Month: March 2013

“I was always told if I do this, your country will reward you, and now all of a sudden the government is taking something away that was promised to me 20 years ago,” said new C.O.C.C. student Kevin Hapner on Wednesday about the possibility of losing some financial aid. As Central Oregon college students prepare

Gov. John Kitzhaber wants 100 percent of high school students to graduate. That goal is a big part of his third term agenda. NewsChannel 21 traveled with the governor Wednesday as he toured two educational facilities in Bend, the Oregon National Guard Youth Challenge facility for at-risk youth east of Bend, and OSU-Cascades. The reality,

The City of Redmond is seeking volunteers from the community to participate on a Project Advisory Committee to advise the City on revitalization efforts recommended in the Redmond South US 97 Corridor Plan – a master plan developed between 2008 and 2010 to improve the economic viability and access of the South US 97 Corridor.

Across from the NorthWest Crossing community on Bend’s Westside is a view of trees and wildlife — but that could change to a scene of concrete storage warehouses. “(It’s a) nice business plan, wrong location — and I think other people feel exactly the same way,” neighbor Ruth Zdanowicz said Tuesday. Dozens of NorthWest Crossing

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said Wednesday the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has passed his Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA). The WIFIA program was included as an element of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which the committee passed on a bipartisan vote. WIFIA would help local communities upgrade water and sewer

Fourteen-year-old David Kerr is quick. and 12-year-old Derrik Kerr is strong. Their dad, Dave Kerr, becomes coach the second they hit the mat. “I wrestled for BYU-Idaho, and then once I got married and had kids, it was time to get them on the mat,” Kerr said this week. A hug or a headlock is

The driver of an armored truck lost control on Hwy. 126 west of Redmond and veered into the oncoming lane Monday morning, colliding with an SUV and sending its driver, a Bend 18-year-old, to the hospital in critical condition, Oregon State Police reported. The hospital reported Wednesday he had improved to serious condition. The crash

Roberts Field has the newest, most private type of body scanner available, and that’s why starting Friday, the airport will no longer have the scanner. It’s all because the developer of some of the older scanners can’t meet software update deadlines, and many bigger airports around the country have these dated scanners. Before June, these

In response to a call for cuts due to federal sequestration, the Department of Defense has suspended its federal Tuition Assistance program for all military members, the Oregon National Guard, which is affected, announced Tuesday. The Secretary of the Army approved the suspension of Tuition Assistance (TA) on March 8, and the Secretary of the

Tuesday marks “Kick Butts Day,” an annual effort to get teens and young adults to quit using tobacco. Despite smoke-free laws and age limits on tobacco purchases, almost 15 percent of Oregon high school students say they smoke or chew. That’s nearly 30,000 youths, with plenty of new choices on the market to entice others

State Rep. Jason Conger (R-Bend) urged the Legislature on Tuesday to provide more funding for Oregon classrooms and to give the Oregon School Boards Association PERS reform bill a public hearing. “Oregon’s education system is struggling: we have cut roughly 7,000 teachers in the past three years, shortened the school year, and class sizes so

According to a new report, $600 billion is how much Americans spend $600 billion every year on outdoor recreation. And the report says it’s driving Oregon’s economy. Many Central Oregonians boast about where they live because of the year-round recreation activities. On any given day you can go from rock climbing at Smith Rock to

A 21-year-old Bend man was arrested Monday evening in the stabbing of his cousin, who police said tried to intervene in a fight at a northeast Bend apartment. Officers responded around 5:23 p.m. to Apt. 20 at the Juniper Terrace Apartments at 130 NE Sixth St. on a reported stabbing, said Sgt. Dan Ritchie. Officers

The Board of Directors of BrightSide Animal Center is pleased to announce the promotion of Ms. Christine Bauersfeld to the position of Executive Director of the organization. Chris has been employed at BrightSide (then Redmond Humane Society) for over four years as the Shelter Manager. In her new role, she will be responsible for all

Central Oregonians using a free online tool – Drive Less Connect – are saving money and reducing the toll of vehicle miles driven by finding carpool and other options to get to the places they need to go. A recent report generated by Drive Less Connect shows users in Central Oregon logged 2,551,266 miles of

The city of Bend is seeking applicants for four positions on the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee (COBAAC). Committee members are appointed by the City Manager for two year terms to assist and advise the City on the most appropriate ways to make programs, services, activities and facilities accessible to Bend’s citizens. Open positions

The Bloom Project, formerly Friends with Flowers of Oregon, is pleased to welcome Sue Jones to the organization’s Board of Directors. Sue is a human resources coach/trainer in Bend. “Sue brings tremendous experience to The Bloom Project,” said Heidi Berkman, founder of The Bloom Project. “Her energy, professional expertise anddedication to our mission will be

Bend Spay and Neuter Project and Bend Pet Express are joining forces to open a new Pet Food Bank for low-income pet owners in Central Oregon. The Pet Food Bank, called HOPE, which stands for Help Our Pets Eat, will open on Saturday, April 6 th . Donations of cat and dog food are now

Deschutes County commissioners decided Monday they can save taxpayers money, while still operating 911 without any cuts — that’s if voters approve the 911 local option levy in May. Commissioners who oversee the county 911 Service District determined it could operate under a smaller operating levy then the one first approved last month.Now, commissioners voted

St. Charles Health System officials said Monday they have entered into a “service line agreement” with Desert Orthopedics and The Center that will provide greater collaboration between medical providers and streamline care for orthopedic patients in Central Oregon. “As we are trying to improve the delivery of health care, diminish costs and improve access and