Month: April 2014

Reports from the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show the number of heroin users in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last decade. It’s a trend reflected both in Oregon and in Central Oregon. Officials at Bend drug treatment facility Serenity Lane told NewsChannel 21 that they’ve definitely noticed more

Housing Works said Wednesday it has invited 200 households to participate in the rental assistance voucher program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Choice Voucher and Non-Elderly Disabled programs. The federally funded programs are administered locally by Housing Works and provide much-needed rent support to Central Oregon households, the organization said.

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery announces that it has received a five star quality ranking, the highest ranking possible, from Oregon’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Based in Bend, MountainStar provides critical support services for high risk families in the community, including a therapeutic early childhood program, food boxes, clothing and parent mentoring. With an eye

“It’s pretty much horrible. Every day all three terms I’ve been here I drive around here and it takes forever to park,” OSU-Cascades student Stephen Horne said Monday. For those who believe parking at OSU-Cascades is bad, it might be getting even worse. The university is expanding and is expecting an increase of 800 students

Faced with “unanswered questions” about its top pick, the Central Oregon Community College Board decided Wednesday to halt the process of choosing a new president and, in essence, start over. The board “has decided not to hire a new president for the college at this time,” said a statement issued by the college. “COCC Board

The debate over medical marijuana shops is red hot in Central Oregon, several cities and counties adding to the agenda whether or not they should be permitted or not. Bend, and Jefferson County are the only places that allow dispensaries in the Tri-County area. Deschutes County, Sisters, Madras, and Redmond have voted to ban them

A truck driver was taken to St. Charles Redmond with non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday after his gravel truck overturned on NW Smith Rock Way east of Terrebonne, spilling the load and blocking the road for hours, Crook County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies were dispatched shortly after 2 p.m. to the crash on Smith Rock Way near

“What I’m saying now is I think we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Redmond Mayor George Endicott said Wednesday. It was a positive message at Redmond’s yearly “State of the City” address. “Last year, we talking about things are holding, and now we’re talking about things are improving, and that’s a

Monday night was graduation night for 17 citizens who attended the very first Crook County Sheriff’s Office Citizen’s Academy. The course began on January 27 and ran through April 7. Each of the graduates received a Certificate of Completion and a small gift for their dedication to learning more about their Sheriff’s Office. During the

The 24 hour / 7 day a week drive-by ballot drop site at the Redmond Library will now open early beginning with the May 20 election. The 24 / 7 drive-by drop site will open on Friday, May 2. There will no longer be a drop site at Redmond City Hall. The drop site box

A Prineville man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to second-degree manslaughter and other charges in a fatal ATV crash earlier this year, Crook County District Attorney Daina Vitolins said. Mason Edward Stafford, 31, was arraigned on the indictment that also charges him with criminally negligent homicide and two counts of recklessly endangering. Tyler Robert Pierce, 22,

The American Association of University Women hosted cookie sales with gender-based pricing Tuesday at three spots in Bend to raise awareness of an issue that had a lot of people talking (and arguing) on a day some groups have dubbed “Equal Pay Day.” A cookie was costing $1 for men, but only 77 cents for

A 15-year-old boy who disappeared early Tuesday from a Bend home he was visiting for spring break was found late Tuesday night near his mother’s home in Vancouver, Wash., police reported. Officers said Kenneth Currin Schuchman was heading to the home of his mother, who lives in the area, when he was found by Vancouver

Secretary of State Kate Brown announced Wednesday the opening of a contest to select the cover photo for the 2015 Oregon Blue Book. Amateur photographers who would like submit an entry can find the contest guidelines on the Oregon Blue Book website . The Oregon Blue Book is the official state almanac. It contains facts

A quiet Tuesday afternoon at a mobile home park just north of Bend turned into anything but when a 20-year-old Redmond man reportedly rammed a car, used a Taser on a man and shot at three people, sparking a police chase, crash and manhunt that led to his capture. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies were called

It’s the time of year for spring cleaning, and Redmond police are taking the opportunity to clean up crime with a new program specifically designed for the rental community. “The intent of the program is to make the entire community a nicer, safer place to live,” Redmond Police Lt. Keith Knight said Tuesday. It’s called

Every summer, wildfires scorch thousands of acres in Central Oregon. This year, those flames could show up sooner. “Unless we get a shift in the jet stream and all the things that the meteorologists talk about, then very soon we will be in our fire season,” OSU professor of forestry Dr. John Bailey said. “California

10 Barrel Brewing Co. will be opening a brewpub and brew house in the Pearl District in Portland, the Bend-based craft brewer announced Tuesday. At this stage, they are hoping to have their NW 14 th Ave & Flanders St location open by mid-summer. “With a pub and brew house on-site, the focus will remain

The Oregon Department of Revenue is reminding nearly 500,000 Oregonians that they still need to file personal income tax returns by the April 15 filing deadline. That’s only one week away. “Based on last year’s totals, we expect another 470,000 returns by April 15 ,” said Megan Denison, Policy and Systems Manager for Revenue. “That’s

During April, the Oregon State Police is joining law enforcement and traffic safety partners to increase awareness and save lives during national “Distracted Driving Awareness” month. OSP, ODOT, law enforcement in Oregon and around the nation, along with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration consider distracted driving to be an emerging highway safety issue that