Month: April 2013

Child abuse affects more Oregon children than autism, juvenile diabetes and all forms of childhood cancer combined, according to a report released Wednesday by the Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon and Prevent Child Abuse Oregon. The report, “Preserving Childhood: Oregon’s Leading Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse and Strengthen Families,” examines the prevalence and cost of

Prineville soon will get a brand-new hospital to replace its 1950s-era Pioneer Memorial Hospital, if the hospital board, community members and the St. Charles Health System board approve plans in the next few weeks. PMH is a membership corporation, to which community members pay to belong, and both they and the hospital board will be

A 9-year-old Bend boy, riding his bike without a helmet, was injured Monday evening when he rode into the path of a car in Deschutes River Woods, authorities said, just one in a string of crashes around the region. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at 5:17 p.m. to the vehicle-vs.-bicyclist crash near 60237 Cheyenne

Eight Oregon legislators — four Republicans and four Democrats — introduced a bill Tuesday that they say is “designed to make Oregon’s roads safer.” Senate Bill 833 would allow creation of a new, short-term driver’s license for applicants who otherwise qualify, but are unable to provide proof of legal U.S. residency. “All Oregonians, regardless of

Energy and natural resources brought Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to Central Oregon on Tuesday for presentations and open discussions at a Bend middle school and the City Club of Central Oregon. Wyden visited Pilot Butte Middle School, praising school leaders for cutting natural gas energy consumption by 38 percent, saving the school district more than

So far, 2013 has been a dry year for Central Oregon. Since Jan. 1, Roberts Field in Redmond has received only 0.75 inches of liquid precipitation. That places the year so far at 1.55 inches below the normal amount of precipitation seen by early April. Last month was a little cooler than average. The average

A Bend man was injured Tuesday when his motorcycle struck a deer that ran out in front of him in La Pine, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said, one of two motorcycle crashes in the county. David Alan Lott, 64, was riding south on Huntington Road, about a quarter-mile north of State Rec Road, around 8:30

Getting distracted while you’re driving can be catastrophic: from 2009 – 2011, in Oregon, 41 people died in distracted driving crashes. Even if you were buckled up properly, obeying the speed limit and driving sober, a split-second distraction could cost a life. “Distracted driving is a behavior that’s dangerous to drivers, passengers, and even people

Karin Morris will be joining the city of Bend as its new accessibility manager. The city’s Accessibility Program strives to improve access to City services, activities, programs, facilities and events throughout Bend. Assisting city staff in understanding the intent and application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and all related codes, standards and guidelines

The Meyer Memorial Trust’s board of trustees announced Monday they awarded three grants totaling more than $435,000 to three Central Oregon nonprofits at their March program meeting. The largest of the three, worth $176,000, went to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Oregon to help construct a new community center, which members will be

The Oregon Department of Transportation is inviting public comment on proposed electric vehicle (EV) charging station locations in 11 new locations around Oregon, including six on the High Desert. These sites have been identified as having the most potential to host the EV charging stations, funded by the TIGER II (Phase 2) grant from the

Breathing freely is a luxury Mark Shearer of Prineville simply doesn’t have. He is awaiting a lifesaving double-lung transplant, and the costs are overwhelming. In 1998, Shearer, 62, began experiencing shortness of breath, but his health didn’t significantly decline until much later. In 2009, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis after he began wheezing and

Now that spring has officially arrived, Oregon veterinarians are reminding equine owners that this is the season to make sure your horses have been vaccinated against West Nile Virus (WNV) or have received their booster. West Nile Virus affects humans, horses, and many types of birds. It is carried by mosquitoes, and transmitted through a

Deschutes County Health Services and St. Charles Health System – in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division — will launch a new campaign Wednesday to increase colorectal cancer screenings among Central Oregonians. Guided by research finding that people are much more likely to get screened if they are encouraged by someone they

As spring-like weather continues across Central Oregon, Deschutes and Ochoco National Forest Service fuels specialists intend to begin burning in two separate locations; 15 miles west of La Pine near Wickiup Reservoir and 16 miles northeast of Prineville adjacent to Mill Creek. Beginning Tuesday, specialists with the Deschutes National Forest expect to burn approximately 62

Tomorrow, Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Deschutes County Road Department will be doing a one-day road closure of 61 st St between S. Canal Blvd. and S.W. McVey for a culvert installation. The closure will coordinate with canal work being done by Central Oregon Irrigation along 61 st St. Flaggers will be

A telephoned bomb threat prompted evacuation of the Jefferson County Courthouse for about an hour Monday morning, but a search turned up no problems, Sheriff Jim Adkins said. An unidentified male caller prompted the evacuation from about 8 to 9 a.m., Adkins said. The building was searched by the court security deputy, county maintenance and

Miraculously, a Culver man is alive and out of the hospital, two days after a pickup truck came barreling through his bedroom with a suspected drunk driver at the wheel. At the Jefferson County Circuit Court arraignment Monday of suspect 45-year-old Steven Roe, the judge asked him if his affidavit statement was correct. Roe replied,

Cole Fuller, an 8 th -grader from the Bend Science Station scientific research program, won first place in the Animal Science category before going on to win Best of Fair in the middle school division of this year’s Northwest Science Exposition in Portland. Cole spent nearly seven months working on his research project, which was

A fire apparently sparked by firewood too close to a wood stove destroyed a home in Deschutes River Woods Monday morning, causing no injuries but leaving the homeowner’s cat missing, officials said. Deschutes County 911 dispatchers got a report around 10:50 a.m. of smoke coming from a manufactured home at 60177 Cinder Butte Drive, said