Month: July 2014

Falsifying records, misusing city equipment and bad leadership — in a nutshell, that’s why Prineville Police Chief Eric Bush was fired, according to a report obtained Wednesday by NewsChannel 21. The release of the findings by the city, under a public records request, comes 10 months after Bush was placed on paid administrative leave and

Crews still have a 25-acre wildfire in Crater Lake National Park 75 percent contained, but the past two days of storms have ignited 16 new blazes around the park, totaling about 35 acres, officials said Thursday. Several of the new fires can be seen from the road that circles the deep, blue lake, according to

The Deschutes National Forest and Oregon Department of Transportation invite the public to the grand opening of the new 5.5 mile multi-use Sunriver-Lava Lands paved path on Saturday, August 9 at Lava Lands Visitor Center. The festivities will begin at 10 a.m. with a bike and wheelchair parade to celebrate the accessibility of the new

Searchers on horseback Thursday morning found an Illinois teen who walked away without shoes from a remote wilderness camp in northern Lake County more than 24 hours earlier, officials said. Lake County Sheriff Phil McDonald said Kevin Mulert, 18, of Deerfield, Illinois, was found around 10:30 a.m., about 1 1/2 miles southeast of the camp

Nearly forgotten research from decades ago complicates the task of quantifying earthquake hazards in the Pacific Northwest, according to a new report from scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Washington and other universities. The report focuses on the Cascadia subduction zone — a giant active fault that slants eastward beneath the Pacific

Back-to-school sales bring kids to the forefront of our minds. Even if we don’t have any, aquick flashback to our ownschool days is inevitable. But what about the kids alreadyfalling through the cracks? And what about those young people (18-20-somethings) who arelegal adults buthaven’t completed their education or gotten a GEDdue to family stresses, homelessness

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., took to the Senate floor Wednesday to press his colleagues on the urgent need to pass an emergency funding bill that would provide additional money to fight catastrophic wildfires ripping through the West. Wyden described the conditions in Oregon, where wildfires are currently burning almost 500,000 acres, following visits to the

When we think fair food, glazed donuts, funnel cakes and elephant ears probably comes to mind. Tucked away behind all the powdered sugar is a different kind of fair food. It’s home-grown fruits, veggies and more. “Oh, the fair is much more than carnivals and curly fries,” Carl Vertrees, superintendent of land and farm products

The Ochoco National Forest announced Wednesday it has rescinded the order that closed a large section of the forest surrounding Big Summit Prairie to the public due to nearby wildfires. All Forest Service roads, trails, campgrounds and other facilities on the forest within the closure area have reopened to public use. Both Ochoco Divide campground

Fire officials say human-caused fires, which can often be accidental, tend to burn more acreage than the expected lightning-caused fires. For a special report on sneaky fire starters, NewsChannel 21 spent the day with a Deschutes National Forest field ranger, who breaks down just how a fire can ignite. With a dry climate on the

Bend’s 10 Barrel Brewing Co. announced Wednesday it’s voluntarily recalling bottles of its Swill beer because some “may be experiencing secondary fermentation in the bottle, causing potentially explosive over-carbonation. After NewsChannel 21 posted on its Facebook page about the issue, one customer reported a scary experience. Kelly Shinn said she bought the beer in Moses

Bend police are looking for a suspect and a getaway SUV in a robbery Wednesday morning at a northeast Bend business that makes payday loans and cash advances. Shortly after 9 a.m., a man described as a white male adult, possibly in his 30s, entered ACE Cash Express at 1233 NE Third Street, demanded cash

Afactor of supply and demand has driven cattle prices to historic highs thissummer. That’s both good news and bad news for Oregon ranchers. They can expectto make abigger profit when they take their animals to market, but they alsopotentially face cattle theft from modern-day rustlers who now have a biggereconomic incentive to commit a crime.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) voted Wednesday for legislation passed by the House to improve health care for veterans and help bring accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill is part of a compromise agreement between House and Senate negotiators reached this week. It overwhelmingly passed the House Wednesday, and the Senate is

There’s a great way to enjoy the 2014 Deschutes County Fair and help NeighborImpact feed thousands of families in Central Oregon. Thanks to NewsChannel 21 — which counts NeighborImpact among its “21 Cares for Kids” partners — and Bluefish Dental & Orthodontics, kids 12 and under GET IN FREE and also receive one carnival ride

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon will be the proud recipient of a $25,000 Matching Grant from the Starview Foundation of The Oregon Community Foundation. The Matching Grant specifies that, between now and September 1, 2014, every dollar that Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon receives in donations will be matched one

Wells Fargo is helping local, low and moderate income people buy affordable homes by supplying both volunteer labor and $45,000 to Bend Area Habitat for Humanity. The nonprofit group is using the support to help build three homes for Habitat families in Bend. One was completed earlier this month. It was the 105th home theaffiliate

The city of Bend encourages residents to attend one of two upcoming community meetings to learn more about and comment on the City’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Remand project. Meeting 1: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Bend Municipal Court Building 555 NE 15 th Street, Bend Meeting 2: 6:30 – 8:30

Oregonians still have time to enter Creative and Artistic competitions at the 149th Oregon State Fair, which will be held August 22 through September 1 . Competition participation is more convenient than ever this year, thanks to online registration and remote intake and pickup sites located throughout Oregon. The online registration deadline for all Creative

Two men have been arrested during a pair of raids over the past week that led to the recovery of at least a half-dozen stolen high-end bicycles, officers said Tuesday. Police noted that over 180 bikes have been reported stolen to Bend police since the beginning of the year — not counting the many that