Jefferson County 509J Opens 2026-27 School Year After $2 Million in Budget Adjustments — No Teacher Layoffs

Tony Chard and Christopher Heden were sworn in September 1, filling two of three vacant Madras City Council seats and restoring a working majority as the city heads into a busy fall agenda.

A $3,000 matching grant through the Special Districts Association of Oregon funded a communications intern at Crooked River Ranch Fire & Rescue — giving the small district the capacity to focus on community outreach between emergency calls.

Cooler, wetter conditions prompt federal land managers to drop to Stage 1 restrictions on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland — but Jefferson County's county-wide residential burn ban remains fully in place.

September brings the fall Chinook salmon run to the Deschutes River — one of the most culturally and economically significant times of year for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, whose treaty fishing rights and hatchery programs remain central to the river's salmon future.

Central Oregon Community College's Madras campus is open for fall 2026 term with an eight-seat nursing cohort, expanded program offerings, and a newly completed education building serving northern Central Oregon.