Central Oregon
Latest Stories

As a Central Oregon county struggles with extreme drought conditions, officials declare an emergency
Crook County is the only one in Oregon still experiencing "exceptional drought" conditions.
Despite rainy weather in parts of the state, Central Oregon remains in extreme drought
We learn more about what the conditions mean for the region.

Crook County library board rejects proposal to segregate LGBTQ books
The Crook County Library Board of Trustees voted Thursday night not to label LGBTQ-friendly children’s books or segregate them into a separate section.

Lack of housing leads to hiring woes for Central Oregon businesses, study finds
More than 200 local businesses responded to the survey, with 81% saying that the sky-high cost of housing in Bend has made it difficult to hire workers.

Environmental regulators to test well water for contaminants in Central Oregon
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will be offering free well testing in Deschutes County next year to collect more data for a statewide groundwater contamination study.
Bend City Council narrowly passes code on illegal camping
Emotions ran high as the council debated the new code, which will limit how unhoused people can camp in Bend.
Central Oregon school district, camp release joint statement following alleged transphobia
Despite the new statement, the future between the district and camp remains uncertain.

Bend brewery plans for a future when water is no guarantee
Central Oregon’s beer boom has relied on an abundance of clean water. As water becomes more scarce in the high desert, one brewery shares how it hopes to sustain its business.

Three months after it started, Cedar Creek Fire reaches significant turning point
It’s been three months since the Cedar Creek Fire started burning in the Willamette National Forest east of Oakridge. Fire managers now say the blaze is mostly out.

How a community college is helping meet growing demand for peer support specialists in Central Oregon
We hear from an instructor and from a student who recently completed a peer support specialist training course in Central Oregon. Peer support programs seek to help people experiencing mental health struggles and substance use disorder.