Month: February 2013

Oregon House Bill 2115 would expand the definition of “intoxicants,” under state law. Right now, only alcohol, controlled substances and inhalants could land you a DUII, but soon that could be any kind of drug that noticeably affects someone’s physical or mental ability to drive. “We’ve actually had DUIIs dismissed, people that were very impaired,

The Prineville boy who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy that causes him to have silent, brain-damaging seizures has received and outpouring of support from his community. Five year old Stryder Doescher suffers from Landau-Kleffner Syndrome and several other medical conditions. Last month, the family began raising funds for a specially trained dog that

A boat found partly buried upside-down in sand on the Oregon coast appears to be another piece of debris from the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, officials said Tuesday. On Tuesday afternoon, two Oregon Department of Fish and Wildife biologists, Steve Rumrill and Justin Ainsworth, inspected the boat that was found washed up Gleneden

After redistricting last year, several of our Central Oregon lawmakers represent some new areas of counties and cities. The redistricting moves coverage areas around, so legislators serve an almost equal number of people. So who represents you in Salem? In the 17 years Ted Ferrioli has served in the Oregon Legislature, the senior member of

In an effort to provide transportation access to education and other vital services, The Partnership to End Poverty announced Tuesday it has awarded the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and Cascades East Transit a $25,000 grant to establish a fixed-route bus service in Redmond. The grant provides an important link between the current transit hub at

AAA Oregon/Idaho’s weekly Fuel Gauge report Tuesday comes as no surprise to Central Oregonians who’ve been to or driven the gas pumps: The national and Oregon averages for regular unleaded are up dramatically in the past week. The national average shoots up 17 cents to $3.53 a gallon, while the Oregon average jumps 16.5 cents

Oregon State University-Cascades is providing free counseling for community members in La Pine through the university’s graduate counseling program. Graduate students will provide supervised counseling in cognitive processing therapy and in person-centered therapy, two techniques shown to be effective in helping individuals manage stress, anxiety and depression. Participation in the free counseling requires advance registration.

St. Charles Health System has received the NCDR ACTION Registry®–GWTG™ (“Get With the Guidelines”) Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2012 from the American College of Cardiology Foundation. St. Charles is one of only 164 hospitals nationwide to earn this award, recognizing commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, made the following statement Tuesday regarding a Justice Department paper entitled “Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Against a U.S. Citizen Who Is a Senior Operational Leader of Al-Qa’ida or An Associated Force” which was made public yesterday by NBC News: “As

Does mingling with fellow animal friends in a local brew pub to raise money for homeless pets sound like a great evening? Then join us for the Humane Society of Central Oregon’s 2 nd Annual Pup Crawl on February 12, 13, 19, 20 and 21 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm each night. Join us for

A 32-year-old Bend man was arrested Monday evening on a murder charge, accused of fatally shooting a 31-year-old man visiting his southeast Bend home early Monday morning. Luke Anton Wirkkala, 32, was arrested at 6:30 p.m. and taken to the Deschutes County Jail, where he was held without bail on a murder charge in the

Bend-area homes (Deschutes County-wide) generally gained value in dramatic fashion in 2012, at a rate well above the national housing recovery, according to new data released Tuesday by CoreLogic. The data shows home prices in the Bend metro area (which is defined as all of Deschutes County) rose by 13.8 percent in the year ended

BBT Architects announced Tuesday they have completed a schematic design for the new Warm Springs K-8 school. The 60-acre site for the school is located on the Warm Springs Reservation. The design process was a collaborative and community effort involving numerous stakeholders, ensuring a design that will meet the needs of the students of Warm

Near the heart of Redmond, a new family-run pub is bringing more craft beer to Central Oregon. Smith Rock Brewing opened its doors just about three months ago, when four family members decided to make their passion their career. “It’s something we discussed for quite a few years,” said Natalie Patterson, a co-owner and brewmaster

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Bend, has been ranked No. 3 in a new list of the Top 10 Romantic Cities in the U.S. by Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America’s best places to live and visit. “The list highlights those small towns and mid-sized cities that set the

Climate change is a huge question, with global concerns. It even comes down to a more local issue: Has the climate in Central Oregon changed? We begin our search for an answer we paid a visit to the National Weather Service in Pendleton. Diana Hayden is a general forecaster for Central and Eastern Oregon, as

Bend Police are concerned an elderly man suspected of sexually abusing a young girl in Bend could have more victims and they want to know if your children have met him. The suspect, George Ellis, is 78, and when NewsChannel 21 showed residents of Romaine Village his mugshot, they quickly recognized him. Now, inside the

Fisheries managers have announced that the popular spring chinook fishery on the Deschutes River will not open in 2013. According to Rod French, district biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, managers are predicting fewer than 650 wild spring chinook will return to the Warm Springs River to spawn. Under the current Lower

Helping your neighbors keep their heat and lights on just got easier. Pacific Power will match every $1 you donate to Oregon HEAT with $2 more. “Winter weather only magnifies the plight of our most vulnerable households in Oregon,” said Roger Rees, executive director of Oregon HEAT, the nonprofit agency that administers emergency energy assistance

Preliminary information indicates two people died in two separate crashes in Oregon during the Super Bowl weekend between 12:01 a.m., Saturday and 5:59 a.m. Monday, Oregon State Police reported. During the weekend, OSP troopers reported 31 DUII arrests, down from 38 reported arrests during last year’s Super Bowl weekend. According to ODOT’s Fatality Analysis Reporting