Central Oregon News: From Tickets to Thunderstorms From the Editor Welcome to the latest issue of Central Oregon Local Buzz. We bring you concise updates on local news and events. This week's highlights include Bend's new red-light camera enforcement starting Saturday, major drug charges involving Bend residents, and an interactive art expansion by Ellipse Theatre. Also, Cascades East Transit enhances its regional service, and community support pours in for Redmond families facing hardships. In Prineville news, a change in builders for Ochoco Pointe and federal funding for a new airport hangar make headlines. La Pine rejects a proposed data center amid community resistance. Explore Central Oregon's storms, and follow a local dog's recovery after a coyote encounter. 📰Local News Featured 🚦 Bend's Red-Light Cameras Start Issuing Tickets This Weekend The warning period for Bend's new automated red-light and speed cameras is coming to an end. Beginning May 30, drivers caught running red lights or speeding through monitored intersections could receive citations in the mail. Since the cameras went live in April, Bend Police say more than 1,100 warning notices have been issued—an average of about 45 per day.
The cameras are currently operating at three high-traffic intersections: Reed Market Road and 3rd Street, 27th Street and Neff Road, and Powers Road and Highway 97. Fines range from $165 for lower-level speeding violations to $440 for excessive speeding, while running a red light carries a presumptive fine of $265. Police emphasize that right turns on red remain legal, but drivers must come to a complete stop before the crosswalk. Officials are also warning residents about scammers sending fake text messages claiming to collect camera fines, noting that all legitimate citations will arrive by mail. Redmond's new red-light and speed camera system is also now online, with citations set to begin June 15. Read more → 🚨Crime News 🚔 Bend Residents Among Six Charged in Major Drug Trafficking Case Two Bend residents are among six people facing federal drug trafficking charges following a multi-agency investigation into a methamphetamine and cocaine distribution network operating between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon. Federal prosecutors allege Nathalie Buchanan, 28, and Charles Johnson, 37, regularly purchased large quantities of methamphetamine in the Portland and Salem areas and redistributed the drugs in Bend.
According to court documents, investigators seized more than four pounds of methamphetamine from Buchanan and Johnson during a February traffic stop. The broader investigation also led to the seizure of 28 pounds of methamphetamine and six kilograms of cocaine from another suspect returning from California, along with additional drugs recovered during searches in the Portland metro area. The case is being prosecuted in federal court and remains under investigation by the DEA, Oregon State Police, and several local and regional law enforcement agencies. Read more → ⛰️Bend 🎭 Ellipse Theatre Expands ‘Rabbit Hole’ with Interactive Community Art Experience Bend-based Ellipse Theatre Community is turning its upcoming production of Rabbit Hole into a community-wide healing experience by partnering with Subliminal Story Art to create an interactive art exhibition focused on grief, resilience and personal transformation. Alongside the play, audiences will be able to explore artwork created through a series of guided workshops and view pieces submitted by local artists reflecting on loss, healing and moving forward.
The immersive experience will also invite attendees to contribute to a collaborative community canvas and participate in a "Tiny Mosaic Project," where individual works will later be assembled into a larger artwork symbolizing collective healing. Organizers say the goal is to extend the conversation beyond the stage and provide meaningful ways for community members to process grief together. The art installations will be featured during June performances of Rabbit Hole, with a community "Legacy Reveal Party" planned for September to unveil the completed collaborative works. Read more →
🚌 Cascades East Transit Expanding Regional Service Between Bend, Redmond and Madras Cascades East Transit will expand regional bus service beginning in mid-June, adding three new weekday trips between Bend and Redmond at 5:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. The transit agency is also launching additional weekday service between Redmond and Madras, with buses departing from the Redmond Transit Hub and the Madras DMV at 11:30 a.m.
While regional routes are growing, CET is scaling back service on Redmond’s Flex Routes A and B due to declining ridership. Agency officials say passenger demand has been strongest between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., prompting adjustments to better match service levels with usage. The changes are part of CET’s broader effort to strengthen and expand transit options across Central Oregon following the return of bus fares earlier this year. Read more → ✈️Redmond 💔Community Rallies for Redmond Family After Tragic Loss Residents of Redmond are coming together to support the family of a young girl who tragically lost her life at Suttle Lake. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist the family with expenses following this heartbreaking accident. The community's response has been overwhelming, with many contributing to help ease the family's burden during this difficult time.
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🐴 Community Rallying Around Orphaned Foal ‘Rocky Balboa’ at Redmond Fundraiser A Redmond nonprofit is asking the community to help support an orphaned foal named Rocky Balboa, who has been fighting for his life since being rescued earlier this month. Rocky arrived at Bend Equine Medical Center severely malnourished and dehydrated, requiring extensive medical care that has already exceeded $10,000. His remarkable recovery story recently took another positive turn when he was successfully paired with a surrogate mare, giving him a second chance at a healthy future.
To help cover Rocky's ongoing care and create a fund for future orphaned foals, 3 Sisters Equine Refuge is hosting a community fundraiser on June 3 from 4-7 p.m. at Rimrock Taphouse in Redmond. The event will feature live music, a silent auction, raffles, and food from Black Hat Texas BBQ, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the newly launched 2026 Orphan Foal Fund. Organizers say the goal is not only to help Rocky but also to ensure future orphaned foals receive the lifesaving care they need. Read more → 🐎Prineville 🏘️ Prineville Approves Builder Change for Major Ochoco Pointe Expansion rineville city leaders have approved the transfer of the remaining Ochoco Pointe development lots from Pahlisch Homes to national homebuilder Lennar, a move officials say will help keep one of the city's largest housing projects moving forward. The city-owned land required council approval before the agreement could be assigned, and city planners say Lennar is expected to build approximately 150 homes in the next phases of the subdivision.
City officials believe the change could bring more attainable housing options to the market while helping address Prineville's ongoing housing shortage. The Ochoco Pointe neighborhood has been under development for more than two decades, and leaders say keeping construction active is critical as the community continues to grow. While hundreds of new apartments are also being built around Prineville, city planners acknowledge there is still significant demand for housing aimed at low- and middle-income residents. Read more →
✈️ Prineville Airport Lands Federal Funding for New Hangar The Prineville Airport is set to receive $137,000 in federal funding to help construct a new 15,000-square-foot aircraft storage hangar, according to an announcement from Oregon’s congressional delegation. The project is one of several airport improvement efforts across the state funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In total, nine Oregon airports will share $14.5 million in federal aviation grants supporting runway upgrades, terminal improvements, snow removal equipment, baggage system enhancements, and new hangar construction. Local officials say the new hangar will help expand aircraft storage capacity at Prineville Airport and support continued aviation activity in Central Oregon. Read more → 🌞La Pine/Sunriver 🛑 La Pine Council Rejects Proposed Data Center After Strong Community Opposition The La Pine City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to halt plans for a proposed 20-megawatt data center east of Highway 97, ending a project that had drawn significant public opposition. The decision came after hours of testimony from residents at a packed meeting held at the La Pine Senior Center, where concerns ranged from water and energy consumption to noise impacts and questions about the project's long-term benefits to the community.
The data center, proposed by developer BoxMiner, was first introduced in March and would have been built on county-owned land along Reed Road. Residents organized quickly after learning of the proposal, filling multiple council meetings and urging city leaders to reconsider. Council members ultimately sided with the community, citing concerns about projected revenues, energy costs, and the relatively small number of permanent jobs the facility was expected to create. Read more → | 
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