(UPDATE: ADDING CONTENT FROM EVENT & QUOTES FROM RESIDENTS AND CITY ADMINISTRATOR CANDIDATES) MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Three finalists for the Madras City Administrator position recently engaged with community members during a 90-minute public meet-and-greet at Initiative Brewing in Madras. Residents had the opportunity to ask questions and get to know the candidates, who are
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Editor’s Note: Rainn Wilson is also a Central Oregon resident and was evacuated during the 2025 Flat Fire. By:Ashley Murray-June 9, 2026 WASHINGTON — As various officials and groups aim to use the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, with the help of a famed sitcom actor, turned the
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Ochoco National Forest have completed a pioneering reforestation project in the Crazy Creek Fire burn area. This effort resulted in the planting and protection of more than 74,000 ponderosa pine seedlings across 424 acres of federal forestland. This initiative marks the first reforestation project
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and Patty Murray, D-Washington, today demanded the Trump administration reinstate 13 federal employees in Oregon and Washington state. These Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, employees, include Public Affairs Officers and Public Information Officers. They received reassignment letters in May, leaving critical communication
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler announced Monday, June 8th, that she will seek re-election for a second term in November 2026. Kebler says she is campaigning to continue her leadership and advance progress on housing, homelessness, public safety, and infrastructure improvements. Kebler is completing her first term as mayor, having been first
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Leaders from multiple agencies convened yesterday, June 4, at Portland International Airport for the 2026 Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) Senior Leadership Seminar. The seminar focused on enhancing coordination and preparedness for a potential Cascadia Subduction Zone event, a significant natural disaster risk for the Pacific Northwest. The half-day program
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The “Let Us Paddle” movement is working to place a petition on the ballot in Oregon to remove new permit requirements for paddleboards and kayaks. These regulations, enacted through House Bill 2982 during the 2025 long session, increased fees and broadened the types of vessels needing permits on Oregon waterways. Details
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — After weeks spent aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Africa, followed by a lengthy stay inside one of the nation’s most secure quarantine facilities, Dr. Stephen Kornfeld is finally back where he wants to be: home in Bend. “Being home is everything,” Kornfeld said. “Just to sleep in my
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MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Voters in Madras will be electing a new Mayor in November. Mayor Mike Lepin has announced he is not running for reelection. Lepin has served as Mayor since 2023.Voters in Madras will also be electing three City Council Members on the November ballot.Below are the offices voters will see on their
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) Gov. Tina Kotek today announced Chris Warner as the interim director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, with the changes set to take effect at the end of the month. Emerald Bogue will serve as the Governor’s Chief of Staff. This appointment allows Lisa Sumption to return to the Oregon Parks and
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(KTVZ) — U.S. Representatives Janelle Bynum of Oregon, Chris Pappas of N.H., Don Bacon of Nebraska and Mike Lawler of New York introduced bipartisan legislation today in Washington, D.C. The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act aims to crack down on “claim sharks” exploiting veterans and survivors by charging fees for assistance with Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) introduced legislation today in Washington, D.C., to improve public safety and wildfire preparedness in Juniper Canyon in Crook County. The bill proposes granting the county a permanent right of way for a new public access road and conveying four Bureau of Land Management parcels for “fire safe
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Oregon Housing and Community Services announced that the application deadline for the Intermediate Housing Assistance program is June 30, 2026. This program provides temporary rent and utility assistance to renters who survived the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and straight-line winds. The assistance is available for those who lived in one of eight disaster-affected counties and
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BEND, Ore (KTVZ) – Gov. Tina Kotek directed the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicles Service (DMV) to stop issuing undercover license plates to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today. The directive, issued from Salem, Ore., cites repeated violations of state and federal law by ICE agents and aims to protect community trust and public
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Cascades East Transit (CET) will implement service updates across Redmond, Bend and Madras beginning Monday, June 15, 2026. The changes include modifications to Redmond’s A and B Flex routes, additional service runs, expanded community connections and a new stop at the Downtown Redmond Library. The service updates affect Redmond’s A and
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BEND, Ore (KTVZ) – The Oregon Summer Electronic Benefits (Summer EBT) program is returning in 2026 to help families buy groceries for school-aged children during summer break when they don’t have easy access to healthy meals. Eligible families can receive a one-time payment of $120 for each child on an Oregon EBT card to buy
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This story was originally published by FOX News. Click here for live updates. WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTVZ) — Tulsi Gabbard is resigning from her post as Director of National Intelligence to support her husband through his battle with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” Fox News Digital learned. Gabbard notified President Trump during a meeting in
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTVZ) — After winning the Republican primary in Oregon’s Second Congressional District, Cliff Bentz is now turning his full attention to the general election this fall. Bentz said the primary victory reflects strong support from voters across the district and gives him a mandate to keep pushing the issues that matter most in
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 3, to discuss the Community Development Department’s 2026-27 Work Plan. This hearing, scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Deschutes Services Building, located at 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend, invites community members to provide feedback. The public
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. — Crook County Democrats are taking a firm stand against a proposed Oregon ballot measure they say would go too far. The local party has unanimously adopted a resolution opposing Initiative Petition 28, also known as the PEACE Act, a measure that would remove long-standing exemptions from state animal cruelty laws for hunting,
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