Month: July 2012

Many dashed around the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend on Sunday, taking part in an annual sports festival, the Deschutes Dash. The Deschutes Dash sports festival included a full weekend of activities including the COPA Kid’s Splash and Dash on Saturday and a youth triathlon on Sunday. It’s deemed an event for everyone, especially for

If you thought the big week of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show ended Saturday with the main event, it didn’t. It continued Sunday with the Save it for Sunday event. This is the second year of events at Five Pine Lodge and Conference Center in Sisters. Organizers call it a beautiful way to wind down

A wildfire apparently sparked by Saturday’s thunderstorms grew to nearly 1,700 acres north of Madras Sunday and prompted closure of Highway 97 in both directions for about four hours, officials said. The Lexsfall Fire, as it’s been labeled, broke out on rangeland not in any fire protection district late Saturday in the Seattle Flat/Trout Creek

There are many cyclists in our community, and on Saturday, many took part in the eighth annual Tour Des Chutes, a multi-distance event and fund-raiser for cancer survivor programs. But founder Gary Bonnacker could not attend, as he was in the hospital. The event began and ended at High Lakes Elementary School in Bend. Cyclists

After a northwest Bend four-plex fire destroyed a couple’s home, a friend of the victims has taken the couple in, but says they still need some more help. Bonnie Winstead and Justin King were awakened by by the sound of crackling flames around 1:30 Thursday morning. Their neighbor’s barbecue had malfunctioned, investigators later said, igniting

A Bend gas station owner and an Iraqi adventurer trying to fly from Oregon to Montana in tandem lawn chairs suspended from party balloons made a hard landing Saturday after aborting their flight due to thunderstorms – but their craft kept flying. Kent Couch and Fareed Lafta were about seven hours into their flight when

Rising water is flooding the property of a few residents living along the Deschutes River south of Sunriver, but Mother Nature is not responsible. The water levels are controlled by the Deschutes Basin watermaster. “It all happened overnight,” said Michael Hamersly, a part-time resident in the Oregon Water Wonderland community, He and his neighbors saw

Two East Coast visitors planning to hike South Sister lost the trail amid mid-July snowdrifts Friday afternoon and eventually called 911, prompting a rescue operation that took more than three hours to complete, officials said. Shortly before 4 p.m., Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received a call from Melissa Keal, 21, of Philadelphia, who said she

A Bend man escaped serious injury Friday afternoon when he tried to land his glider plane on a forest road near Tumalo Falls and its wings clipped a small tree, causing it to crash, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies were dispatched around 2:20 p.m. to a report of a plane crash near the falls,

A manufacturer drug shortage is affecting paramedics and fire departments nationwide, including those in Central Oregon. The Bend Fire Department has turned to expired drugs, if they don’t have a fresh supply. At one point in January, when the drug shortage hit hardest, Bend Fire had 11 expired medications in their drug kits. The problem

When it’s hot out, there’s no better place to be than on the water. But before you relax, remember: You need a few things on your boat if you don’t want a ticket, including life jackets that fit for everyone on board. “In addition to the life jackets, you need to have a fire extinguisher,

Former Central Oregon Community College anatomy instructor Thomas Bray will go on trial Tuesday on charges he raped two women last year – but a judge, not a jury will decide his fate. Deschutes County Circuit Judge Stephen Tiktin signed Bray’s previously requested waiver of a jury trial at a Friday motions hearing, and the

Residents along Harney Lake in were urged to flee advancing flames as the Miller Homestead Fire doubled in size, but officials said Friday two families have chosen to stay. Meanwhile, farther east, the Long Draw Fire has topped a half-million acres, making it one of the largest in Oregon history. More than 300 firefighters battling

When major wildfires strike Oregon, it’s not uncommon for lawmakers to weigh in on the situation and what should be done. As a half-million acre fire grew Friday, that was once again the case. Here are news releases issued by Rep. Greg Walden, Sen. Ron Wyden and Gov. John Kitzhaber: — Greg Walden: All levels

Starting Monday, patients at St. Charles Medical Center-Bend will walk through the front doors of the hospital and be greeted by a private waiting room where they can easily register for surgery, pre-surgery appointments, medical diagnostic services, ultrasounds, X-rays, nuclear medicine exams, infusions and more. The new main patient registration area is opening to the

Central Oregon Community College has closed its disc golf course on the west side of the Bend campus due to the high fire danger in the region. It will remain closed until the end of the fire season. The course has been open since 2001 and is accessible to students and other members of the

The United Way of Deschutes County announced Friday a funding plan for 2012?13 that invests $927,019 in a range of essential community services provided by local non?profit agencies. The total fund disposition package includes $585,171 in allocations, grants, and donor designations to 27 local social service agencies that partner with United Way of Deschutes County,

The small community of Frenchglen, 60 miles south of Burns, was breathing a sigh of relief Thursday after firefighters stopped a massive wildfire from ripping through town. “Yesterday was sort of a scary day,” John Ross, owner of the historic Frenchglen Hotel, said Thursday. “The day before, we had some smoke, but the fire was

Wildfires burning in the picturesque high desert country of southeast Oregon have already scorched more than a half-million acres. In addition to all the typical problems associated with fire, a major concern in this area is the displacement of threatened sage-grouse, along with other birds and animals. This part of Oregon is known for its

The Central Oregon Health Council just released their yearly report card, which grades Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties in several health areas. On Thursday, researchers said having the data allows them to know what to celebrate, and what needs more work. The numbers show Deschutes County ranks highest in the region, followed by Crook and