BEND, OR -- Cascade Lakes Highway and Paulina Lake Road are scheduled to close for the season on November 19th. Although, it could be sooner, if the weather worsens.

The Deschutes County Road Department maintains both roads, but when snow accumulations can exceed five to 10 feet, the department says plowing is cost prohibitive.

Typically, both roads reopen before Memorial Day Weekend.

Photo of Cascade Lakes Highway on 10/31/24, courtesy of the County Road Department. 

The criminal investigation continues into a 12-year-old student who reported bringing a loaded gun to Pilot Butte Middle School last week. Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Dr. Steve Cook says the district is waiting for that to finish before it conducts its own review of the incident. But he wants families to know schools can help parents access free trigger locks and gun safes to keep firearms safely stored and away from kids. 

The nation’s first case of bird flu in a pig appears to be in Central Oregon. State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz says five pigs were exposed to the virus on a Crook County farm, where the owner reported 70 sick ducks and geese last week. All of the birds and pigs were euthanized. A necropsy later revealed one of the pigs was in fact infected with bird flu. The Oregon Health Authority says no people have tested positive for the virus. 

Bend, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to accept more than 2.9-million dollars in state funds to investigate and eradicate illegal marijuana-grows. County officials say drug cartels have been operating in the county and around the state, sometimes under the guise of a legal hemp grow. Deschutes County and Bend Police have received state funding to combat illegal-grows since 2018. Commissioners hope their actions to get this round of money will lead to future funding.

ODOT is asking drivers and trick-or-treaters to be especially cautious Thursday night. They want parents to make sure kids' costumes are visible, with reflective tape or lights, and to talk to kids about safely crossing streets and only at intersections,  and to watch for cars backing out of driveways. Drivers should be vigilant for pedestrians who aren't paying attention to cars. And if you're going to a Halloween party, make sure to have a sober ride home. 

Bend, OR -- The Bend City Council unanimously approved a joint resolution Tuesday to create a Temporary Safe Stay Area for people camping in Juniper Ridge. Deschutes County Commissioners approved their portion last week. The two jurisdictions will share the cost of providing sanitation services and case management, to help campers move into safer housing. The site will likely close at the end of 2026, when federal funding for the project runs out.

Bend, OR -- Mount Bachelor has seen five inches of snow over the last few days and the resort is now making more. Director of Mountain Operations Dustin Smith is optimistic about the long-range forecast, but says there's still a long way to go before Bachelor can open. Smith says the goal is to open the season the day after Thanksgiving. He admits moving that date up is not off the table. 

(picture credit Bend Bulletin)

Bend, OR -- Gas prices continue to fall and Bend drivers are again seeing the biggest declines. The local average for a gallon of regular is down nine cents this week, to 3.43; that's after a nine-cent drop last week. Triple-A's Marie Dodds says it's all due to Bend's new Costco gas station on the north end of town. She says it's not unusual for a new discount station to start a bit of a price war, but it usually settles down after a few weeks. 

BEND, OR -- The Pavilion ice rink opened several days ahead of last year's schedule. Julie Brown, with Bend Parks and Rec, says hockey and skate lessons are filling up fast, but more sessions will be offered during the second half of the season, which starts in January.

On Thursday, the Pavilion hosts a special Halloween Skate, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $7, which includes skate rental. Costumes are optional. Click HERE for more information, as well as a detailed schedule for The Pavilion.

Photo courtesy of the Bend Park and Recreation District.

An investigation is underway into ballot box arson in Portland, and across the river in Vancouver. Fires damaged a total of three ballot dropboxes, two of the incidents were early Monday. Portland Police say someone put an incendiary device on the outside of the box just outside the Multnomah County Elections office. The fire suppression system inside the box limited the damage to three ballots and those voters are being contacted. Authorities believe all of the cases are related. 

Oregon U-S Senator Ron Wyden is one of several elected leaders condemning Monday's arson that led to damaged ballots in Portland and Vancouver. He says law enforcement needs to move quickly and responsibly to prosecute the suspects. A fire inside of a Portland ballot box damaged three ballots. The county will contact those voters to recast their ballots.  The Washington Secretary of State says potentially hundreds of ballots were damaged by two incidents in Vancouver and elections officials are working to identify those voters, so they can get new ballots.

Tuesday is World Stroke Day.  This year's theme is "Recognize Stroke, Save Lives."  In the U-S, the cost of strokes totals around 65-billion dollars a year.  Bend-based Stroke Awareness Oregon Executive Director Carol Stiles says the number of victims under the age of 45 is rapidly increasing.  She hopes to help educate more people about the signs and symptoms of a stroke.  by remembering the "BE FAST" acronym.

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Crook County has its first case of bird flu. The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed Friday the virus was found in a backyard flock of about 70 birds, consisting of different species of poultry and domestic waterfowl.

All the birds were euthanized to prevent the spread and the State Vet placed the farm under quarantine. This is the second case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Oregon, so far this season.

File photo

Bend, OR -- Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson retires in January, after more than three decades in law enforcement. He says he's proud of the positive relationship the agency has with the community but acknowledges the next Sheriff will face ongoing challenges related to funding, growth and illegal drugs. DCSO employees Captain William Bailey and Sgt. Kent Vander Kampo are on the November ballot in what has been a contentious campaign to replace Nelson. 

Warm Springs, OR -- The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is responding to Friday’s historic apology by President Biden for atrocities committed at the nation’s Indian boarding schools.

Tribal Council Chair Jonathan W. Smith says his community appreciates the long-overdue acknowledgement of harms committed at the facilities, and called Biden’s words an important step in their collective healing.

Over 150 years, at least 18,000 Native children were pulled from their families and forced to assimilate. Nearly a thousand reportedly died. 

Here is Smith's full statement:

"For generations, our people have carried the weight and suffering from this historical injustice carried out against us by the federal government and religious institutions. These boarding schools sanctioned unspeakable emotional, physical and cultural harm against us, forcing us to carry this pain in silence.

We appreciate the President’s historic and long-overdue acknowledgement of these harms and the government’s formal apology. This is an important first step in our collective healing.

But the true measure of these words will be in the actions that come from them. We look forward to working together on concrete commitments that demonstrate a genuine redress of this deliberate pain."

Federal authorities are searching for a fugitive on the run from Florida who has ties to Oregon. The U-S Marshals Service and other agencies are looking for 42-year-old Christian Bert Fischer, accused of traveling to meet a child he met online. He eluded capture last Tuesday in Idaho and may now be in Oregon. Authorities say Fischer was recently in the Portland area and over the summer, he spent time in southern Oregon. There is a five-thousand dollar reward for information leading to his capture. 

BEND, OR -- Bend City Councilors will discuss a joint resolution for Juniper Ridge at a special meeting Tuesday. It follows Deschutes County’s approval of the resolution earlier this week. If the city approves, Bend and the county would share the cost of running a 40-acre site where people living in their vehicles can legally stay, while receiving case management services, with the goal of getting them into housing.

Tuesday’s Council meeting is at 3:30 p.m. A livestream will be available.

BEND, OR -- Several Central Oregonians have reported receiving ballots addressed to a deceased voter, despite claims by the Secretary of State’s Office that voter rolls are constantly updated to remove people who have moved or passed away.

Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison says his office even checks published obituaries to keep registrations updated, but admits some names may slip through the cracks. He recommends marking the unopened ballot “return to sender” so the registration gets inactivated. A family member can also call the clerk's office to have the name fully removed from the rolls.

The Secretary of State's Office replied to KBND's written questions on the matter, saying there are "preventative measures in place to ensure only living, eligible voters cast a ballot. For instance, if someone falsely casts a deceased voter's ballot, it would be removed because the signature wouldn't pass a signature matching review against the signature on file." The statement also says anyone attempting to vote for a dead person could face felony charges.

SALEM, OR -- A four-day earthquake response exercise takes place across Oregon next week. It’s called IronOR-24 and it begins Monday.

More than 900 people will participate at 25 different venues, including in Deschutes County. The goal is to practice coordinating how the state would respond to a massive Cascadia Subduction Zone quake.

Officials say Central Oregon will play a critical role in coordinating and staging federal assets, if the western part of the state is cut off by blocked roads and poor communication. 

BEND, OR -- A Pilot Butte Middle School student remains in custody after the 12-year-old allegedly brought a loaded gun to campus Monday. Bend Police say the child told a teacher they had the gun.

Investigators say they later learned the student planned to use the weapon on a list of targets. Everyone on that list has been contacted by police. The suspect is accused of attempted murder and other charges. The student's parent was also cited for failing to secure the firearm. 

Following that Monday incident, police were notified of multiple new threats and later charged a second student with disorderly conduct for spreading threats that were deemed not credible.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Cook released the following statement Thursday: 

“We stand with our students, staff and families in expressing significant concern over the details emerging from the police investigation of the Oct. 21 incident at Pilot Butte Middle School. At the same time, we are so relieved and grateful for the actions of our staff and School Resource Officer in preventing what could have been a tragic outcome. We appreciate our partnership and collaborative decision-making with the Bend Police Department. This remains an ongoing police investigation. We also want to recognize and continue to support our students and families, who understandably remain concerned and have many questions. The District will continue to provide counseling resources at Pilot Butte.”

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners have approved a compromise deal for Juniper Ridge, after killing a plan supported by the Bend City Council last week. The new resolution creates a 40-acre space for campers, instead of the previously proposed 170 acres. It also notes the cost of managing the area will be equally split by the city and county. Officials want to clear the area north of Bend, east of the Railroad tracks by May, with the entire area cleared of campers by 2026.

The new plan still needs the approval of the Bend City Council. 

BEND, OR -- A local pair offers a look at the spooky side of downtown Bend. But the business may be encroaching on a familiar non-profit effort. Meg Muldoon and her author mother started Bend Ghost Tours in 2021, "My mom’s been writing about ghost stories here in Bend for a really long time. And I used to be a reporter here at the Bulletin, and I’m also an author, but I’ve always just loved scary stories. I love ghost stories so much." She tells KBND News, "It’s also about current day hauntings and how people in downtown are experiencing them, and that kind of thing. So we get to hear a lot of stories. It’s so much fun."

The Deschutes Historical Museum has offered seasonal Haunted Walks for 15 years, as a fundraiser and membership drive. Muldoon admits she and her mother participated in a Haunted Walk years ago, but says any similarities are coincidental, noting her company offers tours nine months out of the year with professional guides, "During the summer months, we have visitors who come here. And it’s so wonderful. They come here, a lot of times not knowing anything about Bend, and we get to share with them the ghost stories. We get to share with them some of the history." Earlier this year, the Deschutes Historical Museum announced this would be the last for its Haunted Walks, in part because it’s no longer unique.

In 2022, the Historical Museum launched a Halloween-season creepy doll contest; it's now in its third year. The nonprofit says it was created as a way to highlight a little-known portion of its collection. This fall, Bend Ghost Tours hosted its first “haunted doll scavenger hunt,” to promote the haunted museum they hope to open in Bend. Muldoon says her event is different because the dolls are given away to the winners. "So, we went to the Oregon Ghost Conference earlier this year and there’s this wonderful - she’s actually this artist who creates these dolls. She brings them back to life. So, we saw this as a great way to support her." That doll restoration company is called Nightmares on Baby Street, "Her stuff is amazing. And we really just saw this as an opportunity to share her work and also kind of create this fun thing in the community."
The Historical Museum says they're conjuring up something new for next Halloween, but would not release details. "We love the museum," says Muldoon, "It’s all in the spirit of fun. I have to say, it wasn’t meant to cause any issues. It’s very much, 100% in the spirit of fun, getting people into the spirit of Halloween." Bend Ghost Tours still has space available for this season.

BEND, OR -- Delayed mail deliveries in Bend are causing concern for voters who still haven’t received their ballot. Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison says if you still don’t have it after Wednesday, you can request a replacement from the local elections office. If you end up with two, only the first one returned to the clerk will be counted; attempting to vote both ballots could land you in the middle of a criminal investigation. Check the status of your ballot, including the address where it was sent, at OregonVotes.gov.

Shari's Restaurants in Bend and Redmond closed over the weekend, along with all of its 42 locations in Oregon. The Beaverton-based chain reportedly suffered serious financial struggles. Regional economist Nicole Ramos says the closures won't have a big impact on the state's bottom line but there will be some at the individual level. Shifting dining habits and rising food and labor costs have made it tougher for restaurants to recover post-pandemic. Shari's opened in Oregon in 1978.

Gas prices fell slightly this week, as the price of crude oil stabilizes. The national average for a gallon of regular dropped four cents to 3.16, while Oregon's average slipped a penny, to 3.67. Bend saw the largest weekly drop in the state, falling a whopping nine cents after Costco opened its new gas station on the north end of town. The local average is now 3.52 a gallon. 

BEND, OR -- A student at Bend Tech Academy is accused of bringing an airsoft handgun to school on Tuesday morning. Bend Police say officers responded at about 9 a.m. after receiving a tip from someone in the community. Officers confiscated the replica weapon from a 17-year-old. 

In a letter to parents, Principal LaKisha Clark said administrators, counselors and the School Resource Officer team met the student and "began our safety processes immediately." 

Bend PD says the case will be refered to the county's Juvenile Department to determine whether criminal charges are appropriate. 

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners have agreed to again discuss a temporary safe stay area for people living in vehicles at Juniper Ridge. They failed to advance a plan last week, citing potential land use issues.

Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler told Commissioners Monday the city is ready to compromise on a resolution, but says a resolution is a necessary legal framework.

Commissioners will consider another draft on Wednesday. 

Recent natural disasters and the upcoming holidays have created a perfect storm for scammers.  Cybersecurity expert and co-host of the "What the Hack" podcast Adam Levin has some advice.

BEND, OR -- The annual Lava Island Falls Fish Rescue finished Monday. Thousands of fish are rescued at the end of irrigation season, each year, after they get trapped in shallow pools of the upper Deschutes, west of Bend.

“That’s due to less water being released out of the reservoirs upstream. And as a result, we do see some stranding in side channels,” Emelie McKain with Oregon's Water Resources department tells KBND News the annual occurrence shouldn’t go on much longer, “There are a series of water conservation projects and initiatives happening in the basin to flows in the upper Deschutes River in the winter time to help prevent these issues from happening in the future.”

She represents the state on the board of the Deschutes River Conservancy. That organization along with the Deschutes Basin Board of Control oversee the three-day fish rescue. Volunteers worked under the guidance of a technical crew of fish experts, hauling the fish by bucket into the main channel of the river. 

“Winter 2029, we'll see a significant bump in flows in the upper Deschutes River. We'll see 300 cubic feet per second being released from Wickiup Reservoir. Which will increase the available habitat for fish, not causing as many stranding issues that we see today,” McKain says.

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REDMOND, OR -- Water leaks at Redmond High School appear to be worsening. Over the last several days, a bright pink liquid coated chairs and wrestling mats stored in a room off the gym.

The district’s Logan McGinnis says the more than 50-year-old hot water pipes have leaked at RHS for several years, dripping water and rust inhibitor throughout the building. But it’s had a bigger impact on students in recent weeks.

Replacing the pipes would be funded by a bond measure on the November ballot.

Photo and video courtesy of Redmond School District

BEND, OR -- A 12-year-old was arrested Monday morning at Pilot Butte Middle School for allegedly bringing a loaded gun to campus.

In a letter sent to PBMS families, Superintendent Dr. Steven Cook said, "A student self-reported being in possession of a loaded handgun brought from home. The student reported it to a trusted adult, a teacher, who immediately escorted the student from the building, contacted school administrators and our Student Resource Officer." 

The School Resource Officer, who was at PBMS at the time, responded and arrested the seventh grader without incident, confiscating the weapon. 

Bend Police are now looking into how the student accessed the firearm. Additional charges could follow against additional people. 

In Dr. Cook's letter, he said, "Every threat is investigated by our school's threat assessment team, which provides safety recommendations and resources for those involved and for the entire school community." He also noted, "Our Student Services team will be available to help support students and families. The district now has counselors available for students and staff immediately and for the coming days."

BEND, OR -- In about two weeks, local families will start packing up their Halloween decorations for another year, but what should you do with your jack-o-lantern? Susan Baker, Deschutes County's Waste Diversion Manager, asks that you not put it in the trash, "Residents that live in the city of Bend, Redmond, Sisters and participate in an organics curbside program, they can add their pumpkins with their yard debris and other food waste material, that would be collected by the service providers. And that material will be composted into a nutrient-rich compost, so it's a great alternative to throwing them away." Baker says it's a small step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, food waste decomposing in landfills contributes more methane emissions than any other landfill material.

REDMOND, OR -- The region's canals emptied last week. Central Oregon Irrigation Managing director Craig Horrell tells KBND News they had plenty of water through this summer. "We had a pretty normal irrigation season at Central Oregon Irrigation District, where North Unit did not because Wikiup Reservoir, their storage was not recovered and fully filled. ...they had an "okay" season. They're still recovering from a pretty massive drought for the last three out of five years." He sees some light at the end of a very dry tunnel, "We're recovering and cautiously optimistic that maybe with one more good year, maybe get back on track," says Horrell, adding, "One of the things we're finding here is droughts are longer and more severe and more frequent."

Central Oregon depends on a canal system built over a century ago. "This is why we're doing all of our modernization to make sure that we can accommodate for the next 100 years of these more frequently harsher conditions," Horrell says.

Maintenance begins now that irrigation season is over. "The day we shut water off in October, we start doing all our maintenance and construction and have to have it done by April 1^st. We do all our construction in the winter time. We can't stop water delivery in the summer, so we have a six-month construction season," he says.

Cutting off the stream flow in the upper Deschutes also strands fish in pools in the river bed. The annual fish rescue took place over the weekend and continues Monday.

BEND, OR -- An independent report on Bend Police staffing reveals the department needs around 50 more officers over the next 10 years to keep up with growth. But City Manager Eric King says there isn't money in the budget for that rate of staffing increase. He says it's more realistic to consider bringing on six more officers this December, with three or four more each year after that. The department also continues to evaluate which calls require law enforcement and what could be assigned to another division.

TERREBONNE, OR -- Oregon State Parks will host a virtual meeting tomorrow (Tu) to provide information on changes coming to Smith Rock State Park. Crews expect to break ground on a new welcome center, restroom, trail connections and improved day-use parking in late 2025 or early ‘26.

It’s part of an updated master plan for the popular scenic spot near Terrebonne.

Tuesday’s informational meeting is at 4 p.m. Advanced registration is required.

Rendering of future welcome center, courtesy of Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. 

BEND, OR -- The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to a report of a large amount of mail dumped near Hunnel and Loco Roads, north of Bend, on Friday. Deputies discovered several unopened ballots and other sensitive items in the pile. 

DCSO says incidents of mail theft typically ramp up through the holidays. The agency encourages people to check your mail frequently and avoid leaving it in the mailbox overnight. 

All of the found ballots were returned to the County Clerk to be reissued. If you have not received your ballot by Wednesday (October 23), you should contact your local county clerk's office. Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison can be reached at 541-388-6547. 

BEND, OR -- Firefighters say they kept flames from spreading to a home in southwest Bend, overnight Thursday. Multiple callers to 911 reported a structure fire near Aspen Drive and Mahogany Street, just after 10:30 p.m. When crews arrived, they found the garage on fire. 

Officials say they quickly knocked down the fire, but remained on scene for several hours. Due to the large quantity of combustibles in the garage, it took a while to determine the fire was fully out. 

The garage and several vehicles were destroyed; losses are estimated at $120,000. But the home was spared, with just some heat damage to the vinyl siding. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

BEND, OR -- A joint agreement between the city and county to create a temporary managed camp at Juniper Ridge is on hold.

Earlier this week, Deschutes County Commissioners couldn’t agree on a path forward, failing to approve a legal framework. Bend City Manager Eric King now says the city’s efforts have shifted to a plan B, out of concern federal funding will expire before the county signs on to a deal.

The city and county originally agreed to create a temporary site on 170 acres north of Bend, to provide case management and sanitation services. 

Click HERE to read the letter sent by the city to Commissioners after that meeting. The city also issued a pulic statement, saying in part: 

On September 5, the Bend City Council and the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners at a joint meeting unanimously agreed to work collaboratively to:

• Establish a Temporary Safe Stay Area to help protect community members, both housed and unhoused
• Increase security
• Lessen the impacts on the environment from trash and wildfire
• Work collaboratively with service providers and the Coordinated Houselessness Response Office to allocate and leverage county-wide resources to assist in case management

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners’ failure to adopt a resolution implementing our agreement from September is an extremely disappointing development. Our joint City and County constituents are demanding action. The City of Bend is ready to move forward with creating solutions for the Juniper Ridge area to increase safety for nearby residents and property, reduce wildfire risk, give people a safe place to stay, and to provide case management services to help individuals move into more permanent housing. We appreciate the support of Commissioner Tony DeBone who showed a willingness to move forward with the resolution today instead of further delaying implementation of the agreement made at the joint meeting to collaborate and work together on finding solutions to managing the Juniper Ridge area.

SALEM, OR -- Phones at Oregon’s Elections Division shut down Thursday after the office says they were “overwhelmed” by out-of-state callers complaining former President Donald Trump is not in Oregon’s voters guide.

Numerous social media posts have claimed it’s election interference. But inclusion in the pamphlet is up to each candidate, and Trump’s campaign chose not to submit a candidate statement nor payment.

Oregonians with legitimate election-related questions can leave a voicemail until the phones are back up; information is also available at online.

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond voters will decide in November whether the city should impose a two-year ban on psilocybin service centers, and the two candidates for Mayor have very different opinions on the measure. Incumbent Mayor Ed Fitch says it’s a legal business and should be allowed, while his challenger Councilor Cat Zwicker worries the state does not impose enough oversight on what she calls an experimental drug. She also opposes allowing recreational marijuana dispensaries in Redmond, which Fitch supports. 

Visit KBND's Elections Page for our full conversation with the Redmond Mayoral candidates. 

BEND, OR -- A few inches of snow are possible in the mountains Thursday.

Mt Bachelor’s snow-stake webcam is up again for the season. You can check out the snow accumulation at the snow-stake in real time HERE.

Operations are ramping up to aim for a Black Friday opening day.

“We're supposed to get 2 to 4 inches in the base area and even more mid mountain. So, we put our snow-stake up so that our guests can follow along and watch the snow pile up,” says the resort’s communications manager Presley Quon.

Quon tells KBND News after closing briefly for the Little Lava Fire evacuation they were able to end summer operations as normal, “Towards the end of our summer season, we had to close due to the fires just to allow the firefighters and the forest service to do their work. We feel really fortunate that we were not impacted directly by the fires.”

The weather needs to cooperate by getting colder for snow-making operations to commence. “A lot of times it can be difficult to get the snow to stick on the ,slopes. So, when we use those resources, we just want to ensure that we have the ideal conditions” she says.

Bachelor is currently closed with the slopes uncontrolled and unpatrolled. 

There is heavy equipment operating on the butte now. “We have a couple of maintenance projects with the lifts. We're resplicing some haul ropes and doing some upgrades to red chair,” Quon says.

Opening day is slated for Friday, November 29^th snow permitting.

PORTLAND, OR -- The US Army Corps of Engineers in Oregon is helping homeowners in the southeastern US, as they recover from Hurricane Milton. Operation Blue Roof provides heavy-duty tarps for damaged roofs, until repairs can be made by licensed contractors, which can take a while after a large disaster.

The call center to start the process is in Portland. The tarps and installation work are provided at no charge. 

BEND, OR -- Bend Fire and Rescue has a new data hub for the public to access stats and maps about fire and medical calls. The department hopes the new website will provide more transparency, and educate the community about the types of incidents Bend Fire responds to. Information is available on the volume, type and location of calls, including some historical data by year, fire causes and the type of apparatus used.

Personally identifiable information has been removed, to protect the privacy of patients involved in medical calls; individual addresses are also not identified. 

“The dashboard allows full transparency with the community about the incidents and amount of calls Bend Fire & Rescue responds to on a daily basis,” Chief Todd Riley said in a statement. “The use of data allows us to continue to improve the way we respond to emergencies and help save lives.”

Oregon's shortage of public defenders continues to plague the High Desert. "It's frankly embarrassing that the state is failing in this way," says Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels. He blames the Oregon Public Defense Commission, which imposed new maximum caseloads last year. Earlier this year, he told KBND News the county would see some relief when those maximums reset in July. But it's still an issue, "We have, right now, about 150 cases in Deschutes County where people have been sitting for months without a public defender to take the case, because of this new criteria that's been established." He adds, "These people don't have an attorney, so they don't have a trial date, their cases don't move forward at all, they're just sitting in limbo. And, we're waiting for some solution." Gunnels says if the defendant goes six months without an attorney, the state has to drop the charges, "That the crime that the person committed will just be forgiven. And this includes things like restraining order violations, driving under the influence of intoxicants; crimes that are dangerous in the community." Gunnels says that hasn't happened in Deschutes County yet, but the deadline looms for a number of cases. 

The problem has plagued larger metro areas for several years, but Gunnels says it didn't really impact our region until last spring, "In March, we started to see multiple cases where the court wasn't able to locate any public defender."

Gunnels is optimistic relief is on the way, "The Legislature is very interested in this issue, I know. And, the Governor's office will take control of this program, come January first. And the Governor's office has shown that they're interested in this as well, and I'm hopeful that there will be some solution to move these cases forward."

BEND, OR -- Ballots start hitting mailboxes any day and the two women running for Oregon's Fifth Congressional District had one last chance to talk directly to voters Tuesday, in a debate that aired on Central Oregon Daily and KBND.  

Democratic State Representative Janelle Bynum has said she wants to codify abortion rights at the federal level. She was asked why she should get to decide what's legal in other states. She answered, "It doesn't matter where in this country you exist. You should have the right to have your reproductive health options safeguarded by this country."

Republican Incumbent US Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer says the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, was good for Oregon, "Oregonians have determined what they want by their state. And now, SCOTUS has ruled in their favor, agreed with Oregonians to say, 'this is what you want.' That is the position I take, that's the position I stand."

KBND's Heather Roberts co-moderated the debate and asked Bynum, "If elected, how do you plan to bridge the urban-rural or east-west divide to represent all constituents?" Bynum responded, "I'm a firm believer in town halls. And, as I was driving here today, I was thinking Lori Chavez-DeRemer came to my first town hall, sat in the back with her husband and daughter, hired a heckler to sit up front. I taught her how to do town halls." Responding to the accusation of hiring a heckler, Chavez-DeRemer said, "Nonsense. I remember that tele-town hall; it was on transportation and the lack of leadership that she was going to show for the residents of Happy Valley as it was growing."

The two frequently talked over each other, both accusing the other of lying about a variety of topics. During closing statements, Chavez-DeRemer brought up allegations Bynum failed to report potential sexual harassment by a campaign staffer. Bynum repeatedly said, "That's a lie," during the statement, and said, "You will not repeat that lie in front of my face."

Regardless of who wins, the Fifth Congressional District will be sending a minority woman to Washington. When asked whether that adds to the responsibility of the job, Bynum noted she is just one generation removed from segregation, "I think it is my job to continue to carry the mantle of bridging talent with opportunity. Whether it's for our rural kids, underrepresented minorities, for all kids across Oregon. Chavez-DeRemer said, "We have to be forward thinking for all Oregonians. That's our job. That's our responsibility. But a diverse table is the most exciting table that you'll ever be at."

Both campaigns sent statements claiming victory. Tuesday's debate was the third match-up for the pair and the second in Bend in just five days; their first debate was in Portland a week ago.

Click HERE for more on the November election, including the full CD5 debates.

LA PINE, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners are now accepting applications to fill the vacant La Pine Park and Recreation Board of Directors. The parks board has no affiliation with the county, but under state law, Commissioners are required to fill the board since it is fully vacant. The board resigned en masse last week.

Applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to the county. The deadline is midnight October 20th. Commissioners will conduct interviews on the 23rd and aim to appoint all five members at that time.

The newly appointed members will serve through June 30, 2025 and could file to run in the next election in May. 

SUNRIVER, OR -- The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a brazen daytime burglary of a Sunriver-area home. Watching a remote camera inside their home, the homeowner saw a man inside, Monday. The burglar eventually disabled the camera, but only after his image was already captured.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the Sheriff’s office. DCSO also reminds everyone to report suspicious vehicles, people or activity in their neighborhood.

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Oregon State Police are looking for the person who shot a yearling buck multiple times with a 9mm, in Crook County. Troopers believe the animal was killed last Thursday at around 10:30 p.m.

The buck was found on McKay Creek Road in the Grizzly Wildlife Management Unit; it was left to waste. They believe the shooter was in a Chevy S-10 or similar small pickup.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sr. Trooper Tayler Jerome via the TIP hotline at 1-800-452-7888, or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov. 

GOVERNMENT CAMP, OR -- The family of a Warm Springs teen says he was shot near Government Camp last week, while trying to escape a dangerous situation at home. According to a GoFundMe page created by a family member, Yisidro Greene was riding in a truck with his grandfather and a friend to Lincoln City, where he planned to move in with a family member. They were on Highway 26 when another car stopped in front of them. A person got out and fired multiple shots at their vehicle, striking Greene in the arm; the bullet then traveled to his chest. 

They believe the shooters were targeting Greene’s mother, who owned the truck and was involved in criminal activity. He was flown to a Portland hospital where he is still receiving treatment. 

State Police confirm there was a shooting at about 6 p.m. Thursday near Government Camp but wouldn’t release any other details, citing the ongoing investigation. 

Photo courtesy of GoFundMe

BEND, OR -- Voters in Deschutes County will be asked to consider a new property tax levy on November fifth, for the Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District. Erin Kilcullen, the District's Manager, says their work with private landowners is solely reliant on grants, "But the needs of farmers, ranchers, communities- both rural and urban, the needs aren't funded by these grants. So, irrigation improvement projects aren't completely funded by grants, forest health improvement projects, wildfire risk reduction, urban agriculture." She tells KBND News, "As everyone knows, with inflation, the cost of everything is going up: The cost to pipe, the cost of contractors, the cost of plants, the cost of seeds, the cost of everything. So, these projects that these landowners need assistance with, even if they are giving assistance through grant funding, it's still only covering a fraction of the cost."

The district is asking for six cents per $1,000 of taxable assessed value, each year, "So, at six cents, that would cost the average homeowner $14.28," says Kilcullen.

Board co-chair James Warren says it would provide stable funding from the local community impacted by their work, not Washington, DC. He acknowledges it's a big ask, especially in an election where some voters will see multiple money measures. But, he says he's more worried about the consequences if they're forced to scale back their work, "As a fifth generation Central Oregonian, I'm seeing our natural resources deplete, with the influx of people. And, I see the Deschutes River going dry and I do not want to see that in my lifetime."

To explain more about the district's work and the levy request, Deschutes SWCD hosts a public meeting Tuesday evening at Worthy Brewing, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Deschutes County Commissioners are considering how to work with the city of Bend to manage vacant land in Juniper Ridge, north of the city limits. On Wednesday, Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 1 p.m. on two draft resolutions.

One would designate 170-acres of city and county-owned land as a Temporary Safe Stay Area, for people living in vehicles. The other outlines what services would be provided, like portable toilets, drinking water and trash service, in addition to case management for those living there.

File photo

BEND, OR -- A candidate for Oregon Attorney General hosted a meeting in the Old Mill District Thursday focused on domestic violence, child abuse, and sex crimes.

Will Lathrop tells KBND News he wanted to hear from public and private organizations about what's working, and how they struggle. "Bend has a really robust group of organizations that are dealing with things like domestic violence and sexual assault, and homelessness. It also is a manifestation that there are a lot of problems that we need to have that many community-based organizations."

Representatives from CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates, The Kids Center, M Perfectly, J Bar J Youth Services' AT:project and Human Trafficking Task Force, and Saving Grace attended the roundtable, along with Deschutes County Commission chair Patti Adair.

"This is a group of people that are dedicating their lives to protecting victims and giving service to people that have been victimized sexually or through domestic violence or human trafficking. So, it's a group of like-minded people. I've worked in their industry," the Republican candidate said, adding the theme he kept hearing was the groups are seeing more victims, and require more resources, "The funds are just not adequate. Even some of them mentioned that there's federal or state mandates to do their work but the funds are not there to fully support the work."

Lathrop credits the work Bend groups are doing, and sees it as a model for the state, "There seems to be a collaborative spirit which gives me hope that things can be efficient and we can better serve victims."

The group convened the event to mark October's Domestic Violence Awareness month.

Lathrop is running against Democrat State Representative Dan Rayfield in the race for Oregon Attorney General.

BEND, OR -- The race for Oregon's Fifth Congressional District is being closely watched across the country because it could help decide which party controls the U.S. House in the next session. Incumbent Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R) and her challenger State Representative Janelle Bynum (D) faced off in their second televised debate Thursday night, aired on KTVZ and KBND. The Source Weekly's Aaron Switzer also took part.

Co-Moderator Heather Roberts asked the women how they would represent such a politically divers district that stretches from Portland to Central Oregon. Bynum responded, "One difference between myself and my opponent is that I do town halls where you can actually talk to me. I show up. They are regularly held. My opponent has been criticized for not holding town halls." Chavez-DeRemer cited a recent congressional hearing she hosted in Redmond, and added, "I think it's kind of funny on the town halls. You're my representative and I've never been contacted about a town hall that you've held. So I call nonsense on that."

The jabs continued throughout the one-hour debate, as Bynum tried to connect her opponent to former President Trump, and Chavez-DeRemer worked to tie her challenger to the "defund the police" movement. 

On the climate crisis, Chavez-DeRemer said, "For far too long, we have not had the conversation, because again, this not a partisan issue and I love to talk about this space. That's why when I got to Congress, I made sure that I was working bipartisan across the aisle with the Bipartisan Climate Caucus." She went on to say the Forest Service could do more to manage wildfires. Bynum responded, "I believe congress should take action wherever it can. So, whether it's making sure that people aren't building in places they should not be built, making sure that we invest in technology."

Things got tense when discussing transgender athletes. Bynum said, "I believe children should be safe in schools, and targeting them is just immoral." But Chavez-DeRemer accused her of not answering, "I think the question was trans and women in sports, but I know she didn't answer that question because she's afraid to answer that question." They also discussed housing affordability, climate change and reproductive rights, where both agreed they would not support a national abortion ban. 

On a question of their opponents' campaign ads, Bynum said, "I don't watch her ads. I can tell you, in my ads, I've stood up for reproductive rights; full stop." But Chavez-DeRemer addressed her challebger's claims about Social Security, "There's an ad out there that says somethign about 26 times that I would not support Social Security and fund it. That's an outright lie. My opponent likes to lie." She then claimed Bynum voted to strip retirement benefits from police and other public employees, "Did you take the vote in the affirmative to strip PERS?" Bynum responded, "My opponent voted 26 times to cut Social Security." Chavez-DeRemer then demanded Bynum "Cite 'em. Bynum told her, "Baby, I will send it to you tonight." After the debate, Bynum's campaign did send out a list of 26 budget-related votes she says is proof.

Both campaigns are claiming victory. The CD5 candidates meet up for their final televized debate next wee, also in Bend. That event will air at 7 p.m. Tuesday on Central Oregon Daily and KBND. 

BEND, OR -- Three weeks into Deschutes County's new deflection program, Bend Police say it's working to get drug offenders into treatment instead of jail. Police Chief Mike Krantz says officers have - so far - encountered 13 people eligible for the program. "I think we're going to have to see some time before we get real numbers and understand how those numbers play out. But certain folks are eligible to be deflected, depending on their history and the types of crime they're involved in, and there's certain folks that are not. So, of those 13 or so eligible-type crimes, eight people were deflected and seven [are still] in it. So that's a really high continuance rate." He tells KBND News, "I think that's a really good number, that just over three weeks or so, we've used the program exactly how we think it's set up for, and that people are still engaged in it. Which, those seven individuals that are still in it, that's a success for them; that's really a success for our community that we, as police officers, aren't back out having to deal with folks that are in the throes of addiction."

Possession of user-amounts of illicit drugs became illegal again in Oregon on September first, under HB 4002. But Krantz says it took time for officers to get trained to offer deflection. "It was a very short timeline for us to be prepared for that. We did our training the week of September 18th, to really understand how to use the deflection program that was created in Deschutes County." He says some officers had a steep learning curve, "Many of our officers have never been a police officer when drugs were illegal." 

BEND, OR -- A candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff is trying to block the public release of 30-year-old employment records. Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp filed for a temporary restraining order Wednesday, after OPB submitted a public records request for the documents pertaining to his time at the La Mesa Police Department.

In the court filing, his attorney says the California judge who released the records to Deschutes County ordered they only be used for the agency’s internal investigation.

Vander Kamp has said his work in La Mesa was part of a college program and not relevant work history. He issued a statement early Thursday calling the attorney employed by the Sheriff's Office "unethical;" a claim he also made during a live debate on KBND. He went on to say he was "never approached to provide an explanation or sign any release forms regarding the situation in La Mesa recently." Although, the California judge found the release from Vander Kamp signed when he applied for a job at DCSO sufficient to order the La Mesa documents turned over to Deschutes County. 

Sgt. Vander Kamp continues to say he was "unaware of any disciplinary action during my time in La Mesa." He went on to say in the Thursday statement, "This is confirmed by the absence of any records or notices indicating disciplinary action." He says the investigation into his work in California is politically motivated. 

BEND, OR -- Despite the number of people erroneously registered to vote through Oregon's DMV now surpassing 1,500 statewide, Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison believes the election is secure, "I do have confidence in the fact that the correct people are registered to vote." He tells KBND News, "I have confidence in our system, and in our checks and balances, and what's taken place and what's been identified over these last few weeks, that only eligible voters will be receiving ballots this November.

A total of 47 Deschutes County registrations were removed due to the error, including eight more Monday, and Dennison says none of those 47 ever cast a ballot. "With all of these records identified, and recognizing the minimal amount of participation from those voters that were added, that may or may not have been otherwise eligible, that lack of activity on those voter records gives me confidence that these people, if they were not eligible to vote, they did not seem to want to be part of the process." Dennison says his office has sent notices to all 47 explaining that they've been removed from the voter rolls until they can provide proper documentation. 

Previous Coverage: Co. Clerks Remove Erroneous Registrations From Voter Rolls

Dennison notes the number of voters registered in error by the Motor Voter program is a very small percentage of the county's voter rolls, "We crested 164,000 registered voters; and that's, of course, our highest total ever. We just recently made 163,000.

The registration deadline for the November fifth election is next Tuesday, October 15, "Right now, I'd highly recommend that anybody that is expecting a ballot and, if they haven't voted in a while, if you're unsure if you're registered to vote. Go onto OregonVotes.gov or call our office and we can verify that you are registered." Voters pamphlets are now arriving in local mailboxes. A voter registration form is also included on the last page. Extra copies of the pamphlet are available at County Clerks offices and post offices.  

Ballots are mailed Wednesday, October 16. 

REDMOND, OR -- Oregon's 2^nd and 5^th District U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer were at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds Tuesday for a U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee field-hearing.

Local government officials, farmers and ranchers, and other experts testified about water needs in the Deschutes Basin.

"How can we do a better job at the federal level to make sure we're accessing the policies in order for them to have more access to water," Chavez-DeRemer said she'll take the local input back to Washington, "We had a wide array of testimony from five different groups, county commissioners, business owners, ... dealing with wildlife and then the shortage of water."

Congressman Bentz chairs the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries subcommittee. "One of the many things I learned today was that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife is not doing its job when it comes to reporting back," Bentz said, adding its important agricultural interests aren't left behind, "The farmers and the ranchers are being ignored and they shouldn't be. There needs to be a balanced approach. The idea here is to get this issue before everybody. And so, people just aren't taking for granted how these things work."

The two Republicans were joined on the bi-partisan House panel by 4^th District Democrat Val Hoyle along with Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington).

Witnesses providing testimony at the historic gathering in Redmond included Warm Springs Secretary-Treasurer/CEO Robert Brunoe and Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone. "We haven't had a hearing like this in two decades here in Central Oregon. I think we should highlight that. That's important to bring other congressmen and women out here to see what's happening on the ground. And it's a bipartisan approach," Chavez-DeRemer said.

BEND, OR -- About 20,000 Bend households will soon receive a request to complete a community survey on the police department, "It goes to about half the households, which gives us a really great sample size," says Police Chief Mike Krantz, We hope to get around 15-20% response. We'd love to get more, but that's a really high response rate for a survey." Krantz tells KBND News, "Since 2017, we've done this every two years and Portland State University does the survey for us. They ensure that it's a statistically valid survey, they do all the research on the back end, they provide the results to us in a report that comes out early in 2025."

The resulting data from PSU essentially a report card. Krantz says they aske a variety of questions, "Particularly around trust; it's important for a police agency to have trust from the community on the job that we do. We've consistently held really high levels of trust with our community and we want to monitor that and ensure that the things that we're doing builds that and doesn't diminish it. Do they feel safe in town? Do they feel they could call the police and we would do that work and take it seriously? Do they feel that certain areas of town are unsafe or more safe than others? What major problems do they think the police department should focus on?"

He says traffic safety is consistently a top concern, "For instance, in our 2021 survey, traffic safety again was high, concerns around DUI drivers. And we added two DUI enforcement officers, specifically to address those issues."

He expects to get a full report on the results early next year, "And we take that information into our budget session, we take it into our strategic planning of how we're going to shape the department in the future." The survey is conducted online and is only available to people who receive a mailed invitation. Past results can be found HERE. 

BEND, OR -- A litter of puppies was found abandoned in a cardboard box at Hollinshead Park over the weekend. Bend Police say a passerby heard whimpering behind a trash can, Sunday afternoon, and discovered the box with eight very young puppies.

All were alive and are now being cared for by the Companion Animal Medical Project. They’re estimated to be one or two weeks old and appeared well cared for.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bend PD through non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.

Bend Police says if you are struggling to care for your animals, there are a variety of organizations in Bend and throughout Central Oregon that may be able to assist with food, spaying and neutering, medical care or other assistance. 

BEND, OR -- The Bend City Council unanimously approved a resolution committing to reducing the use of fossil fuels in new construction. Mayor Melanie Kebler says it only impacts city-owned properties, "We're already doing that commitment with our Juniper Ridge public works campus. That is fossil fuel-free, except for a couple of backup generators that might have some gas in them. It's going to be all electric, it's going to have solar panels." She tells KBND News, "We want to just really commit to anything we do going forward, and if possible, retrofit some of our other buildings, to really walking the walk on doing that green energy and avoiding fossil fuel use."

Eventually, she says, they may expand the reach of the resolution, "Just the development of policy generally, to incentivize or maybe regulate, we're not sure yet, around moving away from natural gas and other fossil fuels in Bend. How do we do that in a way that makes sense for the community and that's going to be effective? So, this is just kind of a first commitment from the city; on our own buildings, we're going to doing that. And then, we're going to be working the next year on the policy citywide."

A companion effort is also underway to look at how Bend could create a low-car district. "There's a lot of work coming our why that's from the Climate Friendly Equity Communities rules that came down from the state a couple of years ago, and just other state legislative action," says Kebler, "That's encouraging cities to develop in a more urban way, and in a way that allows people to live without a car or with very little use of a car. And that's for climate reasons, that's for health reasons and also just to help us densify and not have to sprawl out into our surrounding areas."

BEND, OR -- A candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff is apologizing for confusion caused by his work decades ago in California. Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp says he only recently learned he was dismissed from the La Mesa Police Department in 1997.

He has said that position was as an unpaid volunteer and that he left the job to complete college. But Vander Kamp now says he has seen records from La Mesa that show he was dismissed with cause after failing to report some activity in a logbook and using speed radar equipment without proper certification.

Vander Kamp contends he was never notified of the dismissal, but admits to the mistakes and calls them embarrassing.

Click HERE to read his full statement. 

BEND, OR -- Months after Bend's public camping code took effect, City Councilors are working to address people living in vehicles. "There's been some inconsistency in how staff are able to talk with folks and explain the rules to them," says Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler, "Our parking code needs an update and is actually being updated, as well, and we'll be talking about that at a future meeting."

She tells KBND News those inconsistencies led to confusion, "Some of the rules about three business days or how far you have to move weren't really working well for the purpose of helping folks understand where they needed to be, if they were camping in their vehicle. And, we didn't have it defined - what does that mean to be camping in your vehicle versus just stopped and reading a book, or whatever it is." She adds, "We've got an updated definition. We aligned the timing to be the same as the timing for tent camping. So, whether you are sheltering in your vehicle or sheltering in your tent, the time period is 24 hours in any one location, and you will - per state law and per our code - receive 72 hours of notice if we do ask you to move." Kebler says, "For vehicles, they need to move a few blocks. For tents, it will still be just about one block. And, a lot of pretty much the same rules will apply for tent camping and vehicle camping."

Council approved the first reading of the revised ordinance this week. It's expected to get final approval in two weeks, "There'll be a 72-hour notice. And practically, for staff, that starts a clock of about 10 days, where they try to work with the person and help them understand how to get into compliance or where they need to move to or move from."

The ordinance only applies to public rights of way, "So, if you have a private road or a private lot, that is on the private property owner on how they want to handle that. This is simply for those places that are public right of ways, that we have a duty to regulate as a city."

BEND, OR -- Oregon's Department of Human Services is searching for three children who went missing from Bend on Wednesday. Eight-year-old Jose and five-year-olds Jailyne and Dolce are believed to be with their mother, Sara Barboza. She also sometimes goes by Sara Ayala. ODHS says authorities need to find the kids to assess their safety. 

They may be traveling towards southern California or Mexico, possible with Francisco Guzman (left) or Juan Carlos Ayala Ramirez (right). 

Anyone with information on their location is asked to call 911 or the Child Abuse Hotline at 855-503-SAFE (7233). 

SISTERS, OR -- A meeting to discuss houselessness in Sisters will bring together area agencies and organizations: the Sisters Ranger District, Sisters School District, City of Sisters, SPRD, Sisters Library, Sisters Camp Sherman Fire District, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Deschutes County Behavioral Health, Sisters Community Leadership Initiative, Sisters Community Church, and Sisters Cold Weather Shelter.

"We didn't really recognize how many were until we got everybody together...everybody in the community has a hand in it somewhere," says City Council President Andrea Blum, adding it's a start to the conversation, "So our community effort, this Sunday is to number one point out to the community, all the things that are being currently done and then look at the things that may be missing."

"The invite is to anyone who has any concerns, ideas, questions...(that) have been involved with helping the houseless community in Sisters," Sisters City Manager Jordan Wheeler tells KBND News they hope for a big turn-out, "Ultimately, we are all going to be responsible for implementing any of these ideas because it's not going to just be one agency, one non-profit, one individual that can take on such a complex and challenging issue."

The hope is to build on success stories and create an action plan. "We're hoping that there are some specific things that we can identify and the community will say, 'oh, well, we know somebody that can take care of that'," Blum says.

The meeting is Sunday from 4 to 5:30 PM at the new Sisters Elementary School.

BEND, OR -- Central Oregon's first ever civic assembly begins its next phase Friday, to find solutions to youth homelessness. The group of 30 delegates began learning about the issue last month. "The energy that came out of that first two days of the assembly was off the charts," says Josh Burgess, Executive Director of the Central Oregon Civic Action Project. He admits at first, the group was hesitant the ideas would be taken seriously, "When we let them know that this is their assembly, they're in control, they're making the decisions, we're just there facilitating, they turned into a mini legislature."

Burgess tells KBND News, "They'd been hearing, in that first couple of days, from government officials, from school board officials, from people with lived experience with youth homelessness, a wide range of experts, just to fully gain some perspective." He's impressed with the diversity of the group, "Some people have direct experience living next door to encampments, and feel the challenges there. Other people were homeless themselves, as youth. What we found though is that they came together over this idea of listening to young people come and talk about their experiences and becoming what I referred to as very, very quick experts about what the root causes are, and what the impacts are of youth homelessness." 

Over the next three days, "They'll start to really dig into deliberating on what they believe some of the priorities for solutions should be," says Burgess, who is helping moderate the meetings. The goal is for them to create a list of recommended actions, but it must get the support of at least 80%of the assembly. "Fast forward to November seventh," says Burgess, "And those recommendations will be presented to the full board of directors for the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council for their consideration." COIC will then work with the Bend City Council and Deschutes County Commissioners, who have agreed to consider the ideas. 

This weekend's deliberations at OSU-Cascades are open to the public. The meeting is also livestreamed HERE. 

BEND, OR -- Rallies that have been held across the country to express opposition to the Postal Service plan to consolidate mail-processing continued in Bend Wednesday.

Bend's Roger Sabbadini with The Vocal Seniority citizens group was among those gathered at the 4^th street Post Office. "Seniors like myself, we rely on medications, we rely on social security checks, we rely on disability checks and these delays, you know, in some cases could be life threatening," Sabbadini said at the gathering which included American Postal Workers Union members, advocacy groups, Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler, and Oregon Senator Ron Wyden.

Union leader Daniel Cortez says the plan hurts postal workers, and those counting on mail deliveries, "These are manufactured delays. These are deliberate attempts...not even attempts anymore. These are deliberate slowdowns of the American people's mail and it must stop."

He believes the policies have also created staffing struggles in both rural and urban areas, "It's a squeeze from both sides, they are making the mail take longer by design, changing the rules around how long mail is supposed to take because the post office still can't even meet their own reduced goals. Instead of increasing staffing or even maintaining staffing to meet those goals, they're slashing it across the board, we're losing jobs, we're not hiring and that reduction in staffing coupled with the built in manufactured delays of the mail on either end is what's creating the crisis."

The USPS projects a $300-billion loss over the next 10 years. The Postmaster General wants to mitigate the loss by moving nearly all of Oregon's mail processing to Portland. 

BEND, OR -- More public defense attorneys are coming to reduce the backlog of cases in Deschutes County.

Trial Court Administrator Angie Curtis told county officials Tuesday at the Public Safety committee meeting there are 152 unrepresented defendants awaiting court appearances right now. Only nine are in custody, "Part of the process when people are released at the moment, we're setting them out for hearings at 30, 90, 180 days to just sort of keep track of them and keep connected to them. Obviously, we're working all the time to see if we can't find an attorney who might be available to represent those cases."

The county partners with local law groups for their public defender pool. "All of them are currently or close to being fully staffed, which will make a huge difference, but it does take some time to on board. Those new attorneys, not all of the attorneys are ready yet to take some of the more serious cases and those kinds of things. But that is good news," Curtis said.

An ongoing shortage of court-appointed defenders worsened earlier this year when many lawyers transitioned out of the program for various reasons. "I want to be clear; this isn't going to be like, just a few weeks, it's going to be a long journey to try to absorb those cases that have accumulated over the past months," Curtis said, adding "While we're not going to get ahead of it, at least, hopefully we're getting back to our baseline capacity, which is a start."

Oregon and the rest of the country are also grappling with a public-defender shortage.

BEND, OR -- An old motel in Bend gets new life as an apartment complex for people escaping homelessness. "This is something that hasn't been done much before and has not been done at all, here in Central Oregon," says COIC Housing Specialist Erik Nelson. He tells KBND News the Old Mill Inn & Suites, on SE Third, will soon reopen as the Old Mill Apartments, "This is a supportive rehousing project, is what we call this, because they are permanent housing units and it is not merely housing for those who have experienced homelessness. It also comes with supportive services for those households."

Nelson tells KBND News those services will range from help finding a job to accessing food or government assistance, "And it is client's choice as to which services they need and are wanting to have. There is no requirement that residents of this project commit themselves to some type of supportive services. We cannot do that. That's a Fair Housing thing."

The complex will provide 76 studio-apartment style units with space for up to three people in each. There are also shared laundry facilities, a mailroon and a leasing office. Nelson says priority will be given to residents in marginalized communities, "The BIPOC population - that's Black, Indigenous People of Color - Specifically those who are Indigenous or the Latino population, overrepresented in the homeless response system; the medically vulnerable and LGBTQ+ youth." Each unit will be leased at a fair-market rate, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

It's one of a number of local projects funded by the Governor's 2023 executive order to combat the homeless crisis. "Although this project is just now coming online, it was originally, in its genesis, it started in 2023," says Nelson, "And then, there were several construction delays, for a variety of different reasons." He says they're securing a property management company, going through applications from potential residents and setting up support services in anticipation of residents moving in within a few weeks. 

BEND, OR -- Candidates running for Bend City Council discussed their positions on housing production and affordability at a forum Monday night. It was hosted by a new coalition called Partners for Affordable Housing, made up of labor unions, homebuilders, the Central Oregon Realtors Association and the Central Oregon Builders' Association (COBA), as well as others.

Candidates were asked about Bend’s urban growth boundary expansion, infrastructure funding, and how they would increase the availability of workforce rental housing. Click HERE to watch the complete forum. 

BEND, OR -- Mount Bachelor Community Inc, the local group trying to buy the Mt. Bachelor ski resort, says it has surpassed its initial fundraising goal. About a week ago, they launched a GoFundMe page, hoping to bring in around $35,000. As of Monday, they now stand at over $39,000.

MBCI says the money will be used for legal fees, insurance, supplies and a kick-off community event at Drake Park. That party is scheduled for Saturday, October 12th, from 3 to 5 p.m. It’ll include live music, food and beverages and opportunities to meet the team who say they want to return the mountain to local ownership. 

file photo

BEND, OR -- The candidates for Deschutes County Sheriff continue to disagree over culture; both in their perspectives of the current level of morale at the Sheriff's Office and how to improve employee satisfaction. 

Capt. William Bailey and Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp appeared together in a live interview on KBND Monday, to talk more about how they would lead the office if elected. Sgt. Vander Kamp is currently the commander of the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team. He says he still hears of low morale among staff, "I don't work in the building. I should point that out to you. So, I'm not in the day-to-day of it all, but people say and were complaining about, 'hey, we're not feeling supported. We're feeling abused, we're being silenced. We have a policy now that we can't talk or think about politics.'" He says that new policy, just handed down by Sheriff Shane Nelson, says employees can't be politically engaged even off duty. 

Capt. Bailey disagrees, Patrol Division commander, disagrees, "I don't think that is what it said at all. And I think it actually clarified that people, on their off time, could endorse or support whoever they wanted and any political or ballot measure, or anything like that." He says the policy aligns with state statute and only limits on-duty political activities. 

This campaign has become one of the most contentious local races this season. But both candidates say they'll move forward together, once the election is over and one is deemed the winner. Bailey believes overall agency morale will improve and they will both continue to serve the county. "Many of the issues he [brings] up, I would have loved for him to have brought up a year ago, two years ago, if he started hearing about it. We expect sargeants to bring things forward and share concerns. But look, we'll get back together, we'll shake hands, we'll go to work." Vander Kamp says he and Bailey will remain friends, "I think both Bill and I agree that it still has to be business as usual. Regardless, we have to go back to the office and say to everybody, 'Hey, whoever wins and whoever loses, I support the Sheriff and I support the mission of the Sheriff's Office; let's get back to work.' And I think that has to be the unified message from both of us."

Vander Kamp also continues to defend himself against allegations he did not disclose a job he had decades ago in California. KBND News asked the Sergeant about his work in La Mesa, but he said, "I can only talk so much because I'm on a gag order with it." When asked who issued the gag order, he replied it was imposed by Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson. Sheriff Nelson tells KBND News he did not impose a gag order. Although, he admits, it is standard practice for an Internal Affairs investigator to advise someone during an interview not to discuss an administrative investigation. 

After learning of the undisclosed work history, Nelson says he filed legal action against La Mesa PD earlier this year to force the California agency to turn over Vander Kamp's employment records. It is a violation of DCSO policy not to notify the agency of a previous job in law enforcement during the application process. Vander Kamp said Monday the position was unpaid and part of a college course, which he claims was included on his college transcript. Vander Kamp also says the Sheriff didn't show up to a California hearing last week and now believes the case was dropped, "So now, we have a situation where I have no records, they won't give me any records, the court has no idea what's going on, the city of La Mesa's attorney is telling me that what they do have doesn't meet this guideline of what the Sheriff's office is portraying; and lastly, we don't even know if the court case is even alive anymore."

Sheriff Nelson tells KBND the case was not dropped, but settled when La Mesa PD sent over Vander Kamp's personnel file several weeks ago, making last week's hearing unnecessary. 

The two candidates are scheduled for one more pre-election public forum at the La Pine Senior Center the evening of October 22nd. KBND's Heather Roberts moderated the League of Women Voters forum with the two last week. Click HERE to view that event.