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.

Jefferson County Public Works has secured more than $28.5 million in state and federal grants for transportation projects over the past two years — the largest influx of outside funding Director Matt Powlison has seen in his eight years with the county. The money will fund five major road and bridge projects across a county with more than 600 miles of roads to maintain.

Madras city leadership has publicly dismissed social media rumors about a data center coming to Jefferson County, while the city's lengthy search for a permanent city administrator has narrowed to a preferred candidate after months of transition.

The Madras City Council has selected Brenda Fahey as the city's new City Administrator following months with interim leadership. The council identified Fahey as its preferred candidate and directed staff to prepare an employment agreement for consideration at the June 23 City Council meeting.

A new investigation by KLCC and ProPublica spotlights Madras-area farmers who have watched their water disappear during drought years while senior rights holders upstream continued drawing heavily from the Deschutes River. With all Central Oregon counties now under a state drought emergency, the issue remains urgent in 2026.

Jefferson County is accepting public nominations through August 10 for county roads that could be designated for Class 4 ATV use under a new ordinance adopted this spring. The proposal has sparked enthusiasm in Crooked River Ranch — and some pushback from residents worried about safety.

Voters in the Madras Aquatic Center Recreation District have until end of day Tuesday to register or update their voter registration ahead of a special August 4 recall election targeting four board members.

The Jefferson County School District is trimming $2 million from its 2026-27 budget due to falling enrollment and state funding formula changes, but district leaders say attrition prevented any staff layoffs.

The Jefferson County School District is trimming $2 million from its 2026–27 budget due to falling enrollment and changes to Oregon’s school funding formula, but administrators say the cuts were made proportionally across departments and no staff will lose their jobs.

Declining enrollment is forcing the Jefferson County School District to reduce about 18 positions and cut $2 million from its 2026–27 budget. No one is being laid off, but programs like Career and Technical Education at the middle school level are being scaled back.

Irrigation districts serving Jefferson County farmers are cutting off or sharply reducing water deliveries due to a severe drought that has dropped the Deschutes River to roughly a third of its normal flow. This year's curtailments are happening 20 days earlier than the previous record.