Month: July 2014

As one former Madras High School coach accused of abuse pleaded not guilty Friday, word came that another, similar case is about to end in a plea agreement and sentencing next month. Attorney Valerie Wright confirmed to NewsChannel 21 on Saturday that Michael Osborne, the former girls basketball and soccer coach arrested last November, “will

A 20-year-old Bend cyclist was hospitalized in fair condition Friday after colliding with the rear of a pickup truck parked along Brookswood Boulevard in southwest Bend, authorities said Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 4:35 p.m. to the reported accident on Brookswood near Lone Cow Drive involving a Toyota pickup truck and a cyclist,

Three pigs died this week after a dog snuck into their pen and attacked in Deschutes River Woods – and later a 2-1 vote by a Deschutes County citizen panel had the dog returned to its owners. One of the pigs died quickly in the attack last Saturday, a second soon after, and the third

A 52-year-old Madras man walking in the travel lane of Highway 26 north of Madras was struck and killed Thursday night, Oregon State Police reported. Troopers said Robert C. Towler, 78, of Madras, was heading west on Highway 26 about two miles north of Madras when he encountered a man walking in the dark travel

Nearly two weeks after lightning sparked dozens of major wildfires across Central Oregon and the state, several of the largest on the High Desert are contained or nearly so and are being transitioned back to local management for mop-up and rehabilitation, officials said Saturday. Meanwhile, fire lookouts keep watch and initial attack crews tackle more

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division is investigating the Oregon Department of Transportation following two separate incidents in which construction workers were killed on the job this week on northeast Oregon highway projects. Oregon State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings says 64-year-old Glen McCoy of Sparks, Nevada, died late Wednesday on Interstate 84 near Boardman.

At The Medication Station in Bend, Ryan Garcia has been selling cannabis to Oregon Medical Marijuana Program patients for about a year, but he’s hoping to soon get the green light on a new market. “Definitely would be a benefit to make that transition to an adult-use or recreation,” Garcia said Thursday. Oregonians will make

The city of Bend received a letter Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Justice, saying it has closed its files on enforcing the city’s 2004 Project Civic Access settlement agreement for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The letter from the Department of Justice says, “Your city has acceptably progressed in compliance with the

The evacuation levels have been reduced for the Bridge 99 Complex, officials said Friday. All evacuation Level II areas have been reduced to a Level I. All evacuation Level I areas have been eliminated. The Pacific Crest Trail is now open. See below for details. Closure Orders: The Pacific Crest Trail is now open. This

Aiding in its mission to help feed hungry people in Central Oregon, Newport Avenue Market hosted the second annual Go Golf! Tournament at Broken Top Golf Club on Tuesday, July 22. Successful in its objective, the event raised an astounding $50,194! Over 150 community members and influential leaders from the grocery and retail industry hit

The Bend Park and Recreation District said Friday it has been awarded a $371,150 grant in support of enhancements to McKay Park on the Deschutes River. The local government grant was approved by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Commission earlier this month. McKay Park is among nine parks statewide to receive local government grant

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon is the proud recipient of a $25,000 grant from the Casey Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation. The funds will be used to provide financial support leading up to the September 1st organizational transition from one combined Club to two separate Clubs. After September 1st, there

The 21 st annual Senior Fishing Derby at Walton Lake will take place as planned next Wednesday, despite the recent flurry of fire activity. The event will occur from 8 am to noon on Wednesday, July 30, at Walton Lake campground. The forest surrounding Walton Lake remains under an area closure order due to ongoing

Smoke alarms awakened a family of seven in a burning northeast Bend home early Friday morning, allowing them to escape unhurt from a fire that began in the garage and caused $75,000 damage, officials said. Fire crews responded to a reported home fire at 3105 NE Purcell Boulevard, near Butler Market Road, around 2:40 a.m.,

Effective 8 a.m. Friday, the Ochoco National Forest will reduce the size of the area closure enacted five days ago. The new closure area will reopen areas north and east of Big Summit Prairie, as well as Walton Lake campground and Allen Creek Horse Camp, to the general public. The new order also reopens a

To help jump-start its lending program, NeighborImpact welcomes Michael Hinton to the team as the agency’s new lending director. Hinton has 20 years of experience in the lending business where he worked for local banks, Hayden Homes in Redmond, and owned his own mortgage business. He’s served on the Housing Works board of commission since

The Central Oregon Foster Grandparent Program, administered by the Central Oregon Council on Aging, provides one-on-one tutoring and mentoring to at-risk school age children, while providing volunteer employment for low income persons age 55 and older who have the desire and aptitude to help young students succeed in school studies and life skills. The Foster

The Oregon Board on Public Safety Standards and Training on Thursday unanimously approved the addition of five firefighters to the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial, including John Hammack of Sisters. Three of the additions are from the 2013 wildfire season, the other two are through the historic recognition process. The names will be added to

Numerous bites and an injured arm. That’s the aftermath for 6-year-old Kaylee from Prineville after a dog attacked her. “I’m still scared,” Kaylee said. But what happens next in dog bite cases can very from one community to another. The dog was not taken away from its owner and not placed under quarantine. The Crook

The Bethlehem Inn, Central and Eastern Oregon’s only emergency shelter for individuals and families, is proud to announce it has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the St. Charles Health System in support of the Inn’s Families First Program. “We are honored and very excited to have been selected for this critical funding support from