▲ 5 r/Bend
Alfalfa Fire District Rescinds Policy Days Before Federal Hearing, District Remains Under State Investigation
ktvz.comu/FrizzyNow — 3 hours ago
u/FrizzyNow
▲ 108 r/Bend
Federal Judge blocks Alfalfa Fire District from trying to bar reporters from public meetings
Despite the federal judge's order enjoining them from enforcement, at least two board members attempted to enforce their unconstitutional trespass, and one stated to attendees that the order was from a "fake judge"
By Justin Alderman - Editorial - Prineville Review
For months, the Prineville Review has been engaged in ongoing investigative reporting into the Alfalfa Fire District—most recently revealing a state investigation into alleged election law violations tied to the District, as well as documenting repeated and ongoing failures to comply with Oregon’s public meetings laws. The dive into concerns with the rural fire district started in late 2024, when concerned residents reported problems related to an annexation effort that later resulted in the illegal taxing of property owners in Juniper Acres.
That reporting has now been met with escalation.
The Prineville Review and KTVZ News then further published a report revealing that the Oregon Secretary of State’s office was investigating the district for possible election law violations.
Three days later, the District issued a formal notice of trespass against this editor. That notice goes further than prior threats, attempting to indefinitely bar a journalist from all District property, including in-person access to public meetings.
The timing is not coincidental.
Related - KTVZ -Confusion and Uncertainty Follow Alfalfa Fire District Board Meeting
u/FrizzyNow — 8 days ago
▲ 357 r/oregon
Oregon judicial code suggests Anna Joyce should have recused herself. She did not.
By Jeff Manning - Oregon Journalism Project
The Oregon Journalism Project has learned that an Oregon Court of Appeals judge who sided with PacifiCorp in a case brought by thousands of rural Oregonians caught in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires represented the utility giant for years before she left private legal practice.
Judge Anna Joyce led a three-judge panel that threw out a huge verdict against PacifiCorp on April 8. She wrote the 34-page decision overturning lower court judgments.
If that ruling stands, the electric utility could avoid paying billions of dollars to wildfire victims.
As a private attorney, Joyce represented PacifiCorp for much of the six years before her appointment to the bench in 2022.
OJP spoke to experts who say Joyce’s role raises questions of judicial ethics. Oregon’s Code of Judicial Conduct states “a judge shall disqualify himself or herself in any proceeding in which a reasonable person would question the judge’s impartiality.”
No mention is made of a judicial conflict or Joyce’s prior representation of PacifiCorp in either a transcript of the oral arguments or in the case docket. Experts say she should have disclosed the connection—and stepped off the case.
u/FrizzyNow — 19 days ago
▲ 13 r/Bend
OSFM officials did not release which multiple agencies were looking into the fire district, but confirmed there was no formal inquiry by their agency at this time.
By Justin Alderman - Prineville Review
Alfalfa, Ore. — The Alfalfa Fire District was not among the agencies selected for Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season staffing grants, with state officials confirming the decision was tied to ongoing inquiries by multiple state agencies into the district.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal announced the latest round of staffing awards this week, part of a statewide effort to bolster wildfire preparedness and response capacity. The program distributes millions of dollars annually to fire agencies across Oregon to support seasonal staffing during peak fire months.
The program is designed primarily for smaller and rural agencies, allowing departments to hire seasonal staff or increase on-duty coverage during wildfire season. State officials say the funding has historically added hundreds of firefighters across Oregon and helped keep fires smaller and more manageable.
u/FrizzyNow — 19 days ago
▲ 50 r/Bend
Source - Voters’ Pamphlet - Oregon Vote-by-Mail Primary Election - May 19, 2026
Here are the facts based on the Voters’ Pamphlet.
| Jamie Collins | Tony Debone | |
|---|---|---|
| Occupation: | Scientist; Military Reservist | Deschutes County Commissioner |
| Occupational Background: | US Coast Guard; Emergency Response Officer, Central and Eastern Oregon, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality | Aerospace Software Engineer (Contractor for US Air Force); Associate Computational Biologist, Small Business Owner |
| Educational Background: | Yale, BA and Masters; MIT, PhD, Oceanography & Climate Science; US Naval War College, Advanced Studies | BS- Electronics, Northern Michigan University |
| Endorsements - Supporters | Oregon League of Conservation Voters | La Pine Mayor- Jeannine Earls |
| Central Oregon Labor Chapter, AFL-CIO | Former Bend City Councilor- Chris Piper | |
| Ironworkers Local 29 | State Representative Vikki Breese Iverson | |
| Sierra Club | Oregon Small Business Association | |
| North Coast States Carpenters | Oregon Family Farm Association | |
| VoteVets | Deschutes County Farm Bureau | |
| SEIU 503 | ||
| County Commissioner Phil Chang | ||
| Former Redmond Mayor and Commissioner Alan Unger | ||
| Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler | ||
| Jennifer Letz, Sisters Mayor | ||
| Redmond and Bend City Councillors John Nielsen, Clifford, Evelyn, Steve Platt, Mike Riley, Ariel Méndez, Gina Franzosa | ||
| Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection Board Ray Miao | ||
| Bend Fire & Rescue Operations Chief (Retired) Bob Madden | ||
| Bend Police Chief (Retired) Jim Porter | ||
| Secretary of State Tobias Read | ||
| State Senator Anthony Broadman | ||
| State Representative Emerson Levy | ||
| Website: | http://www.collins4deschutes.com/ | https://www.electtonydebone.com/ |
Source Voters’ Pamphlet - Primary Election May 19, 2026
Disclosure - I contributed to Jamie Collins.
u/FrizzyNow — 27 days ago