Month: October 2015

In the wake of the tragic event in Roseburg, gun control laws are once again being debated. Umpqua Community College does not allow guns on campus, and neither does OSU-Cascades. “The policy forbids carrying a firearm on OSU-owned or controlled property and that includes anyone with a concealed handgun licenses too,” said Christine Coffin with

A fire that broke out over the weekend in steep, rugged terrain east of Mt. Hood forced evacuation of a popular hunting area and had burned about 60 acres by Tuesday, forest officials said – a visible reminder that wildfire season is not yet over. The Badger Lake Fire broke out Saturday in heavy stands

Join Bend Area Habitat for Humanity on a build trip to San Rafael del Sur, Nicaragua January 30-February 7, 2016. Bend Habitat has three volunteer spots leftfor motivated volunteers who want to have an amazing experience in a different culture and help low-income families in Nicaragua. Volunteers will help build concrete block, 162-square-foot homes for

It’s hoops season as adult basketball leagues return this winter at Bend Park and Recreation District. The registration deadline for men’s and women’s “5-on-5” basketball leagues is Friday, October 18 th at 5:00 p.m. Four league divisions are offered: women 18 years and older, men 18 years and older, men 35 years and older and

Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are now part of the emergency response equipment carried in Bend Police vehicles, thanks to a grant from the Helen Lorenz Foundation awarded to the department in July. The nearly $43,000 in grant funding, handled through the Oregon Community Foundation, has allowed the Bend Police Department to put 32 AEDs

Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) responded Tuesday to questions about the steps Oregon has taken to prevent firearm tragedies following the tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College last week. “As all of Oregon struggles to find answers after last week’s tragedy, Oregonians want to know what Members of the Legislature have done and

The Deschutes National Forest said it is planning to close the Storm King trail in west Bend on weekdays beginning Wednesday for commercial thinning operations. Contractors will be commercially thinning and hauling in three timber sale units in West Bend beginning at 4:00 a.m. Wednesday and continuing through mid-November. The only trail within the 118

Central Oregon nonprofit Saving Grace was the fourth-best medium-sized. nonprofit to work for in Oregon. Saving Grace’s Executive Director Janet Huerta, and n other staff members attended the awards dinner in Portland last week hosted by Oregon Business Magazine. This is the second year in a row Saving Grace has made the top five for

After more than two years of work, Bend’s rebuilt Southeast Reed Market Road will open in both directions from Third to 27th streets on Tuesday afternoon, city officials said . The city will hold a short ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. to celebrate the project’s completion — which actually is a bit early, officials said.

Student safety is a top priority at Central Oregon Community College, officials say. That means officials plan for the worst — and hope it never happens. For many students, the shock of yet another college shooting has worn off. “I mean, you never want to hear it happen,” COCC student Martine Marquez said Monday. Still,

The Oregon Department of Transportation’s road usage charge program “OReGO” hasn’t seen the turnout that it hoped for. “Whatever the level of participation, it all helps us to determine if road usage charging is something that is going to be in Oregon’s long term future,” ODOT Public Information Officer Michelle Godfrey said Monday. Initially, ODOT

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., condemned a European Union Court of Justice ruling Tuesday that struck down a key agreement allowing the free flow of information between Europe and the United States. Wyden said he has long warned of the economic dangers of over-broad surveillance, including at a roundtable in Silicon Valley last year. “By striking

As a St. Charles Hospice volunteer, Rob Higley and his dog, Captain Patches, visit with hospice patients once or twice a week. It could be at an assisted living facility, a foster home, or private residence. Higley might sit with a patient to hear stories, life lessons or final wishes. “It’s great just to talk

October is the busiest month for vehicle-wildlife collisions in Oregon, officials said Monday in an annual warning for motorists to be cautious at this time of year. With deer and elk on the move due to breeding season and migration to winter ranges, more wildlife are crossing roads all over the state. The Oregon State

The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District on the Deschutes National Forest is inviting the public to comment on a proposal to thin overstory trees (primarily lodgepole pine) infected by insects and disease and remove dead fuels to reduce fire hazards within the Newberry Caldera. The Shield Insect and Disease Project proposes to address both forest health

A bomb threat Monday morning prompted evacuation and search of Rogue Community College in Grants Pass, as well as a precautionary evacuation of the school’s two other campuses. Word came first by Twitter that students and staff were urged to evacuate the Redwood Campus of RCC in Grants Pass shortly before 10:30 a.m., and a

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will hold a public hearing later this month in Bend to present information and take public comment on a proposed amendment to rules covering the Upper Deschutes State Scenic Waterway, to allow Bend Parks and Rec to construct a bicycle-pedestrian bridge. The proposed amendment to Oregon Administrative Rule 736-040-0073

Oregon drivers pulling in to fill up are encountering prices at the gas pump that are at their lowest levels since February, AAA Oregon-Idaho reported Monday. For the week, the national average for regular remains at $2.29 while Oregon’s average tumbles seven cents to $2.44. “Oregon has the fourth-largest weekly drop and the third-largest monthly

At the annual meeting of Homeless Leadership Coalition on Friday, eight new voting members were elected to serve. Although many organizations participate in the HLC, the voting members are the governing body for the Central Oregon Continuum of Care and conduct the bi-annual homeless Point in Time Count in the region. Voting members of the

It was announced Monday that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) ministers have concluded negotiations. What does this mean? It means the United States is one step closer to having TPP go into effect. TPP is a multilateral trade agreement being negotiated by the United States and 11 other nations. Industry leaders around Oregon and across the