Deschutes County commissioners on Tuesday morning chose – on a split vote – Sheriff’s Office Detective and Special Services Commander Ty Rupert to serve as interim sheriff through next year’s election, after Thursday’s retirement of embattled Sheriff Kent van der Kamp.
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(Update: Adding video) SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Nearly a dozen Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers came to the aid of two hikers experiencing medical issues Tuesday in the Chush Falls area south of Sisters. Shortly after 11:15 a.m. today, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District was dispatched to the area after receiving a report
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Storms rumbling through Central Oregon Monday brought hundreds of lightning strikes that have ignited more than a dozen fires so far – most stopped by crews at a very small size, but two that were still being fought Tuesday. Officials said Tuesday, “Interagency resources responded to a number of smoke reports
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Following the recent tragic accident at Dillon Falls just outside of Bend, the public is questioning why a barrier of sorts does not exist to prevent these types of incidents. Numerous people have lost their lives to the dangerous rapids over the decades.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, passed by the Legislature in 2021, officially took effect on July 1. With this new change, residents can now recycle food and beverage cartons, pizza boxes and small scrap metal (less than 10 pounds) in their curbside carts, county officials said in a news
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SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — KTVZ viewer Brad Baer shared with us a video of a black bear sighting just before 2 p.m. Monday, ambling along in the woods near Huntington Road, south of Sunriver. According to Baer, the bear was “slow-moving and minding its own business.” According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
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UPDATE: Leon Lyle Haight has been FOUND.Below is the press release from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s OfficeThe Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to report that Leon Lyle Haight, the 84-year-old man reported missing from Paulina Lake Campground, has been safely located. Early this morning, a civilian volunteer who had been searching overnight found Mr.
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The board of the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training voted Wednesday to accept a committee recommendation and revoke Sheriff Kent van der Kamp’s police certification permanently. But it won’t happen before his planned retirement next week, because he is contesting the decision, prompting a long appeal process.
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(Update: Adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday appointed seven community members to serve on the county’s District Mapping Advisory Committee. The committee will draft a commissioner district map, which will first be considered by the Board before being put to Deschutes County voters as a ballot measure
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Friends and family are remembering Lindsay Bashan and Amanda Loyd, whose bodies have been recovered from the Deschutes River, after part of their group of six went over Dillon Falls during a tubing float. The body of a third victim is being searched for by dozens of staff and volunteers at
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The Oregon Health Authority is marking the third anniversary of 988 — the three-digit number that anyone can call, text or chat when in need of mental health support. We are speaking Wednesday with Deschutes County health officials about how it’s helping locally
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BEND, Ire, (KTVZ) — Deschutes County commissioners on Monday announced their nominees for the county’s District Mapping Advisory Committee, which will create a map of five districts so voters can be asked next year if the newly expanded, five-member board should be elected by district, rather than at-large. The committee will be tasked with drafting
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates throughout Central Oregon continued to creep upward in June. Meanwhile, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment declined in all three counties over the same period, the Oregon Employment Department said Tuesday. (Editor’s note: The following numbers in this report are not seasonally adjusted.) Bend MSA (Crook, Deschutes, and
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Board plans no public interviews of five candidates for interim sheriff before selection BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — At their first meeting in weeks, Deschutes County commissioners approved two expenditures related to homelessness Monday afternoon, but not without a split vote and some familiar debates as they wrestled with the challenging issues. First, commissioners voted 2-1
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On Monday morning, crews continued their recovery efforts in the water for the two people who were still considered missing after Saturday’s tragedy at Dillon Falls — the incident in which six people on inner-tubes went over the falls.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Legislature has passed House Bill 3806, approving pilot water bank authorities in the Deschutes Basin. “This legislation marks a significant step forward in helping Central Oregon expand more flexible and efficient water management to support farms, cities, and rivers alike,” the Deschutes River Conservancy said in a recent news
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A resident of a small homeless encampment north of Bend was arrested on arson and other charges Friday, accused of setting a vehicle fire that spread to a nearby trailer and trees. Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received a report just after 8 a.m. of a fire near milepost 131 on Highway
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Dive into the diverse worlds of printmaking and inclusion as the Deschutes Public Library investigates “Know Ink/Inc” in August. Explore traditional American maritime tattoos and learn to decode meaning in Western paintings. Design and carve your own rubber stamp and satisfy your tastebuds with fresh squid ink pasta. Get an inside
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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (KTVZ) — As hot, dry temperatures continue, the Willamette National Forest will implement fire restrictions starting Friday, July 18. The Fire Danger Level across the forest remains “Moderate” and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) remains at level I. The fire restrictions apply to all lands within the forest, including the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Mt.
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Wahlburgers is coming to the 105th Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo this summer, July 30 through Aug. 3. This marks Wahlburgers’ debut in Oregon, offering Oregonians their first taste of the chain’s award-winning burgers, house-made sauces, crispy tots and creamy shakes via a mobile Wahlburgers stand. “This is more than just a food stand
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