Month: September 2014

A North Bend man who took a short hike off-trail without his pack became disoriented Tuesday in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area, prompting a two-county search and rescue effort on foot and horseback that ended well after dark, authorities said. Erik Larsen, 28, called 911 dispatchers around noon requesting assistance, saying he became disoriented and

The Bend City Council unanimously approved the controversial OSU-Cascades Westside four-year campus plans on Monday. So what’s the next step? “Council gave a verbal okay — they voted unanimously to uphold the hearing officer’s decision,” city Communications Director Justin Finestone said Tuesday. The road has not been smooth, or short, so far — and Monday’s

Lisa Connors and Lisa Shropshire of Bend are the dynamic duo behind “100+ Women Who Care Central Oregon.”What started as an idea has morphed into an incredible reality. “Our inbox was just exploding — it went from 90 members to 150 members in three days, which is just so cool!” Shropshire exclaimed. “We had our

The Wizard Falls Hatchery on the Metolius River near Camp Sherman will be closed to public access from Oct. 1-10 due to construction. The hatchery is a popular stop for anglers, campers and other visitors to the area. Officials say construction will not limit hiker or angler access to any Metolius River trails, but hikers

The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and Cascades East Transit are working to create a shuttle stop at Meissner Nordic Park. The stop would be added to the current route from the park and ride lot on Southwest Columbia between Galveston and Simpson, to Mt. Bachelor. If you’re interested, voice your opinion on fares and times

At the close of a nearly 5-hour appeal hearing Monday afternoon, the Bend City Council unanimously affirmed a hearings officer’s approval of controversial plans for OSU-Cascades’ new Westside campus – but not before they tacked on some new conditions and expressed strong disappointment at the university’s method of winning approval. The 6-0 decision (with Scott

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., called Tuesday for the immediate withdrawal of a “misguided” U.S. Forest Service rule that would require permits and fees – potentially up to $1,500 – from reporters and bloggers who take photographs or videos in wilderness areas. In a joint letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack,

The High Desert Museum’s Chiles Award Committee has selected Sophie Sheppard, a third-generation Great Basin painter, essayist, farmer and environmental activist, as the 30th annual Earle A. Chiles Award winner. The $15,000 cash award, funded by the Chiles Foundation, honors Sheppard’s environmental stewardship and artistic interpretation of the High Desert. During four decades of creative

A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a serial bank robber who shot and wounded a Chino police officer after a 2012 holdup. The FBI says he’s since been linked to four other bank robberies and one attempt in several states, all using an

Bend police released some details Monday about an alcohol-fueled weekend altercation downtown involving a California police sergeant who reportedly displayed a handgun during the dispute. But officers in the continuing investigation said no shots were fired, only minor injuries occurred and they are still sorting through conflicting witness statements, doing interviews and reviewing video evidence.

As winter weather approaches on Santiam Pass on U.S. Hihway20, ODOT and its video image supplier Bend Broadband plan to change out the old analogue microwave video signal system from near Hoodoo Ski Area to Bend and install a new digital link. During this time, the full-motion video for Santiam Pass many of us are

Earlier this summer, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners approved Resolution No. 2014-072, which imposed fire use restrictions on unprotected wild lands within unincorporated Deschutes County. Since current weather patterns have decreased the threat and likelihood of high intensity wild land fires, the Board of Commissioners rescinded the resolution, which was originally set to expire

Certain bats may be approaching wind turbines after mistaking them for trees, according to a study to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, led by U.S. Geological Survey scientist Paul Cryan, was the first to usevideo surveillance camerasto watch bats for several months flying at night near experimentally

Grief counselors were at Redmond schools Monday as several fund-raising efforts emerged after a violent Highway 97 crash that killed a 7-year-old girl and seriously injured three others. Meanwhile, the victim’s stepfather made his first court appearance and a judge increased his bail to $500,000. Two of the four other girls who were in the

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies are seeking witnesses after firefighters doused a small, human-caused brushfire on the east side of Highway 97 in La Pine Monday afternoon. A citizen reported the brushfire shortly after 3:30 p.m. near milepost 166, about a half-mile south of Wickiup Junction, said Sgt. Troy Gotchy. A sheriff’s deputy in the area

The Redmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) would like to announce two events coming up in October – October 8 th is International Bike/Walk to School Day and October 6-19 th is the Oregon Drive Less Challenge. Did you know that children who walk or bike to school are more attentive learners in the

Want to get away? Wish you had a private jet? Well, there’s a prototype in the works which will turn your car into an airplane and your driveway into a runway. “Drive it from your house, take off, and land right where you want to go,” said Sam Bousfield, of Samson Motors, Inc. The action

The City of Redmond is committed to active public involvement in all of its planning initiatives, and as such is seeking volunteers for two significant planning efforts that will soon underway: 1) Updating the Parks Master Plan; and 2) Implementing the Housing and Community Development Plans. “This is a great opportunity for Redmond residents to

From October 27 th through November 8 th (closed Sunday November 2 nd ) local residents are encouraged to define their defensible space by taking advantage of the half price yard debris days. Residents can recycle their yard debris at Deschutes Recycling for HALF PRICE – only $2.00 per cubic yard. FireFree encourages residents to

The fiscal year 2014 contract for the Oregon National Guard’s Joint Transition Assistance Program, known as JTAP, which assists service members and veterans with civilian job placement, has expired, the Oregon Military Department said Monday. The contract employed about 16 contractors across the state and was developed as part of the Reintegration Program to help