Month: February 2013

Several Oregon lawmakers have proposed a bill that would require high school students to take college classes to graduate. On Friday, Redmond school officials and a student said there are pros and cons to such a move. Many high school students already are getting a jump start on their college careers, by taking dual-credit courses.

Mark Waters of Bend is a former competitive shooting sports champion who has been looking at both sides of the gun control debate since it got heated after the Newtown, Connecticut shootings. He equates these early talks of limiting ammunition magazine sizes and certain gun styles to slowly boiling a frog: If you put a

A Bend man accused of fatally shooting a house guest earlier this week was formally arraigned on a murder charge Friday and a judge ordered he remain held without bail. Meanwhile, the victim’s family has established a fund to help his widow and young child. Luke Wirkkala, 32, again appeared by video hookup from the

The Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) seeks nominations of businesses that make the extra effort to keep their sidewalks clear of debris and hazards. Last year the award was expanded to recognize year-round maintenance of sidewalks. The Safe Sidewalk Awards will be presented during a Deschutes County Board of Commissioners business meeting

Take it from Mike Olayos: Living in a tight space doesn’t mean it’s easy or cheap to heat. “It was probably in the wintertime running me about $200 (a month),” said Olayos, who owns a mobile home in Prineville. The weatherization portion of NeighborImpact’s Homeowner’s assistance program seeks to help people like Olayos stay warm

We could be minutes, hours, even years away from one of the largest earthquakes to strike off the Oregon coast. State officials and mayors across the state are preparing now for the worst. Central Oregon could play a key role in disaster relief, something Redmond Mayor George Endicott doesn’t take lightly. A new report released

There’s no doubt Bend High School 10th-grader Nick Simonich loves basketball. At practice, he weaves up and down the court, confidently dribbling behind the back and between his legs. And, oh yeah, he scores a lot. “I’ve been playing since I was a kid,” Simonich said on Thursday. He’s part of a special team at

Perhaps it started with Columbine. Virginia Tech made us more nervous. The memories came flooding back with Chardon High School. Then terrified us by bringing a comic book character to life in Aurora’s theater, and now: Newtown. Mass shootings, several at schools no less, have made us think or rethink about the way we view

The Bend Park & Recreation District Board of Directors is currently seeking candidates to fill a vacant board position until June 30. It is anticipated the board will appoint the new board member at their Tuesday, February 19 meeting. The vacancy was created by Dallas Brown’s resignation in January. The board is composed of five

Secretary of State Kate Brown warned Oregon companies on Thursday to be on the alert for a mailing that deceptively looks like it is from the Oregon Corporation Division. A number of businesses have reported receiving an official-looking invoice entitled, “Compliance Filings Center — Annual Minutes Compliance Notice.” The mailing requests detailed information about the

In this day and age, it’s less and less likely you talk to everyone you pass by on the street, maybe even your next-door neighbor. In light of two recent fatal shootings in Central Oregon neighborhoods, that’s a question that can come to mind. So I decided to do a little experiment to find out:

Leave it to new Bend Mayor Jim Clinton, perhaps the record-holder on the losing end of 6-1 votes in his years on the city council, to wrap up the new council’s first, at-times contentious discussion of the controversial $68 million Surface Water Improvement Project by garnering a 7-0 decision – and a fast one, no

The sounds of students inside the Jungers Culinary Center at Central Oregon Community College preparing a meal is nothing new. From the sounds of a mixer churning, to a cart of delectable desserts, it may not seem like Wednesday night’s dinner service is that big of deal. But these Cascade Culinary Institute students are preparing

According to Inside EV, sales for plug-in electric vehicles hit an all-time high in December. But EV drivers encounter one big roadblock in their electric travels — the high-tech equivalent of a fill-up. “Our collective dilemma when it comes to electric cars it how far you can get on one charge,” said Peter Murphy, spokesman

Bend city councilors decided Wednesday night not to send a proposed 2 percent room tax hike to voters in May because hotel operators appear almost evenly divided on whether the move would help or hurt tourism and the general economy. The election-deadline schedule dictated that councilors needed to move ahead Wednesday night, if they wanted

As is the custom, Central Oregon lawmakers will introduce quite a few bills this session. The Dalles Representative John Huffman is already tackling some pretty controvserial issues in the 2013 session. One would restrict the use of drones by law enforcement and the public. “It’s a reminder to police agencies that people do still have

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners announced Wednesday that the recruitment for Deschutes County Administrator is now open. The Prothman Company of Bellevue, Washington, will continue as the recruitment firm for this process. Based on the contract with The Prothman Company, Deschutes County will not be charged additional professional fees for the continued recruitment. Interested

Gov. John Kitzhaber laid out his higher education plan this week, and it includes $16 million for OSU-Cascades expansion into a four-year university. College faculty, staff and students said Wednesday that they hope is passes in the legislature. “We know we have the governor’s support, but it’s the legislature who actually votes,” OSU-Cascades Vice President

A federal judge sentenced Sisters resident Randall Blair Johnson on Tuesday to 41 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $260,536 in restitution to the IRS and a $50,000 fine after a jury convicted him on three counts of income tax evasion, three counts of willful failure to file tax returns and one

Sisters, Oregon, nestled at the foot of the Cascades, iconic for its western theme. If you want to take in the latest Hollywood blockbuster it’s only fitting you head to the movie house. “My name is Beth Eckstine, and I will be your projectionist today,” the lady at the front of the audience said with