Inside Deschutes County

November 2025

Cascade Lakes Highway closed for winter

Cascade Lakes Highway and Paulina Lake Road are officially closed for the winter. The County Road Department closed access gates on both roads Nov. 18.

During winter and early spring, snow can reach 5 to 10 feet, making it too costly and unsafe to keep the roads plowed.

Both roads will stay closed until crews can clear the snow in the spring. They typically reopen before Memorial Day, weather permitting.

Check the Road Department website for updates.

Deschutes County Road Department crews closing Cascade Lakes Highway, Nov. 18, 2025.

Committee sends proposed district map to Board

DMAC's proposed district map. If the Board approves, voters will decide on it during the May 2026 primary.

The County's District Mapping Advisory Committee (DMAC) finished its work on Nov. 12, voting 4-3 to send a proposed five-commissioner district map to the Board of County Commissioners for its consideration.

The DMAC met weekly starting in early September to draft a map with about the same number of people in each commissioner district. Staff will present the committee's recommended map to the Board on Dec. 3.

Students invited to design "I voted" sticker for 2026 elections

County Elections is marking America's 250th anniversary with an "I Voted" sticker contest for the 2026 primary and general elections.  Students in grades K-12 are invited to design a sticker that celebrates the right to vote.

Design submissions will be accepted through Jan. 31, 2026.

Podcast: Meet our new Health Services Director

Employee spotlight: Probation Officer Leah Moore

Some people leave home to find their purpose. Leah Moore found hers by staying. Born and raised in Central Oregon, she now helps protect the same community that raised her.

As a probation officer with Deschutes County Community Justice, Moore supervises individuals who have been convicted of sexual offenses and present risk to the community, work that is difficult and deeply important.

“I have about 40 people on my caseload,” Moore said. “It’s a tough caseload, and not one people usually want, because of what you have to read and the things you see.”

Moore has been with Deschutes County since 2011, starting in the jail before moving to parole and probation six years ago.

“I’ve worked for the County since I was 21. This is my home. I take the responsibility of protecting this community seriously.”

A mom of three, Moore admits her work has shaped how she parents.

“If you asked my kids, they’d probably say I’m a strict parent,” she said. “I’m definitely more of a helicopter mom than most. I’ve seen how people groom kids, and it makes me extra careful.”

Moore is skilled at digital searches, often using technology to recover deleted phone data or uncover new violations. She keeps up with constant changes through training and her own curiosity.

“Thankfully, YouTube or even TikTok has tons of self-help videos on how you can find things like hidden apps, and files on a phone,” she said. “You have to be pretty up to date.”

Her work can also take unexpected turns. Once, she even had to check a client’s Tesla computer manually because its onboard system couldn’t be monitored.

“Supervision isn’t just checking boxes,” she said. “It’s staying connected, paying attention, and treating people like humans while giving them a chance to do better, and holding them accountable when they don’t.”

That kind of work demands balance, and Moore has learned how to power down the job before stepping back into family life.

“You have to have a good light switch,” said Moore. “At home, I’m mom and wife, not a PO. My family didn’t sign up for law enforcement, so I leave it at work.”

It all comes down to protecting two homes, the one she’s built and the one that built her.

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