CROOKED RIVER RANCH, OR -- A Crooked River Ranch hosue was heavily damaged in a weekend fire. Neighbors first reported the blaze on SW Sage Hen Road Saturday, just before midnight, after hearing an explosion. The homeowners reportedly were awakened by the explosion, telling firefighters they walked into another room and saw a wall of flames. Everyone escaped unharmed.

With no hydrants in the area, firefighters trucked water to the scene. Crews were able to save the garage and shop area, including a family vehicle. The cause of the fire is, so far, undetermined.

Losses are estimated at $530,000. The Red Cross is helping the displaced family. 

photos courtesy of Crooked River Ranch Fire & Rescue

REDMOND, OR -- Voters will decide in November whether Redmond Schools will millions of dollars for upgrades around the district. The School Board unanimously approved the bond package this week.

"We put it together so we’re trying to make a significant investment in Redmond schools without raising anyone’s taxes," says Superintendent Dr. Charan Cline, "And that’s really the important part is keeping the tax rates the same." He tells KBND News property taxes wouldn't go up because the new bond - if approved by voters this fall - would replace an expiring bond. "We’ve got this long term plan. The first one was for $27 million. We’ve been able to leverage money from the state, from Energy Trust to put in over $40 million worth of work into the schools. Our next bond is $97 million. Again, it doesn’t raise taxes."

This summer, crews wrap up work on projects funded by that $27 million bond approved in 2020, "Hugh Hartman Elementary School is getting its HVAC system completely redone. Redmond High, we’re getting started on it; we’re doing what’s called the dry side, that’s what our folks call it. These are things like the fan, the duct work."

The 2024 bond package would pay for maintenance and repairs around the district, "At Redmond High, we’ll work on replacing the pipes that bring the hot water from the boilers to the heat exchangers. They’re failing and we’re worried about them just having a catastrophic failure and so we’ve got to replace all that." Also on the project list is the expansion of Tumalo Community School to return it to a K-through-eight campus, and security upgrades at Ridgeview High.

A previous proposal to consolidate RHS and Ridgeview was dropped by the district earlier this year, following substantial community outcry. 

PRINEVILLE, OR -- U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is exploring possible federal solutions to help Crook County residents impacted by contaminated well water. He tells KBND News he talked with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Administrator Thursday.

Merkley said in a statement, “I’m committed to helping Crook County families who are very stressed about the safety of their well water. After visiting with two dozen impacted homeowners and hearing their stories earlier this month, I have been exploring a possible federal angle to help get to the bottom of the crisis. This morning, on a call that Senator Wyden also joined, the EPA committed to three key steps: investigating the connection of the possible contamination to surface water, exploring federal resources for folks in Crook County, and working with the State to address the contamination concerns. I will keep striving to bring federal, state, and local partners together to identify the cause of any contamination and find solutions.”

Merkley believes the heavy metal contamination comes from a nearby gravel mine and has asked state mining regulators to investigate. 

BEND, OR -- A group of former employees filed a $13.5 million sexual harassment lawsuit this week against a popular Central Oregon resort. The nine workers claim they were sexually harassed by 74-year-old Glenn Michael Woosley, a longtime employee and supervisor at Robert’s Pub, which is owned and managed by Black Butte Ranch. 

"I had my first run-in with Michael Woosley when I was about 17, 16," says Colin Palmer, "And I was touched numerous times in numerous places and made very inappropriate comments." He told reporters Thursday he complained to managers after he was groped, but nothing changed. Palmer says he’s had trouble holding down a job since his time at the pub, "I feel more uncomfortable with older men. Older guys have less filter, so they joke around and say stuff like that. And all of those jokes, now, I can’t tell if it’s serious or not." His former co-worker Brody Anderson says the harassment occurred daily. "He’d make sexual remarks and comments to us a lot. He’d try to make us question our sexuality."

Anderson and two others eventually contacted police, and in 2022 Woosley pled no contest to three counts of third degree sex abuse and harassment. He served 30 days in jail. 

Woosley worked at Robert's Pub for around 30 years and the plaintiffs say he was well liked by customers and management, despite numerous reports of inappropriate behavior. "We know that Mr. Woosley was a longtime employee of Black Butte Ranch, had been a supervisor and a server supervising these young men - dishwashers, busboys, servers, as well," says attorney Chris Larsen. Attorney Jason Kafoury says the restaurant - with its revolving door of young, seasonal staff - was the perfect atmosphere for a sexual predator, "There are probably a lot more victims that have not come forward yet. The fact that nine victims in a very short amount of time have come forward in this case shows that, we think this probably just the tip of the iceberg." He adds,"We think that Mr. Woosley deserves a lot more criminal prosecution for what he’s done than the 30 days he’s served so far."

In addition to the civil suit, the lawyers are asking the Deschutes County District Attorney to take another look at Woosley's activities and pursue more criminal charges. "In the coming months, we’re going to learn what was in the employment file for a guy that had been there for decades," says Kafoury, "Were there other complaints? Was there anyone from five years ago, ten years ago that ever said anything about this?"

Photos: (top) Black Butte Ranch Big Meadow Clubhouse, in which Robert's Pub is located; courtesy of Black Butte Ranch. (upper right) Colin Palmer and Brody Anderson talk with reporters in Bend on 06/27/24. (upper left) Inside Robert's Pub; courtesy of Black Butte Ranch.

LA PINE, OR -- Firefighters continue to make progress on the Darlene 3 Fire, near La Pine. Friday morning, fire managers said acreage had held at 3,889 overnight, while containment increased to 42%. 

Cool temperatures Friday morning caused smoke to settle in the area. La Pine Fire is distributing N95 and KN95 masks to residents sensitive to smoke or who have a respiratory condition. Masks are available at any La Pine fire station or the administration building. 

At Thursday's daily briefing, Incident Commander Robert Newey said the fire grew Wednesday, "We had a really big push from the southern flank. And with the wind event coming in from the west, it really pushed hard towards the east. We gained significant acres over the daytime." But, he noted that growth was away from populated areas, "Fire did significantly impact Finley Butte area and some of the infrastructure around that area. However, I want to emphasize how successful the crews were and how much work they put in to be able to secure that area."

A small portion of the evacuation zone’s northern area was reduced to Level Two “Be Set” yesterday, although much of the east side of La Pine remains under Level Three. Click HERE for the latest evacuation map.

A virtual community meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, livestreamed on the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. It will also be streamed at the evacuation center at La Pine High School.

12:30 p.m. UPDATE -- As of 12:00 pm Friday, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has reduced the evacuation level for Newberry Estates from Level 3 (Go Now) to a Level 2 (Be Set). Additionally, the area west of Hwy 97 and north of Burgess Road has been reduced to no evacuation status. As residents return to their homes, fire personnel ask that community members remain vigilant for emergency response vehicles traveling to and from the fire, and to give fire apparatus plenty of room especially as smoke in low-lying areas may affect visibility. A Level 3 evacuation order remains in effect for parts of the Deschutes National Forest, and fire personnel are asking residents and visitors to adhere to area closures that are still in effect.

MADRAS, OR --Jefferson County is the first in the state to receive a drought declaration this year.Governor Tina Kotek approved the request made by County Commissioners in April. 
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Jefferson County has been drought free since mid-March, but farmers have said they will not receive enough water for their fields this summer due to several years of dry conditions. Kotek’s office agreed this week, saying forecasted water supply conditions and precipitation levels are not expected to improve.

Read the full declaration HERE. 

LA PINE, OR --Firefighters made good progress on the Darlene 3 fire Wednesday just outside La Pine. As of Thursday morning, it's estimated at 3,614 acres and remains 30% contained. Officials say crews successfully lined and completed firing operations on the east side of the fire, as it grew toward Finley Butte. 

Unified command took control of firefighting efforts on Darlene 3 early Wednesday morning. Incident Commander Robert Newey says the fire started Tuesday afternoon, "It rapidly increased in size from the start, from heavy, decadent fuels aligned with wind." He says local crews responded quickly, "We had structure groups across Central Oregon and then also wildland resources from Central Oregon attacking the fire. We had air resources coming in from Redmond that consisted of Type 1 helicopters and numerous air tankers delivering retardant." However, he adds, "There are a lot of unburned fuels throughout the area."

So far, there are no reports of structures burned, but other infrastructure is at risk, "The BPA powerline and also Midstate Powerline were impacted with short power outages, and then also impacts to the water supply of both La Pine and firefighting efforts."

Damon Schultz, with Operations, says the first state resources responded late Tuesday, "We arrived with two task forces. We immediately deployed them both in the area of the city of La Pine and in the area of Newberry Estates. They went out immediately and started assessing and taking a look at the structures, and doing a little bit of light prep where they can, to keep the fire from reaching those structures." He also praised the initial attack by local crews, "That we have control lines is actually pretty good for this. They did an amazing job, with La Pine Rural [Fire Protection District] being assisted by almost all the other Central Oregon fire departments."

Deschutes County Emergency Manager Nathan Garibay told County Commissioners Wednesday morning. "At this point, it’s so far stayed in undeveloped areas." Commissioner Patti Adair says she reached out to U.S. Representatives Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer for help, "The more resources we can get on the fire now, before those winds kick up, is incredibly crucial." But that’s little consolation for people living in La Pine. "The wind is scary," Kris Potter tells KBND News, "I live way back off that fire evacuation zone, in a back corner. And I’m watching my trees wave around in the wind. And every time I see it, it makes me pray harder."

She says her office is closed because half of her team lives in the evacuation zone. "Air quality right now at my house: perfectly fine. But I guarantee you at one of my coworker's house, she’s in the Level 3 zone, and she’s sent in pictures and she’s like, ‘we can’t breathe.’" Some parts of town have experienced falling ash. 

Potter organized a spaghetti feed Wednesday night for evacuees, firefighters and anyone else in need of a hot meal, "The goal is just to bring this community together. That’s the way this community is; we come together." She says around two dozen people are staying at the temporary shelter inside La Pine High School. Evacuated livestock are housed at the La Pine Fairgrounds. "We see people dropping off hay and animal feed for the evacuated animals. I heard that there’s people standing on corners with thank you signs," says Potter, "So, that is the community feeling right now; and it is togetherness and to help."

Photo: Darlene 3 Fire, 06/26/24; courtesy of the Central Oregon Fire Management Service

PORTLAND, OR -- OHSU in Portland and Bend-based St. Charles Health System are working together to increase the number of family medicine doctors in rural Oregon.

The new “Three Sisters Rural Track Program” is the first of its kind in Central Oregon. Program Director Dr. Jinnell Lewis says after one year at OHSU, three residents move to St. Charles Madras for two more years. "As soon as they move out to Madras, in August of 2025, they will start seeing patients in the clinics in Madras and serving our community right away." She adds, "I never thought that would be possible when I moved to Madras. And, it opens the door for our community to improve access to healthcare and grow our physician population." 

Dr. Lewis says the goal is to get more doctors training in rural areas because, "About 55% of them will stay within 100 miles of where they train. So, this is a huge opportunity, not just for Jefferson County and Madras, but for all of Central Oregon and maybe even further out into eastern Oregon."

Resident Callie Krewson is a Bend native and graduated from Mountain View High School. She tells KBND News she looks forward to practicing medicine so close to home, "Being able to come back into that community in the role of a physician and being able to help that community in a medical way is really exciting." She recognizes it's difficult to recruit doctors into rural communities, but says it offers a diversity of skill and a work-life balance not available in a more urban areas. "In a rural setting, you really get to use a lot of the medicine that you learn in day to day life, while still focusing on some of your interests."

Ben Khalil is also excited about the diversity of patients he’ll see in Central Oregon, "As a healthcare provider, being able to take care of anyone that comes in the door, as a family medicine physician is what I’ve been looking forward to."

Resident Chris Sutton agrees not everyone wants to work in a rural clinic, "A lot of people come from the city and they don’t want to leave the city. And a lot of people come from a rural area, but there’s not a lot of opportunity in rural areas, so they leave to the city to work, and they end up staying there."

According to OHSU, around its Portland campus, there are nearly six primary care doctors for every 1,000 people. But in Madras, it’s less than .8 per thousand. 

LA PINE, OR -- High winds pushed the Darlene 3 Fire, southeast of La Pine, to 2,415 acres overnight. As of Wednesday morning, fire officials estimate it's 30% contained. Midstate Electric Co-op reports some La Pine-area customers remain without power, due to the fire. Click HERE for the latest outage information.

The Darlene 3 Fire started Tuesday before 12:45 p.m. It quickly spread north, threatening La Pine and prompting evacuations. Click HERE for the latest evacuation zone map. Governor Tina Kotek declared an emergency Tuesday night, clearing the way for statewide resources to be deployed to the area. A Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed command Wednesday morning, working in unified command with the State Fire Marshal's Red Team. 

A temporary evacuation shelter is now open at La Pine High School. All Red Cross assistance is provided for free. Red Cross officials urge everyone to take evacuation notices seriously, pack a "go bag" with necessities, fill your car's gas tank and create a meeting place if you get separated from your family.

Deschutes County Public Health and the Oregon DEQ are monitoring air quality in Bend and La Pine. Officials urge people seeking respite from the smoke to visit a public space, like a library. Click HERE for a list of available locations. 

Winds are expected to test fire lines Wednesday. Crews hope to hold the blaze within its existing footprint. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No lightning was reported in the area. 

BEND, OR -- Envision Bend wants to start a community conversation about the future of the railroad. Executive Director Matt Muchna says it was one of the top issues in a recent poll of more than 3,500 people in Deschutes County, "People were concerned about traffic congestion. They were concerned about public safety, concerned about what's being transported through town, and they were concerned about the noise of the trains."

Muchna tells KBND News two large switchyards were busy when Bend was a big timber town. But now, they’re largely unused. "If we took away the extra tracks in the switchyards and repurposed them for a rail with trail, or repurposed them for a park or public art, or even for commerce, how could this become an amenity instead of a safety and just a solely a problematic thing?"

He knows it’s a big conversation, and one a lot of people seem to be afraid to start, "Oftentimes we don’t talk about it because the railroad kind of feels on the same level as God," says Muchna, "Can we really change fate? Can we move the railroad? And I think it’s a big ‘what if?’ But, if we don’t start talking about it and exploring what’s possible, I don’t think anything will happen."

Envision Bend hosts an event Thursday evening with representatives from Bend Parks and Rec, the city of Bend, ODOT, local business owners and other. Since announcing the event, he says early feedback has been interesting, "I’ve been getting a lot of emails this week of, ‘are you nuts?! This is a huge thing. You can’t move the railroad.’ And I kind of love that because I think part of Envision Bend’s role is saying, ‘Okay, what’s possible? Let’s dream a little bit.’ And then, work backwards."

Thursday's "Railroad safety and redevelopment vision" conversation is at Bevel Brewing (911 SE Armour Rd. Bend) from 4:30 to 6 p.m. It's free and family-friendly. Pre-register HERE. 

photo courtesy of Envision Bend

As of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Level Three “GO NOW” and Level Two “GET SET” Evacuation orders are in place for most of La Pine east of Highway 97, south to the Klamath County line, including the Newberry Estates subdivision. Click HERE for the latest evacuation map. 

Ogden Group Campground, McKay Crossing Campground, Prairie Campground, the Rosland OHV play area and nearby Forest Service trails are also being evacuated. 

A temporary evacuation shelter is available at La Pine High School. The St. Charles Urgent Care Clinic in La Pine closed early and all afternoon activities at LPHS are canceled. 

A livestock and small animal shelter has been established at the La Pine Rodeo Grounds with support from the Pet Evacuation Team. 

5 p.m. UPDATE: Tuesday evening, Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, clearing the way for the State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources from elsewhere in Oregon. Two task forces from Marion and Linn counties are expected to arrive around 9 p.m. 

6:30 p.m. UPDATE: Midstate Electric Co-op says power is out for various areas. It won't be restored until crews can access a substation potentially damaged by the fire. 

BEND, OR -- Bend Police arrested two men after an armed robbery Sunday afternoon.

Due to the nature of the call, both the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team and Bend Police detectives were called to the scene at a Northeast Bend apartment complex.

After taking the victim's description of the crime, Bend Police applied for and were granted a search warrant on a property on NE Pheasant Lane, which was unoccupied. Inside the residence, detectives found the victim’s wallet, cell phone and vehicle keys, as well as two AR-style rifles and a handgun. The victim’s vehicle was also recovered. 

35-year-old Emilio Gonzalez and 34-year-old Jose Larios, both of Bend, were taken into custody whent they returned to the residence.

The two men face charges of robbery, theft, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Gonzalez was additionally charged with unlawful use of a weapon.

Police are still working to identify a third suspect in the incident.

BEND, OR -- Work began at Bend High School on the first phase of a four-year construction project.

School officials, students, contractors and architects kicked off demolition with a golden sledgehammer ceremony.

Bennett Sapin with BBT Architects says students will have to navigate around construction when they return this fall, “The contractor has been working really hard to get a clear way, finding pathways between the existing building and the new construction. It will just take a little bit of navigating to get through. It's all going to be pretty well marked off, but it is going to be kind of a maze of new construction and existing. But it will all be open and operational.”

Sapin tells KBND News the first of three phases will last through 2026, “Initially, there's a lot of the utility connections that have to be reconnected to keep the existing building running. And at that point, we're going to start construction on phase one, which is the classroom wing and also the new admin area and commons.”

Incoming Student Body President Taj Erickson is excited for the big upgrades. “All of these classrooms moving around, shuffling around but I think it's going to be really cool seeing how our students handle it, how our culture handles it …A fun time for us.” Erickson says navigating a construction zone in the fall is better than the current facility, “Everyone's ready for this little facelift that our school definitely needed. Like leaking ceilings, flaking paint, it was much needed. I think students are going to be super excited, especially all those like incoming freshmen now that are going to be able to see like this project like throughout the entire journey and see the finished product. It’s going to be really cool.”

It is the largest single project of Bend-La Pine Schools’ $250-million bond passed in 2022.

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County voters may be asked to approve a new property tax in November. "The Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District is your local government, without your local funding," says district board Co-Chair Jeff Rola. DSWCD's budget comes from state and federal sources. Those grants, he says, are often restricted to certain uses and can be inconsistent. Rola tells KBND News a levy could provide stability, "We are looking at that option because, if you may have noticed, there’s a drought that’s been ongoing for the last 20 years, the risk of catastrophic wildfire is significant, and then we have air and water quality issues, we have endangered species issues." He adds, "Our job is to manage those resources with the help of our partners and with our private landowners, to make those resources sustainable and thriving for everyone in Central Oregon." Rola notes it is not a regulatory or policy-making agency.

Under Oregon law, soil and water conservation districts can levy property taxes - with voter approval - but only a quarter in the state actually do. District Manager Erin Kilcullen says it's very early in the conversation, but the most likely scenario would be to ask for around eight cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. "For the average homeowner, that would be under $20 - $19 a year. And that would, when I talked to the County Clerk and Assessor, we would receive approximately, give or take, $2.8 million annually."

Around 400 people received a poll this month, "To gauge the community’s understanding of what a soil and water conservation district is, first of all," says Jeff Rola, "And then, look at the possibility of us securing a tax base in the future."

DSWCD's board must decide by mid-August whether it will send the question to voters in November. If they move forward, Rola knows it’ll be a tough ask. "People are tired of elections, in general, and tax elections, in particular."

BEND, OR -- The Coordinated Houseless Response Office held what’s being called an “all hands on deck” roundtable meeting Thursday to address the homeless crisis near China Hat Road. 

Among the officials and service providers, they heard from Linda Long, who knows firsthand what it’s like to live in a China Hat encampment. "I would really like to emphasize that playing whack-a-mole with the homeless doesn’t work and it never will. Believe me. Homeless people can be very creative," she told the group of around two dozen. She says forcing campers off will just push them somewhere else  Long told them she's pleased people are now listening, "Only fear and angst ends up driving the conversation instead of compassion and understanding; on both sides of the line."

Several homeowners from the Woodside Ranch subdivision, which sits on the east side of China Hat Road, spoke about not allowing young children to play in yards because of the activities they see on the National Forest just across the street. They also said they worry the encampments will start a wildfire. 

Deschutes National Forest Supervisor Holly Jewkes said in other parts of Oregon, the Forest is a half an hour drive from home. "The Deschutes National Forest is not 100% unique, but we’re so close to community. We’re on the Urban Growth Boundary of several cities, subdivisions all throughout Central Oregon. And that’s an amazing opportunity and it’s also a challenge." She said it's why conflicts between campers, recreators and property owners are more common here.  

The roundtable meeting also included representatives from U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). Local groups also participated, like Central Oregon Veterans Outreach and other service providers, the Homeless Leadership Coalition and staffers from U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden's offices, as well as from the offices of U.S. Representatives Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Cliff Bentz. 

Those at the meeting agreed to participate in a pilot project, with the China Hat area targeted first. The goal, they say, is to get people into housing, not only temperary shelters, using strategies recently released by the USICH. They hope to eventually use the multi-agency collaborative approach in other areas with high concentrations of unsheltered people in Central Oregon. 

KBND News sat down with COIC Executive Director Tammy Baney, who took part in the meeting and will be charged with leading the coordination. We asked why it's taken so long to find this approach, how long before property owners south of Bend will see measurable change, and how the pilot project will work. Here is our full conversation: 

LA PINE, OR -- A La Pine couple faces multiple drug-related charges, following a traffic stop and search of their home. Earlier this week, the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team concluded a long-term investigation, pulling over a vehicle driven by 37-year-old Armando Nieves-Cintora; 30-year-old Jessica Lee was the passenger.

After a K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs in their car, detectives say they found a baggie of fentanyl pills in a hidden compartment and additional packaging material in the man’s wallet.

They later searched the couple's home on River Birch and seized more pills and packaging material, cash, a rifle, sawed-ff shotgun and other evidence.

Nieves-Cintora and Lee are charged with Unlawful Possession and Unlawful Delivery/Manufacturing of a controlled substance, and possession of a short-barreled rifle. 

BLACK BUTTE RANCH, OR -- Two kids died after their dirt bike crashed in the Deschutes National Forest Wednesday. According to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to Forest Service Road 1028, south of Skylight Cave.

They learned teens were riding dirt bikes in the area. When the two 14-year-olds did not arrive at their destination, the other two - a 15-year-old boy and girl - went to find them and discovered the crash scene. The two victims appeared seriously injured. 

The 15-year-olds began life-saving efforts and a passerby took over until deputies and paramedics arrived. However, both died at the scene. 

They were wearing helmets at the time. Oregon State Police conducted a crash reconstruction. Investigators believe speed and variable terrain were factors in the crash. 

BEND, OR -- El Sancho's Taco Shop East on NE Delalb was destroyed in an early morning fire. Bend firefighters arrived at around 1 a.m Thursday and found the building fully engulfed in flames.
They were able to put it out within 30 minutes, but not before it caused more than $250,000 in damage. Several cars from a neighboring dealership were also damaged by radiating heat, 20 feet away.
The fire's cause is under investigation.

AFTERNOON UPDATE -- Bend Fire investigators say the blaze started from ashes that were not disposed of properly after outdoor cooking.

Image courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue

BEND, OR -- Construction gets underway this summer on a major renovation of Bend Senior High. Principal Chris Reese says it’s the district’s oldest school, "Many of the areas of Bend High were constructed in 1955; classes began in 1956 in a lot of those areas. It’s served its purpose. But the building’s tired."

He tells KBND News, "Most of the facility, at some point, is going to be torn down and rebuilt. We’re keeping some of the iconic pieces, as well as some of the newer areas of the facility, like our CTE tech building is going to remain. It’s an amazing place for kids to weld and do automotive and graphic arts, engineering and construction." He adds, "We’re keeping the new Robert D. Maxwell Center, which is actually, if you want to consider it part of the Master Plan for this overall design. It was from a previous bond project. And we’re keeping the auditorium. But at some point, in Phase three, that will be a gut and remodel." Click HERE for the site plan.

Bend-La Pine Schools hosts a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday  morning, "Not really ‘groundbreaking’ with ceremonial shovels, but we’ve got sledgehammers because we’re going to be tearing down portions. And they’re going to be doing the ‘summer sprint.’ They’re going to be taking down I hall, most of C hall and D hall this summer."

The project will take several phases over several years and should wrap up before the fall of 2028. It’s paid for by a 2022 bond measure.

KBND News will have more on the project and Thursday's start to demolition, coming up Friday morning. 

BEND, OR -- A roundtable meeting Thursday held by the Coordinated Houseless Response Office brings together the U.S Forest Service, and the United States Intergovernmental Council on Homelessness, along with representatives from Deschutes County, and the cities of Bend, La Pine, Redmond, Sisters, and the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council.

Bend city councilor Megan Perkins, the CHRO board’s vice chair, says the discussion’s focus is on people living in the national forest, particularly in the China Hat area, “Knowing that in two hours, we are not going to solve China Hat, we are not going to fix China Hat, but at least we can have some ideas for future directions and an agreement that we will keep talking.”

Perkins says it is a complex situation with multiple jurisdictions involved as the area is on national forest land in Deschutes County, “We are all taking responsibility here and trying to produce some form of a release valve for our Forest Service friends that are working out of China Hat.”

Perkins hopes to take action right away, “We do a really huge surge of influx of service provision there to really take the people that we can get into either a shelter or some form of house environment. And then that leaves us more resources to work with the people that have been there for years.”

She tells KBND News those living and working around China Hat Road will provide input, “We have some State and some local individuals that are also going to be at this table. Really important: we also have people that are doing service provider work out in China Hat to talk about the problem. We're also going to hear from an individual that lived at China Hat for a few years. She can talk to us about what she sees going on there.”

Perkins admits many want to continue camping there, “But we have a lot of people in China Hat that are children, that are veterans, that are working every day, that really would like to find a more stable environment.”

The roundtable meeting starts at 10 Thursday. 

The public can watch via live stream on this link.

BEND, OR -- Oily rags are blamed for a house fire on Westridge Avenue in Bend, early Wednesday. Firefighters arrived at the three-story house just before 5 a.m., after neighbors reported the back of the house was on fire.

Crews stopped the main part of the fire within 30 minutes, but it took more than three hours to fully extinguish it in the attic. Firefighters from Alfalfa, Cloverdale and Sunriver arrived to assist. Redmond Fire covered some emergency medical calls in Bend. 

One Bend Fire & Rescue employee was injured in a fall inside the building, during the operation. They were treated and released for non-life-threatening injuries. 

Investigators say a contractor was staining the second floor and forgot to add water to a bucket of oily rags before leaving for the night. The fire caused about $1.5 million in damage to the $2 million home. According to Bend Fire, the homeowner's and contractor's insurance companies will work to rebuild the home. 

Photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue

BEND, OR -- Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-R) held a Veterans Policy Panel in Bend Tuesday. She invited local vets to talk about their experience, both positive and negative, with receiving healthcare through the Veterans Affairs department. "What is your everyday life like as a veteran? And how are the veterans being served in this country through Congress? Are you getting the benefits that you deserve or is your family getting the benefits that they deserve?” Chavez-Deremer told the group she’s focused on increasing VA funding and assisting homeless veterans. She says Congress needs to do more to address staffing levels, and streamline medical visits and billing.

She tells KBND News it’s important to get a firsthand account of the problems accessing benefits, "They'll spend their time and go to Washington to see me in my office and say, 'Congresswoman, here's what I care about.’ They're advocating for other veterans; that tells me they're passionate.”

The comments were emotionally-charged at times, “How did we hear that emotion? We heard it because their voices raise, they feel anxious. They want to get up and tell me their story. They showed up here and they sat for two hours,” the Republican said.

Chavez-Deremer joined members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee on a tour of the Portland VA hospital Monday.

BEND, OR -- Central Oregon Community College is reviving a popular free recreational opportunity, after a 10-year hiatus.

"We used to have an 18-hole disc golf course, before we expanded some of our facilities. And the community has really been supportive of wanting to expand that and bring that back," COCC's Alicia Moore tells KBND News, "We don’t have capacity for 18 holes, but it will be a nine-hole disc golf course. The hope is to have that open later this year, if not early winter." 

The original course was where Wickiup Hall stands now. This new one is going in along Mount Washington Drive. "It’s on the western edge of our Bend campus, near our library. So, open to the community; open to the college; free. Our students are super excited about it, so a great opportunity to come up and see the campus in a different way."

The nearly $19,00 project will be paid for primarily by fundraising and hole sponsorships. 

BEND, OR -- Bend Fire and Rescue says eight people living in a 104-year-old house were lucky to escape unhurt, when a fire consumed the home early Tuesday morning. Multiple people called 911 just before 5:30 a.m., reporting a structure fire just west of the Parkway, and north of the Revere exit. Firefighters arrived on NW Hill Street and found what they described as a "stubborn fire."

The 2,600 square-foot building was built in 1920 and had formerly been used as a care home with multiple bedrooms. Investigators believe the fire began outside, burning up the siding and into the attic, resulting in a blaze that was challenging to extinguish. Crews remained on scene until about 9:30 a.m. and will recheck the building throughout the day.

One tenant reported smelling smoke Monday night around 11:30, but dismissed it as "drift smoke from a wildfire." Authorities say the fire was allowed to smolder for seeral hours undetected, consuming the deck before spreading to the attic. They blame cigarettes discarded into a combustible container on the front deck. 

While the home did have smoke detectors they don't appear to have sounded. The eight tenants were only alerted after one woke up smelling smoke. 

Damages are estimated at around $600,000. The displaced tenants are receiving help from the Red Cross. 

Photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue

MADRAS, OR -- The U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry firefighters responded to a new wildfire north of Madras Monday afternoon. What was originally named the Cow Canyon Fire was initially thought to be around 100 acres. But Tuesday morning, officials renamed the incident the Milepost 72 Fire and said mapping showed it closer to 50 acres. It's 30% contained.

The fire is burning near Highway 97, a few miles east of the Trout Creek Fire. Three air tankers assisted engines from the USFS, ODF and the Ashwood Rural Fire Protection District. 

Like the Trout Creek Fire, the cause of the Milepost 72 Fire is under investigation. 

BEND, OR -- State and federal agencies say a prescribed fire pilot project in Central Oregon proves more preventative burning can reduce wildfire risk without adverse smoke impacts for nearby communities. 

"There is no single agency that can address the escalating wildfire seasons and their impact on us, our health and our environment," Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Leah Feldon said Monday during a pilot project de-briefing. "Prescribed burns, especially those that are close to the community, can result in smoke impacts. And the goal of prescribed burning is to both reduce wildfire risk and limit impacts to public health from smoke." She adds, "The West Bend pilot project was an effort to try prescribed burning on more acres near a community, and incorporate new approaches to protect public health from the smoke impacts." And, she believes, it was a success.

Over the last few months, the Deschutes National Forest burned more than 1800 acres in west Bend, which is around eight times more than the area sees in a typical spring. In addition to increasing the pace and scale of burns, state and federal agencies ramped up public messaging. The Oregon Health Authority’s Gabriela Goldfarb says Bend was a natural first location for the project, "Those folks know that it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ their communities will be impacted by smoke, and they work closely with the land management partners - U.S. Forest Service, BLM - to ensure that residents and visitors alike are prepared for smoke during prescribed fire season." Golfdfarb added, "Bend had a strong foundation of smoke awareness and alliances, since wildfire smoke and smaller scale prescribed burning in the past are not new to Central Oregon. But that’s not the case for all vulnerable communities in our state." The lessons learned from this year's West Bend Pilot Project are expected to be used to ramp up burning elsewhere. Next year, the pilot will move to Wenatchee, WA.

Jacque Buchanan, with the U.S. Forest Service, says prescribed fire is critical for combatting longer and harsher wildfire seasons, "That’s the only way we’re going to get ahead of this. But with this effort, it’s our opportunity to demonstrate that we can do it in a way that reduces the risk, does not have catastrophic bad outcomes and we are considering the health of the public that live adjacent to these lands that we’re working on." She added, "This initiative really aims to enhance ecosystem resilience and reduce wildfire risk across the whole Pacific Northwest," says Jacque Buchanan, with the U.S.  Forest Service. "This type of coordination preparation really hasn’t happened in the past - for sure, here in the Pacific Northwest, but I would say across most of the West, if not the country." 

The Deschutes National Forest may conduct burning operations on 100-150 more acres in the West Bend area in the fall. 

BEND, OR -- City Club of Central Oregon hosts a public discussion this week about the decisions made by land managers once a wildfire breaks out. Executive Director Kim Gammond says she hears a lot of confusion about the tactical decisions made by firefighters and land managers, because many people don’t realize every situation is different. "There was a lot of discussion about why, even out there in the wilderness, they weren’t bringing the 737 full of water and dropping it on that. Especially with people who may not have grown up around wildfire, just kind of a lack of understanding that every single fire is different," Gammond tells KBND News. "So, if it starts on county lands, right outside a city, the type of response the agencies are going to have to that, versus the type of response they’re going to have out in the Three Sisters Wilderness," says Gammond, "And, the types of resources they’re going to bring or not bring, when they’re going to let something burn, when you’re going to see every resource available across the northwest show up."

She wants to take a comprehensive look at those decisions, "Where it starts is going to be different, how it starts is going to cause a different type of treatment plan, and that you can’t expect the same types of responses on every single land type. There’s both financial and ecological reasons that decisions are made differently."

Thursday's City Club of Central Oregon meeting includes, "Representatives from Deschutes County, the U.S. Forest Service, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Bureau of Land Management and Oregon Department of Forestry will all be there," says Gammond, "It’ll really be a panel discussion between all these representatives. Hearing them build conversation on each other about different wildfires they’ve responded to, different things they’ve seen, how funding’s changing, how technology’s changing."

City Club’s “How Wildfire Decisions are Made” forum is Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Bend. Click HERE for more information and to pre-register.

To listen to our full conversation with Kim Gammond, visit our Podcast Page.

A Coast Guard Command Center in Seattle received a report from the Oregon Department of Emergency Management at 4:20 p.m. The aircrew arrived on scene about two hours later.

The chopper couldn’t land because of the steep terrain, and the height of trees meant the aircrew could use its hoist cables. So, two rescue swimmers were lowered to the ground about a quarter mile away and walked to the hikers' location.

They loaded the injured hiker onto a stretcher to carry and drag her over fallen trees, rocks and snow back to the hoisting area. Everyone was lifted into the helicopter and flown to the Redmond Airport where she was picked up by an ambulance.

SISTERS, OR -- The Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District received a new water tender Monday. It's one of three agencies to receive new tenders, as part of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s engine program.

A total of 30 tenders will be distributed around the state, to boost resources for structural fire departments who need additional equipment to combat wildfires. La Pine Rural Fire Protection District expects to receive one in a future delivery.

OSFM is also providing Type 6 and Type 3 engines to some agencies through the program funded by the 2021 legislature. Earlier this year, Jefferson County Fire received a new Type 3 engine from the program. Crooked River Ranch RFPD and Sisters-Camp Sherman are also on the list. Bend Fire expects to get a Typ 6 engine. 

Photo: CRFPD accepts delivery of its new water tender; courtesy of the Oregon State Fire Marshal. 

BEND, OR -- Oregon’s public defender crisis now stretches into Bend. "What’s happening now is really a failure of government to perform one of its essential Constitutional duties," says Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels, "Which is to appoint attorneys for people who are charged with crimes, who can’t afford to hire an attorney."

Multnomah County's D.A. has said for several years he's forced to release Portland-area inmates every month, due to a lack of available representation. Deschutes County D.A. Gunnels tells KBND News, "Over the past couple of years, literally hundreds of people around the state have gone without an attorney after they’ve been charged with a crime. That finally hit in Deschutes County." Without an appointed attorney, Gunnels says defendants must be released after seven days in custody. As of Friday, he says 64 Deschutes County defendants have been released, "Many of those cases are extremely serious cases: child abuse cases, serious person-to-person crime cases." He notes Murder is in a different category and not subject to the same stipulation.

Gunnels blames the Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC), which imposed new maximum caseloads last year. "It effectively means that at the end of every month, if the attorney or the firm has had a certain number of cases assigned to them, they can’t take any more." There’s also a yearly limit, which many firms are now hitting. "We believe that at the beginning of July, which is the beginning of the new contract year or fiscal year, there will be a reset of yearly caseloads. That will help," says Gunnels. "But, in the meantime, we’re going to have dozens more individuals released from jail, who should be held in jail."

He says the Governor and Legislature are working to address the problem, but believes the OPDC needs to change what Gunnels calls artificial limitations, "That’s not how the criminal justice system works. We don’t get to work with criminals and say, ‘you’re going to have to hold off on committing crimes until the new year, when there can be an attorney for you.’ People commit crimes, the system needs to respond to that. It’s a public safety issue." 

WILLOWDALE, OR -- A brush fire broke out north of Madras Saturday afternoon. What’s now called the Trout Creek Fire quickly grew to about 700 acres by that evening.

It started on BLM Land about six miles northwest of Willowdale, in grass, brush and juniper. Five engines, a hotshot crew, a helicopter and three air tankers worked throughout the day.

Sunday afternoon, firefighters had secured about 50% containment, thanks to cooler temperatures. The cause is under investigation.

BEND, OR -- A five-year operating levy for Bend Fire & Rescue, approved by voters in 2023, takes effect July first. Fire Chief Todd Riley says the department is now developing its first ever strategic plan. "The Strategic Planning Initiative lines up perfectly with the lifespan of the levy," he says.

A new online survey is now collecting community input - Not on the department’s response to emergencies; those are highly regulated. But to gather feedback on the community’s other priorities. "First of all," Riley asks, "Is what we’re doing meeting the needs of the community? In other words, are there any desires or expectations of something to be done that we’re not currently doing? Also, it’s an opportunity for us to educate the community on the things that we do other than fire and EMS response." 

Those non-emergency services are more prevention oriented, like helping install smoke alarms in people's homes, "That’s something that we do that doesn’t require emergency response personnel, doesn’t require a 911 call. But it does require staff time and equipment to do those things. Also," he ads, "Wildfire home risk assessments. That’s not a 911 call, but it’s something that fire department personnel can come out to your property and take a look around and say, ‘here’s how you can protect your home and your community from an approaching wildfire.’"

Riley tells KBND News, "There’s things that we do on the side that, if it’s not valuable to the community, we can invest those resources and that time and those people elsewhere."

The new levy will appear on property tax bills in November. Riley hopes to have the strategic plan published just ahead of those payments.

The online survey is available HERE through 5 p.m. June 28th.

file photo

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Prineville is still looking for a chief of police, despite recent interviews with three finalists. Former chief Larry Seymour resigned in January following an investigation on a personnel matter. 

In response for a request for comment the city released this statement to KBND News: "In March, the city enlisted the services of a third-party firm to conduct a nationwide search for its next police chief. The city is working closely with the firm to make sure we find the best candidate for Prineville. The decision to extend the search was made after gathering feedback from community members, city department heads, police staff, public safety leaders, and city councilors. We are committed to finding a candidate with the right qualifications and experience who aligns with Prineville's values and culture. Community members will have the opportunity to meet future candidates, who will participate in panel meetings with regional public safety professionals, community leaders, and Prineville Police Department members. We are excited to continue our search and are confident we will find the right person to serve and strengthen our community."

In an earlier press release, City Manager Steve Forrester said the decision to continue searching came after careful consideration, "We are committed to finding both a well-qualified chief of police and one who will be a good fit for the community and the Prineville Police Department."

Prineville will continue accepting applications and initiate a second round of evaluations in July.

"Given the chief’s pivotal role, we will continue our search until we find the right leader to serve and strengthen our community," Forrester added.

BEND, OR -- Oregon State University's Cascades campus in Bend celebrates its class of 2024 on Sunday, "We have 355 students who will receive Bachelors, Masters or Doctoral degrees. In our 23-year history, that is our third largest class," says the school's Christine Coffin. "About 62 of them are the first in their families to attend and graduate from college."

Among those receiving graduate degrees are the first to complete the three-year Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the campus, "We will be graduating 44 students from that program and they’ll be ready to go into clinics and start helping people live a better quality of life." It's an in-demand field, especially in Bend, "But one of the reasons that the degree program was started here in 2021 is because of the real need of physical therapists throughout the state, and especially in rural areas," says Coffin. "Often rural areas, they may not have a physical therapist at all. So that means that individuals who need care, either simply don’t have the opportunity to see a professional or they have to travel miles to get there." 

She tells KBND News the school is aware of ceremonies elsewhere this season disrupted by protestors. But she doesn’t think that will happen in Bend, "We support free speech and free expression, and we have gone through some preparations to make sure that should a protest happen, that we can manage it fairly and still have a focus on the graduating students."

Coffin expects around 3,000 people to attend Sunday’s commencement at OSU-Cascades in Bend. The ceremony starts at 10 a.m.

Photo: OSU-Cascades graduates celebrate Commencement in 2023; courtesy of Oregon State University. 

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR-D) continues to push state agencies to act on manganese contamination found in Crook County wells. The Oregon Democrat recently met with impacted homeowners who told him water runoff from a nearby gravel mine flows into an unlined pit, "Which makes it very easy for it to move through the groundwater. And, because there is a lot of sand and gravel in the ground underneath the surface soil, you see how credible and possible it is that the contamination is coming from that unlined pit and then affecting these nearby wells."

Merkley visited two affected homes, "They gave me a tour. They showed me the sludge that’s in the tank behind the toilets. I reached in and there was maybe 3/8” of black sludge." He tells KBND News, "That sludge has, in some cases, blocked pipes and really cut off the water pressure. Other folks have spent thousands and thousands of dollars for expensive machinery to try to protect the quality of water for their personal health."

Merkley says during the visit he talked to a Crook County rancher, "A small rancher - he’d ended his ranching activity because of his concern over the quality of the meat that would be sold into the market if the cattle were contaminated." Adding, "And another parent, a mother provided pictures of the rashes her children were experiencing after bathing in this contaminated water." 

He says the mining operation claims the heavy-metal conamination is from drought conditions, but Merkley doesn't buy it, "This is what they’re experiencing that wasn’t there before the gravel mine opened."

Mining operations are regulated by the state. Merkley wants state agencies to test the runoff water at the gravel mine and create a map of affected wells. He says homeowners have, "A lot of concerns about the resale value of their homes having been destroyed. And huge frustration that they’re not getting faster action from state agencies."

Photo: Sen. Jeff Merkley hosts a town hall at Crook County Middle School, June 9, 2024, after touring homes impacted by contaminated well water.

BEND, OR -- Bend Park and Recreation invites kids ages three to 13 to participate in the World’s Largest Swim Lesson for free next Thursday. The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson is a global event to raise awareness about the importance of teaching children to swim, to prevent drowning. On June 20th, swimmers registered for a free 30-minute lesson will be divided into skill groups.

There are two sessions; one at 9 a.m. and the other at 9:45. Learn more and register for Activity 205700 on the registration website.

“I’ve been a swim program instructor at Bend Park and Recreation District for two generations of Bend residents, and I encourage new and returning swim lesson participants to register for the World’s Largest Swim Lesson on June 20,” Ann Story, swim program supervisor, said in a statement. “We can greatly improve community safety by increasing each person’s ability to swim.”

To learn more about BPRD’s swim programs, visit the BPRD swim webpage.

MADRAS, OR -- Economic Development for Central Oregon is refocusing attention on Jefferson County. The non-profit wants to help expand current businesses, and attract new ones to the area.

"It was an opportunity to kind of regroup. And now the community has done that and its leadership, both of the city and county, multiple cities. So, Culver and Metolius and Madras are all at the table,” CEO Jon Stark says it’s been five years since EDCO last had someone working in Madras. He hopes to have the position filled by August, “So this person will work within the community to help it get ready to attract new companies, expand existing companies, work with those companies to solve problems and provide additional start up and entrepreneurship opportunities in the area.”

Stark tells KBND News the area is appealing for development, “I think Jefferson County as a whole has a substantial supply of land. They have one of the best if not the best view sheds of our beautiful Central Oregon landscape. Their proximity to Portland. The fact that they've got good highway access and good rail service to the community and a trainable workforce are all some of the amenities. And a high functioning airport, as well.”

He says it would lift all of Central Oregon, “When one community succeeds, the community next to it succeeds. Jefferson County has a tremendous opportunity to be one of the leaders in seeing activity blossom in the area.”

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners are poised to approve the Moon Pit site, east of Bend, for the next landfill. At Wednesday's public hearing, consultant Ryan Rudnick said the site of a Hooker Creek gravel mine has a lot of positives, "Water rights on site, there’s zero homes within one mile and one home within two miles. There’s a paved access road from Highway 20." But, he noted, it's not perfect, "There’s shallow bedrock throughout the site, which will result in difficult excavation. However, the SM [Surface Mining] zoning and DOGAMI permit that exist with the site, present the opportunity for excavation to be subsidized with mining operations." Although, it's too early to know how much that rock is worth.

Addressing concerns about increased traffic on East Highway 20, consultant Dwight Miller told Commissioners the public won’t use the new landfill, "This is what is seen as a limited-access facility. It is only county haul vehicles and employees that will go out to the site. And vendors working at the site, and so forth." He added, "The traffic will continue to go to your transfer stations. That’s essentially how a facility like this operates. And then that waste is transferred out to this site." 

Mike Riley, Executive Director of The Environmental Center, is glad local trash won’t be trucked out of the area, "We don’t want our waste to become out of sight and out of mind, and somebody else’s problem in some other part of the state. And we also think that there’s significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions from siting here in our community, and also local economic benefits." Riley served on the Solid Waste Advisory Committeer recommending Moon Pit over the alternative Roth East site, "Because it’s an already disturbed site, I think that was really important to us. It will have less impact on wildlife and cultural resources, and lower greenhouse gas emissions." 

Anne White, with the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA),  generally supports the decision, but wants to see work to mitigate the permanent impact the landfill will have on wildlife and outdoor recreation in the area, "Deschutes County’s adoption of a robust mitigation program for what will be the first landfill developed in Oregon in 30 years would also serve as an important model for other jurisdictions across the state."

Commissioners did not make a final decision; choosing instead to accept more written comments until 4 p.m. on June 26th. If they approve the plan, closing the purchase from Hooker Creek could take another two to three years. 

The county has discussed a new landfill for several years. The Knott Landfill in Bend is expected to reach capacity by 2029. 

MADRAS, OR -- About a dozen people camping in the Willow Creek area of Madras were moving Tuesday to the new Oak Street Authorized Camping Area.

“We are now enforcing our camping ordinance, which basically says you can camp at night. But in the morning, you need to pick your stuff up and leave and then you can come back that night if you want to come back and camp,” City Administrator Will Ibershof says pollution was a problem at the unsanctioned campsite, “The idea is we need to be able to control the amount of garbage. Basically, that's been generated because at this point, we've pulled 80,000 pounds of debris out of the creek area and we still have probably three times as much to go.”

He says the new camping area next to the homeless services center is about 500 feet from the Willow Creek site, “There is a shelter here that is open at night where you can grab a bite to eat, as well as spend the night. And you can store your stuff there,” adding there is full access to the amenities, “people can also use the kitchen, showers, and bathrooms… If they want to try to find a more permanent spot, want to look for help with a job, etc. All those resources exist.”

The long-term plan is to convert the Willow Creek area into a city park.

REDMOND, OR -- Dozens of dead fish were found on the banks of Redmond’s Fireman’s Pond earlier this week. About a month ago, the pond was stocked with around 250 trout and it’s not unusual to lose a few. But Dusty Hood, Redmond’s Parks and Facilities Manager, admits the 75 to 80 that died between Saturday and Monday is a much higher rate than normal. 

He blames a combination of factors, including difficulty acclimating, "From where they come from to the new water." He says the water temperature also rose rapidly, "It has been nicer the last couple days, considerably. Over the last couple weeks, the last few days have been nicer consistently - and warmer." Hood notes, "Trout are not as hardy as your warm water fish, like your bass and your crappie, so they’re more sensitive to the adjustments in temperatures, especially the water. Even right after they’d planted them, there was some die-off - not to this extent. But we’ve pulled out half a dozen here, 10 or 12 there, over the last couple weeks. But this was the largest die-off."

Perhaps the biggest factor is an equipment failure. Hood tells KBND News the pond is supposed to have four working aerators, "What it does, it actually allows oxygen into the water to help the fish breathe. We had one of those aerators go down. So, if we have fish congregate in a certain part of the pond where the aerator is down, it’ll have that negative effect on that part of the pond." He says it’s fixed, although a few dead fish remain in the water, "We stop by there every morning to do our Parks Run checks. So, we check the pond for any dead fish in the pond that we can actually reach."

file photo

BEND, OR -- Bend Police have released footage from the body-cams worn by two officers who responded to the report of a naked woman in a neighborhood last week. After a TikTok video went viral last week, Chief Mike Krantz says he needed to respond to complaints about the decision not to arrest the woman. "Rather than allowing a one-minute, very inaccurate clip of the video to set the narrative, we chose to release the entire 20-minute interaction between the police officer and the complainant, to really show we have nothing to hide; this is the Oregon law, this is how our police officer did it." Under state law, public nudity is not illegal if there is no sexual intent. Krantz says, "I thought the officer did a tremendous job of explaining it, being patient, being calm, and really hearing both sides. And then making the decision based on the information they had, which, as we know under Oregon law, is appropriate."

He acknowledges even some police don't agree with every law. Krantz compares enforcing Oregon’s indecency laws to drug decriminalization passed in 2020, "We were bound by the Oregon law to take those new laws and work with them. So, similar to this, I don’t think anyone thinks it’s a good idea to have people randomly walking around in the nude. However, the Oregon law is pretty clear and case law has supported that unless there’s a sexual arousal intent, it’s not a crime in this state." Krantz adds, "We don’t necessarily think that the laws may be reflective of what the community desires or what we as police officers, individually, would think is appropriate. But, we don’t have the luxury of putting our own opinions and subjective thoughts into the law."

The 20-minute interaction includes two officers asking the woman to remain clothed in public and telling her she'll be arrested for trespassing if she returns to her neighbor's house.

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County has limited federal funds left to use for development of temporary shelter sites. Deputy County Administrator Eric Kropp told Commissioners this week there was a glaring omission in a batch of recent applications, "The 45 acres of county-owned land southeast of Redmond that would be part of the DSL land swap, there were no proposals directly related to the 45 acres."

Commissioners still want to work with the city of Redmond to develop that location into a homeless services site, so campers moved from the parcel involved in the state land swap have a place to go. What form that site takes is still up in the air - RV parking, a managed camp or a village of tiny homes. Commissioner Phil Chang says tiny home projects have benefits, but they’re expensive on a per-unit basis, "If we’re going to come up with some options for large numbers of people, we need to do the thing that’s more cost-effective per space, essentially. And that is to develop a managed camp."

They also discussed funding other projects with the remaining ARPA funds, including addressing camping on county-owned land on the north end of Juniper Ridge, north of Bend. Service providers may have a plan, "Like, maybe something small on - originally they said 10 acres; now they’ve determined five acres. They went out there the other day and they just thought they could do something small in order to start helping those people and actually moving in a positive way," says Commissioner Patti Adair, "They found a spot that they thought could be a positive location, in order to seriously make a difference and help those people."

Another proposal requesting funding would put a tiny home village on South Highway 97 in Bend, next to a Les Schwab store. That idea drew opposition from Commissioners Tony DeBone and Adair. "I mean, it’s the gateway to Bend," said Adair, "I feel like a tiny home village when you drive into Bend, is that really what you want to see?"

Commissioner Chang wants the county to focus efforts on the two county-owned parcels he sees as top priorities, "If these $1.8 million of ARPA are all that we have left at the county to do something significant or strategic, then those two needs - clearing out the 137 acres in Redmond, taking our 50 acres at North Juniper Ridge out of this in-between state - those, to me, seem like the things we absolutely need to be addressing."

No decisions were made Monday and Commissioners agreed to continue talking with providers about options.

MADRAS, OR -- Jefferson County Fire & EMS continues to investigate a Monday evening fire at Central Oregon Seeds, near the Madras Airport. Firefighters were called to Mill Street just after 6:30 p.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the 36,000-square-foot building. 

When crews got inside, they saw flames along the walls and roof of the large grain storage bins used for grass seed. Because the bins are made of wood and due to the amount of fire, Jefferson County called for additional crews, including from Bend, Cloverdale, Sisters and Black Butte Ranch. Firefighters from Redmond and Crook County also helped cover other emergency calls in Jefferson County, during the operation. 

One firefighter was injured but is expected to recover. 

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District says its Fire Corps Incident Support Team was also activated, to support crews working the blaze. A three-person crew arrived "in the middle of the night and provided food and a dry place for firefighters to rehab," the district said in a social media post. Sisters' Fire Corps Team is the largest in the state. 

Photos: (top) courtesy of Jennifer Dobkins; (bottom) courtesy of Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Protection District.

BEND, OR -- The Deschutes County District Attorney's office is investigating two recent violent crimes where the victims and suspects are all homeless. D.A. Steve Gunnels says the first is a murder investigation, "A really tragic case: 62-year-old David Hickman was in his campsite. He was homeless. And he was attacked with a knife. He was discovered deceased in his campsite." Hickman's body was found May 30th.

Brian Wynn was indicted by a Grand Jury Monday. Gunnels tells KBND News, "Mr. Wynn, himself, is a homeless person and there are no really known connections between the two, other than that they came into contact at that certain point in time." He adds, "We are still investigating possible motives, but it appears that it’s going to be one of these senseless crimes that gets committed. There is always the possibility of drugs and mental illness in these cases, and we’re seeing some signs of that."

Detectives had asked for help locating a blanket Wynn was seen wearing in surveillance footage (pictured) around the time of the murder. "It was turned over by a citizen to the Bend Police Department, and it’s been placed in evidence," says Gunnels. Bend PD confirms the blanket was recovered but would not release details citing the ongoing investigation.

Also in court Monday, Darron Reece is accused of attempted murder, stemming from a June third incident near 17th and Hemlock in northeast Redmond. "Lowell Templeton drove himself to the St. Charles emergency room in Redmond. He had been shot in the face with a .40 caliber handgun," says Gunnels, "A few days after the shooting, Darron Reece turned himself in to the Prineville Police Department and handed in a .40 caliber handgun." That victim is expected to survive, "He’s now still undergoing care but he is recovering and communicating with hospital staff and with law enforcement. And he is very lucky to be alive."

Again, Gunnels says the motive remains unclear and both men appear to have barely known each other.

BEND, OR -- One person lost his home and all his belongings Monday morning, when an outbuilding was destroyed by fire. According to Bend Fire and Rescue, the 12x12 structure on Deschutes Market Road was used as a residence, although no one was home when the fire broke out just after 9 a.m.

When firefighters arrived, people from the main house were using garden hoses to prevent the fire from spreading. Fire crews extinguished the flames but not before the building and a nearby car were destroyed. The total loss is estimated at $25,000.

Investigators say the fire started with an electrical failure. Power was provided to the structure by an extension cord. The exact point of the failure was not determined, due to the extensive damage.

The Red Cross is helping the man who lost his home. He was at work at the time, but returned when he heard about the blaze. 

Photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue

BEND, OR -- The 2024 Bend Brewfest, scheduled for October is canceled. It was set to return to the Hayden Homes Amphitheater at the Old Mill for the first time since 2019. But organizers say there were “just too many hurdles” to put on the festival to their standards.

Those who pre-purchased mug and token packages will be automatically refunded, as will breweries who had already paid to participate.

Bend Brewfest was held annually at the amphitheater in August from 2003 until 2019. It was canceled in 2020 and '21, then a smaller two-day event took place in ‘22. It was again canceled last year due to construction and was supposed to return October fourth and fifth, 2024.

Organizers remain hopeful Brewfest, which has raised more than $150,000 for local nonprofits, will return in some form in the future. “We love this event, it’s something we’ve been honored to host over the past 20-plus years,” Beau Eastes, with teh Old Mill District, said in a statement, “And we’ll do everything in our power to see that it comes back in a safe, stable and sustainable form.” 

SUNRIVER, OR -- Sunriver Police are considering installing automated license plate readers at the community’s two main entrances. Chief Steve Lopez says the system takes photos of the rear license plate as a vehicle drives by. It's designed to, "Provide alerts to law enforcement pertaining to wanted vehicles or vehicles that are of interest for law enforcement purposes- for missing persons, people at risk, stolen vehicles, vehicles associated [with] crimes." He says police agencies around Oregon already use the technology, including in our tri-county region. 

Images are stored for 30 days and officers investigating crimes could search the system for vehicle information under certain circumstances. Lopez says the department doesn’t want to violate anyone’s privacy, "They’re not facial recognition. They’re not gathering biometric data. They’re not taking a picture of the driver. It is the rear of the vehicle with the license plate itself." He tells KBND News, "It is not a speed camera; it’s not telling me if you’re speeding. It’s not telling me if you’re not signaling out of the roundabout. What this simply is is it’s taking a picture of a license plate and letting us know if it is associated [with] a crime through a secured national database."

With only two or three officers on patrol at any given time, Chief Lopez calls the system a "force multiplier." He says, "It is like putting one of my police officers at the fountain circle to see if any wanted vehicles come through. This allows my officers to be in the community more; but also allows for the community to hopefully feel safer in that if a wanted vehicle or a vehicle associated with some sort of felony or significant crime does come into the community, your police agency is notified pretty much spontaneously."

Sunriver PD hosts a community meeting Monday to discuss the proposal. It starts at 4 p.m. in SHARC's Dillon Room. Lopez hopes to have the system in place later this summer.

BEND, OR -- Oregon Department of Forestry declares the start of fire season Monday in its largest district. Ben Duda, with ODF's Central Oregon district, says the region's strong snowpack and late spring rain had an impact, "We’ve seen a slower start to fire season, honestly, this year. But we’re also seeing a lot of fuel growth; and by fuel I mean grasses and brush." He tells KBND News, "It doesn’t delay the onset of fire season, but it kind of spreads out the season for us." Duda says the fire risk is much higher at lower elevations, and spreads to higher elevation areas as snow melts and vegetation dries out. 

"I anticipate a fairly active season," says Duda, "I think Northwest Prediction Center’s calling on an average season for us, at this point, which is still pretty significant for Oregon."

The Central Oregon district has already seen 16 fires this year. "People are thankfully feeling a lot of pressure to get some fuels treatments done around their homes and properties and unfortunately that’s led also to a few escaped debris burns, which continue to be our largest cause of human fires, particularly this time of year." In most cases people thought their burn piles were out, so they left it unattended. Duda encourages people who burned even a week ago, to check on their debris piles, "If the ash is white, it hasn’t gotten any water on it. Or, the water that was put on it has dried back out and warmed back up. So, things need to be stirred with water and checked with your hands before you consider them dead-out."

In other cases, the fires started with activities people didn’t think would cause a spark, "Crack sealing their paved driveways and things like that, using propane torches, and some weed burning and metal grinding or cutting. Just even the grass is a lot taller this year, so parking vehicles on tall grass is going to start being an issue as things dry out."

Three districts in southern Oregon entered fire season last week. ODF’s Jessica Neujahr encourages recreators to check fire restrictions before heading out, "There might be potentially some burn bans, they might need a permit for burning, it might have some campfire restrictions or anything like that. And that will continue throughout the summer, until fire season ends."

In addition to fire restrictions, the start of fire season brings full staffing at look-outs and detection camera systems, as well as full-time prevention patrols. 

Lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and BLM elevated their fire danger to "Moderate" Friday.

SISTERS, OR -- At least three people were hurt when a bull escaped the Sisters Rodeo arena, during the Saturday evening performance. Spectators captured the incident on cell phone cameras, showing the bull jump a fence.

Sisters Rodeo officials issued a statement saying the rodeo announcer immediately activated the emergency response plan. He’s heard on the video urging people to get to higher ground. 

The bull ran through the grounds and back to the livestock holding pens where it was secured.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office confirms a Sergeant from the Corrections Division suffered a knee injury during the incident. Two people were taken to the hospital; their conditions are unknown. 

SISTERS, OR -- Paving continues on Old McKenzie Highway. Last week, they began work beyond the snow gate on the pass. Oregon’s Department of Transportation hopes to open the historic, seasonal highway by July fourth.

Even after that happens, ODOT says construction will continue, to finish things like striping, signage and clean up. Paving on the east side, below the gate will continue through July, but the road is wide enough to accommodate flaggers with single-lane closures.

Funding from a Federal Lands Access Program grant is repaving OR 242 from the junction with U.S. 20 in Sisters to the summit at Dee Wright Observatory. Improvement grants like this are critical to low-traffic volume roads like McKenzie Pass. More information is available on our project website. 

Photo courtesy of ODOT

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Health Services hosted a health fair Thursday to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the WIC program.

Christine Pagano, the county’s WIC supervisor, says the local program has been around for most of those 50 years, “So we serve month to month, just over 3,000 participants. We actually serve a quarter of the births in Deschutes County. So, one out of every four births is participating in WIC. So, we have a pretty wide reach in our community that we’re serving.”

The fair included other county health services and local non-profits. “We have our WIC participants coming to celebrate and get their farmers market coupons, which is a pretty exciting program that we do every season.” Former employees joined current staff to celebrate, also. “Among our WIC staff and retirees, we have I think, 358 years of WIC service combined here today, which is really amazing to have staff that have been dedicated to this program for so long and willing to come back in their retirement to help us with that event,” Pagano says adding, “We have a really strong program, really well-received in our community, really well supported. It’s a really special place to be able to work in WIC.”

The Women, Infants and Children program offers nutrition and health education, and food vouchers for grocery stores and farmers markets.

PORTLAND, OR -- Temperatures are warming quickly, sending people out on the water and increasing the risk of drowning. And one demographic is especially susceptible. 

We all know kids should wear life jackets while out on a boat or other watercraft, "But parents, and especially men, don’t necessarily follow the same rules," says Tom Conning, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Northwestern Division. "I guess we just as males think we’re immune to certain things regarding safety, and so we ignore pretty reasonable safety things like helmets, seatbelts and life jackets." But, he adds, "With life jackets, it is especially stark when you look at the Army Corps data, and it’s 88% of fatalities are adult male." And, he says, most of those men weren’t wearing a life jacket.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages many of the lakes and reservoirs in Oregon created by dams.

Conning says men often cite their strong swimming ability as a reason to not wear a life jacket while on a watercraft. But, he notes, that's not a reliable measure of drowning survivability. "Maybe in the pool, you’re a good swimmer and you’re expecting to be in the water. But, if you’re recreating on a lake, especially here in Oregon, where we have a lot of runoff and it’s very cold water." Falling unexpectedly into very cold water can lead to Cold Water Shock. "There’s a reflex where you gasp," says Conning, "And it’s a reflex, so you’re not controlling that, and then you can inhale water. It doesn’t matter if you can swim or not, because you’re drowning at that point."

He wants men to re-think what constitutes "cool," "strong" and "macho." He asks guys, "Are you man enough to, not only have your kids wear a life jacket, but actually set that example?" Because, he says, kids learn from their fathers, "When they grow up, they’re thinking, ‘oh, my dad never actually wore his because he was able to swim and he’s strong.’ So, not only should you encourage your kids to wear them, but you should model that."

According to the Oregon Marine Board, 13 people died in Oregon last year in recreational boating incidents; of those, 11 were men.

File photo

PRINEVILLE, OR -- U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) visits Prineville Sunday. He’ll meet with people impacted by groundwater contamination.

Merkley says he first heard about the issue at a Crook County town hall last year, "Residents brought their stories and samples of water and pictures of their plumbing to say, ‘something’s going terribly wrong here.’ And they’d already done some tests and identified the prime suspect as manganese pollution. And they were experiencing rashes, gastrointestinal problems and livestock issues with stillbirths." Merkley tells KBND News, "Of course, they’re very concerned about the health of their livestock. But even more importantly, obviously, the health of their families. And this appearance of these problems comes a year after increased activity, local gravel mining by Knife River."

The Oregon Democrat says he’ll tour impacted properties this weekend, "It was one thing to see pictures a year ago, it’s another to visit homes. I’m going to meet with a whole group of homeowners who are affected."

Crook County officials and the Oregon Health Authority hosted a Domestic Well Safety Open House last week, along with the Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Department of Agriculture, to hear concerns and share information. 

Merkley acknowledges private wells and groundwater aren’t regulated by the federal government, "They’re not even regulated really by the state," he tells says, "But what is regulated by the state is mining. And so, it’s important for the state to test all of these homes, develop a compilation of ‘how bad is it where?’ And, bring in their teams to understand the source. If it is indeed the gravel mine, then there’s a way to solve that problem." Merkley says he’ll keep talking about it, "To keep amplifying the issue." He adds, "The state needs to move quickly to address this issue of significant health risk for Oregon citizens."

The Senator also hosts a town hall, open to everyone, Sunday. It will be held inside Crook County Middle School’s Library, from noon to 1 p.m.

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond Police ask drivers to be extra aware of motorcycles, as the weather gets nicer. Officers are investigating a crash that closed Airport Way Wednesday, diverting traffic for people heading to Roberts Field.

Investigators say the driver of an SUV made an illegal U-turn, causing it to collide with a motorcycle. Both riders went to the hospital; one with serious injuries. The driver of the vehicle was cited. 

BEND, OR -- The Deschutes National Forest wanted to ramp up the number of acres involved in prescribed burns this season, but is now only slightly above the 10-year average. 

Jaimie Olle, with the Forest Service, says historically, the area’s fire return interval rate is five to 15 years, "If ideally we were matching that in the current day, under current conditions, we would see about 20,000 acres of prescribed burning each year. We know that’s not quite attainable, just given the limitations we have around weather conditions, resources." She tells KBND News 11,000 acres were prepared for burning earlier in the year, "We’ve completed thinning, mowing and mastication to reduce existing trees and brush, to decrease the amount of fuels that are on the landscape. And that final piece is to come in and apply low-intensity fire through prescribed burning."

Olle says, "Right now, we’re sitting at about 4,800 acres of treated landscape during the spring prescribed burn season on the Deschutes National Forest. Within that, a little over 1,400 acres have been burned directly west of Bend."  That’s part of the West Bend Pilot Project, "Which is a national effort to look at increasing the pace and scale of prescribed burning in those areas that are directly adjacent to our communities. Which means there may be some increased smoke impacts to those populations." In the pilot project, land managers work closely with air quality agencies to mimimize smoke and public health impacts in those communities - in this case, Bend. "The West Bend Pilot Project has allowed us to work with partners like Deschutes County Public Health, Oregon DEQ, Oregon Health Authority and several others to increase public outreach and preparedness around smoke," says Olle. 

There isn’t much time left to reach the 11,000-acre goal; the season usually ends in mid-June and no burns are scheduled for this week because of the weather. "As we’re kind of in that early June timeframe, we will continue to assess conditions and conduct prescribed burning when and where those conditions are favorable." But Olle admits, next week is likely their last chance before summer. "While we haven’t reached that number yet, what we have been able to do is treat some really critical acres in and around communities, including Bend, La Pine, Sunriver and Sisters."

More prescribed burns are expected during a few weeks in the fall. Olle expects they'll hit 7,500 to 10,000 acres by the end of the year. 

Click HERE for current fire information and to sign up for text alerts.

Photo: Firefighters conduct a prescribed burn in the Big Eddy area west of Bend on May 29, 2024; courtesy of the US Forest Service. 

SISTERS, OR -- The Sisters Rodeo got started Wednesday with Extreme Bulls.

The 84^th ‘Biggest Little Show in the World’ runs through Sunday.

Along with the performances, Rodeo President Scott Talerico tells KBND News many people look forward to the annual parade, “Saturday gets people in the mood. They come down, they bring their kids, flags are flying, wind’s blowing…and we're riding horses again this year as the directors, we got a pretty full parade coming down the pipe. It's going to be pretty exciting and it's a moment where people get to sit down, enjoy everything, really get their kids involved. That's what the kids love.”

The parade starts at 9:30 Saturday morning. 

Thursday, there’s a special event at Black Butte Ranch. “Come out, meet Wayne Brooks, get to meet the Queen and maybe, just, maybe, JJ Harrison, the clown might be there as well,” says Rodeo Board Vice President Brian Witt. The picture and autograph session is at Black Butte Ranch from 4 to 5.

Talerico says the meet and greet and Saturday’s parade are designed to appeal to everyone. “We're trying at Sisters more to become more of a family… bring your kids to this, and just hit that market. Those kids deserve to have fun too.”

They’ve also restored the old Cloverdale fire station into the Red Rock Corral for those unable to get into the sold-out shows.

Some of the old grandstand chairs were repurposed and the room is lined with big-screen TVs. “We've got a 40-foot long live edge bar in there. It's become a really cool place for people to hang out. So, if you can't get your tickets, because yeah, we are sold out. You can go be there early, get standing room, only get a band and go enjoy that room,” says Talerico.

Performances run Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening, and finish Sunday afternoon. Find the events schedule here.

BEND, OR -- Mountain View High canceled its senior BBQ and assembly Wednesday, after vandals caused significant damage throughout the school. Bend-La Pine Schools officials tell KBND News 20 students broke in Tuesday night, for what may have started as a senior prank. But Principal Michael Hicks said in a sttement, "This was no prank; this was willful destruction and theft of school property." 

Students tell KBND News the front entrance was "trashed," food was shoved into toilets and some classrooms were vandalized with graffiti. There are not yet cost estimates for repairs. Law enforcement is assisting in the investigation. 

In a note to families, Principal Hicks said, "Senior checkout and graduation rehearsal is still scheduled for tomorrow. Our hope is that tomorrow onward we are back on track in celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2024." Mountain View’s commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at the school.

UPDATE (June 7, 2024): Bend-La Pine Schools released more information Friday, along with photos of the damage allegedly caused by students. District officials say additional vandalism occurred Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, with exterior windows spray painted with "obscene messages."

Tuesday night, they say around 20 students entered the school and turned over furniture in classrooms and common areas, food and trash were thrown on floors, equipment in a math classroom was broken, a wall was damaged and nearly $1,000-worth of yearbooks were stolen. The first arriving staff also foud concrete poured into two appliances positioned in front of the main entrance, blocking access (pictured above), and hot dogs dumped into toilets, presumably food intended for the Senior BBQ. 

According to the district, "After meeting with the students involved, the school imposed a variety of disciplinary measures. The consequences include:

• A one-year trespass from all Bend-La Pine School District campuses, beginning on June 9, 2024.
• A hand-written, sincere letter to future seniors who might be thinking about pranking or damaging the school, and why that is not a great idea based on your experiences this past week.
• Completing five hours of supervised, school-specific community service.
• A few students have lost their privilege to participate in Saturday's graduation ceremony due to the level of their involvement."

Principal Michael Hicks released a statement Friday:

“In the past there have been senior pranks that are creative, memorable and harmless. What happened this week was malicious and insulting toward our building staff and student body. I cannot condone this sort of behavior toward our school. It’s important that these events not overshadow the accomplishments of this senior class. This is a week for gratitude, reflection and celebration with family and friends. We look forward to honoring our graduates on Saturday for this remarkable milestone.”

Images courtesy of Bend-La Pine Schools

BEND, OR -- Bend Police are defending their response to a recent call, after a video went viral on TikTok and X, formerly Twitter. A man filmed his interaction with police, saying, "Someone just came and exposed themselves to my 2-year-old boy. And this officer’s saying that it’s not a crime."

Bend PD’s Sheila Miller says the incident started with a suspicious circumstances call on NW Knoxville Blvd. on Tuesday afternoon, "And the caller reported that a nude woman had walked up to the front of the house where a group of adults and a child were present. And when adults at the residence confronted her, she walked away." Two officers responded. "And trespassed a 32-year-old woman from the family’s property," says Miller, "She appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis."

Public nudity isn’t a crime in Oregon. "We have a public indecency and a private indecency law," says Miller, "But both have a required element of ‘intent to arouse.’ So, essentially, a person who is naked in public has to be doing so for the sexual gratification of themselves or others." KBND News asked if it matters if children are present. Miller says the law remains the same. "That’s why, for example, you can go to Portland and ride in the World Naked Bike Ride. As long as you’re not doing it for sexual gratification, you can be naked and walk up and down the street as much as you want."

Miller says the department understands the man's concern, "It can be frightening when a person who is acting strangely or is naked approaches you or is on your property, especially when your kids are present." But, she says, officers must follow and enforce state law. 

Since the video was posted Tuesday evening, Bend PD has been inundated with calls, emails and online comments from people angry the woman wasn’t arrested. "It’s their right to not like that law," says Miller, "And I would encourage them to contact the Oregon Legislature." But, she tells KBND News, many of those comments are from people who don't have the full story. "People make a lot of assumptions based on what they see on a one-minute clip on the internet. A lot of commenters have assumed that this was a naked man. Not that that makes a difference, but that is an assumption that is incorrect." She adds, "Many of the online comments and emails and other stuff that we’ve been hearing from the public, not necessarily people who live in our community, but people around the country - we have been accused of being supportive of pedophilia. And obviously that is just not the case. Our department is very aggressive in its investigation of child sex abuse."

If the woman returns to the victim’s property, Miller says she can be arrested for trespassing. 

BEND, OR -- Pacific Power talked with Central Oregonians Tuesday about steps it’s taking to reduce wildfire risk. 

“When we look at our wildfire mitigation plan, we have basically three prongs that work in unison at the same time. First, we have situational awareness. We've got operational practices. The final one is grid hardening,” the utility's Simon Guiterrez says communication with fire fighting agencies is also key, “Our emergency management folks are always having those conversations with public safety partners, which includes the Forest Service, local fire districts. We have really clear lines of communications at the community level. Local, county, and state forestry divisions, fire divisions, things like that where we plan, and communicate processes and best practices together.”

Under the right weather conditions, they may have to shut down power … so utility lines don’t spark a wildfire.

Meteorologist Chester Lampkin says they’re constantly monitoring, “We're always looking at the conditions that could lead to extreme fire behavior. So, what's really cool about what we're doing in meteorology is we're proud to be that first line of defense.”

He says they forecast potential fire conditions by using past weather data and the latest technology to create models, “Historically, we've seen incredibly large and destructive fires that we've never seen in California history. And now that risk has moved into the Pacific Northwest, into Oregon.” He tells KBND News it is an important task. “Our number one priority is keeping the community safe, keeping the operation of the system safe, keeping our alignment safe and making sure that the community knows we're here 24/7.”

Pacific Power is touring the state to talk about its plan to reduce wildfire risk this summer.

KBND File Photo: Wildland Firefighter 2019

BEND, OR -- Bend Park and Recreation park stewards, Bend Police officers and Sheriff’s Office Marine deputies will patrol together at Riverbend Park Wednesday. "This time of year, we always want to be ramping up our river safety information," says the parks district's Julie Brown, "We are heading into the season where we are going to have a lot of visitors, and a lot of residents also want to be enjoying the river and the activities associated with that."

Brown tells KBND News, "We really want to encourage people, if you are going to be recreating in the water: Take precautions, be prepared, have a life jacket with you; on your body is absolutely the best place for it."

Bend PD's Sheila Miller says it’s important for police officers to help reinforce the efforts of park stewards, "Our CSOs - our Community Service Officers - will be walking and talking with people, just making sure they understand dogs aren’t supposed to be off-leash. There are specific off-leash areas. Alcohol is not permitted in the parks unless you have a permit."

As KBND News reported earlier this week, there's also a big effort this season to curb bridge jumping. "It’s a hard one to quantify, except to say that when it is warm out, we get pretty consistent calls from people saying, ‘there are kids jumping off the Colorado Bridge.’ Or, ‘there are kids jumping off the bridge at Reed Market'," says Miller, "But it is super dangerous and the last thing we want is for a kid to jump into a place he’s jumped in 20 times before, and this time hurt himself or we have to do a water rescue. Or, God forbid, somebody dies; but that does happen." She notes, "I think it’s obvious to people who live here, hopefully, that our rivers have different depths; some places where it’s really deep and some places where it’s really shallow. And that can change."

Wednesday's patrols at Riverbend Park are aimed at educating users at the beginning of the season. “The summer season is busy with activity in parks, on trails, especially near the Deschutes River,” park steward manager Jeff Hagler said in a statement. “This collaboration is an opportunity to inform community members about park rules and expectations and encourage safer enjoyment of the season.”

BEND, OR -- Summer may be right around the corner, but conditions in the mountains look a lot like winter. And that means a late season for some campgrounds, "We do still have some snow at the higher elevations and that has delayed some of our campground openings," says Jaimie Olle, with the Deschutes National Forest, "It really hinders some of the work to come in and identify hazard trees, remove those hazard trees and do some of that pre-season inspection and safety work."

In the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District, Quinn Meadow Horse Camp. Little Fawn, Soda Creek and Point campgrounds are all still closed; as well as Trapper Creek campground in the Crescent Ranger District.

"There are a few delays out there but campgrounds are opening across the forest. There are certainly plenty of options out there, and certainly more on the docket to open in the next couple of weeks," says Olle. Vista Recreation manages the campgrounds and is working to get sites open. Before planning a trip to a Deschutes National Forest campground, click HERE to see if it's open. Olle says when campgrounds are open, reservations are available at Recreation.gov, "A portion of campsites are reservable through there. And then a portion are first come, first served."

Most Deschutes National Forest lakes are ready for boaters. "Our road crew has completed boat dock installation at Crane Prairie, Cultus Lake, Lava Lake, Suttle Lake and Odell Lake," Olle tells KBND News, "They will be assessing those snow conditions for higher elevations for those at East and Paulina Lake."

Image: Soda Creek Campground on 05/26/24, courtesy of the US Forest Service.

PRINEVILLE, OR -- The search for Prineville’s next police chief continues with three finalists scheduled to meet the community Wednesday, June fifth.

Thomas Olson has 35 years of law enforcement and military experience, most recently as the police chief in Port Townsend, WA.

Ronald Schaub is currently the chief in Fircrest, WA. He's also served as Chief of Police for Pacific, WA and worked for the Pierce County, WA Sheriff's Office.

And Jeff Profio is a Lieutenant for the West Valley Mission Community College Police Department near San Jose, CA. He's also worked for the San Jose Police Department and Redding, CA Police Department.  

All three are scheduled to be at Ron’s Comfort Food Cafe at Meadow Lakes Golf Course tonight from 6:30 to 8. The public is invited to leave written comments on each candidate. Refreshments will be provided. 

Thursday, the finalists will participate in interviews with groups of regional public safety professionals, community leaders and members of PPD. 

City officials hope to appoint a new chief by the end of the summer, to replace Chief Larry Seymour who resigned in January, six months after he was placed on leave. 

BEND, OR -- Changes are coming to Bend’s 13 Neighborhood Associations, starting with a new name for the program. The city's Makayla Oliver says City Council will vote this week on updating the name to Neighborhood Districts, "We started using the term 'district' to kind of test it out in public when we were at events, when we were talking to folks who had just moved to Bend. And it seemed that 'district' was definitely one that was picked up easier and resonated with more people." She tells KBND News, "There was a lot of confusion between Neighborhood Associations and homeowners associations."

The name change is just one of a number of revisions proposed for the Neighborhood Program code. Oliver says there’s a also new requirement for an annual survey, "Making sure that our neighborhood boards are reaching out to their members and trying to get feedback from them, when they’re giving us input. Not necessarily topically, but more ‘what are your neighborhood’s community priorities?’" And eventually, there will be a purpose statement, to provide clarity for the districts, "Some of them had focused more on land use and history, some of them had focused more on community building-type events, some of them didn’t understand what the relationship with the city was."

Council will vote Wednesday night on the recommendations, after a two-year assessment, "Seeing who’s involved with it? What do people know about it? Who are missing from being included within that program?" Says Oliver, "Since we do rely heavily on them for feedback from the community." She says the program provides a two-way conduit for information, "For both the city, to share information with these boards on policies, programs, what’s happening within your neck of the woods; we also see it as a way for neighborhoods to bring issues that are bubbling up to the City Council."

A rebranding is also on the way, "You’ll probably be hearing a lot more about the districts that are within the city of Bend, why it’s important to get engaged, how they operate, the volunteer opportunities that are available."

If Council approves the new Neighborhood codes Wednesday, the changes take effect July fifth.

BEND, OR -- A Bend transient accused of murder appeared in court for the first time Monday afternoon, while Bend Police continue to look for clues.

The investigation into the death of 62-year-old David Hickman started with a call last Thursday morning, "That actually came from a person who went to a campsite where Mr. Hickman was known to reside, and found him unresponsive," says Sheila Miller, with Bend Police, "So that person called the police and asked us to come check on him." Officers found Hickman in a ditch along North Business 97, just south of the Bend DMV. 

Miller says an autopsy showed multiple injuries, including stab wounds, prompting detectives to search for more evidence, "They canvassed the area looking for witnesses, as well for video surveillance, that might be able to determine Mr. Hickman’s movements in the time before his death." She says surveillance footage showed the victim with 31-year-old Brian Lee Wynn just before Hickman's death. In the video, Wynn was seen with a brightly colored blanket [pictured]. "The blanket was being worn by the suspect around the time of the homicide," says Miller. 

Detectives believe Hickman was killed late Wednesday or early Thursday. Wynn was arrested Friday, "We found him a little after 4 p.m. on Friday at NE 2nd Street and Emerson Avenue. He was taken into custody, first at the police department and then lodged at the Deschutes County Jail." But, Miller says, the blanket is still missing, "He was not wearing it at the time of his arrest and our officers have looked for it but have not been able to find it at this point." Detectives think it may contain other evidence from the scene.

Anyone with information on the blanket’s location is asked to call Detective Chad Owens at 541-728-1242. Police are also investigating what relationship, if any, existed between the victim and suspect.

Wynn is scheduled to be arraigned next week. 

BEND, OR -- The Central Oregon Trail Alliance is working to spread trail usage out across the region. COTA’s Vanessa Fron says the goal is to reduce unnecessary congestion at popular Bend locations, "When they start mountain biking, they think of Phil’s Trailhead in Bend. But there are a multitude of other places that you can start mountain biking. You don’t have to come to Bend for that; and you don’t have to stay in Bend for that, either."

The nonprofit helps maintain 600 miles of single-track trails around the region and creates an average of 10 new miles each year. This spring, COTA used grant money to make it easier for people to find trails in Redmond, Madras and Prineville. "A lot of these new trailheads have signage that are up to date with all of the new trails that have been put into the area," says Fron, "Aside from that, we also got resources to spread to the community, so that they know how to get to these places and feel comfortable riding there with the level that they’re at." She tells KBND News, "We made a bunch of brochures, trifolds and flyers to send out into the community at local gas stations and diners and grocery stores, so that people can come to the town and see what it has to offer."

While COTA is primarily focused on mountain bikers, Fron says the group also wants to make sure trails are welcoming for every user, "We actually just partnered with Oregon Equestrian Trails to come together at Cascade View Trailhead out of Redmond, because we all just got an approved new trail in that area." She reminds mountain bikers they are supposed to yield to everyone else, "We come in hot, we come in fast. And it’s important that we respect our other trail users, because we’re all out there to enjoy nature together. And it’s important to note that horses are skittish. And if you’re coming in hot, the last thing you want to do is put that horse out, and all of a sudden they’re running off, they’re kicking, you’re going to put yourself and that rider in danger."

Click HERE for information on getting involved with trail maintenance as a COTA volunteer. 

Photo: Bikers enjoy the Wanoga Pump Track in 2023; courtesy of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance.

BEND, OR -- Bend Park and Recreation is making a big push this summer to discourage people from bridge jumping. "It’s very common," says the district's Julie Brown, "As you go around the community you’ll see people of all ages actually trying to jump off of the bridges into the water."

Brown tells KBND News, "It’s not permitted in parks or on the river. But you see an awful lot of the behavior taking place. And that is when you can get yourself or others into additionally dangerous situations." She says much of the danger comes from the Deschutes River’s history as part of local logging operations, "We’ve got metal and pieces of equipment and even the lava rocks are constantly shifting. So, a danger that was there right now may not have been there yesterday."

Bend Parks and Rec is working to get the word out early in the season. The district hosts a summer safety event Wednesday, in partnership with Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol and Bend Police. "We’re really wanting to encourage people to refrain from bridge jumping, in particular," says Brown, "And then, we always are trying to change some behavior around alcohol use at the river, and in parks." That public event is June 5 at Riverbend Park. "We’re hoping to be able to do some education efforts and set a positive tone early in the summer, so we can do everything we can to keep everybody safe," says Brown. 

Click HERE to learn more about park rules.

LA PINE, OR -- A La Pine man died in a weekend house fire. Firefighters and Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the blaze on Old Mill Road, in La Pine, just after midnight, Saturday. When the first crews arrived, they found the home fully engulfed in flames and heard multiple explosions. Neighbors were evacuated as a precaution.

Working through the night, crews put out the fire and kept it from spreading to nearby buildings. At about 10 a.m. Saturday, the body of 67-year-old David Hill was found inside, along with a dog.

Authorities say the fire doesn’t appear to have been criminal, although the exact cause has not been released.