Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency to reduce bureaucratic burdens and mobilize state resources for the Bend-La Pine school district following the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. The shooting resulted in the deaths of three students and one teacher. The emergency declaration immediately mobilizes the Oregon Department of
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As severe drought forces unprecedented irrigation shutoffs, Central Oregon residents, water officials, and lawmakers are confronting a system built during the settlement of the West.
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Sources and documents uncovered by KTVZ News appear to show that Sherman Bloomer, the dean and chancellor of Oregon State University-Cascades, is under investigation for alleged inappropriate sexual conduct involving students.
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(Update: adding comments from Red Cross) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As wildfire evacuations continue across Central Oregon, some evacuees say they were quoted sharply higher hotel rates while trying to find a place to stay after being forced out under Level 3 “Go Now” orders. One Central Oregon couple and their pets spent six days
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(Update: adding EPA instructions) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As wildfire smoke continues to affect Central Oregon, many commercial air purifiers have sold out at stores around the region. But the Environmental Protection Agency says a do-it-yourself box-fan air cleaner can offer a more affordable, attainable way to reduce smoke particles indoors. The Oregon Department of
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Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions and images of animal mutilation that some readers may find disturbing. HARNEY COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — For generations, stories of cattle mutilations have circulated across the American West. They’ve been featured on shows and documentaries like Unsolved Mysteries and Ancient Aliens, fueling decades of speculation ranging from cults, conspiracies,
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Problem Solvers are continuing to investigate complaints surrounding 541 Roofing, this time hearing from former employees who claim they are still owed money. The former employees tell KTVZ News they sold roofing jobs for the Central Oregon company, but were not paid commissions they say they earned. The claims come
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Jefferson County leaders and tourism advocates are calling on the Oregon Health Authority to provide clearer communication and greater transparency regarding recreational advisories for harmful algae blooms, arguing the warnings are creating confusion and hurting the local economy. The concerns center around advisories issued for Lake Billy Chinook and other Oregon waterways. While local
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(Update: adding comments from contractors) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — After KTVZ’s Problem Solvers reported on a Central Oregon homeowner who said he paid a deposit to 541 Roofing before communication stopped, two local contractors are stepping up to help. KTVZ News first reported on Martin Stadtmueller, who said he hired 541 Roofing to replace his
Continue Reading (Update: adding comments from homeowner, BBB) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Central Oregon homeowner says he paid thousands in a deposit for a new roof, but after the charge went through, communication with the contractor stopped — prompting a credit card dispute and raising broader concerns about consumer protection. Martin Stadtmueller told KTVZ News he
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(Update: adding video) CULVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Culver School District has hired a new superintendent, months after a third-party investigation into former Superintendent Stefanie Garber led to her resignation. The Problem Solvers first reported on the concerns inside the district in February. Records reviewed by KTVZ News provide a deeper look at what staff
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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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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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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — What used to be a place to hold people awaiting court has quietly transformed into something far more complex. Inside the Deschutes County Jail, staff are now on the front lines of a growing behavioral health crisis, one that’s reshaping how the jail operates, who ends up behind bars, and what
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — In Bend, dogs are part of the culture, often spotted on trails, at breweries, and in nearly every park. But those encounters aren’t always positive. For people with disabilities or anyone uneasy around dogs, off-leash behavior can lead to tense or even dangerous situations. Parks, trails, and even dogs are part
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend-La Pine School’s Healthy Schools program has resulted in a 21% reduction in behavioral health-related emergency department visits since its inception. The initiative, which targets student mental health and suicide prevention, has saved between $812,000 and $1.5 million in associated health care costs. Partnership Formed to Address Adolescent Health The
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend woman is taking legal action against the operators of Desert Sage Memory Care after her 90-year-old mother, Doris, suffered second-degree burns and a high fever when she was allegedly left unattended in a courtyard during a high temperatures. Nancy Kerrigan claims the facility was negligent in its care of
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deep in the heart of Central Oregon’s oldest city sits a state-of-the-art aquifer system that many other states wish they had. Funded almost entirely by Meta and Apple, the system stores winter water for summer use and keeps Prineville’s data centers cool during the dog days of summer. It has fueled
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Pacific Power is investing tens of millions of dollars into Central Oregon’s electrical grid to support a population that has grown by more than 65,000 residents since 2010. The utility provider is fast-tracking new substations and 500-kilovolt transmission lines to keep pace with the region’s record-breaking electricity demand, which has surged
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Culver School District Superintendent Stefanie Garber is stepping down from her position at the end of the current term. Her resignation follows a months-long investigation by a third party into her conduct during her tenure.
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