LA PINE, OR -- La Pine voters will decide on two measures funding the Rural Fire Protection District, on May 21st.

“I think with this being an essential and emergent service, people understand how critical that is, especially when you're dealing with the very time sensitive functions between getting to a hospital, and then also time sensitive nature of just dealing with fire suppression,” Fire Chief Erick Holsey tells KBND News La Pine’s growing population means more emergency calls, “We have to replace our ambulances at a faster rate than average. Generally, it's about 250,000 miles or seven years of service and we can reach 250,000 miles on our ambulances probably closer to five.”

Holsey says both levies have been continuously renewed going back decades, “I think people understand that, and they understand the value to it. So, I haven't really heard any opposition to that. And, then since we're also not asking for additional funding, we are maintaining our current rate. I believe that our citizens feel that that is important. There's just a lot of things that keep asking them for more money and we're really just asking them to maintain what we're currently doing so we can continually provide the same level of service to them.”

The 10-year capital levy would bring in about $5.6-million over that period.

The five-year operations levy would raise $7.5-million.
 

KBND FILE PHOTO: La Pine Fire & Rescue

REDMOND, OR -- Oregon Housing and Community Services has approved nearly $23 million to create 157 new homes at 10 developments around the state, including more than $10 million for 77 homes in Redmond and Sisters.

Woodlands and Adams Commons, two projects from Sisters Habitat for Humanity, received $950,000 and $3.8 million, respectively. And in Redmond, RootedHomes' "Rooted at 19th" and "Rooted at Antler" will share just over $6 million. Timber Cottages, a Redmond project from Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity, will also get $1.45 million. 

OHCS says 30% of the projects receiving funding are in rural communities. The investments are aimed at helping establish "concrete pathways" for Oregonians to pursue homeownership. 

BEND, OR -- A local nonprofit will soon launch a special grief support group for those who have lost a child. "It is one of the hardest losses anybody could deal with." says Partners In Care Bereavement Coordinator Carla Purusa, "It’s very out of sync from what we expect in life. And that doesn’t matter if your child is six or 60."

She tells KBND News grieving parents requested their own group, to help them through unique circumstances, "It’s not that we weren’t serving that population; we were. They were just in different groups. We have had Traumatic Loss groups, where those losses were due to accidents or trauma of some sort, and a lot of the parents were in those groups." Purusa adds, "A lot of those losses are young men in their early 20s. That’s a big one. They’re taking a lot of risks, they’re very active and a lot of accidents happen."

Partners in Care hosts a half-day workshop on May 24th in Bend to start the conversation about dealing with the loss of a child. "There will be a panel that have lost adult children and they’ll talk about their own experience with that. And, we’ll do a luncheon and an experiential exercise in the afternoon." says Purusa. Attendance is free, although pre-registration is required. Click HERE for more information.

Weekly support group meetings start in the fall. Purusa says they'll be similar to other groups already taking place, "We try to help people understand the process and then offer skills to manage the grief process, and how to best deal with that. And then, allow them to have some discussion with each other in the group, also." 

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond Schools officials are dropping a proposal to consolidate the district’s two high schools. A task force considering options for an upcoming bond initially supported the idea, to save money and free up Redmond High for other district uses. But after two community listening sessions brought out opponents to the plan, the committee changed course and is looking at other options.  

Superintendent Dr. Charan Cline tells KBND News, "It was clear there was a community preference for keeping two schools going, as opposed to combining into one school." But, he says major renovations are still needed at RHS, "It’ll be around $40 million worth of work into Redmond High. A huge amount of money will go into first replacing the heating pipes, taking out the asbestos." He says the roof also needs to be replaced. The project would be paid for by a bond expected to go to voters in November.

Cline says there were benefits to the consolidation idea, "Having both of them into a single school would’ve helped us keep a more consistent and robust set of offerings for kids. But, in this case, there are advantages to having smaller schools, as well. And that is where our community is interested and their value is in the smaller school." He adds, "I’m interested in making sure our community is well served and their educational purposes are well served." He says the community is not well served by a bond package that doesn't garner support from voters, "I’m optimistic that we are giving people what they want." 

While the RHS consolidation proposal received a lot of attention over the past few months, Cline says the bond would fund work at nearly every school in the district, "Mostly maintenance items; lots of replacements of heating systems, a lot of work with parking lots, replacing windows, working on trying to lower the amount of water that we’re using in the school district." For Redmond High, he says, "It won’t really add any square footage to the place and we may add a small ag building; we’re taking a look at that. But it’s mostly a bond about maintenance. It’s mostly a bond about maintaining their schools and making sure that these buildings last a long time."

Cline is now finalizing his recommended list of projects for the bond. The Redmond School Board is scheduled to vote on the list at their June 26th meeting, likely sending it to the November ballot. If passed, the tax rate would stay the same, because it replaces an expiring bond.

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Organizers of the Greater Idaho Movement are frustrated Crook County Commissioners aren't doing more to correct an error made by the County Clerk. As KBND reported last week, two arguments in favor of Measure 7-86 were omitted from Crook County’s voters pamphlet. County Clerk Cheryl Seely recently explained to County Commissioners how the statements were inadvertently left out, "Those all I submit in a bundled packet, they all go in, I missed two of them. I don’t know what happened, but- they were some of my early submittals. So, I have two that didn’t make it." Both of the missing arguments were submitted by members of the Greater Idaho Movement. Seely says she called the Secretary of State’s office and learned there’s no way to reissue the voters pamphlet. She told Commissioners she was told, "We are under no obligation to do anything, other than put a corrective statement or something on our website. And we’re actually not even under an obligation for that."

Seely considered asking the local paper to print a correction. The Greater Idaho Movement has asked the county to issue a supplemental page and mail it to every household. Commissioner Seth Crawford prefers the latter, "I think we should do all of them again, just for fairness. I think the paper is great; but it doesn’t reach even a small portion that you would with a direct mailer." But Seely says a direct mailer would cost at least $4,600 and it wouldn't fit all 13 arguments. It's tax money Commissioner Susan Hermreck doesn't want to spend, "I do appreciate a person’s voice. I do appreciate that it should be on the voters’ thing. But $4,600 kind of sticks in my craw a bit." Commissioner Brian Barney agreed, noting the measure wasn't the work of the Greater Idaho Movement "This was an advisory question that the board put up, that they didn’t put up. They weren’t out seeking signatures, they have no work effort in it, and one of the stipulations for when this was put on- that the county wasn’t going to be responsible for any additional funding of any sort."

Crawford disagrees, "If it wasn’t our mistake and they turned it in late and they weren’t able to get their information in, that’s one thing. But the fact that we, as the county, were the ones that missed it, that’s where I think it’s different."

The Movement's Executive Director issued a statement Monday, saying in part, "Through no fault of our own, our organization and it's supporters have had their political voice minimized and harmed." Matt McCaw went on to say, "While we understand that mistakes happen, the county has a duty to treat everybody fairly, and where their errors have caused that to not happen, they should remedy the situation in a way that's acceptable to those who've been harmed.  This is a very important vote happening in Crook County, and mistakes made by the county can not be allowed to impact the results.  We continue to call on Crook County to mail a supplemental to voters so that our supporters get the same reach and voice that our opposition was given."

Commissioner Hermreck is satisfied by the press release issued by Seely and the inclusion of all arguments for and against the measure on the Clerk's website, "I just feel that a corrective statement is the way to go, because I would rather spend the $4,600 and have it [directly] help somebody."

Of the 13 arguments received by the Clerk's Office on Measure 7-86, nine are opposed and four are in favor.

BEND, OR -- Anticipation is building for the opening of Bend’s new Costco store on the north end of town later this year, and attention now turns to the future of the current Costco at The Forum Shopping Center. 

Pat Kesgard, with Compass Commercial Real Estate, says Costco owns its stores, "So, when you think about The Forum, the current location, they own the building, the land and that large parking lot." He believes they'll sell, "In talking to the broker in Chicago, I just said, ‘Can you give us an update? You’re supposed to have the new store open late summer or early fall.’ And he responded back, they have had significant interest in that building." But a sale isn't imminent, "He said they’re really not focusing on it at this point. They will in another three months. So, by the time they get a tenant in tow, they get the plans drawn up, submit to the city, city’s going to take at least six months going through that process, probably more than that." That development could take another year, "Odds are, it will probably be cut up into two, three or four different tenancies. But, it’s not going to be a problem leasing that out, is what he indicated to me."

Kesgard tells KBND News, "I think it’ll be an investor group. I know the developer of the new Costco. He told me he and two other companies are standing in line to try and buy that property. So, a lot of interest." 

PORTLAND, OR -- Oregon’s Governor signed a package of bills Monday, all aimed at increasing housing production and helping cities pay for residential infrastructure.

Governor Tina Kotek says when she took office last year, Oregon’s housing supply was short by about 140,000 units, "And while Oregon has already made great strides in passing innovative legislation, we are still too far behind and we have a lot of work to do." She told the crowd gathered Monday in Portland, "Our under-supply of housing worsens our homelessness crisis, drives up home prices and makes it harder for Oregonians to live near where they work and play and go to school."

Among the four bills she signed at Monday’s ceremony was SB 1537, sponsored by Kotek. It establishes the Housing Accountability and Production Office. "This office will provide a more comprehensive approach to support housing production across our state and will be a resource to support local governments and developers who are just trying to build more housing," says Kotek, "Second, the bill provides a one-time option for cities to expand their Urban Growth Boundary, if they have shown that they meet specific land and affordability eligibility metrics." She adds, "Within expansion areas, 30% of all housing units must be legally restricted for affordable housing. The 30% requirement would be one of the strongest affordability requirements in the United States."

The other three bills signed Monday fund municipal infrastructure to support new housing, pay for continued operations at  homeless shelters around the state and direct the state to adopt model ordinances cities can use to meet housing goals.

Vice Chair of the Senate Interim Committee on Housing and Development Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City) is pleased with the package but says, "I’m a big believer of managing expectations. So, we can celebrate, but we’re not done. This is a nice step but there’s plenty more ahead of us." He told the crowd, "The key to get us out of the crisis is production. We need more housing units at all levels, all types, ownership and rental, and incomes- all incomes." He wants future legislative sessions to stay focused on increasing housing production.

State Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) also attended Monday's ceremony. She was Vice Chair of the House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness and believes the spending package will help alleviate the difficulty in Central Oregon to build more homes, "It has to do with regulation, it has to do with infrastructure issues, where we get stopped because we just don’t have the dollars to create the infrastructure to help the next project happen. And all of those things were addressed inside of the package of bills that we talked about today. So, it is a win for Central Oregon, as well as all of Oregon."

Breese-Iverson was joined by Madras City Administrator Will Ibershof, who says his city gets $1.4 million from the package, "That is for infrastructure for both workforce housing, as well as apartments and condos." KBND News asked what that level of investment means for a city like Madras. He says, "It’s huge. I mean, we have a general fund budget of $4 million. So something like this is significant. The other part of it is, we have employers that want to open shops: stores, businesses, manufacturing, etc. and they need housing for their workers that are making $35 to $40 an hour. And that’s not something that comes easily."

They were also asked why it was important to travel to Portland for the signing ceremony? Breese-Iverson responded, "There was a team of us that worked together to get this legislation forward and we did it with our local partners. And if we don’t show up for each other, for the good things and the bad things, what are we doing?" Ibershoff added, "And for me, it was just coming up to say thank you. You know, if you don’t thank them, they’re going to forget about you."

Also in the spending package: $2.5 million for Redmond to develop infrastructure for the Northpoint Vista housing development, and another $1.5-million for Deschutes County’s Stabilization Center. 

WARM SPRINGS, OR -- A Happy Valley man was killed in a crash that shut down Highway 26 near Warm Springs for several hours on Saturday morning.

State Police say 30-year-old Kyle Kircher was reported as suicidal, shortly after midnight Saturday. About an hour later, Warm Springs Police found his vehicle at the bottom of the canyon, below the Mill Creek Bridge. Investigators believe the crash was intentional.

Authorities were forced to wait until daylight to launch a recovery operation, which included Deschutes County Search and Rescue and Warm Springs Fire.

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners are asking for public input on the next Comprehensive Plan. Senior Long Range Planner Nicole Mardell says it’s, "Our guiding policy framework for decision making on planning, growth, resource protection and development in the rural county - so, all the areas outside of city limits - over a 20-year period." She tells KBND News, "So, even if we have new Commissioners, even if staff changes, this document is used over a 20-year period to determine what direction to go on things like zoning code amendments, county grant programs, criteria for rezoning." For more on the plan, click HERE. 

Development of the plan has been underway for several years, and Mardell says they've already received around 280 comments from the community, "As staff, we tried to create a really representative plan for rural community members. There were a wide diversity of opinions on a lot of issues. So, what you see is - a lot of the content is finding a middle ground, trying to balance a lot of those issues."

The fourth and final public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan is Wednesday evening. "This is the chance for folks who may not have been involved in the process, or who were waiting to see the final draft, to weigh in," says Mardell. She notes the format is different from typical hearings, like the proposed RV rental dwelling code, which also goes before the Board Wednesday, "For that one, we’re asking for feedback on very specific code; there’s really limitations on what people can focus on. Where, with the Comprehensive Plan, everything is on the table."

The public hearing for allowing RVs as rental dwellings was initially scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, but the agenda now shows it at 10:50 a.m. The Comprehensive Plan hearing is at 5:30 p.m. Both are at the County Services Building, at 1300 NW Wall in Bend. 

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond hosts a groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon, for its new public safety building. The public is invited to attend at 3 p.m. at the construction site, located at 2983 NW Canal Blvd. Click HERE for details.

The new Public Safety Facility is funded by a $40 million bond approved by voters in 2022. The 42,000-square-foot building will eventually house the Redmond Police Department, an emergency operations center and training room. Officials told KBND News it'll provide more privacy for crime victims meeting with officers, ample parking for employees and the public, and offer a high-visibility location for custody exchanges and marketplace transactions. 

It's expected to open in June 2025. 

SISTERS, OR -- An Idaho woman wanted for kidnapping was arrested in Sisters over the weekend. A Deschutes County deputy patrolling the area around Highway 20 and Forest Service Road 4606 discovered Leah Marie Sharp’s encampment at about 7:30 Sunday morning.

The 37-year-old was accused of custodial interference and kidnapping in Caldwell, ID. With the assistance of several other deputies, Sharp was arrested without incident and her three kids were found unharmed.

The children, a seven-year-old and two four-year-olds, will be returned to Idaho. Sharp was taken to the Deschutes County Jail. 

MADRAS - A weekend fire is now under investigation, after it caused around $20,000. 

Early Saturday morning, Jefferson County Fire & EMS responded to a report of a brush fire in the area of Lakeside Drive. Crews arrived just before 5 a.m. and discovered a structure fire on the opposite side of the neighborhood.

On Tenth Street, they found flames coming from a 1200-square-foot outbuilding. Firefighters extenguished the fire and no further damage was reported.  

Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Fire & EMS

SISTERS, OR -- A 21-year-old Bend transient faces several charges after he allegedly stole a car, crashed it and then was hit by another vehicle he attempted to steal.

According to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Joshua Buck requested a ride from the county's Stabilization Center to Sisters. When the vehicle stopped at the requested location, just before 3 a.m. Friday, authorities say Buck assaulted the driver and dragged him out of the car. He then drove off, heading west on Highway 20. Deputies were able to track the vehicle's location, as it turned onto Highway 126. 

At about 4 a.m., DCSO was advised by the Lane County Sheriff's Office of a multi-vehicle crash near Vida. LCSO contacted Buck at that crash site, where they say he was actively trying to steal a second vehicle. The driver of that car sped away, striking Buck in the process. 

Buck was arrested and treated at the hospital for his injuries. He's charged with Robbery, Assault and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. 

BEND, OR -- Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler was in Washington, D.C. earlier this week, with the bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors. "They have a homelessness task force that’s led by Karen Bass, who’s the mayor of Los Angeles, who is dealing with this, obviously, in her city and also is a former Congresswoman," Kebler tells KBND News.

"We talked to Senators, we talked to Representatives. We also talked to the Secretary of HUD, our housing department at the federal level, the Secretary of the Veterans Department, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and all of this was to say the federal government needs to invest more," she says, "Especially in housing vouchers, which is our main tool that we use to get people into housing. It helps pay the rent for people who can’t afford it. And we also need more vouchers to help us build things like Cleveland Commons, which is permanent supportive housing; which is one of the best ways to get chronically homeless people off the street and supported." Construction began on Cleveland Commons last fall, at SE Fourth and Cleveland in Bend. 

Kebler says it was an important opportunity for the group of nearly 50 Mayors to show a united front on the need for resources, "It was really great to be with Mayors from California, Nevada, Providence Rhode Island, all these other places in the country, and we all agree this is a top issue for our cities." 

She believes they were well-received, "There’s always politics in play at Washington, DC, and helping to move things forward. But, especially our Senator Ron Wyden, that we spoke to is very invested in making sure that we have also what are called Low Income Housing tax credits, which are what directly help us build affordable housing, and a child tax credit to put money back in the pockets of struggling families and help end child poverty, which is also a way to help people stay in their homes."

BEND, OR -- A motorcyclist was killed in a northeast Bend crash Thursday afternoon. At about 1 p.m., Police responded to Highway 20, just east of NE 27th Street and found the rider trapped under a vehicle. He was later identified as 48-year-old Chad Bernhardt, of Bend.

Investigators say he was hit by an SUV driven by 46-year-old Kyle Cofer, who made an illegal turn out of the Stonebriar Apartments onto Highway 20. Cofer faces several charges including manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs.

Highway 20 was closed between NE 27th and Hamby Road for several hours during the investigation.

PRINEVILLE, OR -- As Crook County voters fill out their ballots for the May 21st election, some may notice information missing from the voters pamphlet for a local measure.

Crook County Clerk Cheryl Seely says she inadvertently omitted two arguments in support of Measure 7-86, which asks if Crook County should support joining Idaho. The two missing arguments are from members of the group "Move Oregon's Border." 

She says there is no way to reissue the voters guide, although information on every Crook County race is available on the Clerk's website. You can also click HERE to read all of the arguments submitted for and against Measure 7-86.

BEND, OR -- The tri-county Central Oregon Suicide Prevention Alliance launched a new public service announcement this week, encouraging gun owners to safely store their firearms. The rate of suicide by firearm in Central Oregon is higher than the statewide average. Deschutes County Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator Bethany Kuschel tells KBND News safely storing firearms is proven to reduce risk, "Creating temporary time and distance between someone and a lethal mean, when they are in a suicide crisis, can be really effective."

Kuschel hopes the PSAs will increase awareness, "For our community, for our families and that it should just be a normal conversation. When we’re talking about secure storage, it’s finding things that work for the firearm owner, often within the home, and it’s also temporary. So, we’re not talking about mandates, so law enforcement doesn’t have to be involved."

Caroline Suiter, with Deschutes County Public Health, says gun owners were heavily involved in the campaign, "There’s been a lot of input from our communities and firearm-owning communities to help with this project." She says the ads offer different ways to keep guns out of the hands of people in crisis, "One option is just having lockboxes at home, safes at home, there’s biometric combination key locks - always changing those, periodically, if there’s youth in the home or someone who might, ongoing, struggle with certain issues. Our law enforcement agencies, it’s a location where people can go to temporarily house their firearms."

Two Spanish versions of the PSA, as well as a second one in English are expected within the next month. Click HERE to learn more about local secure storage options. 

BEND, OR -- Pertussis cases are on the rise in Deschutes County. In the past two weeks, County Public Health has identified seven cases of Pertussis, also called Whooping Cough. In all of 2023, just six cases were reported.

The highly contagious respiratory disease is transmitted through droplets from a cough or sneeze. Newborns, who are too young to be vaccinated, are at highest risk for severe illness. Complications can be life-threatening for infants under six months old. 

Pertussis vaccines - the DTaP and TDaP - are available at local healthcare providers and most pharmacies. “Getting vaccinated does not only protect you, it also protects your loved ones and close contacts, some of whom are more susceptible to complications from pertussis,” Dr. Rita Bacho, Deschutes County Program Manager for Communicable Disease Prevention and Management, said in a statement.  

file photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Oregon Congressman Cliff Bentz supports a bill to remove the gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states. Rep. Cliff Bentz represents much of Eastern, Central and Southern Oregon and says urban lawmakers don’t know what ranchers in his district have to do to keep their livestock safe from wolves. "I don’t think I’ve encountered such an amazing display of ignorance regarding the nature of a wolf, until this afternoon. A wolf is not a pet dog. It’s not some schnauzer or golden retriever, or dachshund. It is a natural born killer." He spoke on the House floor Tuesday, during debate over a bill dubbed the Trust the Science Act. 

Bentz told lawmakers, "It’s obvious to me that those who have suggested that ranchers are apparently not to be concerned about, haven’t grown up on a ranch, as did I. They don’t have a clue about what it’s like to have to get up in the middle of the night to try to go out and protect your livelihood from nocturnal killers like wolves." He added, "The people I represent do have to deal with wolves, back in Oregon. And in some of the most awkward situations." Under current law, the protection line in Oregon is Highway 395, which goes through Bentz’s district, "It is bisected by this highway. And on one side, the wolves are listed. On the other, they are not. In some places, this highway runs right through the middle of a single-ownership ranch." 

He also cited a recent report from U.S. Fish and Wildlife showing there is no risk of wolves going extinct in the next 100 years. "The Endangered Species Act doesn’t require an abundance of these natural born killers. It requires enough that we still have them around," said Bentz, "No one’s disputing that."

The bill passed the U.S. House Tuesday, on a 209-205 vote, and goes to the Senate.

WARM SPRINGS, OR -- Kah-Nee-Ta released a number of maps Tuesday, revealing the resort's new layout. The rebuilt facility plans to reopen this summer.

Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs first opened in 1962 and was Oregon’s first destination resort east of the Cascades. It closed in 2018, due to the economy.

When it reopens this summer, it’ll feature multiple pools surrounded by cabanas, a spa and athletic center, hotel and RV park. The resort spans both sides of the river, and provides space for launching kayaks and tubes. There’s also a tribal area reserved for Natives.

BEND, OR -- May Historic Preservation Month. Local events are planned throughout Central Oregon, including walking tours, theatrical performances and even a vintage motocross event. 

Kelly Cannon-Miller, with the Deschutes Historical Museum, says preserving old buildings benefits the planet, "Demolition and wasting of resources isn’t where we need to be moving into the future. And, so you can think of preservation on the one hand as adaptive reuse and recycling of spaces and materials." She tells KBND News, "Giving historic buildings new life, and allowing them to work for you rather than ending up in a landfill and burning up the resources that it takes to create new materials."

On Thursday, actors portraying members of Redmond's founding families offer a glimpse into the past, while on a walking tour of historic downtown buildings that have been repurposed for local businesses. 

Cannon-Miller says preservation can also be artistic, "One of the things that we have in this month’s programming is a theater piece based on a story that’s 100 years old this year: the Lava Lake murders; and trying to figure out who the second murderer was in that horrific incident."

National Historic Preservation Month is spearheaded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Each community celebrates in their own way, and you can find a variety of things happening around the country. A lot of effort goes into drawing attention to endangered places, which we very much still have that. For us, in Central Oregon, we’re always at risk of losing a resource," says Cannon-Miller. 

She notes archiving the past, "Can inform you about what your community needs to be working on - why are you the way you are? It can give you the materials to make art, it can give you a building a new building for a new purpose and keep your landfill clean. Historic preservation can be a lot of different things."

Click HERE for a schedule of events hosted by Historic Landmarks Commissions in various communities around the High Desert. 

MADRAS, OR -- Seven candidates are running for one open Jefferson County Commissioner seat, to replace the retiring Wayne Fording. They each addressed hot-button issues at a forum this week, hosted by the Madras Chamber of Commerce. You'll find videos of the event HERE. 

Contractor Ara Erdekian says he supports funding the animal shelter, which lost its county contract earlier this year, "They’re running a $50,000 a month sanctuary for $20,000 out of Jefferson County taxes. They have 13 part time employees, who all live in Jefferson County. These people are doing a thankless job." Small business owner Cindy Brockett says pet owners should take responsibility for their animals, "Yes, we do need to have better management. But we also need to ask for better spay and neuter instruction and demand that they follow those rules."

When asked about addressing the homeless crisis, special education teacher Seth Taylor says existing drug laws should be enforced, "This is a created problem by the failed policies of Salem. When we allow drugs to be used in our state legally, we attracted homeless or people who want to abuse drugs from around the nation."

CPA Brandie McNamee was asked about the Greater Idaho Movement and shifting Oregon’s border, and said, "I would support the concept, but it’s going to be incredibly difficult to move the border. Talk about state [legislature], your taxes, I mean there’s so much more to it than just drawing a new line."

Candidates also discussed economic development throughout the county. Truck driver George “Wes” Curtiss suggested the rural economy would benefit if the area stopped growing, "Do we really want to make Madras a Bend? Do we want to make Madras a Redmond? I kind of like it here. I kind of like my property taxes. The property values are cheaper here because there’s less population. If we get another four, five or 10,000, then it’s just going to cost more." While retiree Shawn Stanfill believes the key to rural economic development lies with Congress, "We need people to lobby, go back to Washington to lobby and speak on behalf of our farmers, who are the endangered species."

When asked about managing growth, former School Superintendent and business owner Rick Molitor says he supports affordable housing projects, "Those houses, those people, those new jobs will bring additional resources and taxes for us."

This is a non-partisan race, so if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote on May 21st, then the top two advance to the November election. 

BEND, OR -- Bend Fire and Rescue says a recent commercial fire highlights the need for defensible space around every building, not just homes. Exterior walls of two warehouses at NE First and Olney caught fire late Sunday. Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki says firefighters’ efforts were hampered by material stored outside by the buildings’ tenants, "That storage material was a bunch of wood, pallets and windows, that made it nearly impossible for our firefighters to get around and get to the back. They had to climb over all that material to get to it, and it just allowed the fire to burn a little bit longer."

It also camouflaged a small homeless camp, which is believed to have been the source of the fire. "It was very, very hard to see this encampment from the street, or even the parking lot, Derlacki tells KBND News, "That area, where this encampment was, is only 10-feet separation between it and buildings to the west and to the south."

Derlacki urges property owners to consider defensible space around every type of building, whether it's a house, garage, barn or business, "So much of the wildfire safety that we talk about is about people’s homes and the vegetation. But, walk around all buildings you have. And look for that flammable vegetation, but also where are you stacking up wood? Do you have extra pallets there? Do you have stored extra fence posts, things like that that could catch on fire if an ember landed into it." He adds, "Looking at what’s right next to your building. If that caught on fire, how could it spread to your building? The lucky part about these buildings is most of them are all metal sided, versus a wood-sided, like most homes are. That helped prevent the fire from getting inside."

He says vegetation and combustible materials should be at least five feet away from buildings, "Keeping that material away not only protects the building from any sort of fire, whether it be wildland fire or a neighboring building’s fire, but it it also makes it where it’s harder for people to hide and set up encampments in those areas."

That Sunday evening fire caused about $50,000 in damage. While investigators believe it started in the encampment and was accidental, the exact cause was undetermined, due to the extensive damage to the camp. 

photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County 911 and the Sheriff’s Office will test the Deschutes Alerts system Wednesday, May first. A test message will go out at 1 p.m. to everyone signed up for the local emergency and evacuation alert system, to make sure profiles are current. Messages are sent by smart phone app, text, email or phone call.

Sign up for Deschutes Alerts and update your information HERE. Subscribers who receive the test don’t need to take further action. Those who don't get the message within a couple hours of the test and are signed up for Deschutes Alerts should contact the Sheriff's Office at 541-550-4888. That call center is open Wednesday, 1-5 p.m.

Outside of that time, questions can be asked by calling 541-388-6501. DCSO can help confirm or make changes to your profile over the phone. 

BEND, OR -- The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office arrested 47-year-old Jeffrey Kingsbury Sunday, following an investigation into online sexual corruption of a child. Investigators say he engaged in overtly sexual conversations over social media, with a girl he believed to be under the age of 16. The person he was talking to was actually a DCSO deputy. He allegedly sent imntimate images of himself and described acts from the girl.

On Sunday, DCSO says Kingsbury offered to meet the "girl" near the Riverwood's Country Store. He also sent photos of his vehicle. Investigators spotted the vehicle at about 8:15 p.m. Kingsbury was taken into custody without incident. 

During his arrest, deputies found he had a criminal amount of methamphetamine. He's charged with Online Sexual Corruption of a Child, Luring a Minor, Attempted Sexual Abuse and Meth Possession.