Month: December 2012

Crook County sheriff’s deputies said Friday they are seeking tips from the public in hopes of recovering a 1,000-gallon diesel fuel tank and trailer stolen from a Prineville-area Hooker Creek job site late last month. Deputies were called to a location off Bus Evans Road north of Madras Highway on the report of the stolen

Across the country from the chaos in Connecticut, many here in the Northwest took to Facebook to express their shock disbelief Friday morning. One Facebook user wrote, “Tears and prayers. Holding space and love for the families and community of Newtown.” People on Twitter shared similar sentiments, but also to ask questions likely never to

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Ron Wilkinson offered his “deepest sympathies following Friday’s Connecticut school shooting rampage, offered resources for parents and talked of how the Safe Schools Alliance tries to prevent similar tragedies in Central Oregon. Here’s his statement, in full: A letter to our community from Superintendent Ron Wilkinson: Words cannot express how my

Shock, sorrow and condemnation extended from Massachusetts to Oregon and across the nation in the wake of Friday’s horrific school shooting in Newtown, Conn. A candlelight vigil was planned from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Redmond’s Centennial Park. Another is planned Saturday evening at Bend’s Drake Park. Here’s a statement from the organizers:

Bend Fire Chief Larry Huhn will retire in April 2013 with 30 years of service to the community. The process to find a new chief is scheduled to begin in January 2013. Huhn will stay on until a new Fire Chief is hired. “It’s been an honor to be the leader of a such a

KIDS in the GAME and BendBroadband have teamed up this holiday season to bring more children in Madras access to positive youth sports programs. KIDS in the GAME, a non-profit organization that inspires kids to thrive in life through sports, will administer a $7,000 donation BendBroadband made to the Madras Aquatics Center (MAC) in a

The dedicated volunteers at Equine Outreach (www.EquineOutreach.com) have a PSA announcement for the Bend community: When you donate your car to Equine Outreach during the month of December you’ll not only get a tax receipt for your donation, you’ll get a FREE lube, oil & filter change from Subaru of Bend. If your car is

Central Oregon drug agents arrested a Washington state man and two Bend residents Thursday as they broke up alleged heroin sales out of a northeast Bend motel room. A 2-year-old girl was taken into protective custody, they said. Detectives assigned to the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team, assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street

Schools and other government agencies rarely go public to refute rumors, especially of violence, in order not to end up spreading those rumors and unduly alarm the public — or give anyone ideas. But in the wake of Tuesday’s shootings at a Portland-area shopping mall, Bend-La Pine Schools officials decided Thursday that there were just

Plans to bundle up under a warm blanket with a cup of hot cocoa, far away from city light pollution, to watch a dazzling meteor shower, may be affected by clouds moving into Central Oregon overnight. The Geminid Meteor shower has been seen in the night sky for the last week, but it expected to

It’s the second, similar tragedy to hit the Redmond School District in less than a year. On Tuesday, police arrested a campus monitor at Ridgeview High School, charging her with having sex with a 16-year-old Gilchrist boy and multiple counts of providing alcohol to minors. Amanda Hinshaw, 28, now faces felony sex abuse charges. Some

A Madras man suspected of being a major methamphetamine dealer was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a Madras gas station, followed by a search of his car and raid on his apartment that turned up nearly nine ounces of the drug worth about $13,000 on the street, authorities said. Detectives with the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement

What if lawmakers don’t reach a compromise by the end of the year and the U.S. Goes over the fiscal cliff? Bend financial analyst Bill Valentine said Thursday he believes going over the cliff would hurt in the short term, but ultimately help in the long term. However, Valentine said he believes a deal will

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum issued the Department of Justice’s 20 Worst Charities list Thursday, an annual review of organizations that spend the vast majority of their donations on fundraising and other administrative costs rather than charity. The 20 nonprofits on this year’s list spent 25 percent or less of their funds on charitable programs.

A Deschutes County jury acquitted a La Pine man Thursday of attempted murder charges, finding he did not try to kill an Oregon State Police trooper outside his home nearly a year ago. The jury reached the verdict in its second day of deliberations in the case of William Naftel, 54. He was arrested last

A 26-year-old Springfield woman who grew up on the High Desert died in a Willamette Valley car crash late last week, leaving behind her 17-month-old son, and grieving family and friends are mourning the loss and planning a memorial service. Morgan Tara Marie Smither died last Thursday night when her SUV failed to negotiate a

U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Oregon Adaptive Sports have partnered to create Paralympic Sport Central Oregon. Paralympic Sport Central Oregon is a community-based sports club developed to involve youth and adults, including active duty service members and veterans, with physical and visual disabilities in ongoing sports and physical activity, regardless

Bend Garbage & Recycling, Cascade Disposal and High Country Disposal will be closed on Christmas Day & New Year’s Day. Their Tuesday through Friday customers will be affected by the holiday collection schedule. Beginning Christmas Day, regular garbage and recycling service will be one day late for both holiday weeks. Regular scheduled collection days of

The U. S. Small Business Administration said Thursday it offering low-interest working capital federal loans to small businesses economically impacted by the Pole Creek Fire that burned for more than a month this fall south of Sisters. SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said the agency acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following

Central Oregon Community College’s Board of Directors accepted the resignation of John Overbay Wednesday night, effective Feb. 1. “John has a lifetime relationship with Central Oregon Community College,” stated Don Reeder, COCC board chair and Overbay’s long-time board colleague. “He was one of COCC’s first students and from there has been highly successful in business.