By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM, Ore. — The head of Salem-Keizer Public Schools spent nearly a year painstakingly holding meetings and restructuring staffing plans to close a $23 million budget deficit for the next school year. By early February, Superintendent Andrea Castañeda shared the plans publicly with staff and media, describing it at
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Police and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team made a traffic stop Thursday and arrested a 25-year-old Bend man involved in a dispute at a southwest Bend bar’s parking lot, where he allegedly held a gun to someone’s chest. Around 2 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, police responded to a report
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Fire & Rescue crews quickly stopped a small, wind-driven brushfire Thursday morning that they said was started by a resident’s weed burner – which they pointed out are illegal to use within the city limits, part of the city’s ban on debris burning. Crews responded just after 10 a.m. to
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon’s inaugural Aerial Drone Competition season will conclude today, April 16th, at Ridgeview High School’s Upper Gym in Redmond. The free event is open to the public and will feature all three Aerial Drone Competition mission events. Student pilots and programmers from Crook County High School in Prineville, Ridgeview High
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This article was written by Sabinna Pierre and Alma McCarty (KGW) OREGON, USA — Oregon officials said Tuesday they will appeal a federal court ruling that limits how the state’s Reproductive Health Equity Act can be applied, while emphasizing that current health coverage remains unchanged. Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the state will defend the law after a judge
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Representative Janelle Bynum has requested nearly $10 million in federal funds for Central Oregon as Congress’ deadline for grant requests approaches for the 2027 budget cycle. This request includes $2.298 million specifically for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office to acquire new body-worn cameras and a Taser package. The larger funding
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(Update: adding comments from superintendent Dr. Hoff) PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — After months of discussion and community engagement, the Crook County School District has officially named Dr. Joel Hoff its permanent superintendent. Hoff has served as interim superintendent for the past year. Surveys and listening sessions showed overwhelming support for his leadership, with nearly 97%
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The final phase of the Wilson Avenue Corridor Project is scheduled to begin construction on Monday, April 27 – and that will mean months of closure of a stretch of highway for railroad track and signal replacement, city officials said Wednesday. This phase focuses on railroad improvements at the Wilson Avenue
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DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Mt.Bachelor recently received seven inches of fresh snow and expects up to 10 more, promising snowy conditions for the final weekend celebration. Mt. Bachelor will close its 2025-26 winter season on Sunday, April 19, coinciding with the four-day RendezVan festival. The spring snowfall comes as our Chief Meteorologist John Carroll
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — BrightSide Animal Center announced Wednesday the expansion of its hours to include Sundays, beginning Sunday, June 7th, with hours of operation being 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM. “This change is part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to better serve the community and increase access to essential animal services such as owner reclaims, animal
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Gas prices are showing less movement in Oregon and many other states this week, despite the ongoing uncertainty about the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, AAA Oregon/Idaho reported. Crude oil prices remain in the $90s as markets digest the potential for a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran. For the week,
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Fire & Rescue, in conjunction with the Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, announced Wednesday that outdoor debris burning in the area outside the city limits will close at the end of April for the Bend area. Outdoor debris burning will be open “as conditions allow” in the rural areas surrounding
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — For the second straight year, the Latino Community Association will cancel its Latino Fest, a long-standing celebration of Latin American cultural diversity in Central Oregon, the organization announced Wednesday. “Because the festival is a public event in a public space, we cannot guarantee that attendees, performers, or vendors will be safe from racial profiling
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DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the community about an active phone scam where callers are impersonating deputies and demanding payment for bogus fines. These fraudulent calls have been reported over the past several days. The scammers are using phone number spoofing technology to make calls appear legitimate to
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(Update: adding comments from ODOT, video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Just as Central Oregon starts to see signs of spring, another round of snow is expected to hit the Cascades this week. With mountain travel likely to be affected, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews are gearing up for changing conditions and reminding drivers to
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) Gov. Tina Kotek signed House Bill 4149 into law on March 31, codifying educational protections for students experiencing homelessness into Oregon statute. This new legislation ensures these safeguards remain in place regardless of changes to federal policy, establishing a durable state-level framework. The bill reinforces Oregon’s commitment to providing students facing housing
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SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The seasonal window for legal debris burning in the Sisters area will close at sunset on April 30, according to local fire officials. The Northwest Fire Agencies — which include Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, Black Butte Ranch Fire District, and Cloverdale Fire District — announced the seasonal shutdown Tuesday, marking the
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Psychiatric Security Review Board recently denied most requests from Joanna Kasner, convicted in the 2019 shooting death of Valerie Peterson, to ease her state supervision. Kasner had sought greater independence seven years after the murder, but Peterson’s family is fighting to keep current restrictions in place. The Board’s decision comes
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The annual Early Learning Conference of the Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children, Central Oregon chapter, will take place April 24-25. Central Oregon Community College, on its Bend campus, will host and coordinate the event. The conference is expected to draw more than 500 educators from across the region.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The City of Bend is reducing the size of its “Temporary Safe Stay Area,” known as “Dirtworld,” by half. This effort aims to be completed by June 1 and affects approximately 30 people remaining in the area slated for closure. The city intends to shrink the camp to mitigate fire risks,
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