NEWSBREAK ORIGINAL

The anonymity of the internet seems to bring out the worst in people, as they become bold behind the keyboard in the safety bubble of their insulated online world. This can be seen in a recent Reddit thread four days ago where a user creates a thread mentioning the closures of three Cracker Barrel restaurants in Oregon, asking what alternatives may fill the void.

When looking at the population growth in Bend, Oregon, we can see that the vast majority of current residents of the coveted city never experienced the city before the population boom started in the 1990s. Essentially, the secret of how great Bend is to live in got out in the 90s and led to a massive population influx from then until now.

There are 29 total employees impacted by the Bend closure, including 15 full-time employees. The closure is effective immediately, a Cracker Barrel media relations representative confirmed.

Last week, Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and Deschutes County commissioners were in agreement with going forward with building a low-barrier homeless encampment on land owned by the city on the south side of Bend, yet this changed Wednesday when two commissioners backed out of supporting the idea.

In February 2023 I was able to visit the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. The museum was recommended by a friend who lives in the area. I have been to many different museums in my life from art museums to science museums, history museums, and more yet this museum exceeded any of my expectations. The museum is conveniently located just about 10 minutes south on 97 from the outskirts of Bend Oregon. The museum is a beautiful retreat for a whole family. The museum offers education, events, and permanent and changing exhibits.

The high cost and low availability of rental homes in Bend, Oregon are worse than in America on average, yet the problem is universal. A Bend Bulletin article written by Suzanne Roig on March 3, explains that the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development predicted Deschutes County would have a 4 percent apartment vacancy rate while the current U.S. vacancy rate is around 6 percent according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Winter sports are always a thrilling experience. But as much fun as it is, it's always important to keep safety in mind. Unfortunately, a recent incident in Oregon serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared and cautious when engaging in outdoor winter activities. On Thursday, a skier from Bend, Oregon, lost his life after being buried in an avalanche at Black Crater, a shield volcano located in the Cascade Mountains. Let's take a closer look at the incident and the lessons we can learn from it.

There was a time when video rental stores featuring VHS and DVD movies were in every section of every town and city in America. Eventually, the VHS sections diminished as the DVD sections grew and then the entire stores started to disappear when online streaming services became a thing in the 2010s timeframe.