SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is encouraging voters to return their completed ballots by 8:00 p.m. tonight for the May statewide election. Voters can utilize official ballot drop boxes, local post offices for manual postmarks, or county elections offices to submit their ballots. The Secretary of State’s Office has also
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Redmond Mayor Fitch is set to reflect on the past year while providing updates on city projects, initiatives, and challenges for the annual State of the City address on Thursday, May 28, at Redmond City Hall. The address is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 411 SW 9th St.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new prize honoring innovative solutions to challenges across the American West was awarded Sunday evening at the High Desert Museum in Bend. Brad Parry, vice chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, was named the inaugural winner of the Schnitzer Prize of the West. The $50,000 award was
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend Department of Public Works recently hosted an open house, inviting the public to tour its new combined campus located on Talus Place in North Bend. The event allowed residents to explore the facility and learn about the department’s operations. The open house highlighted the city’s investment in a centralized
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DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office recently tested its emergency alert system by sending messages to 72,000 people. The system is designed to notify the public during critical events such as wildfires, gas leaks and active shooter incidents.The alert system aims to provide residents with vital time to prepare for emergencies.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTVZ) — Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden has expanded a comprehensive investigation into the federal agency responsible for the care of unaccompanied children. The inquiry by Sen. Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, follows disturbing reports of abuse, neglect, and harm in federally contracted facilities, including allegations of sexual abuse of a
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The hotly contested Oregon Republican gubernatorial race is heating up as candidates approach the May 19 primary. Education has emerged as a defining issue in the campaign, with less than a week remaining until voters head to the polls. Republican gubernatorial candidates are currently in crunch time, traveling across Oregon to
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SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Voters in Central Oregon will soon decide on a proposed fire levy that leaders say is critical to maintaining emergency response–especially in the wake of last year’s Flat Fire. The Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District is asking voters to approve a higher levy, but officials say the need has been building for years. The measure would replace
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gov. Tina Kotek today signed five bills at the University of Oregon’s Ballmer Institute in Portland, Ore., aimed at strengthening Oregon”s behavioral health workforce and safeguarding young people from emerging artificial intelligence technology. The legislation, supported by first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson, legislators, behavioral health providers and advocates, seeks to expand
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gov. Tina Kotek received a comprehensive briefing today from state wildfire leaders regarding the potentially severe 2026 wildfire season in Oregon. The briefing took place in Salem, Ore., where Gov. Kotek also signed a proclamation declaring May 2026 as Wildfire Awareness Month. You can watch it online here. Experts warn of
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) announced the delivery of $992,250 in federal funding to the City of Bend for its Neighborhood Drinking Water Protection Program. The funds are designated to replace fragile galvanized pipes, improve water system redundancy and ensure nearby hydrants can meet fire flow requirements. The federal funding aims to
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(Update: adding comments from Rep. Bynum, Sisters Mayor, and Fire Defense Board member) SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — With wildfire risk no longer confined to a few months, local and federal leaders are urging Central Oregonians to prepare now, before the next fire sparks. Oregon Representative, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum, met Monday with local leaders and fire
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OREGON (KTVZ) — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced legislation aimed at strengthening protections for dogs under the care of breeders. The proposed bill, known as the Puppy Protection Act, seeks to end cruel mass breed practices by establishing improved care standards for these animals. The legislation works to ensure dogs in
Continue ReadingREDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Redmond will host the second and final Redmond Community Election Forum today for local candidates on the May ballot. The forum provides community members an opportunity to hear from and engage with candidates for Deschutes County Commissioner positions three and five. The event will take place Friday, May 1, at the
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County leaders in Crook County are bringing in a third-party to look into groundwater concerns related to Knife River operations, as neighbors and land-use advocates have raised alarms for years about potential contamination.
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read announced the start of the 2027-2028 Oregon Blue Book Cover Photo Contest today in Salem.The contest seeks photo submissions for the cover of the upcoming edition of the Oregon Blue Book. The Oregon Blue Book, which is the state’s official almanac and fact book, has
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The 2026 Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 5, at 1 p.m. in Salem. The annual event, held at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, honors law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. No new names were added to the memorial this year.
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing today on H.R. 8259, the Federal Water Projects Consultation Improvement Act of 2026. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Cliff Bentz, aims to enhance the Endangered Species Act consultation process by requiring federal agencies to engage with local water users. The legislation mandates that agencies,
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Standing along Highway 97 on Revere Avenue, the changes are hard to miss. Where tents once stood off and on for years, there are large boulders and thick gravel, part of a strategy critics call “hostile architecture,” designed to keep people from camping there. The goal is simple: prevent encampments from
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MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Following her April 15th resignation as commissioner of the Madras Redevelopment Commission, Janine Metteer is now citing issues that she felt were “above my pay grade” in a Madras Pioneer interview. Metteer expressed frustration with what she described as a lack of transparency and a disconnect between city priorities and community
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