Crooked River Ranch Heads Into Fall With Firewise Focus and Board Updates

With irrigation season winding down across Jefferson County, farmers and ranchers are tallying the toll of what water managers are calling one of the driest years in recent memory. A state drought declaration issued this spring did little to soften the blow of severely reduced water allocations.

Central Oregon Community College's Madras campus is opening a new chapter this fall — the first complete term inside its expanded 24,000-square-foot facility, which added nursing and medical assistant classrooms earlier this year. Enrollment counselors say local interest in healthcare programs is at an all-time high.

After a promising season opener, the Madras High School White Buffaloes are two weeks into the 2026 football season and building off a third-place league finish last fall. Coaches and players say the team culture is stronger than ever heading into district play.

Jefferson County is overhauling its Community Wildfire Protection Plan with public input ahead of next fire season, while upcoming community events include a free car seat safety fair and cemetery cleanup reminders.

Wildlife managers confirmed Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in the 1,000-animal John Day River bighorn herd — the first known outbreak in Oregon's largest bighorn population — and are working with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to contain the disease.