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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EASTERN OREGON (KTVZ) — The League of Women Voters Oregon will host a bipartisan virtual candidate forum for the Congressional District 2 primary on April 30, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Award-winning journalist Les Zaitz will moderate the event, which aims to help voters learn about the candidates seeking to represent them in the US
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Congresswoman Janelle Bynum and Alabama Congressman Shomari C. Figures recently introduced two pieces of legislation in Congress. The Save SNAP Act and the Rural Health Resilience Act aim to bolster federal food assistance and provide financial aid to rural health centers across the United States. The Save SNAP Act is
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(Update: adding information from Bend’s town hall on April 26th, video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A group of Central Oregon residents gathered Sunday for a legislative town hall in Bend, and brought big questions to Central Oregon lawmakers — touching on everything from wildfire and water concerns to federal funding cuts and growing political division.
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 23 other attorneys general, along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, have asked a federal court to permanently block an executive order restricting mail-in voting. The coalition filed a motion for summary judgment today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
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(Update: adding comments from Deschutes County Clerk) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — With the May primary election fast-approaching, Deschutes County voters are being reminded that not all ballots will look the same — and an upcoming deadline could impact what you see. Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison says Oregon’s closed primary system means voters must be
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) In what President Donald Trump called “the single largest deregulatory action in American history, by far.” his administration revoked the 2009 Environmental Protection Agency Endangerment Finding. Essentially pulling the federal rug out from under states and their emission standards. It limits states powers to regulate emissions and puts Oregon off track for
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By Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM, Ore. — Oregonians will soon be able to sue private companies that sell or otherwise improperly use data captured by license plate-reading cameras under a new state law. Senate Bill 1516, signed into law by Gov. Tina Kotek on March 31, went into effect immediately due to an
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Dogs are big users of parks and trails, but there are few public places where leashes aren’t required, so Bend Police and the Bend Park and Recreation District are teaming up to visit area parks in coming days, reminding everyone about those rules and the costs of not following them. One
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Update: Adding video SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Firefighters on the Sisters Ranger District are planning prescribed burning ignitions Thursday, if conditions are favorable. Firefighters plan to conduct up to 120 acres of ignitions on Flymon 7 South Prescribed Burn, located 5 miles southwest of Lake Billy Chinook, the Deschutes National Forest said Wednesday in a news
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Update: Adding video SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — As the impacts of recent federally directed changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work rules begin to show in Oregon, the state Department of Human Services shared information Wednesday, to help people who have lost benefits, or may lose them soon, understand how they may be able
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