on your smartphone.

Check with your local heath or air agency for current restrictions on woodstove use. There are often exceptions for those who use wood exclusively to heat their homes and those with limited income.

People can take the following precautions to protect their health:

• Follow local burn restrictions to prevent deteriorating air quality.• Avoid strenuous outdoor activity in smoky conditions.• People with heart or lung problems and young children are especially vulnerable. These people should stay indoors while smoke levels are high.• Use certified High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in indoor heating, ventilation, cooling and air purification systems.• Avoid using wood-burning stoves and other sources of indoor smoke if possible.

DEQ’s color-coded Air Quality Index provides current air quality conditions and ranks air quality as follows: Green is good. Yellow is moderate. Orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with respiratory conditions. Red is unhealthy for everyone. Purple is very unhealthy for all groups. Maroon is hazardous.

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend man arrested four times last year pleaded not guilty Monday to nearly 30 counts in two cases alleging luring a minor online and use of child sex abuse material, and two jury trials were set for October. 

In one case, Conner Duhn, 27, entered the pleas to three counts of luring a minor and three counts of using a child in a display of explicit conduct, court records show. Deschutes County Circuit Judge Beth Bagley scheduled a five-day, 12-person jury trial to begin Oct. 13. 

In the other case, Duhn entered not guilty pleas to one count of luring a minor and 20 first- and second-degree counts of encouraging child sexual abuse. A separate three-day jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 21 on those charges. 

Bend Police said in September the case began with a November 2023 cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding possible child sex abuse material being uploaded, saved or shared on Snapchat, using a local IP address. 

A nearly year-long investigation led to Duhn, whose home was raided in October 2024. He was arrested on March 5, 2025, and agreed in a release agreement to have no contact with minors or access the internet, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said. 

Detectives later learned that same month, Duhn allegedly was in contact online with a 17-year-old boy who lived in another state, Miller said. A warrant was issued in June, and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies arrested Duhn again that month. 

He was arrested a third time in July after detectives learned he allegedly tried to meet with at least one underage boy in Central Oregon and exchanged explicit messages online with several others. 

Then, last August, detectives learned that Duhn was still active on Snapchat, and he was arrested yet again., Miller said.

Duhn was booked into the Deschutes County Jail, where he remained held Monday on $500,000 bail, according to jail records. 

Bend Police said last fall that detectives continued to investigate Duhn’s online communications and believed there could be more victims.  

 Duhn has also been known to use the names Luca and August in his communications, Miller said. Anyone with information was asked to contact Det. Alyssa Snyder at asnyder@bendoregon.gov or by calling non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911. 

No new charges have been filed, court records show, but Miller told KTVZ News on Monday that the investigation is continuing. 

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Triton Notary

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ)– Congresswoman Janelle Bynum is kicking off 2026 with a town hall in Sisters, giving Deschutes County residents a chance to share their concerns directly with their representatives in Washington. The event will be co‑hosted by Senator Ron Wyden.

The Deschutes County town hall is set for Saturday, January 17th, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. at Sisters High School, 1700 W McKinney Butte Road in Sisters. Community members are invited to attend, ask questions and discuss priorities ranging from rural issues and public lands to housing, health care and the economy.

“Hearing directly from Oregonians is the most important part of my job,” Bynum said, noting that she held 21 town halls last year and is starting 2026 with more in‑person events. Senator Wyden said town halls are an opportunity for people in rural, suburban and urban areas to share opinions and ideas in an open forum with their neighbors.

The Sisters stop is part of Bynum’s first round of 2026 town halls, which also includes events in Clackamas and Linn counties later that weekend. All events are free and open to the public.

Below is the full release:

Oregon City, Oregon – Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) announced her first three town halls of 2026, in Deschutes, Clackamas, and Linn Counties. Senator Wyden will co-host the town halls in Deschutes and Clackamas Counties, while Merkley will take on Linn County. Rep. Bynum hosted 21 town halls in 2025 and is picking up right where she left off with three more this January.

“Hearing directly from Oregonians is the most important part of my job,” said Rep. Bynum. “That’s why I held 21 town halls last year and that’s why I’m so excited to join Senator Wyden for 2 more to kick off 2026. I’ll see you out there, Oregon!”

“A new year means new opportunities for all Oregonians to share opinions, ask questions and discuss ideas in open-to-all town halls in community gatherings with their neighbors,”Wyden said. “These face-to-face meetings are always important, and I look forward to these town halls at the start of 2026 to hear Oregonians’ thoughts on priorities for the year ahead in rural, suburban and urban parts of our state.”

“I’m looking forward to again visiting wonderful communities all over our state. By talking directly to folks in each county my team and I can go to work for the interests and needs most important in each corner of our state,” Merkley said.

The time and location details for her upcoming town halls are below. Media availability information to come.

Deschutes County Town Hall with Senator WydenDate: Saturday, January 17th, 2026Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PTLocation: Sisters High School – 1700 W McKinney Butte Rd, Sisters, OR 97759

Clackamas County Town Hall with Senator WydenDate: Sunday, January 18th, 2026Time: 12:30 PM – 2:15 PM PTLocation: Camp Withycombe – 15300 SE Industrial Way, Happy Valley, OR 97015

Linn County Town Hall with Senator MerkleyDate: Sunday, January 18th, 2026Time: 4:30 PM –6:30 PM PTLocation: Linn County Russell Tripp Performance Center – Ellingson Rd SW, Albany, OR 97321

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KTVZ

TERREBONNE, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reminded residents Monday about this week’s community Town Hall meeting on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Terrebonne Community School.

Rupert said the Town Halls offer residents the opportunity to connect directly with their Sheriff’s Office, ask questions, share concerns, and provide ideas to help shape the future of public safety in Deschutes County.

Rupert also said he he will make a stop in Sisters on Wednesday, January 21, at Sisters Elementary School from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Additional Town Halls are in the works, including several in Bend.

Sheriff’s Town Hall Meeting Schedule

Terrebonne

Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Location: Terrebonne Community School, 1199 B Ave., Terrebonne, OR

Sisters

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Sisters Elementary School, 2155 McKinney Butte Rd, Sisters, OR 

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Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The trial of Bend murder suspect Caleb Cegers has been pushed back another three months, to early April, at the request of both the prosecution and defense. 

Cegers, now 22, appeared by video Monday from the Deschutes County Jail, where he’s been held without bail since his East Coast capture and arrest in the August 2023 fatal shooting of Taylor Wyss, 33, of Redmond on the sidewalk outside a downtown Bend bar. 

Deschutes County Circuit Judge Beth Bagley, who a year ago had delayed the 10-day jury trial by a year, rescheduled the trial to begin on Tuesday, April 7th. 

Prosecutors and defense attorneys filed a mid-December joint motion for trial postponement that was granted by Bagley. In their request for a delay, defense attorney Bryan Boender and Deputy District Attorney Brooks McClain said the defense attorneys’ investigation was not finished and that they had provided new evidence to prosecutors that they need to analyze and investigate. 

Boender also filed a supporting declaration, stating, “The defense is also still conducting its investigation and locating witnesses that were never interviewed by law enforcement, nor the prior defense team.” 

It’s the third trial postponement in the case of Cegers, who pleaded not guilty in January 2024 to second-degree murder, first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. 

The judge on Monday agreed to the April 7 trial date proposed by both sides in the case. She also set a March 16 date for a trial readiness hearing, when she will also consider several pending defense motions, as well as whether Cegers has to wear restraints during the trial. Any new motions must be filed by Jan. 30, Bagley said, and each side has until Feb. 13 to respond.

Cegers’ older brother, Dahnte Cegers, now 27, pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution in the case and was sentenced to nearly four months in jail, with credit for time served, and three years probation, court records show.

Last year, he was arrested again and later pleaded guilty to a second-degree disorderly conduct charge after getting into a fight with three others outside Vector Volcano in downtown Bend. He was sentenced to a 10-day jail term, with credit for time already served.

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