Month: February 2015

Senators Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced legislation Wednesday to ensure that those traveling with a properly secured knife are not prosecuted under local or state laws which ban certain knives. “Americans who are transporting a pocket knife shouldn’t have to worry that they will be arrested for just passing through,” said Enzi.

The public is no longer allowed to use the Stevens Road Tract on Southeast 27 th Street and Stevens Road from the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The Oregon Department of State Lands signed an emergency closure notice Monday. Signs were posted on the property explaining the new rules regarding the land. The

Deschutes County commissioners unanimously backed retiring Deschutes County Sheriff Larry Blanton’s pick for his successor Wednesday, voting to appoint Capt. Shane Nelson to the position, effective July 1. Nelson, 44, will serve the remaining term of office for Blanton, whose current term was set to end in January 2017. The next four-year term for sheriff

Westside Cafe & Bakery in Bend closed its doors for good in December. Since then, many have wondered what will take its place. On Tuesday, officials from the city of Bend told NewsChannel 21 that Oblivion Brewing Co. applied for a permit. Remodeling is already under way, but the city of Bend had stopped construction

High Desert Chamber is pleased to announce the addition of celebrated violinist Phillip Ruder to the Board of Advisors. He is well-known to the Central Oregon community as the former Concertmaster of the Sunriver Music Festival, and on a national level, he has served as Concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 21 years. After

Bend Endurance Academy’s enrollment for Spring and Summer mountain biking programs are now open for the 2015 season. The program offerings have something for every level of youth rider including some new additions to the already popular cycling program. New for the 2015 season is the Balance Biker program for children ages 2 – 4,

The Oregon State Archives on Wednesday invited Oregon’s schoolchildren to be part of history by helping to restore and regularly display Oregon’s Constitution. Our original state Constitution from 1857 is weathered and its binding is in need of repair, and due to security and preservation concerns, the Constitution is kept locked away from public view,

Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, is starting a $400,000 grant program to help small businesses fund research and development of new, innovative products. The fund will support Oregon small businesses that want to earn a share of the $2.5 billion awarded annually in highly competitive federal research grants. Oregon currently ranks in the

A team of scientists from Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is studying an unusual fish captured alive in a crab pot near Port Orford this week called a striped knifejaw that is native to Japan, as well as China and Korea. The appearance in Oregon waters of the fish

The Oregon Public Safety Academy will graduate its 93rd Basic Telecommunications Class on Friday, February 27 , at the Oregon Public Safety Academy at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon at 11 am. Chief Les Stiles of the City of Prineville Police Department will be the guest speaker. All family and friends of students, supervisors,

On Tuesday night, the No. 1-ranked Mountain View basketball team took the court to play Bend in the Civil War. But it’s the story off the court involving a well-known Bend man that brought the community together, in color purple and spirit. Jason Heffner is known for the work he’s done building the Little League

Sunriver police released photos and surveillance video Tuesday in hopes the public can help them find a burglar who broke into a store early Sunday and stole cigarettes, cigars and lighters. The Marketplace Store was broken into on Sunday between 12:30 and 12:45 a.m., causing about $1,000 damage in doing so, said Chief Mark Mills.

Weather forecasters are predicting a return to winter weather over the next few days in Central Oregon and other areas east of the Cascades. The Oregon Department of Transportation is advising motorists to be prepared for an accumulation of snow on the region’s highways. The latest weather reports indicate a prolonged period of light snow

A flock of about 90 backyard birds in Tumalo found to have a highly pathogenic avian influenza has been euthanized and a quarantine zone established, but no new cases have been detected in Deschutes County, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. The ODA, working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has been in the

The Bend Cultural Tourism Commission met in January and discussed almost 20 letters of interest received for the first year of the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund. The next step in the process is the application submittals, which are due March 31 by 5:00 pm. The application is open to organizations with proposals supporting cultural tourism

After months of debate, Bend’s Vacation Home Rental Task Force is pushing the proposals they made forward. Changes are on the way for rentals in Bend. The Bend Planning Commission heard from many residents Monday night at City Hall. Due to the change in tourism and vacationing within the city, and a fast-rising tide of

Taylor NW, contractor for City of Redmond’s 2015 Stormwater Improvement Project, has firmed up their plans for work adjacent to Black Butte Blvd. in the Dry Canyon. To minimize impact on school traffic, they will complete their work between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25 . Black Butte Blvd. and the Dry Canyon

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., announced Tuesday that the 2015 Congressional Art Competition is now open to high school students throughout Oregon’s Second District. This exciting annual event is a chance for artistically talented high school students to showcase their talents and have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. The Congressional Art

Effective Monday, the public is restricted from entering or otherwise using the state-owned Stevens Road Tract, southeast of Bend, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily, and from using firearms or driving vehicles on the 640-acre property. Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) Director Mary Abrams signed the emergency closure notice Monday . Exceptions to

Norovirus causes 21 million illnesses nationwide every year. The most recent outbreak in Central Oregon happened last week at Stone Lodge Retirement Community. “It happens every year all over,” Heather Kaisner, communicable disease supervisor at Deschutes County Public Health said Monday. Retirement communities are common places for infection to occur. “Last week, we had several