Local News
Crooked River Ranch Heads Into Fall With Firewise Focus and Board Updates
As summer fire season slowly winds down, the Crooked River Ranch community is shifting attention to fall programming, ongoing fire mitigation work, and a recent Board of Directors work session that addressed neighborhood priorities ahead of the cooler months.
Jefferson County
Jefferson County Farmers Close Out a Brutal Irrigation Season as Drought Lingers
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.
Local News
COCC Madras Welcomes First Full Fall Term in New $22 Million Campus Building
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.
Sports
White Buffaloes Enter Week 2 With Momentum, Eyes on League Title
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.
Public Safety
Jefferson County Updating 5-Year Wildfire Protection Plan; Free Car Seat Fair Sept. 26 and Community Briefs
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.
Local News
Fatal Bacteria Detected for First Time in Oregon's Largest Bighorn Sheep Herd; Warm Springs Tribes Join Response
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.
Jefferson County
Jefferson County Opens 42 Roads to ATVs Under New Ordinance
Jefferson County