BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Facing staffing and funding challenges, the Oregon Employment Department is looking to make changes to House Bill 4035, which would increase the budget allocated to them by the Oregon Legislature. After News Channel 21 had several viewers reach out saying they were having serious delays with getting their unemployment claims resolved,
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The Oregon State Fire Marshal on Tuesday delivered its first engine, to Central Cascades Fire and EMS in Crescent, as part of its Engine Program and Response Ready Oregon Initiative. Jefferson County Fire & EMS picked up their Type 3 engine on Wednesday, and four more Central Oregon fire agencies also will be receiving new fire engines or water tenders this year through the program.
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, along with 40 counterparts nationwide, sent a letter Wednesday urging Congress to authorize much-needed 2024 bridge funding for the federal Crime Victims Fund. The VOCA Fund supports essential direct services for crime victims and survivors throughout the country, including in Oregon. These services can include medical
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – A new quarterly Oregon revenue outlook was released Wednesday morning, two days into the 35-day “short session” of the state Legislature, and the big picture provides a relatively stable outlook and prompted reactions from Gov. Tina Kotek and others. The Office of Economic Analysis issued its Economic and Revenue Forecast for
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The front cover of the 2023-2024 Oregon Blue Book showcases a hillside covered in beautiful balsam root and lupine flowers at Rowena Crest, captured by Oregon photographer Micah Lundsted of Eugene. The book’s back cover shows an image of three rockfish made at the Oregon Coast Aquarium by Dale George of
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Reaffirming their recent public stance, Reps. Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer voted late Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, though the move narrowly failed by just two votes. Bentz released the following statement after voting in favor of impeaching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: “It has been said that
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the Oregon State Hospital Plan of Correction. The plan details how the hospital is responding to findings that it was deficient in areas related to the secure medical transport of justice-involved patients. CMS surveyors visited OSH in September and October 2023
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Final data validated Tuesday by Oregon Housing and Community Services confirmed that the state exceeded all three goals set by Governor Tina Kotek through her homelessness state of emergency, which she signed on her first full day in office. The data showed that following the signing of EO 23-02 and passage of House
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senate colleagues introduced legislation Tuesday that would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standards to measure and report the full range of artificial intelligence’s environmental impacts, as well as create a voluntary framework for AI developers to report environmental impacts. “AI will continue
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — On Tuesday, Treasurer Read presented to the Oregon Investment Council details regarding Treasury’s plan to transition the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund to a net zero carbon emissions portfolio by no later than 2050. The Net Zero Plan lays out specific actions Treasury will take in the short- and long-term to
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will host three virtual open house sessions, Feb. 15, Feb. 29 and March 2, to discuss the draft Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) for 2024-2028. The five-year plan is a comprehensive look at Oregon’s outdoor recreation needs and priorities based on a survey of
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On Sunday, Bend and other parts of Central Oregon saw snow fall and stick, in some areas for the first time since last month’s winter storms. But it wasn’t that much, and now the snow is melting away again.
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senate colleagues introduced legislation last week that would create children’s savings accounts for every single child in Oregon and nationwide. Wyden said these savings accounts would build lifelong wealth and economic self-sufficiency for kids from families with limited resources. Funds from the accounts could be used for
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By CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers began a new legislative session Monday, hoping to turn a fresh page after a record-long Republican walkout last year ground the Capitol to a halt for six weeks and disqualified 10 GOP state senators from reelection. All Republican senators were present for the opening
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The City of Bend, in partnership with Art in Public Places, announced Monday it seeks to commission a large-scale work of art for the new Headquarters Building on the the city’s new $130 million Public Works Campus at Juniper Ridge, where ground was broken and construction began last month. The commission
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) recently joined Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-41) and several of her colleagues to introduce the Treatment and Homeless Housing Integration Act. Similar to Chavez-DeRemer’s DIRECT Care for the Homeless Act, this proposal would help connect people experiencing homelessness with treatment for substance use and behavioral health disorders – also referred
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Four suspected drug traffickers with apparent ties to a Sinaloa, Mexico-based transnational criminal organization are facing federal charges after they were caught transporting nearly 370 gallons of liquid heroin, federal prosecutors said late last week.
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) joined Reps. Michelle Steel (CA-45), Susie Lee (NV-03), and several of her colleagues to introduce the Equal Access to Specialty Care Everywhere Act (EASE) Act. The bipartisan legislation would increase access to specialty care services for patients living in underserved communities. Specifically, the proposal would utilize existing Center
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The downtown Redmond ice skating rink has closed for the season “due to continued mechanical issues,” the city announced Friday. “Due to continued mechanical issues, crews are unable to maintain the ice surface as required,” according to a city Facebook posting. “It is our hope we will be able to replace
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(Update: Adding video, comments from City of Bend project engineer) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The City of Bend announced that a long-awaited Purcell Boulevard Extension opened to the public Friday after months of work and bumps in the road. The extension from Full Moon Drive to Courtney Drive is part of the Neff and Purcell
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