Month: August 2015

Twenty disgruntled Bend residents expressed dismay over the potential sale and development of Troy Field at a public meeting Wednesday night at the Bend-La Pine Schools headquarters. “Bend will be a poorer city for having one more condo,” one woman said during her public testimony. Another said, “Downtown Bend is losing its soul by covering

When is a casino not a casino? In Oregon, it’s hard to tell, a new state audit says. Video gambling machines are a major source of income for a number of retailers even though the Oregon Constitution prohibits “casinos.” Trouble is, casinos are not defined in Oregon law, with the result that the prohibition is

The 2-week-old Canyon Creek Complex Fire south of John Day exploded in size to nearly 86,000 acres Wednesday in hot, dry, windy weather that posed a continued challenge Thursday. Infrared mapping Thursday morning showed the fire has burned 85,960 acres, or 134 square miles — a 15 percent increase since Tuesday. Local fire departments from

A 76-year-old Tumalo woman has filed a timber trespass lawsuit in Deschutes County Circuit Court. Charlotte Nash claims a couple willfully cut down “ancient” juniper trees on her property to improve their view of the Cascades. The complaint states Nash sold part of her Tumalo property to a married couple, Veronica and Dale Partridge, last

Two weeks after it broke out, the County Line 2 Fire on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation spotted across containment lines in Shitike Canyon on Wednesday, making uphill runs through heavy timber as it grew to more than 66,000 acres, officials said Thursday. The estimated date for full containment, which was sought by Friday, has

Beginning Monday in Bend and ending October 1 , the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) are hosting educational forums throughout the state. Next week, forums will take place in Bend, Keizer and Hillsboro. Providers and consumers are invited to discuss upcoming changes to federal and state requirements impacting those

The statewide campfire and open flame ban in Oregon State Parks remains in place for at least one more week, officials said Thursday, as conditions have not improved since the ban began Aug. 19. Fires are not allowed on properties owned and managed by Oregon State Parks, including the ocean shores. The ban includes but

The state of Oregon and four of Oregon’s largest private economic development organizations have signed a landmark agreement to improve business development coordination and align efforts to grow Oregon’s economy. “To compete, Oregon needs a team approach to economic development that engages both the private and public sectors,” said Sean Robbins, director of Business Oregon,

Redmond held an unusual “rope-cutting” ceremony Wednesday afternoon to formally introduce an equally unusual new climbing area, located underneath the arches of the Maple Avenue Bridge. It only took the city six weeks from the time the arches were proposed to the Redmond City Council to the opening of the climbing area. Avid Smith Rock

JOHN DAY, Ore. (AP — National Guard soldiers newly trained as firefighters have started arriving at fire camp in Eastern Oregon to help mop up a blaze that destroyed more than three dozen homes and burned through more than 115 square miles. Fire spokeswoman Stefanie Gatchell said about 100 National Guard troops will be briefed

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Klamath County officials have asked Sheriff Frank Skrah to go on leave in light of an ongoing state criminal investigation, newly released documents show. The Klamath County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday released a letter in which they ask the sheriff to go on paid administrative leave so that seven

Thousands of female firefighters work on the lines of fires burning across our country, but it continues to be a male-dominated industry. “I love working for my community, I love being a firefighter,” said Bend Fire Capt. Trish Connolly said Wednesday. Connolly is passionate about her profession. So is Heidi Springer, who works as an

Crews rushed to encircle and put out a small brushfire Wednesday afternoon southeast of Sunriver and said they were getting it knocked down quickly. Sunriver police and fire crews were on the scene, joined by Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, with U.S. Forest Service assistance, officers said. The fire was reported around 2:20 p.m. as a

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a drought emergency in Linn County on Wednesday, the 24th in the state this hot, dry summer. The declaration comes at the request of local officials and is based on the recommendations of the Drought Council and the Water Availability Committee. “This summer, the hardships of climate change are being

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Wednesday the nine other members of the Law Enforcement Profiling Work Group, a panel formed at the direction of state lawmakers to review the issue. The work group was established by House Bill 2002, which Governor Kate Brown signed into law on July 13. The appointed members were selected

September 7 through 13 is National Suicide Awareness Week. To build awareness and work toward preventing suicide, and suicide attempts, the Deschutes County Suicide Prevention Alliance and community partners are coordinating several activities throughout September. Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in Oregon. In Deschutes County, approximately 29 people die by

The Colorado Avenue Bridge in southwest Bend will be closed to all traffic from October 5 through November 17 for construction of a trail undercrossing tunnel and sewer line, officials said Wednesday as they announce detour routes to deal with the closure. In an effort to minimize traffic impacts, the Bend Park and Recreation District

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., announced Wednesday that his office is now accepting requests from residents of Oregon’s Second District for tickets to take part in His Holiness Pope Francis’ address to the U.S. Congress on Sept. 24. “The visit of Pope Francis to the U.S. Capitol — the first time a pope has ever visited

State Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, ended weeks of private consideration Tuesday by telling supporters he won’t run for governor next year and instead will seek a second term representing Oregon House District 54. “After several weeks of careful thought and conversations with family, friends and supporters, I’ve decided I will run for re-election to the

Unemployment levels are on the rise across Central Oregon, following the statewide trend over the past few months, but job gains also are up significantly from a year ago, the state Employment Department reported Tuesday. Hiring was fairly consistent, the agency said, with typical seasonal changes in July. However, job growth in Central Oregon over