Three intersections on Highway 97 near Metolius in Jefferson County that have a history of serious and deadly crashes is being permanently closed Wednesday.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is shutting down SW Bear Drive and Eureka Lane at US 97. ODOT said poor visibility and the fact the intersections are at the end of a passing lane have made the intersections especially dangerous.

A concrete barrier will be installed where Bear Drive meets the highway.

SEE ALSO: 3 trail segments near Phil’s Trailhead closing to remove vegetation

SEE ALSO: 22 Deschutes Nat’l Forest campgrounds closed for snow

The closure will mean changes for…

Here’s a quick road construction update for May 22-28.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Here is Deschutes County’s road construction update for the week of May 22-28.

2022 Guardrail Improvements (Sunriver Area) – Guardrail replacement work will be occurring on Cottonwood Road and Solar Drive. Work will include removal of existing guardrail and installation of new guardrail in the vicinity of the BNSF Railroad overcrossing on Cottonwood Road and the Solar Drive Bridge. Road users should anticipate single lane closures facilitated by flaggers and delays of up to 20 minutes during work hours.  Work hours are 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).

Chip Seal (Bend Area) – Deschutes County crews will be chip sealing the following roads (weather permitting):

Prescribed burns for Crescent and Sunriver happening today. Learn more here.

Two prescribed burns are planned in the Deschutes National Forest for Friday. The following is information written by the forest service:

Firefighters on the Crescent Ranger District plan to conduct a 73-acre prescribed burn approximately seven miles southwest of Crescent, east of Highway 58 and west of Highway 97.

If conditions remain favorable, firefighters will begin ignitions around 9 a.m. on Friday. Ignitions will last one day. Smoke may be visible to residents in the Two Rivers and Cascade Estates neighborhoods. Signs will be posted along Highways 58 and 97 as needed, and flaggers will be available in the event that smoke impacts the roadways. No…

Desert Sky Montessori has received On Point Community Credit Union’s Community Builder Award. Learn more here.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As the 13th annual OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education campaign continues, OnPoint Community Credit Union announced Tuesday the five schools. including Bend’s Desert Sky Montessori, that have won this year’s Community Builder awards. The winning schools will receive up to $5,000 for a special project that positively impacts their school and community.

OnPoint also announced today the six finalists for the Educator of the Year awards. Three winning teachers (one representing grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12) will have their mortgage or rent paid for one full year and receive $2,500 for each of their schools. The three runners up (one…

Prospective homebuyers in Oregon can continue to send “love letters” to win over sellers in a competitive housing market.

A federal judge on Wednesday permanently blocked a ban on the personal messages some buyers write to sweeten their offers on homes. The Oregon Legislature had approved the ban last year, saying such letters could aid sellers in illegally choosing buyers based on factors like race, color, religion, sex or sexual orientation, which would violate federal fair housing laws.

The Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative public…

Meta in Prineville awarded a $11,200 grant to Family Access Network. Find out more here.

Meta’s (previously Facebook) Prineville Data Center just gave a $11,200 Community Action Grant to Family Access Network (FAN).

The funds are meant to assist FAN’s Crook County program, supporting the two advocates in the area.

FAN has connected 474 people in Crook County to crucial needs like clothing, food, and school supplies during the first three quarters of 2021-22.

“FAN is deeply grateful for Prineville Data Center’s support of our services in Crook County, and their long-term commitment to the community,” said Julie N. Lyche, FAN Executive Director. “This grant will help many families in Crook County regain stability, so kids can thrive in…

Big funding for multiple irrigation districts, including Tumalo, announced. Learn more here.

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced on Wednesday the Tumalo, Owyhee, East Fork and Ochoco Irrigation District projects will be receiving critical federal funding that will help communities with limited water supplies.

These projects—funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bill—will support efficient irrigation methods with better resource management providing water for agriculture, protecting and restoring wildlife habitats and improving water quantity and quality.

This funding will help establish climate resilient solutions to offset the impact of drought throughout the regions of Deschutes River, Tumalo Creek, Snake River and Hood River watersheds.

Existing open irrigation canals will be…

Brightways Counseling Group of Bend was named SBA’s 2022 Small Business Person of the Year. Find out more here.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — – The U.S. Small Business Administration 2022 Small Business Person of the Year is Brightways Counseling Group of Bend, founded by husband and wife team Kevin and Angie Shaw.

Founded in 2017, Brightways Counseling Group counselors provide whole person care for people suffering from a variety of different mental health issues in Central Oregon. What started with one clinic and eight employees has grown to four locations in Bend, Madras, Redmond, and Woodburn, Oregon with 65 employees who in 2021, helped 2,634 patients be the best version of themselves.

The SBA Small Business Person of the…

Mosaic Medical will have a new community health center in Madras. Find out more here.

Mosaic Medical was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation as well as a substantial grant from The Ford Family Foundation.

The funds will be used to support the development of the new Madras Health Center, a partnership with Jefferson County Public Health that is scheduled to open this spring.

These two grants bring Mosaic’s capital campaign for the project closer to reaching the $5.3 million funding goal, over $5 million has been raised to date.

“My grandmother, Marie Lamfrom, was committed to caring for people, especially those who were hospitalized or in need of care,” said Sally Bany, co-founder…

Oregon’s “Zoom towns” are continuing to see growth. Find out which cities grew the most here.

Author: Brandon Sawyer (Portland Business Journal)

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon’s best known and largest city grew 5% between 2016 and 2021, slightly more than the state overall at 4.7%.

However, Portland’s population declined slightly at the end of that five-year span, falling by 0.9% in 2021 to 658,773, according to certified estimates as of July 1, prepared by Portland State University’s Population Research Center.

Migration toward the suburbs and so-called “Zoom towns” may have contributed to slowing growth in the urban center recently. Oregon cities with 5,000 or more residents in 2021 that enjoyed the most growth of late…