Drought has been declared in Deschutes and Grant counties. Find out more here.

By: Hailey Dunn of KOIN

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Gov. Tina Kotek declared a drought emergency in both Grant and Deschutes counties on Friday.

Kotek issued an executive order that directs state agencies to prioritize resources and access drought-related emergency tools for the impacted areas.

The two counties are experiencing extreme drought conditions as the average precipitation recorded in the area has been well below average, Kotek said. Similarly, the counties’ streamflows are reported to be below average with Deschutes recording 78% and Grant 44% of its average streamflow.

Additionally, Kotek said in a…

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…

Central Oregon’s drought conditions remain the worst on record. Learn more here.

By Rachel Ramirez, CNN

Cate Casad started noticing the for-sale signs pop up over the last year on farms around Central Oregon, which has been mired in water shortages amid a yearslong megadrought.

Casad and her husband, Chris, are first-generation farmers and ranchers who started off with just a few acres of land east of Bend, then moved north in 2017 to scale up their farm. Now, the couple manages around 360 acres of farmland in Jefferson County, where they grow organic food and raise cattle, heritage breed hogs…

Construction has begun on the new Redmond Library. Learn more here.

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The new Redmond Library is officially under construction after six years of planning and preparation, officials said Thursday. The 40,000-square-foot library is slated to open in the fall of 2024.

“It’s an exciting time as we look toward the library’s future in Redmond,” said Library Director Todd Dunkelberg. “We have heard the community ask for more meeting spaces, work spaces and areas for both children and teens, as well as more books and collections in general. We are responding with a new building that will provide all of that, plus essential library resources and tools for our digital age.”

A temporary Redmond Library location…

John McLeod is leaving his post as President/GM at Mt. Bachelor. Learn more here.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — John McLeod, president and general manager of Mt. Bachelor for nearly seven years, is leaving the ski and snowboard resort “to pursue other opportunities,” parent Powder Corp. announced Friday.

Here’s the full statement provided to NewsChannel 21 by Stacey Hutchinson, vice president of communications and government affairs for the Park City, Utah company. She confirmed that McLeod, who took the GM position in May 2016, is leaving Powdr.

“John McLeod is leaving Mt. Bachelor to pursue other opportunities and will no longer serve as President and General Manager. We thank John for his contributions to Mt. Bachelor and the Central Oregon…

‘Area of Known Wolf Activity’ has been designated on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Find out more here.

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new AKWA (Area of Known Wolf Activity) has been designated on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in the northern Oregon Cascades, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Monday.

Two wolves were first found in December by Confederated Tribe of the Warm Springs biologists, ODFW said.

After no sign for a while, two pups were caught on a trail camera in August, proving that wolves are still resident in the area.  If the group still has at least four wolves at the end of 2022, the group will be named the Warm Springs Pack, the agency…