More than a week after the Bench Fire ignited south of Warm Springs, tribal members are beginning to return home -- but six families have lost their homes entirely. The Confederated Tribes have declared a state of emergency and launched a recovery fund for displaced residents.

Jefferson County's agricultural community entered 2026 already bracing for a brutal irrigation season — reduced water allotments, a drought emergency declaration, and parched fields. Now with wildfires scorching the landscape and smoke blanketing crops, local farmers are facing one of the hardest seasons in recent memory.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs issued a statement last week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made a stop on reservation land July 23. The tribal government confirmed no tribal members were detained and emphasized that its police department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs tribal government has launched a new official Facebook page to expand its digital outreach — a move that has already proven valuable as the Bench Fire emergency unfolded across the reservation.

With a meager snowpack winter behind them and reduced irrigation allotments now in effect, Jefferson County farmers are navigating one of the toughest water years in recent memory. The North Unit Irrigation District cut allotments in March, and statewide, some Oregon irrigators face potential shutoffs as streams fall short.

A dry winter and a hot, fast summer have pushed Central Oregon into serious drought conditions this season, and Jefferson County farmers are feeling it. With irrigation water curtailments spreading across the region and reservoir levels dropping, local growers face difficult decisions about crops, livestock, and their land.

Voters in the Madras Aquatic Center and Recreation District will head to the ballot on August 4 to decide a recall election targeting four of the district's five board members. Ballots have already been mailed — here is what you need to know before the deadline.

Jefferson County Public Works has secured more than $28 million in state and federal grants over the past two years for road and bridge repairs — the largest outside funding windfall Director Matt Powlison says he has seen in eight years with the county.

Jefferson County Public Works has secured more than $28.5 million in state and federal grants for transportation projects over the past two years — the largest influx of outside funding Director Matt Powlison has seen in his eight years with the county. The money will fund five major road and bridge projects across a county with more than 600 miles of roads to maintain.

Madras city leadership has publicly dismissed social media rumors about a data center coming to Jefferson County, while the city's lengthy search for a permanent city administrator has narrowed to a preferred candidate after months of transition.

The Madras City Council has selected Brenda Fahey as the city's new City Administrator following months with interim leadership. The council identified Fahey as its preferred candidate and directed staff to prepare an employment agreement for consideration at the June 23 City Council meeting.