Month: October 2015

Normally, it’s a hunting rifle that’s the big seller at Bend’s Trigger Happy Guns. But this week, pistols like the Springfield XDS 9mm are popular. “It seems like everybody is a little bit scared these days,” shop owner Eric Priller said Wednesday. “People are coming and buying a lot of semi-auto pistols. They’re looking for

There is a lot of confusion on Central Oregon Community’s campus about whether you’re allowed to carry a gun on school grounds. Stickers on the doors of the Boyle Education Center inform students about the campus’ gun policy. “I know there is a sign on the door that says no firearms or weapons allowed in

A bill sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, that extends the same federal hiring preference to fathers that is available to mothers of servicemembers killed or permanently and totally disabled in action has been signed into law by President Obama. “Families whose sons and daughters have been killed or disabled

The Oregon Health Authority held a town hall in Bend Wednesday night on a very timely topic-the state’s mental health services. This was one of the agency’s six town hall meetings throughout the state. Officials say their goal is to get feedback from residents on behavioral health services and what can be done to improve

The tragedies of places like Roseburg and Sandy Hook garner headlines, but thousands of first responders in Bend and across the nation deal every day with less-prolific but just as real trauma of a more typical sort — and it all can take its toll, both physically and mentally. Support systems are in place, of

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined Wednesday to list the Sierra Nevada red fox under the Endangered Species Act due in part to research conducted in Central Oregon showing a significant extension of its range. An ongoing study of the Sierra Nevada fed fox has confirmed their presence in the Oregon Cascades, specifically in

Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday a new pilot program to help small Oregon companies finance their growth. Small and young companies often struggle to find conventional financing. The Small Business Expansion Program is a $5 million fund that will provide an alternative for small businesses, especially those in underserved or disconnected communities. “Businesses that start

Experts from around Oregon will meet in Redmond next Wednesday to join with Central Oregon leaders to develop an Action Plan to combat the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. The summit will feature leading authorities from around Oregon on safe prescribing practices, alternative pain management, opioid abuse treatment and disposal of unused medications. The Central

A week earlier than scheduled, city of Bend officials cut a ribbon across Reed Market Road to celebrate Tuesday’s reopening of the key east-west thoroughfare, more than two years after construction began. Construction managers and business owners also were on hand for the occasion , the latter perhaps being the most excited by the project’s

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) —Authorities say the gunman who killed nine people at Umpqua Community College killed himself inside a classroom after two plainclothes officers shot and wounded him. Douglas County District Attorney Rick Wesenberg said at a news conference Wednesday that the two detectives who were the first on scene heard a volley of gunfire

A 19-year-old La Pine employee of the Bend Walmart was arrested on arson and other charges Monday night, accused of using a pocket lighter to set two small fires in different areas of the store, police said. Police responded at 9:36 p.m. to the reported fires in the Walmart at 20120 Pinebrook Boulevard, said Lt.

Lovers of beer and history now have an easy way to support the preservation of Oregon beer history. The Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives at Oregon State University Libraries and Press has launched a crowd-funding campaign to help expand their hops and brewing collection at OSU’s Valley Library in Corvallis. Begun in 2013, the Oregon

From October 12-16, the Deschutes National Forest is planning to close Forest Road 1210200 east of Suttle Lake from Forest Road 1210 to Highway 20 to replace an underground power line. The owner of the power line, Central Electric Cooperative will begin construction along the SW Suttle Sherman Road on Monday, October 12. Excavators will

The first annual Oregon All-State Education + Entrepreneurship Startup Weekend is seeking student sponsors for the October 23-25 event at the COCC Redmond Technology Education Center. This first of its kind Startup Weekend event will combine Oregon college students, Central Oregon High School students and local entrepreneurs. Businesses can participate by sponsoring a student for

Looking forward to the 2016 Oregon Legislative Session, Senator Tim Knopp remains focused on serving his constituents and representing their interests. Senator Knopp is committed to finding proven solutions to create jobs, strengthen Oregon’s economy and expand educational opportunities for students. “Whether it’s training for family-wage jobs to foster economic growth in business, protecting parental

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Nathan Garibay has been awarded the Emergency Manager of the Year award from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. In 2014, Sgt. Garibay led Deschutes County’s efforts to evacuate hundreds of residents from the devastating Two Bulls Fire and coordinated emergency information and warning dissemination to further protect lives and

A two-story, nearly century-old building in Madras known as “the Old Courthouse” has just been added to the National Register of Historic Places, state officials said Tuesday. Following a contentious battle for the county seat, the 1917 Jefferson County Courthouse, known to locals as “the Old Courthouse,” was constructed as the Madras City Hall, but

It’s a tale that the evergreen-filled and ever-growing city of Bend knows all too well. A developer wants to build, and neighbors don’t like it. “People care about where they live. They care about the view that they have. That’s why they move out here,” Cypess Creek Energy representative Jason Carr said Tuesday. Bendites will

Bend-Redmond (Deschutes County) home prices rose 9 percent over the year ending in August, CoreLogic, a property information firm, reported Tuesday. On a month-over-month basis, home prices in the Bend-Redmond metro area, including distressed sales, increased by 1.1 percent in August, compared with July, the company reported. CoreLogic ® eleased its CoreLogic Home Price Index

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month across the nation. Many support the cause by wearing pink. All this month, many clinics and organizations will be hosting events and informational sessions for those wanting to learn more. Karlenn Smith, 38, of Bend is a mother of four. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in July of