Month: April 2015

A hazardous materials team was called out to clean up a spill early Sunday morning after a milk tanker truck overturned on Highway 97 north of Madras, Oregon State Police said. Initial information indicated the driver, Brent Braun, 61, of Selah, Wash., “may have experienced some kind of medical event” and left the roadway near

Central Oregonians are used to hazy skies from prescribed burns — but forecasters say this weekend’s haze came from escaped grass fires in Siberia that have swept through nearly 60 villages and killed more than 20 people. The wind-whipped wildfires last week originated with grassland fires set by Russian farmers preparing for spring planting, officials

The city of Bend is asking for public input to select a preferred Galveston Avenue design concept to present to the Bend City Council for final approval. The concepts represent this project vision from the Galveston Task Force and City of Bend: Northwest Galveston will reflect the small-town character of Bend while providing a model

This may leave some critics fit to be tied, but Bend just made another Top 10 list, this time coming in No. 6 in a ranking out Saturday of the “Most Fitness-Friendly Cities in America.” As with other such lists, they compared “metro areas,” which in Bend’s case actually encompasses all of Deschutes County. Still,

One of three Salem-area teens camping southwest of Sisters called Deschutes County dispatchers late Saturday afternoon to report he became separated from his companions, lost the trail and had been wandering for four hours, prompting a rescue effort, officials said. Sheriff’s Search and Rescue was dispatched around 5 p.m. after Broek Dyer, 18, of Woodburn,

A La Pine woman whose SUV crossed the center line and struck a semi-truck nearly head-on Thursday afternoon apparently suffered a temporary medical condition that incapacitated her, causing the crash, Oregon State Police said Friday. Four good Samaritans stopped and managed to free Kathleen Collins, 60, from the burning wreckage moments before the 2010 Chevy

A Bend man is one of six members of an international team embarking on a mission to help NASA track changes in the ice sheet inside the Arctic Circle. Darren Hill is a member of the team the leaves next Wednesday for the Arctic Circle to test data on the ice sheets of Greenland. The

Sunriver has been honored by the American Arbor Day Foundation for its 35th anniversary as a “Tree City USA.” Sunriver is the oldest Tree City USA community east of the Cascades, and one of 56 in the state. In Oregon, only Eugene (36 years), Portland (37 years) and Salem (38 years) have received this designation

More than $500,000 is coming Redmond’s way for streets to serve two new businesses, as approved this week by the Oregon Transportation Commission. Heather Richards, Redmond’s community development director, said the two grants from the state’s “Immediate Opportunity Fund” will help create 48 new jobs and keep another 165 jobs in town. One portion of

With a warm weekend at hand, the Deschutes National Forest and their campground concessionaire, Hoodoo, opened 10 campgrounds and their facilities to the public on Friday. Campgrounds and facilities that opened about a month earlier than normal, due to the low snowpack, are the following: North Twin Big River Fall River Pringle Falls Wyeth Bull

A bid by state Rep. Knute Buehler to allow access to birth control without a doctor’s prescription failed to make it out of committee Friday, but the Bend Republican said he will continue working to address the issue. The Oregon House Health Care Committee passed HB 2028, a measure to adjust the services pharmacists can

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will set ocean salmon and Pacific halibut seasons and discuss the status of wolves when it meets in Bend next Friday. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. at Deschutes National Forest Office, 63095 Deschutes Market Rd., Bend, OR 97701. See the full meeting agenda here: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes/15/04_April/index.asp ODFW staff

The Crook County School District’s newest elementary — Barnes Butte — is now about two-thirds complete and on track for its fall debut, school officials said Friday. Starting in September, roughly 660 students will attend the $15 million school, paid for by a $33 million bond measure voters passed in 2013. The 72,000-square0foot building will

The Humane Society of Central Oregon is helping people put a spring into their step with a new best friend, by reducing all dog adoption fees by 40%! This promotion is for a limited time, so run to the shelter to meet your new buddy at the Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend. Right

Rockfall improvements start off with a bang next week along a three-mile section of U.S. Highway 26 on Mt. Hood west of Government Camp. Flagging, highway and trail closures protect travelers from falling and exploding rocks as rockfall work gets underway on a safety improvement project. Road closures for rock blasting A section of U.S.

Every eight minutes in America, someone risks their life by striking an underground utility line. Pacific Power urges customers to protect themselves and their families and change this alarming statistic with one simple act: dialing 8-1-1 two days before doing any digging. “Installing a mail box or post for a deck or planting a tree

Manufacturing and engineering students at Bend Senior High School have are using their technical skills to establish habitat for small animals on the school campus as a way to recognize and celebrate Earth Day. The Woodworking and Introduction to Engineering Design classes have been working on a unit of study that incorporates the role of

Two Redmond residents have been arrested in a robbery at knifepoint from a southwest Redmond motel and most of the victim’s property was recovered, police said Thursday. Officers investigated the reported robbery at the Village Squire Motel at 629 SW Fifth Street that occurred around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, said Lt. Mike Kidwell. The victim

Beginning Friday and continuing for the next several days, fuels specialists intend to begin burning about 430 acres near Highway 31 southeast of La Pine in the vicinity of Hole-in-the-Ground. The Ponderosa pine-dominated unit was previously burned nine years ago. Consequently, project objectives include reducing the natural buildup of fuels to maintain desirable conditions. No

Have you ever wondered how you could get a bike facility, sidewalk or street crossing on your favorite route? It’s all about the data. And the city of Bend needs volunteers to collect that data. The city prioritizes its limited resources to projects that provide the largest community benefit. So, the city is counting people