"Bend Don't Break" is a weekly podcast hosted by the Source Weekly's publisher Aaron Switzer that features a variety of local perspectives on how the community is managing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This week our guest is Kelly Cannon-Miller, the executive director of the Deschutes County Historical Society which operates the Deschutes Historical Museum in downtown Bend. She shares stories of the 1918 Spanish flu in Bend and the local heroes that arose out of the crisis.

Deschutes County gets an "F" after a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, OSU researchers headed to Bend to do a COVID study, and Bend moves forward on plans for the Core Area—all stories found in this week's podcast. Find more Central Oregon stories at bendsource.com

Phase One reopening in Deschutes County! Is anyone enforcing regulations? Will downtown Bend be car-free? Local heroes!

Derek Glasser of Yellowknife Wireless joins the Source Weekly's publisher Aaron Switzer to talk about the huge disparities in broadband access here in Central Oregon. While this is an issue that is likely top of mind for anyone without a connection in normal times, during the pandemic, this glaring inequality has proved a challenge for local school districts. Check out the follow-up article at bendsource.com to learn more about why this is still an issue in 2020, and what the federal government is trying to do about it.

Businesses get set to reopen in Central Oregon after the COVID-19 shutdown, but it's not business as usual.

Local DJ Dave Clemens came on this week to talk about his experiences working as a radio host during the pandemic. He's been in radio since 1990 and won the Source Weekly's 2019 Reader Poll for "Bend Local Radio Personality." Clemens says he's "just the right amount of famous."

A look ahead to the Oregon fire season, and linking air pollution and COVID-19 in this week's podcast.

Keith Witcosky, Redmond's city manager, talks to the Source Weekly about what its like to run a city after declaring a state of emergency due to COVID-19. We walk through the controversies surrounding the tourism economy, how Redmond Airport factors into the conversation around reopening and the challenge of enforcing rules while respecting constitutional rights.

Some of our top news stories in this week's Source Weekly Update Podcast.

Damon Runberg, a regional economist for Central Oregon, talks to the Source about trends in tourism, unemployment and some hope for the future.