Month: March 2014

As favorable weather conditions return to Central Oregon, fuels specialists with the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are preparing for the spring prescribed fire program. Prescribed fires, often completed in conjunction with thinning and mowing, reduce hazardous fuels which may decrease future wildfire intensity and allow for more effective containment. Prescribed fire is

A 79-year-old Bend man disappeared on Monday after a drive to a store in the Old Mill. Fortunately, Richard Brownrigg was found safely the next day — 240 miles away, in Coos Bay. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and if you have an aging parent, it can be a tough

The rural area west of Madras is usually a quiet place, but that changed Tuesday night for some residents after a wanted man crashed his car into a pole and ran, prompting an extensive police manhunt. Jefferson County sheriff’s dispatchers got a call around 5:30 p.m. that a car had crashed into a telephone pole

In April, Discover Your Forest, a non-profit land partner with the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland, will hold a training session for people interested in becoming Certified Interpretive Rangers for the Forest Service. The Certified Interpretive Ranger course delivers all the training needed for Forest Service staff and volunteers to

Frantic calls from grandchildren in trouble arrive late at night; they need help immediately and plead for money. Worried grandparents send wire transfers as instructed — often thousands of dollars. However, the grandchildren are safe, the callers are scammers — and the money is gone. The “Grandparent Scam” has been around for years and is

Move over, Grumpy Cat. A new grouchy feline in Portland is taking over the Internet, and — based on his size, demeanor and species — he seems to have assumed pride of place. In a video released by the Oregon Zoo last week, Zawadi Mungu, a fearsome 500-pound African lion, ventures outside with his energetic

The House has unanimously approved a bill authored by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) to reform the Federal Communications Commission. The vote took place Tuesday night on the FCC Process Reform Act (H.R. 3675), which Walden said aims to increase transparency, predictability and accountability at the commission. Walden is chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and

Registration is currently open for volunteers interested in an annual training weekend focused on developing skills to perform trail maintenance on the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. Each year the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests, The Pacific Crest Trail Association, and the High Cascades Forest Volunteers host trainings, called Trail Skills Colleges, which train and

BBT Architects in Bend is now accepting applications for their annual scholarship recognizing the achievements of one Central Oregon high school student. The $1,000 college scholarship, available to a high school senior, was created to encourage the creative spirit of those looking to pursue a career in a design profession. The scholarship is open to

A Bend judge agreed Wednesday to delay the plea entry by gymnastics facility founder and co-owner Richard Gustafson on sex abuse and encouraging abuse charges after his defense lawyer requested more time. Richard Bridgeman Gustafson made a brief appearance before Deschutes County Circuit Judge Barbara Haslinger, who set a new plea entry date of April

Construction is underway for a new paved path connecting Sunriver to the Lava Lands Visitor Center. Prep work included placing explosives underground and blasting out rocks along the 5.5 mile trail. It’s a $2.5 million project, led by the U.S. Forest Service, in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation. ODOT spokesman Peter Murphy said

Family Access Network Foundation (FAN) announces that Ron DiTullio has again accepted a position on our Foundation Board. The mission of the Family Access Network is to improve lives by ensuring all children in Deschutes County have access to basic-need services. Ron DiTullio graduated Oregon State University in 1984 with a BS in Speech Communications

The Old Mill District and the East Cascades Audubon Society are offering free weekly bird walks to the public on select Friday mornings starting on March 14 . These free walks are guided by an expert from the Society and wind around the trails of the Old Mill District that run along the Deschutes River.

FoundersPad is now accepting and reviewing applications for its next “Launch Track” session targeted at concept and early stage software technology companies and scheduled to begin on May 5. Between five and 10 companies will be accepted for the session. The intensive program is an ideal fit for startups looking for in-depth guidance and help

A 79-year-old Bend man who failed to return home from a trip to Bend’s Old Mill District on Monday morning was found in Coos Bay Tuesday evening, hours after Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies asked the public for help in finding him. Richard Brownrigg, 79, left his northwest Bend home around 7 a.m. Monday and drove

The High Desert housing bubble of 2006 is still fresh in everyone’s mind — and as demand and prices soar again, the question on many minds is: Here we go again? “We saw the bottom in 2010 in Redmond, where they had in average 200 permits, 300 permits, to zero,” said Andy High, vice president

Sen. Ron Wyden, D- Ore., expressed his ongoing concerns Tuesday about the culture of secrecy at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation site in a roundtable discussion before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight. The subcommittee held a roundtable discussion prior to a hearing on the same subject to allow

During a visit to Bend, a Christmas Valley man lost his dog. With the help of Bend Spay and Neuter and concerned citizens, he was able to reunite with his dog after just one day. Last Wednesday, Michael Stettler was doing some grocery shopping at Safeway in northeast Bend. Before he went in the store,

Human remains found last week by a hiker on a plateau just south of Prineville have been tentatively identified as those of a Prineville man who vanished late last summer, prompting extensive searches of the area, police said Tuesday. A hiker reported finding the remains on March 4 at a campsite on a remote part

Three of the Republican candidates hoping to unseat Democrat Jeff Merkley this fall met at the Highland Baptist Church in Redmond Monday night for a forum hosted by the Redmond Patriots. Jo Rae Perkins, Jason Conger and Mark Callahan discussed their views with the audience. The issues ranged from the Affordable Care Act to immigration.