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Jefferson County

There’s Good News: Middle schoolers provide academic support at Buff Elementary

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — National Junior Honor Society students from JCMS recently volunteered in kindergarten through second-grade classrooms at Buff Elementary. The students spent several hours supporting teachers and assisting younger students with their daily schoolwork. The initiative aligns with the five core pillars of the National Junior Honor Society, which include a specific focus

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Former Deer Ridge officer caught in illicit prison relationship loses certification for life

(Update: adding comments from Jefferson County District Attorney on why charges were not filed) MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – State officials revoked the certification of Emily Fisk, a former corrections officer at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution, following an investigation into a sexual relationship she had with an inmate. Fisk resigned from her position in 2022 instead

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Long-time community advocate Family Access Network welcomes its newest board member

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Megan Geiss of Bend has joined the Family Access Network (FAN) foundation Board of Directors, the organization announced Tuesday. Geiss, a long-time community advocate, will support the nonprofit’s mission of connecting Central Oregon children and families with essential resources. The Family Access Network organization was established in 2006. FAN raises funds

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Central Oregon jobless rate Dec 2025

Central Oregon jobless rates hold steady as 2025 ends; region added 1,560 jobs over the past year

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rates saw very little movement from November to December, holding steady inDeschutes and Crook counties and falling slightly in Jefferson County, the state Employment Department reported Tuesday.   Here’s the agency’s complete regional report: Bend MSA (Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties): The Bend MSA’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged over the month, at 5.0%.

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Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office releases monthly report for December 2025, includes 24 In-Custody Arrests

(Update: Video Added) JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released its monthly report for December of 2025 in a post to its Facebook page. Along with the 24 reported In-Custody Arrests, the Sheriff’s Office also reported 1,015 calls for service; most of those calls came from Crooked River Ranch. In the Facebook

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Central Oregon unemployment rates rise; here’s the sectors where jobs were gained or lost

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are up year-over-year in all three Central Oregon counties, the Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday. Here’s the complete report they issued: Bend MSA (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties): MSA seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are not available at the moment, but more data should be available by the end of the month. For

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Highway 97 vehicle vs. pedestrian crash under investigation near Madras

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — A vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash along U.S. Highway 97 near Falcon Lane in Madras is under investigation. Authorities say the incident happened Saturday, along the busy highway corridor through Jefferson County. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle struck a pedestrian on Highway 97, prompting an emergency response and initial investigation

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SNAP benefits MGN

SNAP recipients in nine more Oregon counties get added time to replace food lost due to recent storm

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Households in nine more Oregon counties — Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Jackson, Josephine, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla and Wasco — now have more time to report lost or spoiled food purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to recent storms and power outages. If you live in one of these counties and

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Deadline extended for some Oregon counties to replace SNAP food lost during recent storm

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon households that lost food bought with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during recent storms now have extra time to request replacements, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS). The agency announced Tuesday that residents in 19 counties will have 30 days, until Jan. 16, 2026, to report food losses caused by

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Warm Springs Tribes awarded $1M for more behavioral health treatment beds as part of statewide investment

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Governor Kotek announced a $65 million statewide investment Tuesday, to add 146 new residential behavioral health treatment beds. Among the more than a dozen funded projects across Oregon, $1 million is going towards The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. That money will fund a residential treatment home with a 5-bed capacity.

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Douglas Richard York arraignment

Judge cuts bail in half for Crooked River Ranch man accused of robbing downtown Redmond restaurant at gunpoint

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A shift in some charges to Jefferson County prompted a Deschutes County judge to cut the bail in half Tuesday for a Crooked River Ranch man accused in the Halloween night holdup of a downtown Redmond restaurant. Douglas Richard York, 54, accused of robbing Sassy’s Cafe, still faces Deschutes County charges

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