Month: August 2015

A few signs of improvement Saturday morning — reopening of Hwy. 26, a somewhat smaller size estimate and the first small containment figure — did little to mask the huge challenge ahead in containing the nearly 47,000 acre County Line 2 Fire on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation — the nation’s top firefighting priority. The

As winds shifted and air quality improved in much of Central Oregon on Saturday, the large wildfire threatening John Day turned their air quality “very unhealthy,” official readings indicated. Smoke from the over 19,000-acre County Line 2 Fire on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation streamed southeastward Thursday into the Prineville area, which recorded “unhealthy” air

The County Line 2 Fire had burned more than 36,000 acres on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and was still growing rapidly Friday, as fire bosses struggled with a lack of planes and helicopters. The fire prompted wider evacuations of several subdivisions and Kah-Nee-Ta Resort while keeping U.S. Highway 26 closed; A small sign of

As smoke fills the Central Oregon skies from wildfires burning around the state, area fire agencies are concerned about the exceptionally dry conditions coupled with high winds. Extreme fire danger occurs when fuels such as grass and sagebrush are very dry and could readily ignite. When coupled with sustained hot temperatures and high winds, explosive

A raid on a home on Bend’s south end Friday morning brought the arrests of a couple accused of stealing more than $27,000 worth of items from Safeway stores in Central Oregon and the Portland area. Many of the items were sold at online sites like Craigslist and eBay, police said. Redmond detectives executed a

Oregon State University-Cascades announced Thursday it plans to enter into a non-binding letter of intent with Deschutes County “that provides a framework for exploring the viability of reclaiming” a 76-acre former demolition landfill next to its disputed 10-acre campus on Bend’s Westside. The school said the letter of intent, to be taken up next Monday

While U.S. Highway 26 remains closed on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, other wildfires across Oregon are closing highways and affecting travelers as well. Oregon 230 (West Diamond Lake Highway) near Crater Lake remains closed due to wildfire, with no estimated time to reopen, officials said Friday The highway closure is now at the intersection

WaterWatch of Oregon announced Thursday its intention to sue the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and three Central Oregon irrigation districts, accusing them of violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to ensure adequate streamflows for the threatened Oregon spotted frog. The group has send a 60-day notice of intent to sue to managers of the

Drunk-driving crashes and arrests are not all that unusual in Bend, but one early Thursday morning led to the arrest of not one, but two drivers – the second allegedly following the other to make sure he made it home safely, police said. Miguel Angel Ortega, 20, and Erick Medrano Leyva, 19, both of Bend,

The 15,000-acre Windy Ridge Fire continued to move aggressively to the northeast toward Interstate 84 on Thursday, prompting its closure for several hours, but the freeway reopened between Ontario and Baker City late in the day. Homes along the Ebell Creek and Alder Creek roads were evacuated Wednesday evening, Vale District Bureau of Land Management

The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association said Thursday it has signed on to a lawsuit through Pacific Legal Foundation against the Environmental Protection Agency and their Waters of the United States rule. Here’s the rest of their news release, in full: Waters of the United States, WOTUS, is a rule proposed by the EPA and Army Corps

A string of wildfires sparked by a passing RV’s trailer on Highway 26 on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation merged into one blaze that nearly quadrupled in size to 19,000 acres Thursday, surging in hot winds and prompting a renewed closure of the highway. The County Line 2 Fire, last reported at 19,163 acres, has

The Central Oregon Community College Foundation has received a $50,000 donation from Bank of the Cascades to establish a new endowment fund to directly support student scholarships. All in-district COCC students in good academic standing will be able to apply for the scholarship, and these funds will be pooled with other endowment funds to ensure

The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division in Prineville asked for the public’s assistance Thursday in locating the person (s) responsible for the unlawful killing and waste of an antelope in Crook County. On August 7 , OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers responded to a report of a dead antelope doe east of Prineville

National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder that we all need vaccines throughout our lives. During pregnancy, you are often thinking about baby names, nursery colors, and prenatal vitamins, but you should also be thinking about vaccines. Vaccines during pregnancy not only protect you against diseases, but you can also begin to pass some protection

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and the theme this year is “Breastfeeding and Work – Let’s Make it Work!” Ninety-five percent of mothers enrolled in the Deschutes County Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) initiated breastfeeding in 2014. This is a higher rate of initiation when compared to 79% of all

A fallen, injured hiker in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area south of Sisters prompted a challenging, 12-hour search and rescue operation Wednesday and early Thursday, including an air ambulance having to turn back due to thick wildfire smoke, officials said. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue unit got a call at 3:42 p.m. from

The title of “world’s oldest living cat” has been bequeathed by the Guinness Book of World Records onto 26-year-old Corduroy, who lives in Sisters, officials said Thursday. Corduroy was born on Aug. 1, 1989, and lives with his owner, Ashley Reed Okura, in Sisters. The Reed family has owned Corduroy since he was a kitten

Hearings on two hot-button topics – guns and marijuana – ended up on the same agenda Wednesday for Deschutes County commissioners. And while a no-shooting zone east of Redmond was approved after drawing little fire, a possible move to opt out of allowing some marijuana-related business brought the expected big turnout and wide variety of

The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council invited the public Thursday to provide feedback regarding smoke, tobacco and vape-related use at COIC facilities, including Cascades East Transit and WorkSource buildings. An online survey open to the public has a goal to gather community perspectives on attitudes and behaviors regarding smoke, tobacco and vape use at all COIC