Category: ktvz-local-news

Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — “Winter weather is back” at Mt. Bachelor, the resort reported Friday, with about 10 inches of snow falling in the past 24 hours, making for a big fresh-powder weekend ahead for skiers and snowboarders.

The resort reported four inches overnight and a half-foot more by late morning, Marketing Coordinator Gabe Stephens told KTVZ News.

“With this new snowfall, Mt. Bachelor’s base depth has returned to 100 inches, with mid-mountain snow depth measuring at 124 inches,” he said.

In fact, Mt. Bachelor was back in the Top 5 ski resorts in North America for deepest base depth.

For the most up-to-date snow reports, be sure to check out the Mountain Report.

Stephens said the storm is expected to deliver significant snowfall throughout the day, with the forecast calling for another 10-14 inches by Saturday morning and even more throughout the rest of the weekend.

As of noon, 9 of 12 lifts are spinning delivering pow turns across the mountain.

Isabella Warren

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– Winter alerts are in effect for much of Central Oregon throughout the weekend with a wintry mix expected in Bend and Redmond. Local officials say they are always prepared for when the winter weather hits.

Watch KTVZ News’ Isabella Warren’s report.

Barney Lerten

(Update: Second Redmond resident has died)

MARION FORKS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A second Redmond resident has died following a head-on crash two weeks ago on state Highway 22 in Linn County, Oregon State Police reported Friday.

Troopers said earlier a preliminary investigation found that Theodore Kleinman, 79, was driving a red Cadillac heading east on Highway 22 near Minto Road around 11:35 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 17 when he left the road and his car struck a blue Ford F-150 pickup driven by Delores Ann Carroll, 76.

Both drivers were seriously injured and taken to an area hospital, OSP said. A passenger, Glenn Carroll, 51, of Redmond, was transported with non-life-threatening injuries.

Kleinman later died at the hospital, OSP said earlier. Troopers said in Friday’s update they learned Wednesday that Delores Ann Carroll had died of injuries received in the crash.

The crash affected highway traffic for about four hours during the on-scene investigation by OSP’s Collision Reconstruction Unit. OSP was assisted at the scene by the Turner, Gates and Idanha fire departments and ODOT.

Gregory Deffenbaugh

(Update: Adding Video)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Redmond man was located and cited by police on hit-and-run and reckless driving charges in the Sunday crash of a dump truck into a southwest Redmond dental office, after which the driver allegedly fled the scene.

The driver also was charged with criminal mischief, accused of slamming the truck into the Pacific Family Dental offices in the 600 block of Southwest Rimrock Way, Lieutenant April Huey said. She added that the man was not the registered owner of the vehicle, but worked for its owner

KTVZ News policy is not to name arrested individuals until and unless formal charges are filed.

“RPD would like to remind the community if you are involved in a motor vehicle crash where you damage someone else’s property, you must remain on scene and attempt to locate the owner of the property and provide them with your information,” Huey said in Monday’s update.

“If you are unable to locate an owner, you must leave a written notice with your contact information in a place easily seen,” she added.

Shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday, the Redmond Police Department and Redmond Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a dump truck crashing into the building, Huey said.

The building, which was unoccupied at the time, sustained significant damage. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported. The driver of the dump truck fled the scene, and law enforcement is actively searching for the suspect.

RPD had asked anyone who witnessed the crash or has information regarding the driver’s whereabouts to contact non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.

The department extended its thanks to RF&R and Pacific Power for their swift response and assistance.

Barney Lerten

(Update: Added video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The nonprofit Tower Theatre Foundation board announced Monday that their longtime executive director, Ray Solley, will retire this summer after 16 years at the helm of Central Oregon’s iconic venue in downtown Bend.

“I’m proud to say this organization has never been in better shape, financially and operationally,” stated Solley. “We have resiliently navigated through a recession, the pandemic, and several significant transformations in Bend over the past two decades to become an essential part of the region’s performance, entertainment and arts education landscape. The Tower Foundation is perfectly poised to attain new funding and reach new audiences over the coming years.”

Here’s the rest of Monday’s announcement, including the start of a search for Solley’s successor:

Dr. Gary Gallagher, chair of the Theatre Foundation’s board of directors, shared, “We are deeply grateful to Ray for his dedication and commitment to the arts and artists of Central Oregon. His vision and guidance for more than 16 years have made the Tower Theatre the iconic and beloved symbol of our community that it is today. We look forward to building upon the strong bedrock of his legacy.”

“One of my guiding principles is that enduring Boy Scout maxim, ‘Leave it better than you found it,’” Solley declared. The numbers show that he did. Since 2009, attendance increased 50% to 60,000 patrons a year, with the venue now actively used 220 days a year. Full-time staff tripled to 15, memberships quadrupled to 1,314, and contributed income grew from $323,783 in 2009 to $824,516 in 2024. The Tower’s economic impact on Central Oregon was recently calculated to be $2.7 million.

In addition, Solley created the Tower’s award-winning educational initiative LessonPLAN (Performing Live Arts Now) in 2011. It has grown to more than two dozen events a year, impacting public, private and home school students in every school district in Central Oregon. The Tower’s innovative Community Engagement department that Solley established in 2021 wrapped up itsthirdyear, collaborating with 30 regional organizations on 20 different events tailored to local needs.

Solley’s last day at the Tower will be July 1. He will continue to consult with the Tower on grants and long-range planning.

Information and application details for the Executive Director position are posted at      app.dover.com/jobs/towertheatrefoundation. Key responsibilities are: empowering staff to continue efficiently and profitably running the Foundation and Theatre; serving as the public face of the Tower to supporters, businesses, government leaders and performing organizations; expanding education and community engagement efforts; creating new revenue streams.

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About Tower Theatre Foundation The historic 460-seat Tower Theatre is owned and operated by the nonprofit Tower Theatre Foundation. For information on the Foundation, education programs and performing arts events, visit towertheatre.org.

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Light snow began falling over much of the High Desert on Monday, and the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for more to come.

Light snow was falling at mid-afternoon across the region, including Bend, La Pine, Prineville and Redmond, while it was overcast at Madras Airport.

NWS forecasters in Pendleton put the advisory in place until 10 a.m. Wednesday, predicting potential snow totals of 2-6 inches across areas of Central, north-central and northeast Oregon.

“Travel could be difficult due to periods of moderate to heavy snow,” they said, advising motorists to “slow down and use caution.”

KTVZ News Chief Meteorologist John Carroll has a similar warning for travelers.

“Icy roads are a concern, as the snow is melting first on the roadways where it is falling, and that will ice up overnight,” he said.

Check the latest travel conditions at KTVZ News’ travel webcams and TripCheck pages.

A winter storm warning is in place to the south and east, including the Ochoco and John Day Highlands, for higher amounts.

Join us on KTVZ News for your latest Local Alert Weather forecast for the rest of this potentially snowy week, from John Carroll and Sunrise Meteorologist Shannon Brady.

Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– A detour has come to downtown Bend you’ll want to watch out for. Starting today, the intersection of Olney Avenue and Wall Street is closed. The city is working on water and sewer in the area. As they finish that, they will also be adding a bike lane to the road. According to the city’s plans the upgrades should be done in June. Later in the year, the project will move up Olney to 1st and 2nd street.

Barney Lerten

(Update: Added video)

But police department still trusted by sizable majority; percentage who feel less safe is down from 2023

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A sizable majority of Bend residents say they still trust Bend Police, though more than 1 in 5 survey respondents said they feel less safe than they did a year ago, according to a report on the results released Tuesday.

About 10 percent of 2,000 residents invited to take the survey filled them out. While 22% said they feel less safe than a year ago, that was actually an improvement from a year earlier, when nearly a third reported feeling less safe. The small percentage who said they felt safer than a year ago held about the same, up from 3% to 4%.

Of those who said they felt less safe, “A large majority of respondents reported that homelessness and related behaviors (public use of intoxicants, erratic behavior, loitering, etc.) led to a decreased sense of safety,” the report stated.

Here’s the full news release and report:

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The City of Bend Police Department is pleased to share the results of its biannual online community survey, conducted in October and November 2024.  

The Department, with its partners at Portland State University, sent out invitations to 20,000 households in the city, inviting them to fill out the survey, which was available in both English and Spanish. The survey sought to gauge our community’s feeling of safety in Bend, and to learn more about community members’ experience with police officers and their safety priorities for the Department.  

Of the 20,000 households, approximately 10 percent took the time to fill out the survey.  

78 percent of respondents reported they trust Bend Police, and 76 percent agreed they have confidence in the Bend Police Department. 73 percent said Bend Police can be trusted to make decisions that are right for the community. This is consistent with past community surveys.  

More than four in five respondents said their trust in Bend Police was unchanged, though more people said their trust had increased than decreased.  

Of those surveyed, 97 percent said they would call Bend Police to report a crime as either a bystander or a victim. And 93 percent said they’d work with the police to address public safety concerns in their neighborhood.  

Nearly all of the survey respondents (96 percent) feel safe in their neighborhood during the day, and 77 percent feel safe in their neighborhood at night. A similar percentage feel safe walking in a city park or downtown Bend during the day, although those numbers do dip at night.  

Notably, 22 percent of respondents say they feel less safe than they did 12 months ago. Of the public safety problems facing Bend, 89 percent of respondents cited drug offenses, while 79 percent identified alcohol offenses. Others that topped the list were theft, Internet Crimes Against Children, fraud and property damage.  

One thing that has remained consistent over time is the public’s concern about traffic safety, especially distracted driving and DUII.  

Bend Police appreciate the community members who took the time to fill out the survey. The data help to inform policy and to create the Police Department’s goals for the coming biennium. The survey results also help our team make decisions about what community safety initiatives to prioritize. 

To access the complete report and past survey reports, go to https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/police/community-info  

2025 Bend PD Public Safety Community SurveyDownload