Month: July 2015

Redmond Airport Director Jeff Tripp has resigned after just over a year on the job, continuing the rapid turnover in that position in recent years. When asked why Tripp resigned, City Manager Keith Witcosky put it this way Thursday, “When someone makes a decision to resignm it’s their own story. It’s their own narrative. It’s

As mountain pine beetles and other insects chew their way through Western forests, forest fires might not seem far behind. Lands covered by dead trees appear ready to burst into flame. However, an analysis of wildfire extent in Oregon and Washington over the past 30 years shows very little difference in the likelihood of fires

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed the financial services appropriations bill, which included an amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., to ensure that legal marijuana businesses can access banking services. Merkley’s amendment is similar to bipartisan legislation that he introduced last week. Currently, marijuana businesses operating under state laws that have legalized medicinal or

Tumalo State Park welcomes beginning or out-of practice campers to join in an overnight guided camping excursion August 7 -9, part of the statewide “Let’s Go Camping” program hosted by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). For $30 per family, OPRD provides tents, sleeping bags and other gear. Volunteers will help campers set up tents,

Discover Your Forest would like to invite Central Oregon artists to submit their artistic representations of iconic Deschutes and Ochoco National Forest landscapes and Newberry National Volcanic Monument to be featured and auctioned off at a fundraising event in September. The first ever, “Stars Over Newberry” fundraiser will be held on September 19, 2015 at

The City of Bend is launching a free sprinkler inspection pilot program for Bend water customers this summer in an effort to increase irrigation efficiency and conserve our most precious natural resource, water. It is estimated that approximately 60 percent of all residential water use is for landscape irrigation. Much of that water is wasted

If you’re wondering whether it’s tough to find a place to live in Redmond, just visit the Senior Center around lunchtime. “Everything is so expensive, and there just doesn’t seem to be anything out there,” Redmond senior Mary Gifford said Wednesday. Fellow senior Phyllis LaPora agrees: “Very difficult,” she said. So imagine the delight when

Nineteen teams from workplaces, places of worship, schools, community groups and more participated in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Redmond & Sisters event on Saturday, July 18th at Obsidian Middle School. More than 250 registered participants raised over $61,000 to support the Society’s lifesaving mission. The following teams and individuals were recognized

Fire crews are wrapping up operations on the 120-acre Marion Fire and will spend the rest of this week mopping-up hot spots and continuing rehabilitation in the burn area, Willamette National Forest officials said Thursday. An aircraft with an infrared heat sensing camera flew over the lightning-sparked fire Wednesday night and detected only a few

The Oregon wing of the Civil Air Patrol will be conducting a state wide exercise this coming weekend with a collection of scenarios to train for and test the Oregon CAP’s capability and preparedness to respond to various types of historically supported emergency situations. With incident command centers located in Medford, Bend and Aurora, the

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A divide is emerging among groups that want to raise Oregon’s minimum wage that could lead to competing proposals on the 2016 ballot. A group of labor unions and liberal activist groups said Wednesday it will push to set the wage floor at $13.50 while allowing cities to go higher. Organizers

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 Governor’s Volunteer Awards, conducted by the Oregon Volunteers Commission for Voluntary Action and Service. The se awards distinguish individuals, programs and organizations for creating positive change through volunteerism across the state. Thanks to the generous support of Wells Fargo, our event presenting sponsor, a cash award of

A single wave of migration from Siberia brought people across the Bering Land Bridge and into the Americas no more than 23,000 years ago, with the group later splitting into two branches, a new study of ancient and modern genetic information has found. Using genetic data from ancient and modern sources, researchers found that the

In light of the recent Open Internet order, the Federal Communications Commission recently announced it will initiate a rulemaking to protect the privacy of consumers who use broadband. On Wednesday, Sen. Rn Wyden (D-Ore.) joined Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and seven other senators to applaud the FCC’s plan to initiate a rulemaking and urged

Under city code, businesses in downtown Bend can pay the city $10 a day to reserve parking for an unlimited time. And that has had some downtown parking spot-hunters wondering what’s up. Finding parking in downtown Bend can indeed be a headache. “Oftentimes, you have to go around (the block) a few times to find

Through its grant-making to thousands of nonprofits each year, the National Endowment for the Arts promotes opportunities for people in communities across America to experience the arts and exercise their creativity. In the second major grant announcement of fiscal year 2015, the NEA will make a $30,000 award to the Oregon Folklife Network to continue

A Clackamas County man was killed Tuesday night in a motorcycle crash in Wasco County, Oregon State Police reported. Shortly after 8 p.m., OSP troopers and other emergency personnel responded to the reported crash on state Highway 216 near near milepost 14 west of Maupin, troopers said. Preliminary information indicated a 2008 Honda Motorcycle operated

The city of Bend is seeking applicants for one position on the Bend Landmarks Commission. The commission serves as the land use hearings body for all matters concerning historical and cultural resources and historic districts. The commission meets at least ten times per year. The successful candidate will be selected by the City Council and

Oregon Zoo keepers are asking the community to help them choose a name for a rescued otter pup that took up residence at the Portland zoo this month. Over the next week, the public can visit oregonzoo.org to vote on their favorite of three names. “A lot of the animals here get their names from

Governor Kate Brown on Tuesday declared drought emergencies in three additional Oregon counties: Curry, Hood River, and Union. With these three new counties, to a total of 23, Oregon has more than doubled the number of drought declarations made last year. “”The extreme drought conditions we are experiencing reflect a new reality in Oregon,” Bown