Month: January 2015

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission voted Friday to ask the Legislature for some kind of peace officer authority in order to adequately enforce the rules under Measure 91, which legalizes recreational marijuana starting July 1. “We don’t want the agency to be a paper tiger when it comes to enforcing the law,” said OLCC Chairman

Oregon’s graduation rates are the worst in the nation, at 72 percent, and Crook County School District ranked even worse than that. Just 30 percent of students in the district received a high school diploma in the latest school year. But according to officials, there are many problems with that number. “We had a miscalculation

A cougar lounging in a tree high above a southeast Bend home was tranquilized and captured by wildlife officials and law enforcement Friday afternoon as shocked neighbors watched and snapped photos. “I just saw all the officers and I thought, what is going down?” said one woman who lives on the block. “I would have

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber faced a barrage of questions from reporters Friday over the latest revelations involving fiancee Cylvia Hayes, saying they had tried to navigate uncharted waters to keep her professional work separate from her relationship. He also said he won’t resign, still loves Hayes and that they still plan to marry, but also

At noon on Friday , 100+ Women Who Care of Central Oregonpresented a check for $25,300 to the Central Oregon Disability Support Network. “This amazing and unexpected donation from100+ Women Who Carewill allow us to turn our dream into a reality,” says Stephanie Utzman, COCSN Program Director. Recently, Blue Fish Dental donated the use of

The 39th Annual U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle online registration is now open. The event this year is May 16th, 2015. Click here to register! https://endurancecui.active.com/event-reg/select-race?e=12973753 The U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle is a multi sport event that includes Alpine and Cross Country skiing, cycling, running and kayaking. The race is produced and a benefit

One of the Northwest’s biggest grocers is looking to grow in Bend, but it’s far from a done deal. City infrastructure issues have slowed Fred Meyer’s plans to open a store in the northern part of Bend. But on Thursday night, representatives shared their visions of the new store with residents of the Boyd Acres

A new housing development in northeast Bend is not only preparing for dozens of new homes near the Sandalwood neighborhood, but also leaving some nearby neighbors wondering if their homes will survive the project’s blasting. “It has been a war zone,” resident Mary Pitts said Thursday. She lives right on the edge of the work.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials say funding for road maintenance and other transportation needs is declining. More and more vehicles are becoming more fuel-efficient, lessening the number of trips to the pump. The state will be the first in the nation to implement a new program that charges drivers for each mile they commute. “People

The Red Cross was called to help three people whose home was hit by a destructive attic fire northwest of Prineville on Thursday morning, causing an estimated $30,000 damage. Crook County Fire and Rescue responded to Northwest Reata Road at 10 a.m. and arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the gable-end vents

Search and rescue canines train for the worst. They were developed to be used during catastrophic events like 9/11, the Joplin Mo. tornadoes and more recently the Oso, Wash. mudslide. They bring people home, dead or alive. The dogs train with human remains. Oregon law makes it tricky for trainers to get their hands on

The Bend Police Department Citizen’s Academy has received recognition as a national and regional model and continues to be a highly popular program in the Bend community. The goal of the program is to inform and educate participants about the Bend Police Department and the variety of ways it carries out its mission. Instruction covers

Two lawsuits over city of Bend controversies that were dismissed in late 2014 are being revived in the new years, promising more legal debate over the Bend Surface Water Improvement Project and the residency qualifications of new City Councilor Casey Roats. The dispute over Roats is whether he compiled with a city charter requirement that

To say the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can make or break a family’s income for the year, is not an understatement. For the 2013 tax year, the average refund in Oregon was over $2,000. That’s why NeighborImpact is recognizing the national Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day event this Friday. EITC puts cash in

Football fans around Oregon are gearing up for this weekend’s Super Bowl match-up on Sunday , as our neighbors to the north contend for top honors in the big event. According to NHTSA, impaired drivers contribute to Super Bowl Sunday becoming one of the most dangerous days on the road. Nationwide, about 48 percent of

ODOT is conducting a study that will analyze whether minority- and women-owned businesses have equal access to contracting opportunities within Oregon’s transportation contracting industry and with ODOT’s own contracts. Keen Independent Research will manage the study, which will include public meetings, interviews, data analysis and more. The study findings will help the department operate the

Bend-La Pine Schools have higher graduation rates than the state average, but the good news ends there. Oregon ranks dead last in a recent nationwide survey. Only 72 percent of Oregon’s students graduated in the 2013/2014 school year, figures released Thursday showed. “The Bend-La Pine School District still has work to do,” said Shay Mikalson,

Andy Higgins MD, FACS, a Bend-based breast and general surgeon, has been named co-chairman of the St. Charles Cancer Center’s Comprehensive Breast Program along with Dr. Linyee Chang, a radiation oncologist and medical director of St. Charles Cancer Center. Higgins and Chang, along with several other Central Oregon caregivers, have been involved with the St.

Come have a smile and a giggle over the dogs, cats and other pets of yesteryear through the Des Chutes Historical Museum’s newest exhibit Pet Tales: Furry Friends in Photographs 1900 to 1960. The exhibit runs through April 11. From the beginning of photography, our beloved pets have been the subject of numerous photographs. Whether

Oregon released graduation rates for the 2013-14 school year Thursday, showing the number of students graduating up to 72 percent from 68.7 percent a year ago, reflecting steady growth over the last five years — and a broader definition change that the state calls a fairer way to report the numbers. With a recent report