Gov. Brown signs Oregon farmworker overtime pay bill
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has signed a bill into law that phases out the state’s agricultural overtime pay exemption.
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Central Oregon sees strong March job gains, approaches record low jobless rates
Central Oregon posted strong job gains in March, relative to seasonal expectations, the Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday. The strong hiring led to continued improvement in local unemployment rates, which are approaching record low levels seen before the pandemic.
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Alaska Airlines: Masks now optional on flights
Alaska Airlines said Monday that masks will be optional on their flights, after a federal judge voided the national COVID-19-related mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation.
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Bend fitness studio hosting event to support BIPOC fitness community
The gym can be intimidating to anyone, and even more so if you’re the only person in the room who looks like you.
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Hayden Homes Amphitheater to hold pair of hiring fairs
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Hayden Homes Amphitheater is looking for a few hundred good men and women to staff the largest beer festival in the state and a record-breaking number of concerts this summer. The Amphitheater is hosting job fairs Saturday, April 16 and Saturday, April 23 in the Old Mill District to staff the
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Oregon’s jobless rate falls to 3.8% in March, lowest since pandemic hit 2 years ago
Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in March, down from 4.0% in February, continuing its rapid decline of recent months, the state Employment Department reported Wednesday.
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Avian flu sends egg prices soaring — latest challenge for Bend restaurants raising menu prices
A bird flu strain across the country has forced farmers to kill millions of egg-laying hens, in turn reducing the country’s egg supply and prompting egg prices to nearly double.
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Oregon small-business group says state lawmakers made Tax Day ‘a bit more bearable’
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Few are the number of people who face Tax Day with any joy, but in a statement released Monday by the Oregon state director for America’s largest small-business association, Oregonians can at least approach this Tax Day and future ones with a little less foreboding. “Now that the work of the
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Bend median home sales price jumps to $773K in March, report says; Redmond soars to $520K
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Bend-Redmond housing market clearly saw a lion-like March, as the median home sales price in both communities soared to new record levels yet again – something of a broken record in recent months, the March Beacon Appraisal Group report showed Sunday.
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Old Mill Inn & Suites on Third Street in Bend sold to become housing
Located on SE 3rd Street in Bend, the Old Mill Inn & Suites motel is permanently closed. However, this is not the end of the line for the property. The 64-unit motel with an indoor pool and spa was sold to convert to housing.
Continue ReadingWyden, colleagues urge FTC to investigate oil, gas market practices that may be driving up prices
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this week along with Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called for federal action to ensure transparency and greater oversight of petroleum markets to protect consumers in Oregon and the West Coast from possible price manipulation. “High and volatile fuel prices are hindering our economy and
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Thinning can help offset costs of managing mature forests, OSU study finds
Research by the Oregon State University College of Forestry suggests a way for forest managers to reduce the costs associated with managing older Douglas-fir stands.
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Gov. Brown signs $200 million ‘Future Oregon Ready’ workforce investment bill
HILLSBORO, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gov. Kate Brown ceremonially signed Senate Bill 1545, known as “Future Ready Oregon,” on Tuesday at Intel’s campus in Hillsboro. Here’s a news release on the bill signing, from the governor’s office: Future Ready Oregon is a comprehensive $200 million investment that will give Oregonians the education, training, and resources they
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As water allocations fall amid severe drought, struggling C.O. farmers search for answers
Casad Family Farms manages 360 acres of land in Jefferson County, growing a variety of crops and animals. Operators Kate Havstad-Casad and Chris Casad said Tuesday that amid another year of serious drought, they are receiving less than 20 percent of their normal water allotment this year.
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Oregon gas prices are falling, but still well above a month, year ago
Average gasoline prices in Oregon have fallen 4.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.67/g Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 1,307 stations in Oregon. Despite that, gas prices in Oregon are 32.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.54/g higher than a year ago.
Continue ReadingStarbucks halts stock buybacks as Schultz returns
By MATT OTT and DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writers Longtime Starbucks leader Howard Schultz returned to the company as interim CEO Monday. Among his first actions was suspending Starbucks’ $20 million share buyback program to invest more profits in employees and stores. Starbucks shares fell 4% on the news. The pivot in strategy comes just
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See’s Candies opens store in Bend
See’s Candies, which turned 100 last year, opened an outlet Friday at Bend’s Cascade Village Shopping Center.
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Alaska Airlines cancels 9% of its flights over staffing woes
Alaska Airlines canceled dozens of U.S. West Coast flights Friday as off-duty pilots picketed in several major cities over an impasse in nearly three years of contract negotiations, and the airline said more cancellations were possible through the weekend.
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Mt. Bachelor begins selling 2022-23 season passes, sets early-purchase discount prices
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Mt. Bachelor, which boasts natural mountain adventure at the heart of Bend culture and is a POWDR resort, announced Thursday that guests can lock in their best on-snow adventures with the Outplay 365 and 2022/23 season passes, all of which are on sale now. Here’s the rest of their announcement, with a few added details:
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More than just ‘girl power’: Bend Women’s Expo to support small businesses
The effects the pandemic has had on many small businesses have been devastating. We’ve seen hiring shortages, businesses closing for good, and a divide between communities. However, Central Oregon is beginning to make a comeback.
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