LA PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the City of La Pine released performance data Thursday detailing the first eight months of the La Pine-DCSO Community Action Team contract. The initiative, which ran from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31, focused on wildfire prevention, traffic enforcement, neighborhood safety and public event management.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — With 27 days remaining until the midterm election, Oregon voters are preparing for upcoming deadlines under the state’s vote-by-mail system. New voters must register by Oct. 13 to receive a ballot. Vote-by-mail has been the standard voting method in Oregon for nearly 30 years. State voters approved Ballot Measure 60 in
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A 13-year-old boy from Bend suffered critical injuries Friday evening after the e-motorcycle he was riding collided with a minivan. The crash occurred at approximately 7:58 p.m. at the intersection of NE Neff Road and 27th Street. According to Bend Police, a white Dodge minivan was traveling northbound on 27th Street
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Hundreds of people attended the 2026 Great Bark Bash in downtown Bend. The event took place as part of the local Oktoberfest festivities. The event was organized by the Central Oregon Humane Society. According to the organization, the gathering served to raise awareness for its mission to advocate for animals, provide
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A delegation of 50 Central Oregon veterans and their guardians recently traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of this year’s Honor Flight. Honor Flight Central Oregon organizes the annual trip to take local veterans to the nation’s capital to visit memorials built in honor of their service. The group included two
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Members of Congress are considering federal legislation to establish regulations for college student-athlete compensation and transfer rules. The proposed measure, known as the Protect College Sports Act, comes amid growing debate over how money and transfers are handled across college athletics. Since 2021, college athletes have been permitted to earn compensation
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Amazon has formally established its presence in Central Oregon with the opening of an 80,000-square-foot logistics center in Redmond. The new facility has shortened delivery timelines across the region while adding hundreds of warehouse positions to the local workforce. The logistics hub began operations earlier this year and serves community zip
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A segment of Franklin Avenue between Hill and First streets in downtown Bend is closed as crews begin work on a major utility project. Both lanes of the Franklin underpass are shut down while workers excavate the roadway to install a new water pipe and utility channel. The closure is scheduled
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Former Bend Fire and Rescue Shift Battalion Chief Bob Madden reflected on his deployment to Ground Zero and the lasting impacts of the terror attacks as the nation marks 25 years since Sept. 11, 2001. Madden was among the Central Oregon first responders deployed to New York City following the attack
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of Nine Peaks, a new 45-unit affordable housing apartment complex located in the medical district of Bend. Rep. Janelle Bynum and Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler attended the event. The development is reserved for residents earning below 50% of Bend’s median income, with priority given to
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read met with Central Oregon residents during an hourlong event hosted by the League of Women Voters of Deschutes County to discuss election security, voting options and ballot handling. The presentation took place as the upcoming election approaches, approximately 61 days away. The Bend gathering was
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ALFALFA, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Alfalfa Rural Fire District Board of Directors has established a hiring process to select a new fire chief following the departure of former Chief Chad LaValle nearly two months ago. The district’s board approved a timeline during a recent meeting that establishes a six-person selection committee to evaluate candidates and
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon continues to rank among the top holiday weekend destinations in the region, bringing substantial economic activity to local businesses. Over the last fiscal year, visitor spending in the city of Bend reached $408 million. Tourism serves as a major revenue generator for communities throughout Central Oregon. In addition to
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Emergency crews responded to a water rescue on the Deschutes River near the Bend Whitewater Park after a man was found unconscious in the river. Bend Fire and Rescue alongside Bend Police were dispatched to the scene. According to police, witnesses saw the man swimming above the rapids shortly before he
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz held a town hall meeting in Prineville, Ore., to speak with local residents about the Rowe Creek Complex fire and hear about its impacts. The meeting lasted for more than 2 hours. The gathering marked Bentz’s fifth fire-related town hall as he has traveled across his district.
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Redmond City Council has passed a total ban on the use and sale of fireworks following a second reading. The council voted 5-1 in favor of the measure. The city considered the ban this month following a public hearing where several residents raised complaints. First responders reported to the council
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A proposed amendment to the Oregon Constitution that would protect hunting, fishing, farming, ranching and trapping has advanced to its next legal phase after gathering the required signatures. The Oregon Secretary of State’s office sent Initiative Petition 25 to the state Attorney General to draft the official ballot title and summary
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season set a state record with nearly 2.5 million acres burned, surpassing the previous record of approximately 2 million acres. During the historic season, NASA researchers deployed to Central Oregon as part of the INSPYRE mission to study fire-generated clouds. The severe fire season prompted crews nationwide and
Continue Reading UPDATE: KTVZ News has obtained two preliminary review reports from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission concerning Nate Starr and Mark Laucks. You can view the reports below: Nathan Starr PRDownload 26-356PJS Mark Laucks PRDownload UPDATE: The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted unanimously on Friday to launch a formal investigation into current and former board members
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, launched his “Stop the Corruption” town hall tour in Bend, meeting with local residents to discuss concerns regarding federal government operations and policy. The town hall lasted close to an hour and drew a largely full audience. Central Oregon residents spoke with the senator on a range
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