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Local News
Local News
Jefferson County Museum Project Gets Third $20,000 Grant to Restore 118-Year-Old Church
The Jefferson County Historical Society has received a $20,000 Diamond in the Rough grant from Oregon Parks and Recreation to restore the exterior of the former Methodist Church on SE D Street in Madras — the building being converted into the Jefferson County Museum.
Local News
Warm Springs Tribe Responds After ICE Agents Stop on Reservation Lands
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs issued a statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made a stop on reservation lands July 23. No tribal members were taken into custody. The tribe urged community members to know their rights and contact tribal police if ICE is seen on the reservation.
Local News
Warm Springs Tribal Council Unanimously Backs Feasibility Study for New Highway 26 Rest Area
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council has passed a unanimous resolution supporting a feasibility study to potentially site a new Highway 26 rest area on reservation lands — a project that could bring economic opportunity, improved highway safety, and new small business development to the community.
Local News
Jefferson County Mourns Stacy Chiddix, Killed While Defending His Home from Brewer Fire
Stacy Chiddix, 58, of Madras died Monday in an ATV crash while trying to protect his property from the advancing Brewer Fire. His death is a sobering reminder of the dangers facing rural residents as wildfires sweep across Jefferson County.
Local News
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Among Oregon Tribes Pushing for Historic Federal Land Return
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are among five Oregon tribes pursuing federal legislation that would transfer public lands back into tribal ownership — a historic effort that conservation groups say intersects with broader questions about land stewardship in the Pacific Northwest.
Local News
Madras-Area Man Dies Defending His Property from the Brewer Fire
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.
Local News
Madras City Hall Puts Data Center Rumors to Rest
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.
Local News
Warm Springs Tribe Advances Lamprey Restoration, Community Health Education
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are at the forefront of Pacific lamprey restoration in Oregon's waterways, working with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission to reintroduce the culturally significant species to streams blocked by impassable dams. The tribe's health program is also expanding community education on brain health and dementia care.
Local News
Drought Grips Jefferson County Farmland as Severe Conditions Persist Into Irrigation Season
With 94 percent of Jefferson County under severe drought designation and portions now classified as extreme, local farmers and ranchers face a difficult 2026 growing season. A state drought emergency declaration issued in April unlocks additional assistance, but water shortages remain a pressing concern.
Local News
Warm Springs Tribe Leads Effort to Restore Ancient Pacific Lamprey to Oregon Waterways
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are among the tribal partners working with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission to restore Pacific lamprey populations to Oregon rivers through translocation efforts that bypass impassable dams — reviving a species with 450 million years of history and deep cultural significance to the Warm Springs people.
Local News
Central Oregon Firearm Safety Initiative Distributed Over 1,700 Free Lockboxes Across Jefferson, Crook, and Deschutes Counties
A two-year firearm safety initiative has successfully distributed more than 1,700 free gun lockboxes across Jefferson, Crook, and Deschutes counties, according to a new evaluation report. The S.A.F.E. program is credited with reducing the availability of unsecured firearms that can contribute to suicide risk.
Local News
Warm Springs Health Program Hosts Dementia Education; Tribe Leads Lamprey Restoration Effort
The Warm Springs Community Health Program recently held a free dementia awareness session for local caregivers, while tribal biologists continue landmark work restoring Pacific lamprey to Oregon waterways in partnership with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.