Month: November 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The fate of a little-noticed ballot measure in strongly Democratic Oregon serves as a warning to President Barack Obama and his party about the political perils of immigration policy. Even as Oregon voters were legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding Democratic majorities in state government, they decided by a margin of 66-34

Snowshoe, a male hybrid lynx who has lived at the High Desert Museum for nine years, died Tuesday night, officials say . He had been under a veterinarian’s care recently for kidney failure. Snowshoe’s exact age isn’t known, but it’s believed he was in his 20s, having lived much longer than lynx do in the

Local volunteer and community activist Lindsay Greco is passionate about the holiday season. Not only does she enjoy celebrating with a Christmas tree, but she wants others to have the same opportunity, which is why she founded The Christmas Tree Project of Bend. The organization is dedicated to providing free, decorated Christmas trees to those

Bend workers at the U.S. Postal Service held a protest Friday afternoon of service cutbacks, including closure of the local mail processing center. The USPS is cutting about 80 mail processing location across the country, including here in Bend. That means about 20 or so people could lose their job by April of next year.

Redmond Municipal Airport reopened for flights Friday afternoon, about 21 hours after it was closed due to freezing rain that worsened snow and ice conditions on the runways. “What we’re looking at is what we’re calling a ‘braking actions report,’” airport Director Jeffrey Tripp said Friday. “That’s just determining when airplanes are taking off and

Just about all Central Oregon schools were closed Friday, some for a second day, after Thursday’s snow was followed by a foot or more in areas, plus a severe bout of freezing rain that left roads treacherous and officials urging everyone to stay off them if at all possible. Among the closures: Bend-La Pine, Redmond,

A La Pine-area resident who left cat food on the front porch said a black bear showed up for the meal instead Friday evening, the second such incident in the area in less than three weeks, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Around 7:10 p.m., Davis Avenue resident Connie Wilson, who lives northwest of the city

A La Pine woman was startled Tuesday night to spot a black bear on her front porch, eating cat food. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies were called in and didn’t find the animal, but said they did find a bear print on the porch, near the cat food dish. Sharon Davis and another neighbor near the

Unemployment tax rates for most Oregon employers will decline Jan. 1, the Oregon Employment Department said Friday. Employers that pay into the system will move from Schedule 6 to Schedule 5, saving the average Oregon employer about $63 per employee annually, the agency said. Tax Schedule 5 includes an average rate of 2.53 percent for

(Editors’ note: Mr. Pies recently shared with NewsChannel 21 a judge’s court order that indicate his conviction on these charges were set aside and his record was expunged, which we have verified by checking Oregon’s online court files, where they no longer exist.) A 40-year-old Bend man is charged with sending explicit photos on Snapchat to a

The weight of a foot or more of wet, heavy snow (and freezing rain) apparently proved to be too much for the roofs of two industrial buildings, in Prineville and Redmond, which collapsed about two hours apart Friday morning, fortunately causing no injuries, authorities said. Crook County Fire & Rescue was dispatched shortly after 7

The scheduled sentencing of Richard Gustafson on sex abuse and child pornography charges has been postponed indefinitely after he was involved in a jail altercation and received medical treatment, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Sheriff’s Lt. Scott Lutz would not confirm whether the scheduled 3 p.m. Thursday sentencing was postponed as a result of the

Despite the winter weather that has descended on Central Oregon, residents in the Bend area took advantage of the Half Price Yard Debris Sale and delivered 10,608 cubic yards of flammable yard waste to Deschutes Recycling. This is a 38% increase from the previous year! In partnership with the FireFree program, Deschutes Recycling offered the

Here’s a growing list of other services, events and activities canceled or rescheduled due to Friday’s snow and freezing rain. If you have others to add, please e-mail stories@ktvz.com – thanks. -Deschutes County Circuit Court closing at 3 p.m. Friday, due to reopen Monday for regular business hours. -Crook/Jefferson Circuit Courts closed at noon Friday

The 2014 Sustainability Awards were announced by The Environmental Center Thursday night at a celebration at the Cascade Culinary Institute’s Elevation Restaurant. The Environmental Center received 13 nominations and the winners were selected by a community review committee. “Sustainability is a big, complex topic,” said Mike Riley, executive director of The Environmental Center. “Achieving it

A 91-year-old pickup driver from Bend was killed on Highway 26 east of Prineville Thursday when he apparently lost control on the snow- and ice-covered road and crashed down a steep embankment and into a juniper tree, Oregon State Police reported. Troopers were dispatched around 12:45 p.m. to the reported crash on Highway 26 near

With the arrival of snowy weather,, the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee wants to remind property owners they need to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice for safety and legal reasons. Many people are not aware of the particular codes that exist in each city in Deschutes County – these codes ensure

When you’re hungry, probably the only thing on your mind before you order is how delicious it’s going to taste — not how safe it is to eat. That’s where Eric Mone and his team come in. “On a routine inspection, we are doing an inspection of safe food-handling practices and cleanliness and sanitation,” he

The first widespread snowfall of the season hit just as predicted, if not more so Thursday across the High Desert, dumping a half-foot or more in many areas, making roads slick and prompting many school closures and delays. The treacherous roads apparently turned deadly Thursday afternoon, as Oregon State Police reported one person died in

The City of Bend has created a new, online opportunity for public input as Vacation Home Rental regulations are developed. Log into www.bendvoice.org and weigh in. Comments from the online forum will be shared with the Vacation Home Rental Task Force, made up of community volunteers, who will identify issues and proposesolutions for managing Vacation