Month: March 2015

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., fought to restore a crucial lifeline for roads, schools and first-responders in Oregon’s cash-strapped rural communities, in an amendment he attached to the federal budget bill on Thursday. Wyden’s amendment is a first step to renewing the expired Secure Rural Schools program, which provided more than $107 million to 32 Oregon

State Senator Tim Knopp (R- Bend) and Representative Gene Whisnant (R- Sunriver)announceda joint town hallschedule Friday, March 27th and Saturday, March 28th in Redmond and Sunriver. Whisnant and Knopp will provide their thoughts on the 2015 Legislative Session, field questions fromconstituents, and seek input from those who are in attendance. Town Hall Schedule RedmondWhen: Friday,

Backers of an expansive, high-level “vision” for the future of Mirror Pond and Bend’s downtown riverfront have said the mostly positive reaction broke a long-time community split over whether residents want to remove or retain the century-old dam that created the iconic pond (and the silt that fills it). But after hours of often-critical testimony

Governor Kate Brown on Thursday ordered all flags at public institutions throughout Oregon be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday to honor former Oregon statesman and public servant David Frohnmayer. “I am heartbroken at the loss of my wonderful and brilliant friend Dave Frohnmayer,” said Governor Kate Brown. “His deep love of

The Crook County Emergency Management Office forwarded a drought declaration request to Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday, after county commissioners adopted a “local disaster” declaration Wednesday evening. The Crook County Court passed Order 2015-15: IN THE MATTER OF: DECLARATION OF LOCAL DISASTER AND REQUEST TO DECLARE A STATE DROUGHT EMERGENCY FOR CROOK COUNTY, OREGON. Commissioners

Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Transportation are teaming up to keep Spring Break travelers safe on Oregon’s roads this year. Together, they want to help you make this a safe and memorable travel time. Travel safety involves taking responsibility for your own behaviors, as well as watching out for one another. It

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced legislation Thursday to encourage geothermal energy production on public lands. The Geothermal Production Expansion Act prevents speculative bidders from driving up the price of leases for developers seeking to use the land for geothermal projects. The bill streamlines the federal geothermal leasing program by allowing for the

The Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Land Conservation and Development, and Deschutes County will hold open houses in April regarding an exception to Statewide Planning Goal 11 to allow sewers in unincorporated portions of southern Deschutes County. The meetings will be held from 1-3:00 p.m. and again from 6-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7

The eastbound lane of Oregon 126 (Highland Avenue) in Redmond will be closed for five days, beginning at 9 a.m. Monday , so crews can replace a railroad crossing, ODOT officials said Thursday. The closure will be at milepost 0.27 at the railroad tracks just east of Highway 97. The westbound lane will remain open.

About 15 million Americans are victims of ID theft every year in the U.S., and Oregon now has the dubious honor of ranking third in the nation for the crime, according to a recent report by the Federal Trade Commission. “Oregon traditionally has been ranked in the 30s in terms of per capita ID theft

A Powell Butte woman faces DUII, hit-and-run and other charges in a pickup-bicycle crash near Antelope Saturday evening that injured a Keizer man who was found lying on the highway several hours later by a passing motorist, Oregon State Police said. The cyclist, John Henry Maurice, 59, was taken first by ambulance to St. Charles

Spring is just around the corner and warm weather is already drawing Northwesterners outdoors for fun as well as home and yard maintenance projects. Before you reach for that ladder, extended pruner or fielder’s glove, be conscious of overhead power line locations. “It is easy to forget that the power lines supplying your house are

High school students across the state created videos that are full of drama, humor, and interesting characters to increase awareness about workplace safety with the message, “Speak up. Work safe.” The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) sponsors the annual video contest to engage teen workers, who are twice as likely to be injured on

After a long and costly search, Central Oregon Community College has hired a new president, and her name is Dr. Shirley Metcalf. “I’m very excited,” Metcalf said Wednesday. After a nationwide search, costing more than $100,000, their ideal leader was right under their noses the whole time. “We asked: ‘Is Dr. Metcalf the right person

Fuels Specialists on the Deschutes National Forest will be igniting a five-acre prescribed burn Thursday about three miles south of Bend. The small plot will be used to help students in a multi-agency Fire Investigation class. The five-day, multi-agency course will begin on Monday and is designed to train Forest Service and municipal firefighters and

When looking to take advantage of the sun-filled days, you might want to check out a new way of exercising, while also taking out some aggression: bubble soccer. It can be described as “bumper cars meets field day,” says Bend Bubble Soccer owner Kim Birchfield/ Bubble soccer is the latest craze to roll into Central

The United States has the world’s highest incarceration rate. For every 100,000 residents, we have 500 prisoners. But Oregon is headed the opposite direction, and that’s evident in the two parts of the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution, east of Madras – one open for 7 1/2 years, the other never having housed a single prisoner.

House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) on Tuesday congratulated the schools of House District 55 that were selected to participate in the Nike School Innovation Fund College and Career Readiness Program. Five schools that represent students living in HD 55 will each receive grants, training and other materials to help promote college and career

Anabelle is a 4-year-old Bend girl who has a disease that slowly erodes her brain. She cannot walk, and this week, someone stole the stroller she uses to get around. The crime occurred on Sunday night, but Anabelle’s mom, Alex Wilson, didn’t notice until the next day. “I came out Monday morning to take her

Oregon’s children continue to face significant barriers to success, Children First for Oregon’s said Wednesday in its newly released 2015 Progress Report, urging lawmakers to enact a $15-an-hour minimum wage and devote more funding to early-childhood education. “Despite slight improvements in some areas, progress for children is largely stalled – but by adopting policies under