Month: July 2015

A recent article in the “New Yorker” called “The Really Big One” has drawn a lot of attention, both locally and nationally to the damage a Cascadia earthquake and tsunami will cause. And emergency planners have been taking the opportunity to raise awareness about how individuals can prepare, and how the region and Oregon is

The City of Bend and its Arts Beautification and Culture Commission have selected three local artists who have volunteered to paint around four different storm drains as part of the City’s “Clean Water Works” campaign. The storm drain painting pilot project aims to use art to increase awareness about the connection between street storm drains,

As we approach the final summer months, it’s important to remember that kitten season is still purring along. BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond has a new variety of healthy, vaccinated and neutered kittens available for adoption daily. Since the month of May, BrightSide Animal Center has received 123 kittens – often without their mothers. This

If you fancy yourself an evening fisher, it might be time for a new hobby, if you typically take to Oregon streams or rivers. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday it is restricting fishing on these waters, a move ODFW Fish Division Assistant Administrator Bruce McIntosh said the department has never done

The nearly 3-week-old, lightning-sparked Corner Creek Fire south of Dayville hasn’t grown for some time, still at just over 29,400 acres. But crews still work to complete and finalize the containment lines — and the cost is still rising, now at $12 million. This weekend, firefighters plan to conduct burn out operations on between 400

An 83-year-old Redmond man was killed and two people seriously injured Wednesday night when he failed to stop at a stop sign on Bend’s north end and his car was struck by a pickup and a car, Oregon State Police reported. Troopers said Albert J. Haslebacher died at the scene of the crash, which occurred

A 37-year-old transient who approached a Bend police officer with a large folding pocket knife this week was arrested on a menacing charge and issued a civil exclusion notice for Drake Park, officers said Thursday. Christopher Wagner “had been verbally aggressive toward officers the past four days, escalating his behavior toward the police each day,”

A 59-year-old Enterprise man was flown to a Bend hospital with serious injuries after a motorcycle crash east of Prineville Thursday evening, Crook County sheriff’s deputies reported. Deputies and Crook County Fire and Rescue paramedics were dispatched shortly before 6 p.m. to the reported crash on Northeast Ochoco Highway at milepost 27, near the intersection

Bend city councilors Wednesday night took to heart the advice of a group urging a comprehensive transportation solution, not a rush to a November citywide vote on a controversial gas tax proposal. And they appeared to agree with much of what they heard. They will try to move quickly to broaden the scope of a

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement after the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to replace No Child Left Behind, the nation’s main K-12 education law: “I’m the product of public schools, and my kids went to the same working class high school I did years earlier.I’ve seen first-hand both the opportunity a

New information was revealed Thursday about former Gov. John Kitzhaber. The Oregonian obtained a memo that could be construed as Kitzhaber telling his staff to follow his fiance, Cylvia Hayes’ policy. Kitzhaber and Hayes are currently under investigation by the FBI and IRS to find out if the couple personally benefited from Hayes’ connection to

A contractor crew replacing an old natural gas line in northwest Bend accidentally hit a 2-inch line with their drill Thursday afternoon, causing a leak that prompted evacuation of about 30 homes in the area until it could be capped, officials said. The underground drilling company hit the line around 12:30 p.m. in the 500

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced Thursday the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2015, a major piece of legislation to stop offshore Arctic drilling. The legislation would prevent any new or renewed leases for the exploration, development or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Arctic planning area. “A spill in

La Pine Rural Fire Protection District firefighters on Wednesday completed several training sessions preparing for the water recreation season near La Pine State Park. The fire district has more than 45 river miles of the Big and Little Deschutes Rivers that are very popular with paddlers, floaters and fishermen. Firefighters have been assisted in their

A contractor doing fire extinguisher maintenance outside a northeast Bend apartment was confronted by a knife-swinging resident on Wednesday morning, causing no injuries but leading to an hour-long standoff and evacuation of neighbors until the man was taken into custody, police said. The incident began just before 8 a.m. at the Summit Park Apartments at

The public is being asked to donate vases to The Bloom Project this Saturday during the NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market. The first 50 people who come in and donate a vase will receive flowers. The Bloom Project provides fresh floral bouquets to hospice and palliative care patients on a weekly basis. When: Saturday , July

A single-car crash into a power pole closed Highway 20 at Cloverdale Road between Bend and Sisters Wednesday afternoon resulted in no serious injuries but prompted detours in both directions for close to three hours and a power outage to hundreds for pole repairs, officials said. The crash was reported shortly before 4 p.m. near

How much electricity and money can you save? What is the single biggest energy user in your home? Do you need to install insulation or change your habits? How can you reduce your energy usage? What incentives are available for new appliances, lighting or other energy efficiency changes? Discover solutions and suggestions to these and

A small lightning-sparked fire near Scott Lake on the Willamette National Forest prompted a two-hour closure of the Old McKenzie Pass Highway Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Oregon Highway 242 was closed around 1:30 p.m. at the western junction with Highway 126, the McKenzie Highway, due to the one-acre blaze, according to the Oregon Department of

An estimated 109 wild spring Chinook salmon in the upper section of the Middle Fork John Day River died last week, apparently due to low river flows and warm temperatures, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Wednesday. According to Brent Smith, ODFW fish biologist in John Day, water temperatures in the mid-70s combined