Month: July 2015

Police arrested a Bend man on theft and other charges early Friday morning in downtown Bend after they say they saw him smash a bank window with a chair. Francis Roman Olivas was charged with theft and criminal mischief. Police say he stole a chair from Jool downtown and smashed it through at least two

Beginning Sunday morning, the closure area for the Corner Creek fire on the eastern end of the Ochoco National Forest will be reduced, allowing public access again to Black Canyon Wilderness and several other popular roads and recreation sites. The new closure area is east of Forest Service Road 5840, south of Black Canyon Wilderness,

The City of Bend and BendFilm are partnering to provide a hands-on educational opportunity for young filmmakers in grades 6-12. Young filmmakers are encouraged to produce a 30-second public service announcement in the form of a TV Commercial that educates the public abut he need for stormwater pollution prevention and actions to keep Bend’s waters

A Lincoln City man was killed Friday morning when his car struck the rear of a gravel truck that had just turned onto Highway 101, Oregon State Police reported. The truck driver had just recently moved from La Pine to Lincoln City. Troopers and medics responded just after 7 a.m. to the reported crash just

A 47-year-old transient faces arson, burglary and other charges, accused of breaking into a southwest Bend office building early Thursday and setting a fire that caused $265,000 in damages, police and fire officials said. Police and fire crews responded around 12:50 a.m. to the fire report at a two-story office building at 185 SW Shevlin

Governor Kate Brown on Tuesday signed HB 2690, a bill championed by state Reps. David Gomberg (D-Lincoln City) and Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver) that provides a property tax exemption for proven non-profit housing developers that acquire land for the purpose of building low-income housing. “Many of us have constituents — maybe even family or friends —

A 27-year-old Tigard motorcyclist accompanied by a Portland woman led Oregon State Police on an off-and-on pursuit at speeds of up to 149 mph until he crashed at slower speed on Highway 97 near Lava Butte late Wednesday afternoon, then ran and was captured nearby, troopers said Thursday. Tyler Evan Harp and passenger Chelsea Jacks,

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said it received several reports Wednesday and Thursday from citizens saying they got calls from scammer claiming to be captains Scott Beard or Erik Utter and seeking payments for supposed arrest warrants. Here’s the rest of a news release from the sheriff’s office: The male caller identifies himself, and explains

Two Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies completed the Corrections Academy at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, graduating on July 21. Deputies Zach Childers and Jeff Woods tied for first place with the top academic scores in their academy class, as both had an average score of 97.07%. Additionally, the Oregon Department of Public

Redmond fire crews called to a Terrebonne vehicle fire late Wednesday night found a van ablaze and stopped the flames from spreading to the adjacent home, where its owner was sleeping inside. Crews were called to 8211 Fifth Street in Terrebonne at 11:39 p.m., said Fire Marshal Traci Cooper. The arrived to find a work

The Cable Crossing Fire, five miles east of Glide near Highway 138E, jumped containment lines late Wednesday afternoon and more than doubled in size, officials said. The fire near milepost 23 went over those lines around 5 p.m., officials said. As aviation and ground resources moved to attack the new spot fire, a wind shift

Saint-Gobain, through its subsidiary, CertainTeed Gypsum, announced Wednesday an agreement to purchase Structus Building Technologies, Inc. of Bend, a manufacturer of innovative, high-performance drywall corner solutions. Founded in 1996, Structus designs and manufactures a preferred line of products that enhances and supports finishing in the drywall industry. The company’s leading products include No-Coat(® )structural laminate

As the heat returns to the region this week, Oregon fire managers are once again spreading the word of caution in efforts to prevent human-caused fires. Fire weather meteorologists are anticipating temperatures in the high 90s and low 100s midweek, with a chance of lightning in southern and eastern Oregon arriving Friday. A Red Flag

Fish hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest are feeling the heat. This year, warmer temperatures and lower snowpack have caused major fish die-offs. The High Desert is not spared, but it’s not as unlucky as some other spots. Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery, is a product of its namesake springs. This year, however, is one of

An algae-related public health advisory issued Tuesday for Upper Klamath and Agency lakes is being extended downstream to Keno Dam, the Oregon Health Authority. An additional sample collected from the Link River just before it enters Lake Ewauna at the north end contained toxins at levels that could be harmful to health, officials said. The

Cascade Angels Fund announced Wednesday it has invested $100,000 in Bend-based start-up LeadMethod. The company provides channel sales management software to companies that sell through independent sales reps and distributors. The Cascade Angels investment team was impressed with the LeadMethod team and the company’s product, which has already garnered more than a dozen loyal enterprise

After 2 1/2 years in office, Redmond City Councilor Ginny McPherson resigned on Saturday, but she won’t be going far — in fact, she’ll be at City Hall more than ever. McPherson recently accepted a position as the temporary assistant project/program administrator for Redmond’s Community Development Department, the city said Wednesday “What I have enjoyed

Motorists can expect congestion and short delays Wednesday night at the intersection of US 97 and 1st Street/Reed Road in La Pine as crews will be restriping the intersection to facilitate construction. Striping should begin early evening. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers. On Monday, the westbound lane on Reed Road between US 97 and

A 34-year-old Eugene man questioned by Oregon State Police as a “person of interest” in suspicious letters mailed to two-dozen Oregon county sheriff’s offices has been released after authorities determined the letters were not dangerous and he did not appear to be violent or dangerous. Hazardous material teams responded to the county sheriff’s offices that

A fast-moving, smoky fire caused $200,000 damage to a southeast Bend home on Tuesday, and investigators said later it may have been sparked by some model airplane batteries that were just plugged in to recharge. Bend firefighters were called around 12:10 p.m. to the reported garage fire at 60808 Grand Targhee Drive. The first engine