Month: May 2015

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced legislation Wednesday night to update America’s aging power grid and provide more reliable, low-cost, renewable energy to consumers in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. The Smart Grid Act of 2015 establishes a Department of Energy program that provides competitive, cost-share grants to cities, electric utilities and local businesses

April was National Distracted Driving Month and the Bend Police Department, Bend-La Pine Schools, Oregon Department of Transportation, Bend Fire Department and several departments in the city made substantial efforts increasing public awareness of the dangers in distracted driving. Between April 21 and 25, Bend police focused on enforcement and education of drivers driving distracted,

Before you head outside to enjoy the beautiful spring weather on Saturday , don’t forget to help your mail carrier fight hunger in Central Oregon. This Saturday , May 9 th , is the national Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food drive. The drive has delivered more than a billion pounds of food over the

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, through May 9, is a time to raise public awareness about the challenges and causes important to children’s behavioral health, and to highlight the importance of positive mental health from birth. Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, the official observance day, Thursday, May 7. For over 20 years, Deschutes County

A union representing 20,000 education professionals throughout Oregon surprised an accounting technician at Bend Senior High School by naming her its 2015 Employee of the Year at a ceremony held Wednesday at the high school library. Debbie Christian, who has worked for the Bend-La Pine School District for the last seven years, was selected by

A 19-year-old Bend teen traveling the world brought great relief to his family and friends early Monday, checking in from Nepal to report he was okay and working to help others in the wake of a devastating earthquake. Joshua Edwards “contacted us at 6:15 a.m. today alive and well from Beni, Nepal!!!” his aunt, Susan

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has been hosting a Marine Law Enforcement Academy for new marine patrols from around the state, and their final “classroom” came Wednesday on the waters of Lake Billy Chinook. A total of 28 students from 13 counties, including Oregon State Police, were in their second week of training. The two-week

Thunderstorms that pelted much of the High Desert with hail Wednesday also brought hundreds of lightning strikes – one that hit a tree just outside a northwest Bend home, damaging its electrical system, authorities said. Fire crews were called just before 6 p.m. to a reported house fire in the 2100 block of Northwest Rimrock

PacifiCorp will buy the electricity produced by what will be the state’s largest solar facility being built on the site of a long-closed lumber mill in the picturesque town of Bly, 50 miles east of Klamath Falls. “By the end of 2015, our customers will be using the power being produced here,” Stefan Bird, CEO

On Wednesday morning, a New Jersey man and his wife sat on the couch of his aunt’s Prineville home, looking at old family photos. Just a few months ago, they knew nothing of their family ties — or that each other even existed. “I was very shocked — my goodness, things like this just don’t

Thanks to surging tourism, the city of Bend has taken in $5.9 million in room tax collections over the past fiscal year, about $700,000 more than projected. “It’s good news for everybody,” said Dough LaPlaca, CEO of Visit Bend, said Wednesday. The added funds come in part from an increase in tourism, which upped demand

What parent doesn’t have questions? Is your child’s development on track? Will their smile last a lifetime and can they hear and see okay? Health and development from birth through age five is critical to your child’s success. Healthy Beginnings can help you answer these questions and more. There are no eligibility requirements for this

A 14-year-old Tumalo girl walking home from the school bus Wednesday afternoon said a persistent stranger repeatedly tried to give her a ride several times and became angry when she said no, eventually driving off, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies were dispatched around 2:20 p.m. to the report of a suspicious man in the

The Oregon House voted unanimously Wednesday in support of HJM 14, a measure introduced by Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, to help veterans access local health care through existing federal programs such as Patient-Centered Community Care (PC3) and Choice. “Central Oregon has a large veteran community. I’ve heard the first-hand accounts of delayed treatment and bureaucratic

In 2009, the economy was anything but conducive to opening a business dependent on discretionary income, but that didn’t stop Jenna Walden. She started Anjou Spa in Bend during that year of soaring unemployment, hiring a dozen people. Lured by the Central Oregon sun and a local culture with outdoor recreation at its core, she

In a way, you could say that Scot Brees was guided to Bend by flashlight. The Bay Area native was working in technology management in Silicon Valley for companies such as eBay and Apple and discovered Bend in the 1990s while opening new stores for Costco Wholesale. In 2006, he became intrigued by TechShop, a

With some of America’s most scenic roads and hundreds of miles of continuous mountain biking trails, Central Oregon is arguably the nation’s ultimate spot for cycling. Here on the sun-drenched, dry side of the Cascades, biking amid teeming wilderness is possible year-round, but spring is when the fun and adventure amplifies, with world-class riding at

The community is invited to celebrate the completion of several Mountain View High School bond-funded construction projects along with MVHS graduate and Olympic gold medal winner Ashton Eaton during the IMC championship track meet from 3-6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13 in the school’s stadium. The event is open to the public; donations will be

The Bend Cultural Tourism Commission is pleased to announce the award of its first Cultural Tourism grant awards, with $125,000 being awarded to nine organizations. Over $460,000 had been requested by 17 organizations. Given the very successful outcome, the BCTC will proceed with plans to offer cultural tourism grants annually, the organization announced. The purpose

More than 250 groups from across the country jave joined Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to express support for passing the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act to ensure vital resources in the fight against catastrophic wildfires in the West ahead of this year’s fire season. The 261 organizations, including the Nature Conservancy and