Local News

DCSO SAR Gears Up For Busy Season

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Search and Rescue is one of the busiest in the state, and calls typically increase over Spring Break. "Just obviously on the basis of the region in which we reside in, and all the activities that, not only do our residents take part in, but the people that come to visit," says Sheriff’s Captain Paul Garrison, who supervises the team. He tells KBND News the SAR unit used to experience down times. But the year-round appeal of our area means there is no longer a slow season, "I would estimate that we are probably 50/50: 50% of our call-outs are to residents that are in need of help, as well as those that are visiting from outside the region."

He expects DCSO's SAR team will see even more calls for service as the weather warms, "As we start to go into the summer, and people are more outdoorsy and they’re climbing Smith Rock or on the back trails or they’re climbing South Sister, we just find folks that find themselves in a difficult situation in need of some help."

DCSO recently purchased Sno-Cat, which Garrison says has been useful during the transition of seasons, when higher elevations still have a lot of snow, "We call it a tracked rescue vehicle. It’s been used several times already to deliver resources to that backcountry area." Last week, it was deployed to help Clackamas County’s SAR team rescue a family of six on Mt. Hood, "The fortunate thing is that this piece of equipment has its own plow blade on the front and it’s able to plow in and make a very travelable area to go through to rescue someone. So, this fulfilled that need and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office was greatly appreciative we were able to send that piece of equipment up to help them." 

Garrison reminds backcountry visitors to dress appropriately for changing weather conditions, carry water and always tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. 


File photo: Deschutes County Search and Rescue and Bend Fire respond to an injured OHV rider in May 2023. 

Redmond PD Identifies Theft Suspects

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond Police believe they have identified two people responsible for multiple local thefts that occurred between March 17 and 19. Detectives released photos from surveillance earlier this week, in an effort to track down a man and woman suspected of theft-related crimes at Walmart, Texaco, Wilco and Rite Aid.

RPD now says the two are not from our tri-county area and law enforcement in their hometowns are working to apprehend the pair. The agency has not publicly released the names of the suspects. 

Redmond Police thanked those who helped with the identifications.

Commissioners Consider RV Rental Dwellings Policy

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on allowing RVs to be used as rental housing. County staff briefed Commissioners Wednesday on the challenge of enforcing codes when someone permanently lives in a motorhome or camping trailer.

Commissioner Tony Debone wants to gauge public interest, “I support having this momentum, let's have the discussion, you know, and let's find out how complicated it is or supported it is or, or opposed.”

Commissioner Phil Chang worries about the cost of enforcing new rules, “If this is an opportunity that is important enough for our community, I want to figure out how we pay for it… Clearly, we can't just depend on permit fees to kind of make this all work.”

Commission Chair Patti Adair said it is imperative to get people permanently living in RVs to comply with current code, “That would be the ultimate goal because people don't need any extra stress in their life today. So, if that, if we could help those people, that would be, I would feel like we've done something right.”

State law allowing counties to approve codes for RV rental housing just took effect in January the board also wants to see what other counties plan to do. 

No date has been set yet for the local public hearing, but it will likely be scheduled in the next two months.

 

Paulina Could Get A Small Library

PAULINA, OR -- Paulina could soon have its own library branch. Crook County Library Director Sarah Beeler believes she’s found the perfect location next door to Paulina School. "There is an unused parcel where the school bus is parked that is owned by Crook County," she told Commissioners Wednesday. The triangular lot used to be for the county road department and, at one time had a house on it. But the building was moved off-site and those services shifted to Prineville years ago.

Beeler says the proposed library (pictured above) would be, "About 730 square feet and it is this cute little building where people would be able to use it as a meeting space and we’d have library resources there." She says the area doesn't currently have a good place for the community to gather, "The Post Grange is in a state of disrepair; currently for sale. The store is currently not a viable community option and the Pau Mau Club is for large gatherings and it takes a couple of days to heat that up to make it comfortable for people. So, a small community gathering space - we felt that out in Paulina, they could use that kind of community bonding space."

The vacant lot is across the street from property owned by County Commissioner Susan Hermreck who told Beeler Wednesday, "I think it’s wonderful that you have not forgot about us out there. This, I think, would be wonderful, it would be an asset, it would look very nice, it’s next to the school; people picking up their children could use it. I fully encourage you."

Beeler noted, "I don’t think it would cost terribly much, but then I might be surprised, to build a small branch there. And that would be done through grants and donations."

Commissioners agreed to allow Beeler to enter into conversations with the Road Department and school about the property. The unincorporated community of Paulina is home to fewer than 100 full-time residents.

 

Jefferson County Requests Drought Declaration

MADRAS, OR -- Despite a strong snowpack and recent rain, a county in Central Oregon is asking the Governor to declare a drought emergency. "Bottom line: it’s a horrible situation," says Jefferson County Commissioner Kelly Simmelink. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor (pictured), nearly all of Jefferson County is considered Abnormally Dry.

Wednesday, Commissioners agreed to request a state drought declaration, on behalf of the North Unit Irrigation District. Simmelink says, "It’s a 60,000-acre irrigated district, and we probably had about 75% of that that was fallow, meaning not planted." He says agriculture is the county’s main economic driver and the loss of acreage impacts the entire community. Two large farms went under this year, Simmelink says, "Back to back, and it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s more rearing their head here, shortly. It’s pretty desperate. We’ve got tractor companies leaving town, we’ve got everything that you can possibly conceive that could go wrong - no pun intended, but it’s a trickle down effect."

Local reservoirs are nearly full but he thinks it's too little too late, "When you’ve sucked it dry for six, seven, eight, nine, 10 years now, it takes a while to recover and one good or pretty good - it’s not even great. It’s pretty good - year is just kind of a Band Aid at best." Simmelink tells KBND News, "The crops that are in the ground right now, if we do have those extreme conditions, where it’s too hot or it gets too hot too soon, or whatever the hell it is, where no amount of water’s going to make any difference, what do you tell the guy that’s paying crop insurance that isn’t able to do anything?"

A state emergency declaration would clear the way for state and federal aid, "Whether that’s to help some folks pay their water bill that otherwise won’t be able to or- You know, the last thing I want to do is lose another farm or ranch." Simmelink adds, "If a crop fails, the first question that the feds are going to ask you, or the insurance company is going to ask you is, ‘is your county in a drought?’ And we just know that that’s going to happen." 

He plans to send a letter directly to Governor Tina Kotek to help explain the situation, in an effort to expedite the process, which typically takes a month or more. Last year, Kotek declared a drought in Jefferson County in February. 

 

Fatal Crash Closes Bend Pkwy Wednesday Night

BEND, OR -- At least one person was killed in a crash on the Bend Parkway Wednesday night. Few details have been released, but Bend Police reported the fatal incident at about 9 p.m., in the southbound lanes near the Reed Market Road exit.

The highway was closed for about three hours. 

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. 

 

UPDATE: According to Oregon State Police, a southbound semi truck driven by a California man struck and killed a pedestrian in the left lane. The pedestrian was later identified as 75-year-old James Ray Carter, of Bend.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. 

Sen. Wyden Pushes Expanded Child Tax Credit

BEND, OR – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D) was in Bend Tuesday to drum up support for his proposal to expand the Child Tax Credit.

“We are launching a full-court press in order to make sure that kids and families get a fair shot,” Senator Wyden used basketball terms at the Boys and Girls Club gym to get his point across to the gathered crowd of community leaders, and officials from NeighborImpact who spoke of their own personal experience as parents.

He tells KBND News it is important to hear from working families, "I'm going to take these stories back to Washington and tell them there because there's nothing more important than getting this out of the kind of Washington lingo and a bunch of bureaucratic sounding noise.”

The Democrat wants the Senate to pass his legislation by this year’s tax deadline on April 15th, “For Central Oregon, kids and families, particularly the many who are walking an economic tightrope, balancing the food bill against the rent bill and, essentials, this is absolutely crucial.”

The House passed the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act in January, with broad bi-partisan support.

“In my view, these measures to help kids grow up healthy, produce an enormous amount of value and the multiplier starts kicking in pretty quickly,” Wyden said, adding, “This is really about our values; this is about what we really care about and giving kids a chance to get a little bit of help so they can get started is huge.”

If the bill is passed by the Senate, it would increase the maximum refundable amount per child to $1,800 for 2023 taxes, $1,900 for next year, and $2,000 for 2025.

Employer Sponsors Needed For Workforce Housing Project

BEND, OR -- The next Rooted Homes affordable housing neighborhood is going in near 18th and Simpson, in southwest Bend. Executive Director Jackie Keogh says crews are installing infrastructure for what will eventually be 40 single-family homes. "That site did not have water or sewer, so we’re bringing those utilities to the site. And that typically is the more difficult part of our projects. Once we have that set up, it’s a lot easier to build the homes." They’re accepting applications this week from businesses who want their employees given preference to buy in Rooted at Simpson.

Rooted’s first workforce housing development on Poplar opened last year. Keogh says, "The Bend Chamber and some of their select members sponsored the entire pilot last time, which meant the employers were contributing a lot less." This time, employers will pay more, "Construction costs are still some of the highest in the state in Central Oregon. And, in the state, where we get our funding to subsidize these units, that money hasn’t increased since the 80s. So, because of that, we have this gap."

For this project, near 18th and Simpson, businesses can directly support their employee’s closing costs with a $10,000 donation, "Or, they can purchase - essentially get written into the deed. So every time the home resells, it would go back to that major employer’s employees in perpetuity," says Keogh, "So it would be like a long-term asset that business would have to offer their employees. And that is a cost of $50,000." Companies only pay if one of their employees is selected as a homeowner. 

She tells KBND News it’s a question of economics, "Is the employer interested in paying for continuous hiring, as they lose employees due to the high cost of housing, and retention to keep employees who are unstable in their housing. Or, are they interested in investing in this program?"

Employer applications are due April first. The company’s diversity of workforce must be equal to or greater than the city of Bend, which is just under 91% white. Home buyers must earn no more than 80% of the Area Median Income. 

Rooted at Simpson is expected to open in early 2025. 

 

Redmond Receives Grant For Arbor Month Event

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond is one of six Oregon communities getting grants to help pay for public events during Arbor Month in April. Towns designated as a "Tree City USA" are required to hold a public Arbor Day celebration. Funds from the nonprofit Oregon Community Trees helps cover expenses for some of those events.

OCT's Jim Gersbach says Redmond has been a Tree City USA for about 19 years, "But this is the first time they’re getting an award to boost their Arbor Month celebrations. So, they’re going to be purchasing customized t-shirts." Those shirts will be worn by Heart of Oregon Corps volunteers during an event in the Dry Canyon. "This is a little different, because they’re not planting trees. They’re doing a fuels reduction work party. And, many parts of Oregon, because of fire suppression, there’s been an increase - an encroachment - too many trees crowding the landscape." Gersbach tells KBND News, "Everyone’s always excited to plant trees, and we certainly encourage that and some of the grants will go toward that. But, the ongoing maintenance of trees is also important. And in this case, where humans have changed the natural shape of those forests by suppressing the fires that would’ve naturally gone through these areas, a fuels reduction program is an innovative way to address that imbalance."

Lake Oswego lost a lot of trees in January’s ice storm. That city's grant will help replace some of those, "They’ll be planting a dozen fairly large - 15 gallon - container-grown Oregon white oaks." Gersbach says, "Oregon white oak is really a native tree, it’s part of a habitat that’s highly endangered because of urbanization and agriculture. So, planting those trees helps put a tree back on the landscape that was probably native." 

Dallas received a grant to offer guided two-hour sessions in a local arboretum, "There’s a lot of evidence that something called 'Forest Bathing,' which is spending time in a wooded area, can actually be good for your health, that it actually can lower your stress hormones."

Pendleton will use its grant to purchase a diverse species of trees for its seedling giveaway. Coburg and Rogue River also received funding. 

file photo

Uber Driver Kidnapping Case Dismissed

BEND, OR -- The case against a Bend Uber driver charged with kidnapping has been dismissed. Police arrested 48-year-old Rocky Heath after a 19-year-old woman reported that she ordered a ride home February 13th; but instead of her destination, she said Heath drove her around for about half an hour. 

Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels says evidence was presented to the Grand Jury earlier this month, "Other witnesses testified, police officers testified, for example, about what they found. However, based on all of that, the Grand Jury determined that there wasn’t sufficient evidence; there wasn’t proof beyond a reasonable doubt." Without a Grand Jury indictment, charges were dropped. "From our point of view, the evidence was insufficient to sustain prosecution, which means that there was not proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Heath committed a crime." Grand Jury proceedings are not open to the public and records are not available to the media. 

Gunnels believes the process worked as intended, "If the evidence isn’t strong enough, the Grand Jury is required to decline to let the case move forward. And in this case, the Grand Jury has independent judgment about the merits of a case. They heard the evidence in this case and they determined the evidence wasn’t sufficient." He says Heath could be charged again if new evidence comes to light. 

"People need to be aware of their surroundings and pay attention. And make sure that if they tell the cab driver or Uber driver or Lyft driver to go to a particular place, that that’s a route they start to take," Gunnels tells KBND News, "Be diligent about that. But these things are very unusual. I, myself have taken taxis and Ubers many times, depending on circumstances, and nothing odd has ever happened. That’s the norm."

At the time of his arrest, Uber said Heath’s privileges with the company were suspended pending their own investigation. KBND News asked Uber if he’s been reinstated as a driver but has not received a response. 

UPDATE: According to Uber, the company has concluded its investigation and Heath remains deactived as a driver. He can appeal. Uber released this statement to KBND News: "Removing a driver’s access to the Uber platform is a serious decision, and we do not take it lightly. We conducted our investigation and have taken appropriate action."

Redmond PD Searches For Theft Suspects

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond Police are investigating a string of theft-related incidents at Walmart, Texaco, Wilco and Rite Aid and now need the public’s help to identify the suspects.

A man and woman were caught on surveillance footage and are believed to have been involved in crimes committed between March 17th and 19th. They were seen driving a red car with a luggage rack.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Redmond PD through Non-Emergency Dispatch at 541-693-6911. 

 

Bend Macy's Burglarized

BEND, OR -- Police are investigating a break-in at Macy’s at the Bend River Mall. An employee received an alarm notification early Tuesday morning and discovered the burglary.

Police responded at about 5:30 a.m. and say they found evidence of forced entry and about $4,000 taken from ransacked cash registers.

Despite a search by officers and a K-9 unit, no suspect was found. 

Parks and Rec Dept. Dealing With Increased Vandalism

BEND, OR -- A fire in the restroom at Miller’s Landing Park is believed to have been arson.  Bend Police are investigating the Saturday incident that also included graffiti totaling an estimated $1,000 in damage. 

Bend Parks Stewardship Manager Jeff Hagler says graffiti and other types of vandalism are growing problem, “If you see something, say something. So, patrons out there could help us if they see something unusual or not. Right. If they do see graffiti in certain areas, please give us a call and we want to take care of that as soon as possible.”

Hagler tells KBND News restrooms are the most common target but playground equipment and signs also see their share of tagging or damage. “Unfortunately, over the last couple of years it's grown and this year in particularly it seems to be worse. Just a lot of graffiti and it's been all over town, not just in the parks.”

 

Health Officials Urge Caution During Prescribed Fire Season

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Ochoco National Forest firefighters plan to ignite burn piles at Skull Hollow Campground on Tuesday. The piles of woody debris are leftover from the construction of a parking lot fence, trailhead expansion and other improvements made to the campground off Lone Pine Road, in the Crooked River National Grassland. 

With prescribed burn season underway, local public health officials urge Central Oregonians to be smoke ready. Whether a fire is a planned event or wild, "Smoke is smoke," says Crook County Health and Human Services Director Katie Plumb. During prescribed fires, professionals account for weather conditions in an effort to mitigate the impact. But Plumb says you should still avoid the small particulates in fire smoke, "Limiting our exposure to smoke is beneficial for our health." She tells KBND News, "For folks who are maybe experiencing heart or lung problems, like asthma or any kind of cardiovascular disease, it’s even more important that we limit our exposure to smoke."

If your home doesn’t have a central air filtration system, you can can build your own. "You can go online and find how you can use a box fan to build air filtration systems in your home, if you don’t already have one," says Plumb. There are also precautions you can take if you’re driving through an area with poor air quality, "Making sure that you have the right settings in your car, so that your car isn’t pulling that air into your cab, where you are. And there are settings to recirculate air internally."

Plumb also recommends parents of kids with asthma or other respiratory issues plan indoor activities to keep kids busy during burn operations, "The really good thing about prescribed burning season, specifically, is it’s typically a pretty short duration and we can plan around it. So that can help you, as a parent, maybe manage that a little bit more."

If you are unable to escape the smoke, "You can also find clean air shelters in your community. Again, I’m speaking on behalf of Crook County, but these shelters are available throughout the state. You can go to 211info.org to find one that’s nearby." You can also get the information by calling 211. And, you can monitor air quality in your area online HERE.

file photo

Washington Man Arrested In Bend For Human Trafficking

BEND, OR -- A 33-year-old man from Vancouver, Washington was arrested at a Bend hotel early Thursday morning, March 21st. Orlando Smith is charged with Assault, Promoting Prostitution and an out-of-county warrant. 

According to Bend Police, a 31-year-old Salem woman texted the National Human Trafficking Hotline to report she was being held against her will and forced to engage in sex acts at the Red Lion Inn & Suites on NE Butler Market Road. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact the victim, officers knocked on the hotel room door. When the victim answered, she was evacuated and police took Smith into custody. 

The victim later told investigators Smith punched her in the face several times and forced her to engage in sex acts with multiple men over two days. BPD says officers found an online ad for the victim, and Smith had more than $1,000 in cash at the time of his arrest. 

Bend PD's Sheila Miller tells KBND News it’s an unusual case, "We do not regularly receive tips from the National Human Trafficking Hotline. And it’s super rare to have a case in which the victim is currently being abused or is currently in danger." Officers determined which room to approach, based on information from the hotline and hotel staff, "Hotel workers, especially night hotel workers, are paying attention," says Miller, "They are seeing people come and go. And, to varying degrees, they can be very helpful to us when we’re investigating crimes."

Smith is no longer in custody, and is due in court Friday. 

If you or someone you know is involved in a trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text 233733. Help is available 24/7. 

 

Funding For Central OR Projects In Federal Budget Bills

BEND, OR -- The appropriations package passed by Congress over the weekend, averting a threatened partial government shutdown, includes funding for Central Oregon projects. 

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) told KBND News last week, a primary focus is on mental and behavioral health programs, "You have the St. Charles Health System working with OHSU to establish a psychiatry residency program. In other words, mental health investments." The Oregon Health Authority will also receive $3 million for a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline awareness campaign, and over a million dollars will help expand Lines for Life's YouthLine. 

There’s also money for a major emergency services project, "You have a million dollars to construct the Central Oregon Ready Responsive and Resilient project, which is essentially a multi-agency emergency coordination for the region." Locally, that project is known as CORE3, and is slated to be built near the Redmond Airport. But Merkley says it'll benefit the entire state, "We know that even an event west of the mountains may make emergency work east of the mountains very important, as well. So, this is a top priority for the area."

 

Smith Rock Way Bridge Replacement Underway

TERREBONNE, OR -- Smith Rock State Park is expected to be a big tourist draw over Spring Break, but visitors may encounter a road construction project in the area. Deschutes County Road Department Director Chris Doty tells KBND News crews are, "Replacing a bridge on Smith Rock Way, just east of the main entrance or turn-off to Smith Rock State Park."

Because of length restrictions on nearby O’Neil Highway, the bridge is frequently used by heavy trucks traveling to and from Crook County. An estimated 900 vehicles travel that stretch of Smith Rock Way each day. The bridge is about 80 years old, although its deck was replaced in 1971, "It’s outlived its useful life expectancy; being replaced as we speak. So that section of road will be shut down for the next couple of months. There will be detours in place."

The two-lane bridge crosses the canal, east of Northeast 33rd. Doty says the work, "Shouldn’t affect a lot of folks accessing the park because it’s on the east side of that entrance. But that’s a project that has an impact, nonetheless, to the traveling public." 

He expects the million dollar project to be complete by June.

photo courtesy of Deschutes County

Bend Transportation Fee To Appear On July Utility Bill

BEND, OR -- Bend City crews expect to conduct around four and a half million dollars’ worth of street preservation work this year. The plan for paving, chip sealing and slurry seals recently approved by the City Council came alongside agreement for the first phase of a transportation fee to help pay for road maintenance. 

"Transportation’s one of the hardest things to fund. The state’s struggling with it. It’s happening across the country. We’ve built all these roads, we don’t have enough funds to maintain them," City Manager Eric King tells KBND News. Bend utility customers will see the transportation fee on their July utility bill, which goes out in August, "We’re doing a three-phase implementation. So, this first phase that Council voted on was approximately a $5 per month charge, for a resident. And then for businesses, it’s a wide range based on their impact." King says, "The next step in that is for us to take this next year and really gather more data from business license registrations. So, on the non-residential it really is more complicated, to really dive into that impact and get more data before we implement phase two, which presumably would be about a year from now." The fee amount increases in subsequent phases. 

King acknowledges billing utility customers doesn’t collect revenue from everyone who uses city streets. "That ordinance was based on a lot of the feedback that we received. So, between phase two and phase three, Council directed me to come back, looking at other tools; including those tools that would assess fees for those using our system that come from outside the city or visitors. Most likely, that’s in the form of a fuel tax or a seasonal fuel tax. There’s variations of that. So, that was the direction- before we go to full implementation with phase three, let’s look at that tool." A gas tax would require voter approval. 

 

HWY 97 at Empire Ramp Closing Briefly Sunday Morning

BEND, OR -- Highway 97 will close for about 15 minutes, between 7 and 8 Sunday morning near the northbound Empire on-ramp. “It's in between the Empire on ramp and 97. So the northbound on-ramp on to Empire at 97 right in that little corner there,” ODOT’s Kasey Davey says crews picked this low-traffic time to blast a deep layer of hard basalt rock, “It's actually safer and more efficient to do it than drilling, which would take a really long time. But when you think of a blast, you know, and dirt flying through the air, it's actually going to be pretty uneventful. We're expecting a little poof of dust, maybe the ground to lift up a little bit. We know it could cause a little bit of a backup. But the reason we're doing it this early in the morning on Sunday is because that's one of the lowest traffic volume times for us.”

It's part of the Bend North Corridor Project, building the new segment of Highway 97 from Empire to Grandview Drive. “We do have to do about four or five more of these in the next month or so. So, we're going to do this and evaluate the impact it actually has to traffic. And if the timing like in the weekend and in the morning works well and then we'll let everyone know before we do any more blasts,” Davey says, adding crews have been working day and night. “This project is on schedule and it's a really big project to deliver and it should be done by the end of the year, which is just amazing and we're so, so happy for that.”

Flaggers and detour signs will be in place Sunday morning while the highway is closed.

 

Local Apartment Projects Receive Big Tax Exemptions

BEND, OR -- Two housing projects are moving forward after getting approved for a Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemption, also known as "MUPTE." This week, the Bend City Council cleared the way for the 246-unit Timber Yards project, while the Redmond School Board provided the necessary approval for the 156-unit Redmond Landing. 

Bend City Manager Eric King says the Council granted, "A 10-year exemption for about 240 units of housing that is planned to be built right near the Box Factory, off of Bond and Industrial Way." But he tells KBND News Timber Yards will be the last MUPTE approval in Bend for a while, "We have four projects that are in the queue, but we essentially last month said we want to be careful and not overuse this program because it does have implications on our future revenue." 

King says the purpose of the exemption is to stimulate housing production. MUPTE applications receive an independent review, and only is approved if that review determines the project isn't viable without the tax break. For Timber Yards, he says, "The return on investment without the MUPTE was like 5%. Bare minimum for projects to move forward is about 6%. Even with this MUPTE, it went from 5% to 5.9%; still just shy of the six, but it was enough to make it happen."

Redmond Landing (rendering pictured above) is planned for near SW Umatilla and Canal Blvd., behind Dollar Tree. Redmond Schools Superintendent Dr. Charan Cline acknowledges approving a MUPTE means a loss in tax revenue. But for schools, the impact is spread around the state, "It hurts the school in the same way that it hurts a school in Portland or hurts a school in Medford. Everybody, if you will, would take a little bit of a bite to that." Cline acknowledges schools aren’t the only entity losing out on the tax money, "Fire department doesn’t get their revenue. Parks and Rec doesn’t get their revenue. And that of course concerns those agencies. In fact, the fire department came out and talked about not approving it just for that very reason."

For a MUPTE to be granted, the developer must get approval from 51% of the impacted taxing districts. The City Council had already agreed to the exemption for Redmond Landing, which Cline says is enough for that project to advance. Its apartments will be restricted to renters earning 60% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). And, the developer has promised an additional benefit to the school district, "They’re giving us a preference for about 10% of the units, for school district employees," says Cline, "So, folks that work for us, maybe folks on the lower end of our pay scale, like bus drivers and secretaries and instructional assistants. Those folks would have the opportunity to live in this unit at a much lower rate than you would pay on the regular market."

 

Redmond Man Arrested In Southern Oregon Sting

REDMOND, OR -- A 66-year-old Redmond man is among six people arrested in a statewide cyber-predator sting. The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team conducted the operation in an effort to identify and arrest predators using the internet to meet children for sex.

Undercover officers posing online as minors were propositioned for sex. Detectives say even after acknowledging the child’s age, the suspects sent explicit messages, photos and detailed requests of acts they wanted to perform.

Steven Newstrom was arrested in Redmond March 13th, and is now in the Jackson County Jail on charges of online sexual corruption of a child and luring a minor.

Other men arrested over the past month are from White City, Central Point, Tigard, Milwaukie and Medford.

Investigators believe the suspects may have other victims. Anyone with additional information is asked to call local law enforcement or the JCSO tip line at (541) 774-8333. 

Commissioners Consider Continuing Funding At Juniper Ridge Encampments

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners heard Wednesday about progress at the houseless encampments on county-owned property at Juniper Ridge north of Bend.

Health Services Director Janice Garceau told commissioners about 20 people live there, with hundreds more on city and BLM land, “It is definitely cleaner; it is definitely somewhat safer and people are definitely making use of resources without damaging them and some people are leaving for regular housing and I would count those things as successes… and I think there are also challenges.”

Since summer, in response to safety and health code vioations, the county has provided sanitation, water, and security in the area, but commissioners must decide if, and how they will pay for the effort after current funding runs out on June 30th.

Commissioner Phil Chang noted the unsanctioned camps are seeing some successes, “I would much prefer to have something more like a complete managed camp for people. But, there's lessons to be learned essentially from this experience.”

“So that means, yeah, we're going to… I would support, supporting people out there at the level we have and knowing that we're in full on code violation. We're not even following our own rules and laws,” Commissioner Tony DeBone said.

Commissioners will get another update in May.

They could fund the $200-thousand project with ARPA money set aside to address homelessness, the General Fund, or put it in the next fiscal year’s budget, which begins July 1st.

 

Redmond Stabbing Deemed Self-Inflicted

REDMOND, OR -- Redmond Police now say a man found stabbed on March 14th injured himself. The initial report of an assault in downtown Redmond, near SW 7th and Evergreen prompted a significant police response. 

A week later, investigators say they've determined information of a fleeing suspect was unfounded. No arrests will be made, as they've determined the victim's wounds were self-inflicted. 

As part of that investigation, RPD issued a request for surveillance footage from businesses in the area. The agency thanked those that submitted video to assist investigators. 

They also remind anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or know someone who is, help is available by calling 911 or 988, the National Crisis Hotline. 

Bend Man Accused Of Killing His Mother

BEND, OR -- Bend Police say a 40-year-old man killed his mother Wednesday, during a domestic disturbance. Officers responded to the Legacy Landing Apartments on NE Tucson Way just after 5 p.m. and found a critically injured woman. 

Police performed CPR, but the 59-year-old woman died at the scene. She was identified as Janice Marie Smith. Her son, Joshua Lawrence Smith, was arrested at the apartment and taken to the Bend Police Department. He was later taken to the hospital before being booked into the jail for Murder.

 

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RSD Poll Reveals Support For High School Consolidation Proposal

REDMOND, OR -- Results of a recent Redmond School District poll will help shape a $97 million bond planned for the November ballot. "When people hear that this bond is a renewal bond and it’s not going to raise their taxes, we poll at about 56%, in terms of people being in favor of it," says Superintendent Dr. Charan Cline.

He says there also appears to be support for a controversial proposal to fix the failing HVAC system at Redmond High. Around 400 people took part in the survey. They were presented with two options: House RHS students in portable classrooms during the one-year renovation projects, or consolidate students at Ridgeview High. Cline says, "69% of the people preferred bringing the two schools together. I was shocked." He tells KBND News, "I was shocked by this polling result, just because obviously most people have spoken to me about this really being a bad idea." Poll results were presented to the Redmond School Board Wednesday night.

Cline says the consolidation plan would allow for the necessary HVAC and roofing work at RHS, but the district could indefinitely postpone needed renoations of locker rooms and the theater. He says an alternative high school program could then move in to part of the building; the district office would occupy another section. Community space would open in the center. He says that plan would allow the district to sell the Edwin Brown Education Center and current district office building (pictured). "As the leader of the district, I can’t responsibly not put it out there, because I know that we could serve kids better over time for less money, and save the district a considerable amount of operating money over time."

The bond, Cline says, would then pay for construction of an Advanced CTE building at Ridgeview High, "That whole process to build that building will be around $30 million. We have another $60 million of work that needs to get done, including bringing K-8 back to Tumalo, doing some major modifications on Lynch Elementary, xeroscaping around the district, upgrading our heating systems and insulation, that sort of thing. There’s a hundred different small projects that need to get done." Cline adds, "Actually, we have $300 million worth of work we can do in the district. This bond would raise about $97 million. So, we have to narrow down what we’re going to get done."

The district will get more feedback before finalizing the list of bond projects, "We’re scheduling listening sessions with our staff members. We’ll have some open community listening sessions, where people can come in and talk about this stuff. This would be quantitative data we just did; we’ll go after the qualitative data next."

He expects the school board to vote in July to send the bond to the November ballot. 

 

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