Month: September 2013

Teddy bears and motorcyclists flooded the emergency room of St. Charles-Bend on Saturday. And as a result, more than 1,000 children who visit the ERs in Central Oregon will have a new stuffed toy to help them through some rough times.? It was the Central Oregon Chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE’s) 16th

It didn’t quite look like the last day of summer in Bend on Saturday, but kids in Central Oregon sure played like it was. Hundreds came out for Bend Parks and Rec’s fourth annual “Day of Play” at Bend’s Riverbend Park. The free, fourth annual event celebrated kids of all ages with obstacle courses, slingshots

Redmond Proficiency Academy has been awarded an ASPIRE Grant for the 2013-14 school year. ASPIRE, a one-on-one volunteer mentoring program operated by the Oregon Student Access Commission (OSAC), offers all students the resources and encouragement to access education after high school. Currently, the program has more than 140 sites across Oregon, operating with a site

Bend police said Thursday they have received a nearly $200,000 federal grant to hire someone who will act as a coordinator between the area’s law enforcement and mental health agencies. The timing of the $196,000 grant award comes following the Navy Yard shooting in Washington, D.C., and the Sandy Hook Elementary School rampage — crimes

Bend Kiwanis Club was recently honored to receive the 2103 Oregon Park and Recreation Association Private Sector Service Award at the association’s annual conference on September 16th. This award was presented to the Bend Kiwanis Club for their ninety years of service with the Bend Park and Recreation District. As a partner with the district,

The Deschutes National Forest said Friday it will apply herbicides to invasive plants next week in an area adjacent to the Metolius River and the Metolius River Trail. As weather conditions permit during this week, the Sisters Ranger District will use two herbicides (Aquamaster® and Habitat®) to treat invasive non-native ribbongrass and yellow flag iris

The Nature of Words will again present a roster of renowned guest authors at its annual literary festival November 7-10. The ninth consecutive year of the festival will include authors from the genres of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and young adult fiction. The Rising Star Creative Writing Competition awards ceremony, recognizing emerging writers, will be

Sensational local& national art at dozens of businesses on the first Friday of every month in downtown Bend. Shops are matched with artists, musicians, and performers. Many businesses stay open late and will serve food and wine as they welcome you in to enjoy their space and this wonderful evening. Friday,October 4 – 5 to

The Deschutes County Community Development Department conversion to the State electronic permitting system (Accela) will take place from 12:00 p.m. Friday, September 27 through the weekend.The new system is expected to be online Monday morning, September 30. The new Accela system will offer residents a faster permitting process. The cities of Redmond and Sisters are

It had been one of those days. I was ready for a cocktail. Really ready. The friends I met certainly didn’t argue. As usual, we opted for the house drink specials. At Pure Kitchen, those all have a tropical twist. My Thai Chili Side Car, a creamy, slightly spicy mixture of brandy and tuaca muddled

The mournful sound of bagpipes rang out in Salem Thursday at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial. The yearly gathering honors the men and women who have died in the line of duty. Kim Lightley has heard the bagpipes far too often. “We’re all feeling the same pain,” she said before the ceremony. Her pain is never

On Wednesday, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz asked customers not to bring guns into his company’s coffee houses. Schultz said he’s not banning them, just suggesting people leave them out of the cafes as a sign of respect. The company was pulled into the gun debate last month, when a group of gun owners announced plans

Hunter Information Booths will be open across central Oregon Wednesday, Sept. 25, through Friday, Sept. 27. Hunter booths are available for the public to get current fire restriction information on open fires, driving off road, chainsaw use, smoking in the forest, and more. Road closure information as well as map sales and coffee will also

It’s posted right on the sign at the entrance of Phil’s Trail: no horses, no vehicles. But there’s one group allowed on even the most popular trails that could surprise you: hunters. Hunting season is here, and many areas around Central Oregon are fair game. Most of the mountain bikers NewsChannel 21 spoke with Wednesday

Two highly invasive aquatic weeds that until now had not been seen in the area recently were reported to Deschutes County and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, officials said Thursday. Residents with water features on or adjacent to their properties are urged to be on the lookout for “Yellow Floating Heart”, found in the Redmond

In many parts of Eastern Oregon, livestock animals areventuring far and wide in search of their next meal, sometimes onto theproperty of an unsuspectinglandowner. The result has already led to tragic andunfortunate consequences. “Ourconditions east of the Cascades will continue to cause animals to be out of thepasture sooner and looking for better quality feed

GIVE TODAY. CHANGE TOMORROW. That’s the theme for the 2013/14 Annual Campaign for United Way of Deschutes County. This year’s campaign officially kicked off with more than 100 representatives from dozens of local companies and nearly 30 non-profit agencies in attendance. Vito DiMaio, Director of Resource Development for United Way, announced that Ryan Killgore, Pacific

Two prescribed burns totaling 250 acres are planned Thursday on the Deschutes National Forest. Fire personnel will be conducting a 150-acre prescribed burn 5 miles west of Sisters, in the proximity of Cold Springs Campground and adjacent to State Highway 242 (Old McKenzie Highway) on the Sisters Ranger District. The burn could take one to

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Gov. John Kitzhaber is calling Oregon lawmakers into special session to vote on measures affecting taxes, public-employee pensions and the regulation of genetically modified crops. Kitzhaber said Wednesday he’ll call lawmakers to Salem on Sept. 30. The announcement caps months of negotiations with House and Senate leaders from both parties. Officials

The newly revamped Oregon Foreclosure Avoidance Program has received 456 meeting requests since its unveiling six weeks ago. Significantly, the vast majority of those requests came from lenders, most of which declined to participate in the program in its first year of operation. That’s an enormous jump from the corresponding six weeks of 2012, when