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Central Oregon Health Council

Central Oregon health care partners earn $23.5 million in bonus Medicaid funding for exceptional care

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Update: Adding video BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)  — The Central Oregon Health Council announced Friday that the region’s health care partners have brought home about $23.5 million in bonus Medicaid funding for providing exceptional care to the communities they serve.  Here’s the full Health Council announcement about the bonus funding: This achievement reflects the outstanding performance of the

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Wanderlust Tours ‘Fall Forage’ brings you closer to nature and the food it provides

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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Wanderlust Tours is offering a unique culinary adventure this fall with its “Fall Forage to Table” experience. The event, scheduled for October 18th, features a guided foraging hike where participants will learn to identify edible ingredients in the woods, including sought-after chanterelle mushrooms. Anything found on the hike will later become

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BendFilm Festival Lynsey Harris

2025 Bend Film Festival kicks off extended five-day run, shining spotlight on wide variety of global and local stories

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The countdown is on for the Bend Film Festival, which kicks off later this week with a packed schedule of screenings, panels, and community events throughout downtown Bend. This year’s lineup features an expanded selection of independent films from around the world, as well as homegrown projects produced right here in Central Oregon.

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Pollinator habitat installation

Pollinator Pathway Bend partners with downtown dispensary Oregrown on native plants installation

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(Update: Adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Pollinator Pathway Bend just announced the upcoming installation of a new native pollinator garden at the corner of Wall Street and Bond Street, including the adjacent roadside planting strip on Wall Street. The project will transform the space with over 100 drought-tolerant native plants that provide food and

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Smith Rock accessible travel

Accessible travel is the focus of upcoming TravelAbility Summit in Sunriver

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SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — Next week, Central Oregon will welcome nearly 200 attendees to the seventh annual TravelAbility Summit from October 13-15 at Sunriver Resort. Co-hosted by Visit Central Oregon and Travel Oregon, the sold-out Summit will bring together accessibility innovators, tourism leaders, and destination professionals from across the world including the United States, Australia,

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Deschutes County Health Services Director Holly Harris

Deschutes County hires Holly Harris as new Health Services director

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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County has hired Holly Harris to serve as its new Health Services Director. Harris has served as interim Health Services Director since July, when former Director Janice Garceau retired.  “Holly’s record of impactful accomplishments, strong relationships across the region and state, commitment to our team and community, and collaborative approach

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Breaking down a new state law that increases insurance transparency in Oregon

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(update: adding video, comments) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A new state law, House Bill 2563, requires both home and auto insurance companies to clearly explain to policyholders why their premiums are increasing. The change highlights increasing concern from both regulators and consumers over rising premiums and the unclear reasons behind those price hikes. Insurers must

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Regional Business Alliance

Local chambers of commerce and EDCO launch Regional Business Alliance, explain its purpose ahead of summit

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Update: Adding video REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Central Oregon Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announced Wednesday the official launch of the Regional Business Alliance, a collaborative initiative uniting business voices across Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties.  The RBA will serve as a unified advocate for pro-business policies, infrastructure investment,

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Pacific Power Cool Keeper

‘Cool Keeper’: Pacific Power offers customers credit to add device that briefly turns off A/C if grid needs help

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Update: Adding video BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Pacific Power just introduced Cool Keeper, a demand-response program that optimizes electricity use on hot summer days, installing a device that can cycle off air conditioning for a brief time to help “rebalance” the electrical grid. It says the goal is “helping customers stay comfortable while supporting a reliable

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Madras officer-involved shooting body camera

Oregon Department of Justice finds Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy was justified in fatal Madras shooting

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(Update: Adding video, Warm Springs statement) SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Justice said Wednesday it has concluded that a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy was justified in his use of deadly force last February and acted in self-defense when a man refused repeated commands and approached other deputies with a knife during a

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‘It was low before, it’s low after’: Oregon student test scores show improvement, still not at pre-pandemic level

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Oregon’s new state education data reveals a landscape marked by incremental progress and enduring challenges. For the first time since 2021, student test scores have improved across all major subjects— literacy, mathematics, and science. 

However, the climb back to pre-pandemic achievement levels remains a daunting one, as proficiency percentages statewide are still lagging behind what was seen before COVID-19 disrupted classrooms and learning routines.

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