Month: September 2012

Commute Options received the Oregon Transportation Options Program of the Year, awarded at the Oregon Public Transportation Conference this week in Seaside. The stylish trophy was presented by Nathan Broom, President of the Transportation Options Group of Oregon. Broom recognized Commute Options for our exemplary work in employee outreach, Safe Routes to School, Drive Less

Whole Foods Market announced Wednesday that it is recalling ricotta salata sold in 21 states (including Oregon) and Washington, D.C. that came from its supplier Forever Cheese Inc. of Long Island City, NY. Forever Cheese recalled this cheese product because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause

Parade organizers are seeking participants for the annual Veterans Day Parade of Bend. The parade will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday Nov 11, in downtown Bend. Parade Grand Marshals to be honored will be Disabled American Veterans, “Fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served!” Veterans, community organizations, schools, bands, businesses and

Honor Flights of Eastern and Portland Oregon will honor 47 more WWII Veterans during a trip to Washington, DC, Sept. 19-23. The veterans will visit their national WWII Memorial free of charge in appreciation for their service and sacrifice preserving our freedoms more than seven decades ago. During this four-day trip, the veterans will be

With hundreds of firefighters pouring into Central Oregon, the city of Sisters is feeling the impact. Many say it’s business as usual, the shops are open and the streets are swarming with activity. Smoke from the Pole Creek Fire for the last few mornings has been settling in, but by mid-morning it’s lifted and the

The 2012 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships are set for Saturday at Wanoga Sno-Park in Bend. In addition to the coveted Stars-and-Stripes jerseys, the top-five finishers in each of the professional men’s and women’s races will split a $1,000 purse. Among the riders already registered to contest the event are defending national champion

In the last three years, Bend Fire and Rescue has reduced staff by close to 10 positions. Fire officials say with the way things are going, they may need to make more cuts to staffing — or find a way to avoid it. Fire officials say emergency service calls are increasing, and a reduction in

The Bethlehem Inn, a local non-profit working to provide shelter, meals and services to the homeless individuals and families in Central Oregon, is competing with charities nationwide for grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 from the Chase Community Giving program. Residents can help ensure the Inn’s success by simply voting for the Bethlehem Inn through

13 people died in motorcycle related crashes in Oregon last month. That’s the highest one month total since 1986. One motorcycle safety program in Bend, approved by ODOT, helps train new, even expert riders, all in the hopes of keeping the road safe. This year, 34 people already have died in motorcycle-related crashes on Oregon

Working tirelessly from above and on the ground, fire crews are battling a blaze started in the Three Sisters Wilderness, near the Pole Creek Trailhead on Sunday. But the early lines held Tuesday and kept fire growth to a minimum, estimated Wednesday morning at 4,336 acres and 5 percent contained. Two spot fires had crews

Deschutes County officials said Wednesday they have made “significant progress” in resolving the ongoing issue of reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency under its Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program. Thanks to coordinated efforts with Oregon Emergency Management, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Rep. Greg Walden, the county said it has reached an agreement

Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty said Wednesday that Central Oregon Realtors have passed along word that a not-uncommon, fraudulent real estate scheme involving rental properties may be operating again in Central Oregon. The criminal locates a legitimate, active real estate listing on the Internet and advertises that property for rent on craigslist.com. When a

The public may continue to register to receive emergency notices on their cell phones from Deschutes 9-1-1. The online registration service is available for residents living in Deschutes County, Crooked River Ranch, and Camp Sherman. Notices can ONLY be received if you register for the service. The Deschutes County Citizen Emergency Notification System (CENS) notifies

U.S. Forest Service crews quickly tackled and surrounded a small brushfire near Phil’s Trailhead on Bend’s Westside Wednesday afternoon. The fire was called in shortly before 1 p.m. and burned about a quarter-acre before they had a line around the blaze, said Forest Service spokeswoman Jean Nelson-Dean. “Responding firefighters believe the fire to be under

The city of Bend and the community will honor Olympic decathlon champion and Mountain View High School graduate Ashton Eaton with a “Parade of Olympians” on Sunday, Sept. 23, the city announced Wednesday. The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. and is expected to include other Central Oregon Olympians, past and present. “Don’t miss the

A total of 13 people were killed in motorcycle-related crashes in Oregon last month, the worst single-month death toll since 1986, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported Tuesday, citing preliminary reports. ODOT says most of the crashes can be attributed to motorcycle driver error such as speeding, improper cornering maneuver or impaired driving. “Motorcycling is

Goody’s, a growing Bend-based company with a decided sweet tooth, is expanding yet again, this time to the Portland area. The candy shop/soda fountain company said Tuesday it will be opening its first Portland-area store in Beaverton in early December. Kelley and Megan Bertrand will own and operate the old-fashioned soda fountain and chocolate store

The Pole Creek Fire, six miles southwest of Sisters, sent dense smoke into the town early Tuesday morning — and the people who monitor air quality say it’s likely to continue. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said calm conditions and a temperature inversion caused smoke from the fire to settle in at ground level

A Crook County man was arrested on several charges Tuesday night, accused of firing shotgun blasts at three teens he thought were poaching deer on BLM land near Prineville Reservoir, sheriff’s deputies said. He’s also accused of pointing the gun at some others who confronted him about the incident. Dispatchers got a call around 8:35

The Forest Service is completing a routine safety bridge inspection using an Under Bridge Inspection Truck on both the Pine Creek and Drake Creek bridges. Pine Creek Bridge on Forest Service (FS) Road 17 will be closed on Wednesday, September 12 from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for a bridge inspection. Drake Creek Bridge