For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we talk with Peter Sparks, professor of psychology at Oregon State University Cascades. We wanted to have Sparks on in light of Measure 109 on the general election ballot which would legalize the use of psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms) in a clinical setting. It would make Oregon the first state to allow some legal use of the drug. (Full disclosure: The Source endorsed Measure 109.)

In this week's update, we attempt to ease local paranoia about mail-in ballots. We will discuss what to do in the event that you do not receive your ballot as well as provide some comfort with statistics on voter fraud.

For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast we talk with Tod Heisler, the rivers conservation director for Central Oregon LandWatch. Two decades ago, Heisler moved to Central Oregon from Washington, D.C., and worked for the Deschutes River Conservancy for 15 years, concentrating on restoring flows in the Deschutes River. Last year in an interview with the Source, he had this to say about his new position at COLW: "I can speak a little more freely on what the river needs and can now represent the river's perspective.”

In this week's update, voting is a hot topic. We will answer questions on how to vote as well as tackle the concern of voter fraud and thrown out ballots.

For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we talk with Nancy Blankenship, who has been serving as the Deschutes County Clerk since 2003. Many of us know her name, but we wanted to find out more about the person behind the ballots in Deschutes County.

In short, Blankenship is an expert on voting and ballot counting. In these uncertain times, where false information about voter fraud circles endlessly around social media, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hear from the county’s top voting official about Oregon’s secure and inclusive vote-by-mail and motor voter systems.

In this week's update, we are covering the controversy of the mirror pond dredging. Is it worth it to dredge a pond that is historically known to refill with sediments? Also, real estate prices in bend are skyrocketing and it begs the question: are increased prices a sign of a stabilized local economy or just bad news for residents.

For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast we talk with Cate O’Hagan, a longtime champion of the arts in Central Oregon and the chair of the Deschutes Cultural Coalition. O’Hagan and her board helped decide how to allocate nearly $1 million that recently flowed into the county to support the arts from a fund the state set aside from the CARES Act.

O’Hagan has had a long career in the arts, only taking a break once for a few years to raise cattle outside of Madras. She’s an accomplished mix-media installation artist and cellist. Early in her career, she worked for the Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum and the Corcoran Museum in Washington, D.C. She is perhaps most well-known locally for serving as the executive director of Arts Central for 23 years.

In this week's update, we are talking about school lunches and home evictions. Families who previously received free school lunches can qualify for additional EBT benefits. Also, Governor Brown announces an eviction ban through the end of the year for those affected by the wildfires and or the pandemic.

On this week's update, wildfire evacuees are attempting to emerge back into everyday life. Learn how Bend local businesses are supporting the victims and how you can contribute as well.

For this week’s “Bend Don’t Break” podcast we talk with Ed Keith, who has worked as the county forester for Deschutes County since 2012. Keith traces the history of forest management in Central Oregon, including the impact of grazing and timber harvest, and describes how decades of fire suppression in Oregon’s forests disrupted the natural cycles of wildfire in the region.