BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission approved the final 2026 Oregon Recreational Trails Plan during its February meeting. The 10-year plan establishes priorities for grant funding and outlines actions to improve non-motorized, motorized and water trails on public land across the state. The plan addresses emerging trends and issues facing the
Continue Reading
DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) The Deschutes Trails Coalition announced today that it is accepting applications for its 2026 Small Project Grant program. The initiative will award up to $30,000 to support multiple trail-focused projects within the Deschutes National Forest and Deschutes County. The grant program is designed to fund small-scale projects that maintain or restore
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — After emotional statements by a now-11-year-old boy and the Sunriver-area woman accused of severely abusing and neglecting him, a Deschutes County judge sentenced Sarah Session on Tuesday to more than 17 years in prison. Her parents also now face prison and jail time. But first, Circuit Judge Alison Emerson, who convicted Session and her parents last month after a three-week trial, told her small,
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A 40-year-old Bend man was arrested Tuesday – for the second time in a month – after he allegedly threatened a Deschutes County sheriff’s deputy and fled on a motorcycle. Paul Alfred Akehurst was taken into custody in Deschutes River Woods following a law enforcement search that lasted nearly an hour.
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A truck driver whose jackknifed rig on Highway 20 east of Bend caused a crash and the death of a newlywed couple has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree manslaughter and other charges. Deschutes County Circuit Judge Wells Ashby on Monday scheduled a Jan. 19, 2027 start for a nine-day jury trial of Rajinder Kumar, 32. The judge also set a Jan. 5 trial readiness
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — An Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter crew helped nearly two-dozen Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers bring an injured snowboarder to safety west of Bend Monday in an operation that took until after nightfall to conclude. The call for help came in at 2:40 p.m. Monday, after a 44-year-old
Continue Reading
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Human Services is providing free tax filing assistance to young people and low-income residents through its Tax Infrastructure Grant Program. The initiative funds IRS-certified community organizations, Tribal governments and educators to help workers secure potential refunds. The program specifically addresses the needs of young people in their
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The 49th annual Sunriver Music Festival is scheduled to take place Aug. 10-20, 2026, in Bend and Sunriver. Artistic Director and Conductor Brett Mitchell curated the upcoming summer season to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The 2026 programming features works by American composers alongside classical favorites. The repertoire
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County Community Development will host a public open house on April 7 to gather input for the update of the Terrebonne Community Plan. The event is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Terrebonne Community School cafeteria, located at 1199 B Avenue in Terrebonne. The open house serves as
Continue Reading
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Governor Tina Kotek declared a drought emergency in Deschutes, Baker, and Umatilla counties through Executive Order 26-05. The declaration comes as forecasts suggest below-normal precipitation and streamflow conditions will likely continue through the summer. This is the first drought declaration issued by Governor Kotek during the 2026 calendar year. The order
Continue Reading
DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth (COPY) is offering a training class on Saturday, April 11th, for residents interested in mentoring children with an incarcerated parent. The orientation and training session is required for all volunteers before they are matched with a child. Participants must also pass background checks as part
Continue Reading
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Seed to Table Oregon, a Sisters-based nonprofit, has opened sign-ups for its 2026 Produce Share program featuring a “no-questions-asked” sliding-scale payment model. The farm share program provides fresh, organic vegetables from May through November with weekly prices starting at $26. Unlike traditional sliding-scale programs, the nonprofit does not require an application
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue volunteers responded to a mountain bike crash west of Bend on Saturday afternoon. A 46-year-old woman was injured while riding on the C.O.D. Trail at approximately 5:00 p.m. The crash occurred on a technical section of the trail system off Century Drive. Search and
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone is launching an eight-community tour across the county beginning March 31. The tour, which runs through April 9, focuses on priorities including public safety, housing solutions, and fiscal responsibility. The countywide tour is part of DeBone’s 2026 reelection campaign. It is designed to provide residents from
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Halfway through the 2020s – a decade in which Americans’ lives were greatly impacted by the COVID pandemic – Deschutes County has added more residents than any other Oregon county, while Crook County’s growth rate tops the state. Those are two Central Oregon highlights from the U.S. Census Bureau’s county population estimates for July 1, 2025, released Thursday, which shows a
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The League of Women Voters of Deschutes County is hosting a presentation on April 2 from 11:30 AM-1:00 PM, focused on the protection and preservation of wild public lands in Oregon. Mary Fleischmann, leader of the Central and Eastern Oregon Bitterbrush chapter of Great Old Broads for Wilderness, will serve as
Continue Reading
(Update: adding press release and photos from Sisters Fire) SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — A fifth-wheel RV was destroyed by fire Wednesday afternoon at the Sisters RV Park, with flames spreading to nearby trees and grass. Emergency crews were dispatched to the park at 1100 E. Highway 20 at approximately 3:03 p.m. on March 25, 2026.
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes National Forest firefighters canceled a planned prescribed burn on Wednesday after a test fire was unsuccessful. The Flank Four project is located 15 miles southeast of Bend. The cancellation occurred because environmental conditions were not favorable, likely due to local winds. While crews have successfully ignited hundreds of acres south
Continue Reading
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The City of Redmond will begin a multi-phase closure of SW Veterans Way on March 30, 2026, to accommodate the construction of a new roundabout. The project will connect SW Veterans Way, SE First Street and the newly aligned SE Airport Way. The construction is a major component of Redmond’s Eastside
Continue Reading
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County Search & Rescue volunteers rescued two climbers stranded nearly 400 feet above the ground at Smith Rock State Park early Tuesday morning. The men became stuck on a narrow ledge after their ropes caught in rocks during a descent Monday night. The climbers, two men in their late 20s
Continue Reading