The Source Weekly Update Nov 10
In this week's update, parents express anger towards extended school closures and the Bend City Council announces a tax proposal to supplement affordable housing.

In this week's update, parents express anger towards extended school closures and the Bend City Council announces a tax proposal to supplement affordable housing.
For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we talked to Luann Abrams who is the Treasurer of the Strengthening Central Oregon Political Action Committee, a new community PAC designed to support underrepresented candidates who will bring diversity, fresh perspectives and nonpartisan solutions to the issues facing the region. The PAC had a lot to celebrate on election night: Most of their candidates won their races. These include future City Councilors Anthony Broadman, Rita Schenkelberg, Megan...
In this week's update, we're reviewing the Bend City Council election results and talking to the winning candidates.
Joel Wirtz is the co-executive director of the Deschutes Defenders, the public defense firm for Deschutes County. The agency handles two-thirds of all cases involving people who can't afford a defense lawyer. Wirtz has tried cases from shoplifting to murder, but he said he's most proud of his work as a defense attorney for Mental Health Court, helping people with a history of trauma, mental illness and addiction. We invited Wirtz on to the podcast to talk about Measure 110, the proposal on the g...
In this week's Source Weekly Update, a look back at clashes between Black Lives Matter and Trump supporters, and a change in city policy that allows for a new type of housing.
For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we talk with Peter Sparks, professor of psychology at Oregon State University Cascades. We wanted to have Sparks on in light of Measure 109 on the general election ballot which would legalize the use of psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms) in a clinical setting. It would make Oregon the first state to allow some legal use of the drug. (Full disclosure: The Source endorsed Measure 109.)
In this week's update, we attempt to ease local paranoia about mail-in ballots. We will discuss what to do in the event that you do not receive your ballot as well as provide some comfort with statistics on voter fraud.
For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast we talk with Tod Heisler, the rivers conservation director for Central Oregon LandWatch. Two decades ago, Heisler moved to Central Oregon from Washington, D.C., and worked for the Deschutes River Conservancy for 15 years, concentrating on restoring flows in the Deschutes River. Last year in an interview with the Source, he had this to say about his new position at COLW: "I can speak a little more freely on what the river needs and can now represent the ...
In this week's update, voting is a hot topic. We will answer questions on how to vote as well as tackle the concern of voter fraud and thrown out ballots.
For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we talk with Nancy Blankenship, who has been serving as the Deschutes County Clerk since 2003. Many of us know her name, but we wanted to find out more about the person behind the ballots in Deschutes County. In short, Blankenship is an expert on voting and ballot counting. In these uncertain times, where false information about voter fraud circles endlessly around social media, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hear from the county’s...
In this week's update, we are covering the controversy of the mirror pond dredging. Is it worth it to dredge a pond that is historically known to refill with sediments? Also, real estate prices in bend are skyrocketing and it begs the question: are increased prices a sign of a stabilized local economy or just bad news for residents.
For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast we talk with Cate O’Hagan, a longtime champion of the arts in Central Oregon and the chair of the Deschutes Cultural Coalition. O’Hagan and her board helped decide how to allocate nearly $1 million that recently flowed into the county to support the arts from a fund the state set aside from the CARES Act. O’Hagan has had a long career in the arts, only taking a break once for a few years to raise cattle outside of Madras. She’s an accomplished mix-media...
In this week's update, we are talking about school lunches and home evictions. Families who previously received free school lunches can qualify for additional EBT benefits. Also, Governor Brown announces an eviction ban through the end of the year for those affected by the wildfires and or the pandemic.
On this week's update, wildfire evacuees are attempting to emerge back into everyday life. Learn how Bend local businesses are supporting the victims and how you can contribute as well.
For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast we talk with Ed Keith, who has worked as the county forester for Deschutes County since 2012. Keith traces the history of forest management in Central Oregon, including the impact of grazing and timber harvest, and describes how decades of fire suppression in Oregon’s forests disrupted the natural cycles of wildfire in the region.
On this week's Source Update, we are discussing the raging Oregon wildfires. How were they originated? How can we prevent them? What will happen to the locals?
John Hummel has been serving as the Deschutes County District Attorney since he was first elected in 2014. Before that, he served on the Bend City Council for six years, and then resigned in 2007 to earn his Masters in public policy from Johns Hopkins University. He then worked in Liberia, Africa, for two and a half years as the Country Representative for the Carter Center, the former president’s peace and health organization. Hummel has taken a proactive stance on criminal justice reform and cr...
On this Weeks Update, The Bend City Council moves forward with an ordinance to create a restricted parking district in a small section of the Old Bend neighborhood.
For this week’s Bend Don’t Break podcast we talk with Stefanie Garber, the superintendent and elementary school principal for the Culver School District. Garber recently wrote a letter to Gov. Kate Brown arguing that local communities and school boards should decide when to open schools in their own communities. She asked that the state eliminate the “one size fits all” mandates for schools.
In this week's Source Weekly update we're discussing what this semesters online learning will look like. Learning pods rise as a refined method of focused Education. Bend Parks and Recreation district as well as the Boys and Girls Club offer programs for families struggling with online schooling.
For this week’s Bend Don’t Break podcast we speak with Tammy Baney, the executive director of the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council. COIC is a group of representatives from each city and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs who work together on economic development, housing, job training and. Most notably, COIC oversees Cascades East Transit, the regional public transit provider for all of Central Oregon. We asked Baney if she felt like public transit was neglected in the Bend Transpor...
A recap of the anger and frustration at Bend's City Council meeting; and moving forward on a transportation bond in this week's Source Weekly Update.
In this week's Source Weekly update: A new OSU-Cascades diversity lab, three protestors arrested in Prineville, and a drive for supplies for the tribes at Warm Springs. All in this week's Source Weekly Update.
For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast, we talk with to Former Bend Police Chief Jim Porter. After 20 years with the BPD and six years as the head of the agency, Porter retired a few weeks ago. His successor has big shoes to fill. We cover a lot of ground in this episode: Beginning with Porter’s program to improve officer wellness, we move on to discuss the challenges of answering mental health calls and being charged with managing people without homes. We then dig deeper into the “Defund th...
In this week's Source Weekly update: A man dies at Bend's new high school, a local Fred Meyer employee charged with harassment after allegedly shoving trump supporter, and two Bend first responders test positive for COVID. All in this week's Source Weekly Update.
For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast, we talk with Kevney Dugan, CEO of Visit Bend, the destination marketing organization for the City. Dugan worked in the fly fishing industry before coming on as the group sales manager for the agency 10 years ago. He was then promoted to President, taking over for Doug LaPlaca. Dugan discusses the challenging position Visit Bend is in right now: It is mandated through a City contract to promote tourism, and the state requires that it spends most of its ...
In this week's Source Weekly update were focusing on the pandemic and race related crimes: five more people in Central Oregon have died from COVID. Bend man charged in alleged racial bias incident. Alleged "rolling coals" incident leads to charges. All in this week's Source Weekly Update.
Cameron Clark is the founder and owner of C3 Events, which produces Munch and Music and the NorthWest Crossing Saturday Farmers Market, among many other beloved events in Central Oregon. COVID-19 has obviously had a huge impact on his business, but instead of focusing on the economics, this conversation explores the topic of social health and the way that the pandemic lockdowns have had a devastating impact on individual mental health and a sense of belonging for those who depend on gatherings t...
In this week's Source Weekly update were focusing on the pandemic: nine restaurants and bars in Deschutes County that have been reported for violating COVID-19 prevention measures. Additionally, new mask laws, Bend's first death, Bend's nursing home outbreak, and record-breaking case counts. All in this week's Source Weekly Update.
For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast, we talk with Todd Montgomery, a business and hospitality professor at Oregon State University – Cascades. His research focuses on automation and technology in the tourism industry from both the perspective of workers and customers. He’s the co-host and co-producer of “Tech Trek,” a TV show highlighting innovative automation technology from around the world. He also serves on the board of Visit Bend.