Month: October 2014

The city of Redmond announced Wednesday it’s embarking on a $1.2 million Energy Savings Performance Contract to improve city buildings, boost efficiency and cut costs. As part of the project, Ameresco conducted an energy audit on the more than 272,000 square feet of city building space and identified energy conservation measures that the company will

If you have kids in the Bend-La Pine Schools, changes are coming for your family. During meetings this week, officials are working on redrawing new boundary lines. “What brings us here is we’re growing — Bend is growing” Assistant Superintendent Jay Mathisen said Wednesday. It’s a budding community, with nearly 30 schools and thanks to

It is the most expensive ballot measure in Oregon’s history. Between the two sides, nearly $20 million already has been spent on whether or not to require GMO (genetically modified organisms) labeling on food products, as laid out in Measure 92. GMOs can be a range of things, such as corn grown with seeds that

The public health departments of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties are teaming up to promote the Great American Smokeout on November 20, a national day to encourage smokers to quit. The Tri-County team recognizes 3-out-of-4 Oregonians want to quit smoking and they want to encourage residents to use November 20 as the day to kick

A group of landowners and agency representatives has begun studying private and non-federal public lands in Deschutes County to determine — for the first time in over four decades — what lands the Oregon Department of Forestry should protect from wildfire. The Deschutes County Forestland Classification Committee was convened by the Board of County Commissioners

Five target shooters who sparked a 38-acre wildfire near Alfalfa in 2012 were ordered earlier this year to pay more than $17,000 in restitution to the Bureau of Land Management for firefighting costs, the agency revealed Tuesday. The Prineville District of the BLM was awarded restitution on June 9th of $17,569.34 from the five individuals

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Ron Wilkinson announced his plans to retire next June 30th at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. “My 43 years in public education have been extremely rewarding and filled with a multitude of adventures,” Wilkinson said. “The past 17 at Bend-La Pine Schools have been the best.” “We have embraced higher standards

The Deschutes Brewery Cup UCI cyclo-cross weekend scheduled for December 6-7 in Bend’s Old Mill District has been canceled, race organizers said Tuesday. But another fun weekend of costumed racing is still on tap in a few days at the same venue. As for the Deschutes Brewery Cup, “I have not been able to find

The last weekend in October this year is also the first weekend in November – and that means Halloween and the end of Daylight Savings Time occur just a day apart. For motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, trick-or-treaters and party-goers, it brings extra importance to the idea of planning ahead for safety – and for sleep. “Getting

The Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation joined the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday in reminding motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to use extra caution on Halloween night. Nationwide, Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to the high number of drunk drivers on the roads and the increase in pedestrians during

Five years after a raid on a Powell Butte ranch found over a dozen emaciated horses, kicking off a lengthy legal battle with their owner, a California man was sentenced Monday to two months in jail, 80 hours of community service and five years’ probation, during which he’s not allowed to own any horses or

Retail gas prices are down in 40 states and Washington D.C. this week, with Oregon drivers enjoying the largest weekly drop in the nation of 15 cents, and the largest monthly drop of 48 cents, AAA Oregon-Idaho reported Tuesday. The Oregon average for regular unleaded is $3.21, which is the lowest price since Feb. 1,

Oregon has the 12th-best business tax climate in the U.S. according to the latest edition of the State Business Tax Climate Index , released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. The Beaver State’s rank remains unchanged from its 12th place ranking last October. The Index, now in its 11 th edition, measures how well structured

It will cost you a little more to heat your home or operate your business with natural gas this winter. On Tuesday, the Oregon Public Utility Commission approved new rates to take effect beginning Saturday, Nov. 1, to reflect changes in commodity natural gas prices. PUC officials said prices are higher due to colder than

The city of Bend is seeking applicants for two positions on the Budget Committee. Committee members are appointed for four year terms and provide recommendations to the Council for adoption of the biennial budget. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m., Friday, November 14 at Bend City Hall, 710 NW Wall St. in Bend. For

Be part of a team and make a difference! The La Pine Senior Center is actively seeking volunteer Meals on Wheels drivers to deliver nutritious meals, warm smiles, and safety checks that help keep our seniors healthy, safe, and living independently in their own homes. Adopt a route either as an individual, an organization, a

One of the High Desert’s biggest players in the tourism industry has always anchored in Bend, but soon, the Central Oregon Visitors Association will move to Sunriver. “The highest number of visitor volume in the region is in Sunriver,” COVA President and CEO Alana Hughson said Monday. Hughson said it makes more sense for the

Strong winds ripped through the High Desert on Saturday, and on Sunday the mountains got a healthy dose of early snow. But where the wild weather left damage, the cleanup revved up on Monday. “We had debris everywhere,” said Gordon Knight of Tumalo Lavender. He came home Saturday night to his greenhouse completely stripped. “Our

Ballot returns start slow in Oregon’s mail-ballot system. But the closer the election gets, the more people head to the ballot box (or the mailbox). In the tri-county area, more than 100,000 people received ballots for the Nov. 4 election in recent weeks. “We’re still working on the ballots that came in from the mail

Oregon State Police, Madras police and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office joined the hunt Monday for the cause of an early-Sunday fire that destroyed the century-old Old Madras Hotel and threatened nearby motel units that fire crews saved. Tom Jaca, assistant fire chief for Jefferson County Fire District No. 1, put an estimate on