Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Among Oregon Tribes Pushing for Historic Federal Land Return

Jefferson County Public Works has secured more than $28 million in state and federal grants over the past two years for road and bridge repairs — the largest outside funding windfall Director Matt Powlison says he has seen in eight years with the county.

Opening day at the Jefferson County Fair brought families and livestock exhibitors to the Madras fairgrounds Wednesday despite a haze of wildfire smoke hanging over Central Oregon. The NPRA Rodeo takes the arena Friday and Saturday nights.

Stacy Chiddix, 58, was killed Monday when his ATV overturned on steep terrain as he worked to protect his Madras-area property from the advancing Brewer Fire. Sheriff Jason Pollock called him a man who was doing everything he could to protect the place he called home.

The Brewer Fire east of Culver has grown to nearly 28,000 acres with only 5% containment as a Red Flag Warning goes into effect Thursday. Evacuation notices remain in place for portions of Jefferson, Deschutes, and Crook counties.

Madras Interim City Administrator David Clyne has officially set the record straight: there are no proposals for a data center in Jefferson County that the city is entertaining. The clarification came after social media speculation spread this summer as data center development pressure mounts across Central Oregon.