Month: June 2015

As the High Desert braces for the possibility of a brutal wildfire season, Congress is sparking what Oregon lawmakers hope will generate badly needed new wildfire funding. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, both D-Ore., announced Thursday that the Appropriations Committee passed legislation including allocations for additional wildfire fighting funding, and rules allowing FEMA to

Elevated water temperatures are most likely the cause of earlier than normal spring Chinook salmon deaths in the Willamette River and some of its tributaries, fish biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday. Spring Chinook salmon typically die in the fall, after they have spawned. However, some also die before they

The Oregon Senate Rules Committee on Thursday approved a measure sponsored by Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, to allow women to purchase birth control without a doctor’s visit. Buehler, an orthopedic surgeon from Bend, introduced the legislation earlier this session and led the bipartisan work group assigned to the concept. “Oregon is one step closer to

Oregon State University announced Thursday it will begin construction of its disputed new OSU-Cascades Westside campus as soon as required permits are issued by the city of Bend – a process that is expected to take place within the next two weeks – despite foes’ plan for further appeals. “This is ultimately about educational opportunities

The last meeting of June for just about any local government is full of dollars and cents and numbers, as the next fiscal year looms – or in Bend’s case, a 2-year, $628 million budget was up for approval. But Wednesday night, Bend city councilors also revisited and addressed some long-standing issues, though the evening

Thursday marked the first day of full operation of the Bend Fire Department’s new Basic Life Support tiered response system, a move that officials say already has shown benefits in terms of response times – a crucial, life-saving measurement. “This program has already resulted in quicker response times, better station reliability and more appropriate resource

A man apparently intended to take his own life late Wednesday night by standing in the path of a freight train in southeast Bend — but changed his mind at the last minute and tried to get off the tracks, police said. He was still struck, but suffered only minor injuries. The collision, reported shortly

A nationwide backlog has the Oregon Legislature looking into untested rape kits. Oregon State Police requested the numbers from each agency. The kits are relatively small packages. They might not look like much, but for some men and women, the kit contains critical evidence that could help to put their alleged attacker behind bars. However,

Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades (VIM) recently received a $1,500 grant from Wells Fargo. This gift will sponsor comprehensive medical care for three low-income, uninsured adults in Central Oregon for one year. “The majority of our patients have one or more chronic condition,” said Kat Mastrangelo, Executive Director of VIM. “These conditions include

Looking for a weekend break from the cares of cancer? The St. Charles Cancer Survivorship Program offers its annual Soaring Spirits Survivor and Family Camp, August 14-16. Enjoy a few days on the beautiful shores of Suttle Lake on your own or with your family to enjoy camp activities, be encouraged toward healthier lifestyles, meet

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will temporarily close Pilot Butte State Park’s summit road to both vehicle and foot traffic on Friday to perform crack sealing work. It will reopen in the late afternoon or early evening. “We ask that hikers use the dirt nature trail or base trail during this time,” says Susan

Provisions to pay for the most extreme wildfires through federal disaster funding were included in the Fiscal Year 2016 Interior Appropriations Bill, which was passed by a Senate panel today. The funding method is similar to legislation introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who along with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) have

About a dozen Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team members were called out Wednesday afternoon to help a hiker from Tigard who had fallen ill along the Green Lakes Trail, about 30 miles west of Bend, officials said. County 911 dispatchers got a call around 3 p.m. from Jessica Sheets, reporting that her hiking

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. applauded news Thursday that the Department of Veterans Affairs has has decided to qualify reservists who served on C-123 aircraft that were previously contaminated with Agent Orange as veterans so they can receive proper health care and disability benefits. On June 10, the senators

A Metolius man was unhurt but cited on several charges Wednesday afternoon after he apparently fell asleep behind the wheel, drifted off Highway 126 east of Powell Butte and struck a power pole, Oregon State Police said. The crash, which occurred shortly after 4 p.m., partly shut the road for about an hour — and

An elite, private elite American school in Japan has admitted to covering up sexual abuse cases decades ago involving a techer. Now, 40 years later,13 victims have received a settlement, and one of them, a Bend woman, is speaking out about what happened and its impact on her life. “The summer after my seventh grade

Southeast 15 th Street between Reed Market Road and Twin Lakes Loop will be closed to traffic from Monday, June 22 through Wednesday, June 24 to complete the construction of 15 th Street south of the roundabout. A temporary, signed detour route for 15 th Street traffic will be in effect during the construction. Traffic

The planned expansion of the urban growth boundary in Bend has been discussed for a long time. Now, with the recent Shevlin Fire on the heels of last year’s much-larger Two Bulls blaze, the debate over the fire danger on the west side of town has lit up again. Two massive fires on Bend’s west

KTVZ viewers in Sunriver and north La Pine viewing our services on Digital Channel 24 will experience outages on Thursday for maintenance, said Chief Engineer Daniel Bay. “The outage is planned to start at 9 a.m., he said, and engineers “will work diligently to complete the maintenance by close of business Thursday.” For updates, visit

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., introduced Wednesday the Protecting Individuals From Mass Aerial Surveillance Act, which would require the federal government to obtain a warrant when it conducts aerial surveillance in the United States. As new technology like high-quality digital cameras, cellphone tracking equipment and low-cost unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have