Bend Don't Break

Anthony Broadman was recently elected to Position Two on the Bend City Council. He's recently helped lead an effort to get Bend-LaPine students back in school as soon as possible. Broadman, along with all of Bend’s current City Councilors, newly elected City Councilors, the County Commissioner-elect Phil Chang and some members of the school board, sent a letter to Gov. Kate Brown and the Oreg...

Plans for COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Bend and Central Oregon and assessing Gov. Kate Brown's new framework, in which Deschutes County and 24 other counties are in the "extreme" risk category. How do we move out of "extreme?" We suss out the details. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we talk with Ryan Houston, who has been serving as executive director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association since 2018. Growing up in California, Houston developed an early interest the desert environment and eventually earned a master’s in ecology from the University of Arizona. He has a reputation in Central Oregon as a collaborator and coalition-...

In this week's update, we're reviewing the conditions of the extended state shut down and reporting on city policing of Thanksgiving and other social gatherings. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In this week's update, we're discussing the conditions of Oregon's unemployment payments and the push to extend the eviction moratorium. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we spoke with Judy Stiegler who served in the Oregon State Legislature for House District 54 from 2009-2011 and is now an instructor of political science at OSU - Cascades. (This district covers the City of Bend and was won by Deputy District Attorney Jason Kropf in the recent election.) Stiegler and her husband Mike Dugan have been involved in Bend’s...

In this week's update, we're discussing the new, temporary warming shelter that has opened in response to the tragic death of a Bend citizen. Also, we are taking a look into the guidelines of the two week statewide shut down. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we spoke with Tyler Neese, the government affairs director for the Central Oregon Association of Realtors, also known as COAR. After the recent election, we wanted to catch up with some local PACs that had an impact on the political process. COAR was one of the biggest contributors to candidates in local races. During this discussion, Neese described t...

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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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 candida...

In this week's update, we're reviewing the Bend City Council election results and talking to the winning candidates. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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, men...

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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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: T...

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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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 po...

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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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 end...

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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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 ta...

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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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. Send us Fan Mail Support...

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? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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...