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Deschutes County

Wildfire fuels disposal

Deschutes County seeks applicants for ‘sweat equity’ bin rentals, to dispose of wildfire fuels

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County Natural Resources will begin accepting applications for its 2026 Sweat Equity Bin Rental Program on Sunday, Feb. 1. Officials say the program helps local communities remove fire fuels and improve defensible spaces around homes and other structures by covering the cost of trash bin rentals. Funds set aside for

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Juniper Ridge TSSA closure map

UPDATE: Most Bend, Deschutes County leaders back six-month extension of Juniper Ridge ‘safe stay area’

(UPDATE: Adding video and quote from Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A majority of Bend and Deschutes County leaders agreed at a joint meeting Tuesday to extend the Juniper Ridge Temporary Safe Stay Area six more months, to mid-2027. But there was reluctance and some opposition from both elected boards amid an end to federal funding and a desire to fully close

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Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation awards $759K to 93 Southern Oregon nonprofits

ROSEBURG, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation awarded $759,930 to non-profit organizations across Southern Oregon on Thursday at Seven Feathers Casino Resort. This brings the Foundation’s total philanthropic giving to over $27 million since 1997. Read the full release from Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, including notable grantees and

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Central Oregon unemployment rates rise; here’s the sectors where jobs were gained or lost

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Seasonally adjusted unemployment ratesย areย up year-over-year in all three Central Oregon counties, the Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday. Here’s the complete report they issued: Bend MSA (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties):ย MSA seasonally adjusted unemploymentย rates are not available at the moment, but more data should be available by the end of the month.ย For

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Oregon DEQ Air Quality Division

Oregon DEQ extends air quality advisory to Friday for southern Deschutes County, other areas

LAKEVIEW, Ore.โ€”The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Monday for Lake County and southern Klamath County and extends the advisory for southern Deschutes County due to stagnant air conditions trapping smoke and other air pollutants near the ground where people breathe. DEQ said expects the air quality advisory to last through

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Sheriff Rupert Terrebonne town hall

Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert holding more town halls in Terrebonne this week, Sisters next week

TERREBONNE, Ore. (KTVZ) โ€“ย The Deschutes County Sheriffโ€™s Office reminded residents Monday about this weekโ€™s community Town Hall meeting on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Terrebonne Community School. Rupert said the Town Halls offer residents the opportunity to connect directly with their Sheriffโ€™s Office, ask questions, share concerns, and provide ideas to help

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Timelines just got tricky: A discreet U.S. Postal Service change could trip up your ballots and benefits

A quiet change in how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) dates mail could have big implications for things like taxes and Oregonโ€™s elections this year. USPS is now postmarking letters and packages based on when they are processed at a mail facility, not when they are dropped in a box — meaning something mailed on deadline day could receive a nextโ€‘day postmark.

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Deschutes County commissioners set hearing on proposed wildfire mitigation construction standards

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners plans to hold a public hearing next Wednesday to consider proposed wildfire mitigation standards for new residential construction in unincorporated areas of the county. Last fall, following the repeal of the Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map with Senate Bill 83, county commissioners directed staff to modify

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Mt. Bachelor received 8 inches of snow and 6-10″ more is expected through the day, resort says

(Update: Adding other weather impacts) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Mt. Bachelor picked up eight inchesย of snow in the last 24 hours, with another 6-10 inches expected by tomorrow morning. Check out the KTVZ Local Alert Weather Team Snow Report at: https://ktvz.com/weather/snow-report/2026/01/07/snow-report-finally-some-decent-snow-across-the-cascades/ Here’s what the resort shared with KTVZ News regarding what this means for skiers

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DCSO welcomes Dozer, a new drug detection K-9

DCSO welcomes Dozer, a new drug detection K-9

(UPDATE: adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — On Tuesday, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office announced a new 4-legged deputy: Dozer, the 16-month-old Springer Spaniel specially trained in drug detection. Dozer will work with the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team, primarily in undercover and drug operations. Dozer is trained to detect methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.

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SNAP benefits MGN

SNAP recipients in nine more Oregon counties get added time to replace food lost due to recent storm

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Households in nine more Oregon counties โ€” Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Jackson, Josephine, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla and Wasco โ€” now have more time to report lost or spoiled food purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)ย benefits due to recent storms and power outages. If you live in one of these counties and

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