Month: August 2013

School is about to start here in Central Oregon, and filling your kids’ lunch boxes with the right foods can keep them healthy and alert. “Kids need healthy nutrition in order to grow,” said registered nutritionist Lori Brizee, owner of Central Oregon Nutrition Consultants. “They need good nutrition in order to pay attention at school.”

Crews from several agencies tackled and contained a grass fire that threatened several homes north of Madras Wednesday afternoon. Jefferson County Fire District No. 1 officials said the call came in around 1:30 p.m. of the fire off Meadowlark Lane, between highways 26 and 97,, officials said. The fire spread south through junipers, sagebrush and

Bend police on Tuesday released an artist’s composite drawing of a man believed to have committed a string of four bank robberies over the past 20 months — hitting two bank branches twice each. The robberies date back to Dec. 22, 2011, when the Bank of the Cascades on S. Highway 97 was robbed —

Dr. Charles Abasa-Nyarko has been named vice president for instruction at Central Oregon Community College. Abasa-Nyarko, who assumed his new role in July, succeeds Dr. Karin Hilgersom, who was appointed president of Sullivan County Community College in New York. “Charles has a proven record of ‘doing the job’ with a focus on collaboration and problem

Equine Outreach, Inc., announced Wednesday that they have been awarded a $20,000 grant from the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) to help with the construction costs of a multi-use barn. The construction will include med pens for critical care for long-term rehabilitation efforts, a year-round indoor round pen for

Central Oregon Auto Value is offering $30 oil changes with full proceeds benefiting two Central Oregon nonprofits. Saving Grace and FAN are the recipients of this great deal. Nine certified service centers in Central Oregon are donating their labor so that 100% of the donation benefits Saving Grace and FAN. You can purchase your $30

Gleaning is the practice of gathering food after farmers have harvested their fields. This good Samaritan practice is making a comeback in Central Oregon while providing fresh local food for the hungry. During the first week of September, the Central Oregon Food Policy Council will partner with local farmers and backyard gardeners to encourage them

Initial-attack crews continue to tackle small new fires popping up around Central Oregon, most holdovers from recent lightning, as a threat of more thunderstorms returns in a few days — but some of the fires being found, even at the height of fire season, are abandoned campfires, officials said Tuesday. For the first time in

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Ron Wilkinson announced one of the largest financial gifts from an individual in district history at Tuesday’s school board meeting — one that will put iPads in the hands of more young learners in a recently announced pilot program. “I am pleased to share news of a more than $250,000 donation

The B&B Complex fire that burned more than 90,000 acres in August 2003, was not only unprecedented in size but shed light on new ways the Forest Service could interact with people who live in the communities affected by wildfires. “Some of the residents who had been evacuated were really wanting to see, what does

Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty said Monday he strongly objected to the state’s settlement of a $22 million federal lawsuit filed by three former prosecutors, saying he would have preferred to go to trial because he would have won against the trio’s “meritless” claims. In April 2011, former deputy DAs Phil Duong, Brentley Foster

A report of a body seen floating in the Crooked River Tuesday afternoon triggered a recovery effort that took more than seven hours and over two-dozen personnel, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Jefferson County dispatchers notified their Deschutes County counterparts of the report around 12:25 p.m., said Deschutes sheriff’s Sgt. Troy Gotchy. Jefferson County deputies

Bend Police Chief Jeff Sale said Tuesday he can’t remember the last time the department’s radio systems were upgraded. And that’s a problem. “We can’t talk to Bend city fire, Bend city fire can’t talk to us, because we’re on different radio systems,” Sale said, thus depending on 911 dispatchers for relays. Public service departments

It turns out that Bend voters won’t be the only ones facing a proposed room tax increase on the November ballot. Deschutes County commissioners voted Monday to send a proposed 1 percent increase to voters at the same time, generating nearly $500,000 a year, primarily to better market the county Fairgrounds and Expo Center. Recently,

An ODOT maintenance crew discovered a fatal motorcycle crash along Hwy. 140E that killed a 70-year-old man with ties to La Pine, Oregon State Police reported Tuesday. According to OSP Sgt. Steve Yates, around 3:15 p.m. on Monday, an ODOT striping crew was working along Highway 140E near milepost 27 when a crew member spotted

In Sunriver, only three firefighters are on duty at a time — and firefighters say this summer, they’re busier than ever. Bellatazza Manager Lauranne Crooks said Mondays she’s noticed the fire department is sometimes stretched pretty thin. “There was a car accident out here in front of Bellatazza a few weeks ago that sent three

Student teaching at Oregon’s public colleges should be strengthened, professional development for teachers should be expanded and licensing requirements for new teachers should be raised, according to an audit released Tuesday by Secretary of State Kate Brown. “If we want our students to be more successful, we need to make sure that Oregon’s teachers have

After weeks of work, the Culver School District has decided to send an $8.8 million bond measure to the voters. Monday night at a special meeting, the school board voted 4-0 to send a 16-year bond measure to voters — the third try in two years. In May, voters narrowly rejected a nearly $10 million

It was a fire of truly historic proportions — and Monday marked the 10th anniversary of the start of what became the massive B&B Complex of wildfires near Santiam Pass. The Bear Butte and Booth fires were sparked by lightning during the first week of August of 2003. Over the next two weeks, the two

One person received a minor injury Monday morning in a car-pickup collision at Highway 20 and Ward Road east of Bend, Oregon State Police reported. OSP troopers said they are continuing the investigation and enforcement action is pending. According to Lt. Carl Rhodes, shortly after 11 a.m., a Saturn four-door driven by Rubelyn Hansen, 34,