Central Oregon Archives

Gabe Pagano named to new Bend-La Pine Schools position, director of student activities and athletics

April 4, 2025 12:28 pm Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gabe Pagano, Principal of Cascade Middle School, has been selected as Bend-La Pine Schools’ Director of District Activities…

Ochoco National Forest warns public about spring runoff, hazards in wildfire-hit areas

April 4, 2025 11:54 am Barney Lerten

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — As temperatures rise and spring precipitation increases, the Ochoco National Forest & Crooked River National Grassland…

Update: Rep. Janelle Bynum still plans Sisters town hall Saturday after Senator Jeff Merkley postpones his visit

March 28, 2025 2:10 pm Barney Lerten

(Update: Bynum to hold Sisters town hall without Merkley) WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s office announced late Thursday that the…

Rep. Breese Iverson testifies House committee Ochoco National Forest

House hearing held on bill to have Oregon Dept. of Forestry lease and manage Ochoco National Forest

April 4, 2025 11:02 am Barney Lerten

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon House Committee on Climate held a hearing Friday on House Bill 3846. It creates a pilot program that would allow…

Spring groundbreaking set for 39-unit affordable apartments near La Pine’s Wickiup Junction

April 3, 2025 12:13 pm Barney Lerten

The Foundation for Affordable Housing announced Thursday that ground will be broken in La Pine May 1 on a 39-unit apartment building serving…

La Pine Park & Rec board member explains La Pine Pickleball Club relationship with district, finances

April 3, 2025 11:01 am Barney Lerten

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) — KTVZ News reported last month on a La Pine Park & Rec meeting where board member Carlos Soto was questioned about a…

Construction set to begin on first phase of West Bend Trails Project; unlikely to impact trail users

March 31, 2025 1:20 pm Jillian Fortner

After years of planning, the Deschutes National Forest and the Central Oregon Trail Alliance are set to begin implementation of the West Bend Trails…

Oregon Democratic lawmakers sharply critical of President Trump’s tariffs; Wyden calls them ‘economic poison’

April 2, 2025 4:37 pm Isabella Warren

Three of Oregon’s Democrats in Congress were sharply critical of the tariffs President Trump announced Wednesday involving countries around the…

Deschutes County Swift Water Rescue Team in Burns

Volunteers with DCSO’s Swift Water Rescue Team return home from helping Harney County amid historic flooding

April 2, 2025 6:30 pm Harley Coldiron

The historic flood rocking Harney County has prompted help from all corners of Oregon, including the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office’s Swift Water…

Bald eagle post-surgery care Think Wild Central Oregon

Seriously injured bald eagle found in Powell Butte, recovering after life-saving surgery at Bend’s Think Wild

April 2, 2025 3:25 pm Barney Lerten

(update: adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Think Wild, Bend’s wildlife hospital, said Wednesday it’s optimistic about the recovery of a young…

Burns-area residents warned to avoid contact with contaminated floodwaters

April 2, 2025 11:20 am Barney Lerten

BURNS, Ore. (KTVZ) — While officials say drinking water in the flood-stricken Burns area remains safe to use, they are also warning residents to…

Central Oregon unemployment rates February 2025

Central Oregon adds more jobs in February; unemployment rates hold steady

April 1, 2025 2:00 pm Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates saw little change in Central Oregon this February, the Oregon Employment Department…

‘We’ve got to get moving’: Efforts to site new Deschutes County landfill resume after talks on top pick fall through

April 1, 2025 11:25 am Isabella Warren

Negotiations began nearly a year ago between Deschutes County and Hooker Creek on future use of the Moon Pit mine site for a new county landfill. But…

More than 11,000 Pacific Power customers have service restored after hour-long outage; cause determined

April 1, 2025 12:12 pm Barney Lerten

A utility maintenance crew accidentally caused a widespread Central Oregon power outage late Tuesday morning, knocking out service for about an hour…

Oregon Attorney General Rayfield will host town halls about federal oversight in Eugene, Portland and Bend

April 1, 2025 3:31 pm Oregon Capital Chronicle

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield plans to travel the state throughout the spring and summer, hosting town halls about federal oversight in…

OSP identifies Crescent man killed in Highway 97 crash; family mourns the loss of a ‘wonderful man with a big heart’

March 31, 2025 9:55 am Barney Lerten

Oregon State Police on Tuesday identified a Crescent man who was killed when he lost control of his car on icy Highway 97 south of La Pine and…

Rep. Bynum, Senator Merkley introduce bill to continue federal funding for Deschutes River Conservancy

April 1, 2025 10:32 am Barney Lerten

ep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., and Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced on Tuesday the Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 2025. The…

Deschutes Swift Water Rescue Team Burns flooding

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Swift Water Rescue Team checking flooded Burns homes, evacuating trapped residents

April 1, 2025 10:56 am Barney Lerten

BURNS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Swift Water Rescue Team has been busy since arriving in flood-stricken Burns, checking on…

Peaceful Presence Project announces Connection Cafés, a welcoming space to talk about illness, death and grief

March 31, 2025 6:45 pm Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Peaceful Presence Project, a nonprofit that reimagines and transforms the way communities talk about, plan for, and…

Deschutes County commissioners decide to create a citizen districting committee for commission expansion

March 31, 2025 11:09 am Isabella Warren

Nearly five months after Deschutes County voters approved a measure to expand the Board of County Commissioners from three to five, the three…