Jefferson County Under Drought Emergency: What Farmers, Ranchers, and Residents Need to Know

The Oregon Department of Transportation is set to bring significant improvements to U.S. Highways 97 and 26 through the heart of Madras, including new sidewalks, signal upgrades, ADA ramps, and repaving.

This Thursday, June 19, is Juneteenth — a federal and Oregon state holiday. Several county, tribal, and state offices will be closed or operating reduced hours. Here's what's open and what's not.

A Jefferson County ranching couple filed a lawsuit in early 2026 alleging Central Electric Cooperative's negligence caused last summer's 95,000-acre Cram Fire, which destroyed homes and forced evacuations across Jefferson and Wasco counties.

Cascades East Transit's Route 21 launched in early May, threading 50 miles through the Warm Springs Reservation to connect Simnasho, Kah-Nee-Ta, and the main community to Madras — bringing long-overdue public transit to one of Oregon's most remote regions.

Warm Springs' biggest annual celebration returns June 26–28 with a powwow, rodeo, and a parade themed around the horse — an animal central to the culture, healing, and identity of the Confederated Tribes.