A local Bend man was killed in an avalanche at Paulina Peak. Learn more here.

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday identified a 33-year-old Bend snowboarder who was killed in an avalanche Wednesday afternoon while out with two friends who were skiing at Paulina Peak.

Despite hours of CPR life-saving efforts — at first detecting a faint pulse — a rescue effort for Erik Maxim Hefflefinger instead became a lengthy, cautious recovery mission by first responders and Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers.

On Wednesday at 12:48 p.m., the SAR unit was dispatched to a report of an avalanche at Paulina Peak, in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument east of La Pine, Sergeant Jason…

Oregon Democratic Gov., Tina Kotek, will focus on affordable housing and combatting homelessness. Learn more here.

By CLAIRE RUSH/Associated Press/Report for America

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s newly sworn-in Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek signed three executive orders intended to combat homelessness on her first full day in office Tuesday, a sign of how critical the shortage of affordable housing has become in the state and across the nation.

The orders call for boosting construction and marshaling resources to help the nearly 18,000 people living outside in Oregon.

Advocates welcomed the measures. But they said that shoring up mental health and addiction services must also occur in order to help people move off the street.

Just last year, Oregon lawmakers…

A new Native art exhibit will be featured at the High Desert Museum. Learn more here.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — For many Native communities throughout the High Desert, what constitutes art spans beyond the walls of a gallery or a museum. Objects are alive, tied to purpose and intrinsic to thriving communities. Art is at once utilitarian and ceremonial, as well as part of the continuation of Native traditions.

Opening on Saturday, Jan. 28, Creations of Spirit will immerse High Desert Museum visitors in the Indigenous Plateau worldview, reflecting knowledge systems of tribes along the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Six Native artists commissioned for this new, original exhibition are creating artwork that will be used in Native communities before arriving…

Hayden Homes Amphitheater is accepting applications for food cart trucks. Learn more here.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Hayden Homes Amphitheater is looking for a few good food trucks.

The application window is now open for vendors looking to partner with Oregon’s largest outdoor music venue. The Hayden Homes Amphitheater hosted 52 concerts in 2022, including sold out shows by Kenny Chesney, Nine Inch Nails, ODESZA, The Chicks, and more.

“We work long, hard and often hot hours, but we have a blast doing it,” says Kris Ann Palacios, the amphitheater’s food & beverage manager. “We’re hoping to find business partners who love food and music as much as we do.”

Palacios has as many as eight food cart openings…

The sale of gasoline-powered passenger vehicles will be prohibited by 2035. Learn more here.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Policymakers for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Monday approved a rule that prohibits the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger vehicles in Oregon by 2035.

The effort comes as Oregon plans to cut climate-warming emissions by 50% by 2035 and by 90% by 2050, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The transportation sector accounts for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon.

The rule is based on vehicle emission standards California adopted in August. The standards require car manufacturers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles — electric cars, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles — as part…

The Doubletree Hilton Hotel in downtown Bend has new ownership. Learn more here.

Article by KTVZ

BOISE, Idaho (KTVZ) — Braintree Group, a privately held, vertically integrated, national real estate development and investment firm, announced Monday it acquired the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bend, located in downtown Bend and plans a renovation and rebranding.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The 117-room property (originally the Phoenix Inn) features an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, business center, and three meeting rooms totaling 2.327 square feet of meeting space, according to the announcement that continues in full below:

It is located right off US Route 97 in the heart of downtown Bend, Oregon. Bend is known for its scenic setting and year-round…

The Gateway North development in Bend, which will include a new Costco, has been given preliminary approval. Learn more here.

By Central Oregon Daily News

The Bend City Council has given preliminary approval to the Gateway North development that will include a new Costco with a gas station. The approval comes after some contention last month over a key sticking point — parking spaces.

The Gateway North development would be located between Robal Lane and Cooley Road along Highway 20. It would include the Costco with a gas station and a car wash. It would also replace the current Costco on the city’s east side.

The development also includes 422 units of housing and commercial uses including restaurants.

Joolz in downtown Bend has closed after 13 years. Find out more here.

Original article by KTVZ

A popular downtown Bend restaurant has closed its doors after more than 13 years. Owners were selling everything inside on Thursday.

Joolz served Middle Eastern and Lebanese-influenced food. It closed the location on Wall Street in June.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

In January 2021, there were 13 people of color in the Legislature. That number will rise to 17 next year, and lawmakers are celebrating the step toward greater diversity while acknowledging that there is more work to be done to make Oregon’s legislative body look more like the state it represents.

The Legislature will remain overwhelmingly…

The Under the Snow exhibit at High Desert Museum opens Dec. 17. Learn more here!

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — In the depth of winter, a deep layer of snow quiets the High Desert’s forests. But under the surface, a secret world comes to life. A new High Desert Museum exhibit dives into the snow, where voles, shrews, insects and porcupines build a matrix of tunnels to survive the winter and hide from the predators that lurk just above the surface.

Under the Snow opens at the Museum on Saturday, Dec. 17. The original exhibit explores the “subnivium” environment, what scientists call this seasonal habitat. In the subnivium, the temperature stays a toasty 32-degrees Fahrenheit, which protects plants and animals from the winter’s frigid temperatures.