Month: August 2012

A Sisters house caught fire when it was struck by lightning during Sunday night’s thunderstorms, but fire officials said the family’s children noticed it even before the fire alarm sounded. They quickly told their parents, who called 911 and thus prevented more extensive damage. Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District crews were dispatched to the blaze in

It’s labeled “Central Oregon’s Largest Car Event,” and the Flashback Cruz didn’t disappoint, with more than 400 cars participating this weekend. The 27th annual Flashback Cruz was a three-day event presented by the Central Oregon Classic Chevy Club. Club Chairperson Joan Spongberg calls the show ‘her baby’ because she works on it all year. On

An all-volunteer theater in Bend is embarking on their 34th season, and Sunday, the community was invited to a sneak peek. The Cascades Theatrical Company began in 1978 and is the first community theater in Bend. The six main shows they produce in a year involve 125 to 150 volunteers who put in 18,000 to

This weekend, Bend hosted for the first time a USA Pickleball Association-sanctioned tournament at Juniper Fitness Center. Pickleball — think ping-pong played on a small tennis court — may be considered the nation’s fastest-growing sport. More than 100 participants from five states played on the eight tennis courts. It’s a fairly simple game comprised of

The Common Table, a popular, unique Bend non-profit restaurant, is closing down this Wednesday. For two years, the community cafe has offering food to those who are able as well as unable to pay. It’s citing two reasons for the closure. The restaurant has been having trouble staying solvent, and it would also would have

A 17-year-old driver was found and arrested on felony hit-and-run and drunk driving charges Saturday after allegedly fleeing the scene of a crash near Eagle Crest Resort that left a passenger in the other car with minor injuries, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies were dispatched around 6 p.m. to Cline Falls Highway just north

An Alfalfa homeowner has been cited for illegal open burning after a fire he began in a burn barrel escaped and burned about three acres Friday afternoon, authorities said Sunday. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies responded around 3:25 p.m. Friday to 62645 Dodds Road on reports of a growing fire, though no structures were immediately threatened,

Bend has been called a lot in recent years, from BikeTown USA to Beer City USA and now, DogTown USA, thanks to Dog Fancy Magazine. The editor presented the award at a ceremony Saturday morning. Bend has been named the nation’s dog-friendliest city by the magazine. The city was selected based on the canine-friendly recreation

A military-designed obstacle course in Bend had kids and their parents getting muddy Saturday. The Oregon National Guard helped design the course, in partnership with 818 Productions. The course consisted of a rope swing over mud, a cargo net climb (that the local director of the Boy Scouts hand-tied together), a plank walk and a

The sport of scootering is growing immensely worldwide and right here in Central Oregon there is a big following. A pro scooter competition in Redmond showed it. Trinity Bikes, a bike shop in Redmond, put on a first time pro scooter competition Saturday at the Redmond Skate Park. The event was open from beginners all

A Crook County sheriff’s deputy escaped injury Friday evening when he crashed his patrol pickup truck on the way to a medical call on the Crooked River Highway, deputies said. The crash occurred around 5:40 p.m. on Highway 27 about 22 miles south of Prineville as Deputy Adam Neider responded to a medical call on

It’s a love story that stretches 5,000 miles, from Bend all the way to London. A former NewsChannel 21 reporter met a British athlete under very unique circumstances, as a near-death experience brought the two together. Amy and Ian Sharman describe their love as one in a billion. But it may not have started as

Knute Buehler, Republican Party and Independent Party nominee for Oregon secretary of state, announced proposed reforms Thursday to improve the office’s auditing functions and to improve the Public Employee Retirement System. Buehler, a Bend resident, was joined by state Rep. Jason Conger, R-Bend, who is leading the fight to reform PERS in the Legislature. “The

Friends and family of a Bend teen killed in a tragic rafting accident in Southern Oregon remembered her Friday night. Candles were lit in memory of 16-year old Nichole Pomeroy. Last Sunday, Pomeroy was rafting with friends on the North Umpqua River. The raft flipped, throwing everyone into the river, Pomeroy’s life jacket came off,

Oregon has unveiled new ratings for nearly every school in the state under a new evaluation system that replaces the ratings under the No Child Left Behind federal education law. Nine Central Oregon schools are among nearly 100 on the “priority,” “focus” or “model” lists, meaning they will get more attention and support. The ratings

A few years ago, when people mostly used land-line telephones, dispatchers would use the reverse 9-1-1 system to notify everyone in a specific area of an emergency such as a missing or wanted person. Now they have the capacity to notify cell phones, but people have to register them first. Emergencies can happen without notice,

Gas is never cheap, but there may be an alternative, if researchers can work out the kinks. Now, OSU-Cascades has a grant to see if they can find a way to alter a typical car engine. The goal is to be able to use the natural gas in your house and plug it into your

The Oregon State Board of Higher Education on Friday endorsed Oregon State University – Cascades’ expansion into a four-year university. The Oregon State University branch campus has existed as a “2+2” model since it was founded in 2001, providing upper-division and graduate courses towards bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The OSBHE endorsement now allows OSU-Cascades to

In time for Back-to-School Saturday on Aug. 11, Umpqua Bank is offering families a simple way to give back to schools with the launch of its Give Back to School Fund. Beginning Aug. 9, Umpqua will add $1 to the fund for every new Like on their Facebook page. The fund will provide grants to

Juniper Swim & Fitness Center will operate special hours for the Bend Open Swim Meet, Friday, August 10th through Sunday, August 12th. Coming from all over the state, more than 450 swimmers, ages 6 to 18 years old, will participate in the Bend Open. The public is invited to come watch the event at no