Month: May 2015

The Oregon Senate gave final legislative approval Wednesday to a bill aimed at helping cities like Bend make it through the lengthy urban growth boundary approval process by being able to focus on the issues raised by state land use officials HB 3282-A was carried by Sen. Tim Knopp (R-Bend) and was passed by a

A total of former rodeo queens and princesses will be special guests in the 75 th anniversary Sisters Rodeo parade on June 13 at 9:30 am in Sisters. In our local stable of former Sisters queens, Shelby Ross, Miss Rodeo Oregon 2012, Sara Marcus, Miss Rodeo Oregon 2014, and Kitty Sharp, Miss Rodeo Oregon 1992,

Bend veterinarians are warning pet owners to be on the outlook for mushrooms following a recent spike in dogs coming down with toxicity illnesses. The Bend Emergency Animal Center told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday that 15 dogs have been diagnosed with mushroom poisoning in just the last few days. Employees told KTVZ the rates are unusual

Oregon’s congressional delegation said Wednesday that the U.S. Postal Service had agreed not to close its processing centers in Bend and Eugene “for the foreseeable future,” but an agency spokesman said they and dozens of other spared facilities around the nation are still slated for consolidation, as soon as next year. Here’s the lawmakers’ news

The first day of Central Oregon Beer Week brought a new name to Prineville. Solstice Brewing Co. officially changed its name to Ochoco Brewing Co. on Friday with a launch party. “We started thinking about what kind of things root us locally,” Ochoco Brewing Co. head brewer and owner Joseph Barker said Wednesday. The name

With warm weather upon us, the Bend Park and Recreation District reminded river users Wednesday that floating the Deschutes River between Riverbend and Drake parks still requires portage around the Colorado Avenue dam, until the new safe passage project is done later this summer. As in previous years, floaters must take out upriver from the

The Oregon Department of Forestry has spent $200 million putting out wildfires over the past two fire seasons — and with another potentially severe fire season coming up fast, officials are asking all to be very careful with fire and to prepare their property’s defensible space.. That tally does not take into account the dozens

Oregon State University – Cascades said Wednesday it has selected a partner to develop and construct the first student residence and dining/academic facilities that will sit on its proposed site in Bend, representing the four-year university long sought by the Central Oregon region. American Campus Communities was selected to be OSU-Cascades’ partner in the development

State Sen. Tim Knopp (R-Bend) successfully carried memorial legislation Wednes day on the Senate floor in support of bringing a federal geothermal research facility to the Newberry Geothermal Project in Deschutes County. House Joint Memorial 19 would urge the U.S. Secretary of Energy and Congress to site their prospective Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal

Youth in La Pine and those in need of transportation options in Central Oregon got a boost Wednesday when United Way of Deschutes County announced it will provide grant funds totaling $5,300 to La Pine Park & Recreation District and to Bicycle Re-Source of Bend. A grant totaling $3,600 was awarded to the La Pine

TPP and TPA have caused quite a stir lately. Don’t mistake their impact by the size of their abbreviations. Each set of three letters represents huge possibilities for Oregon ranchers and agriculture, according to the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. Here’s the full text of the group’s news release Wednesday in support of the controversial trade legislation.

Oregon’s higher education agencies and community colleges should target investments to help community college students complete degrees and certificates, a new audit released Wednesday by the secretary of state’s office found. The auditors analyzed a cohort of community college students and found that only 24 percent finished a degree or certificate at an Oregon community

It appears Central Oregon has broken its second tourism record in a row for the Memorial Day holiday, according to a preliminary analysis conducted by the Central Oregon Visitors Association. “(Resort and long-term stays) went up anywhere from 3 to 10 percent,” said COVA President and CEO Alana Hughson Tuesday. “Vacation homes were nearly 100

A Bend man was arrested late last week on charges he ran a long-standing, region-wide drug trafficking operation. While a raid of his home allegedly turned up $150,000 worth of oxycodone, steroids and other drugs, he was released from jail the next day, authorities said Tuesday. Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team detectives, assisted by the

Visiting friends you haven’t seen in a while is its own reward, but winning Keno while visiting friends doesn’t hurt either. Jean Casas of Bakersfield, California, took a trip to Crooked River Ranch to visit with her friend Dale, when the two decided to have a meal at the Big Dog Saloon. Casas decided to

Central Oregon’s job growth is pacing the state, up 3.5 percent over the past year, the state Employment reported Wednesday. The Willamette Valley and Portland area are a bit behind the High Desert, with year-to-year job growth of 2.8 and 2.7 percent, respectively, the department said in a summary of total non-farm payroll employment numbers.

The results of an annual count of Central Oregon’s homeless, released Tuesday, showed improvement in some areas, but little change in Bend, where higher rents and few vacancies have made it a continued struggle for many to keep a roof over their heads. The Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition released the data collected from the

Camp Fire Central Oregon was the recent recipient of two grants, one from the Clabough Foundation for $10,000, which will provide scholarship assistance for low-income families attending Tumalo Day Camp this summer, and one from the Oregon Community Foundation for $20,000, which will combine with a $2,000 donation from the Greater Bend Rotary to fund

One in six (15.2 percent) Oregon residents live in households that can’t always afford enough food, but the United States Department of Agriculture funds a toll-free hotline to make it easier for them to access food from both private and governmental resources. The hotline can be reached at 1-866-3-HUNGRYor1-877-8-HAMBRE(for Spanish) from MondaythroughFriday (8 a.m. to

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office participated in a statewide traffic safety campaign increasing traffic patrols during the Memorial Day Weekend to focus on DUII enforcement. The sheriff’s office along with the Oregon Department of Transportation encourages all drivers and passengers to make a conscious effort to use their seatbelt at all times while traveling in