Month: September 2014

W. Randy Miller was sworn in as Circuit Court Judge in a ceremony held Thursday at the Deschutes County Justice Building. Presiding Judge Alta J. Brady presided over the ceremony and Judge Wells B. Ashby administered the Oath of Office. Judge Miller takes the position previously held by Circuit Court Judge Barbara Haslinger, who retired

A temporary area closure will begin on Sunday afternoon and is expected to end on Monday evening on the Sisters Ranger District to provide for public safety as officials use explosives to remove the last remaining concrete dam on Whychus Creek. The area will be closed to the public beginning Sunday at 5 pm. The

Now that the 2014 college football season kicked off last weekend in Oregon, the Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation urge football fans heading to Eugene for the game of the week to plan now to have an alert, sober and safe driver. Traffic heading south to Eugene for the University of Oregon

Two Bend residents arrested after a high-speed pursuit of a stolen car late last month are among three men who police said Thursday were involved in the thefts of four four-wheelers, a motorcycle, pickup, bicycle and gun around the city in recent weeks. All have since been recovered, but police are still seeking more information

A northwest Bend home was heavily damaged by a fire early Thursday morning that investigators said began when the lithium battery of a charging electric bicycle caught fire. “I heard a loud pop and then I saw flames shooting out of the garage,” Suzanne Flegel, who lives next door, said later Thursday. The fire left

A fire that caused $220,000 in damage at a northwest Bend home early Thursday, forcing residents to flee and neighbors to evacuated, was traced to a failed lithium battery on an electric bike being charged in the garage, investigators said. Firefighters were called shortly after midnight to the two-story home at 2467 NW Second Street

Cascade All-Star Gymnastics in Bend closed and moved out over the holiday weekend, leaving many parents confused and frustrated. “I called their phone number, which has been disconnected,” parent Carol Scott said Wednesday. “Went to their Website, which doesn’t even exist any more.” “I showed up today, wanted to re-enroll my kids — and the

Mothers who live in neighborhoods with plenty of grass, trees or other green vegetation are more likely to deliver at full term and their babies are born at higher weights, compared to mothers who live in urban areas that aren’t as green, a new study shows. The findings held up even when results were adjusted

Two campers’ warming fire escaped and sparked a brushfire near Highway 20 and Black Butte Thursday morning, burning about of an acre – and serving as a reminder that the woods remain very dry as summer draws to a close. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies. Black Butte Ranch police and fire, and Sisters-Camp Sherman firefighters responded

Oregon State University – Cascades’ research portfolio continued to expand in the fiscal year ending June 30, with more than $2.5 million in grant funding awarded, officials said Thursday. The research grants will further work in the fields of energy research, teaching, mental health and natural resources. Nearly a quarter of the funding was awarded

The NFL kicks off its regular season tonight, and that is prompting some rearranging of the NewsChannel 21 schedule. NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will be seen at 4 p.m., followed by the NFL season kickoff pre-game show and the Green Bay Packers taking on the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks at 5 p.m.

Secretary of State Kate Brown is asking Oregon teachers to encourage their students to submit essays to be included in the 2015-16 Oregon Blue Book. Secretary Brown would like to engage Oregon’s elementary, middle and high school students with the following essay questions: For elementary school students: Why do you like living in Oregon? (75-150

Raising a child is expensive. Raising three costs even more. When all three need braces and the orthodontist estimates for the last child it will be $5,000, some families just have to find another way. “What typically prevents them from accessing care is finances,” says Dr. Juliana Panchura, one of the founders of SMILE Central

Exports from Deschutes County (the Bend-Redmond metro area) totaled a record $119 million last year, up 27 percent, or $26 million from 2012, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration reported Tuesday. “The Department of Commerce is dedicated to assisting U.S. firms in meeting the needs of global consumers while strengthening our economy and

Each holiday season, the Central Oregon Council on Aging (COCOA) receives donations of gifts to distribute to their Meals on Wheels clients. COCOA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting dignity, well-being, security and independence for Central Oregon’s senior citizens and disabled adults, is the designated Area Agency on Aging, and administers the Meals on

This year, AARP Foundation is again providing free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low to moderate income through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. But, first they are recruiting volunteers in all areas of the state. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 46th year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service, giving

Winners of the 2014 Creative and Artistic competitions hosted by the Oregon State Fair have been posted online. Hundreds of Oregonians from throughout the state contributed artwork, baked goods, sewing and other hobbies to be displayed at this year’s fair, which concluded on Labor Day. Prior to fair, expert judges determined first-, second- and third-place

Central Oregon law enforcement agencies on Wednesday reported the results of their four-day High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) campaign dedicated to DUII enforcement occurring over the Labor Day holiday weekend. The Bend Police Department dedicated officers to both grant funded overtime and straight time enforcement over the holiday weekend resulting in four DUII arrests, four driving

Ten small brushfires broke out within minutes and miles of each other on the east side of Highway 97 south of Bend late Tuesday afternoon, sending police and fire crews scrambling to get them out and divert traffic. Investigators said later that very hot pieces of a catalytic converter from a motor home’s failed exhaust

SMART (Start Making A Reader Today ), the statewide early literacy nonprofit organization, has been named the recipient of the 2014 Library of Congress Literacy Award in the American Prize Category. SMART was selected from hundreds of applications from organizations throughout the nation. The award is a major honor for the pioneering nonprofit that, over