Month: November 2015

With snow in Central Oregon, fuels specialists with the Bureau of Land Management Prineville District will be beginning their winter prescribed burning program on Monday. By reducing excess material from thinning projects, most of these prescribed fires are intended to reduce the size and intensity of wildfires in the area. The following prescribed burns are

NeighborImpact is seeking individuals to serve on the Board of Directors and its committees. NeighborImpact is the region’s largest nonprofit social services provider. The agency anticipates three vacancies on its 15 member board in 2015. Economically disadvantaged applicants and those who work with the economically disadvantaged are invited to apply. (Economically disadvantaged individuals earn 80

A Thanksgiving night kitchen fire extensively damaged a northeast Bend home and brought the American Red Cross to help four roommates find shelter for the evening, fire officials said. Losses were estimated at $90,000 from the fire, reported around 9:30 p.m. Thursday at a two-story home at 1885 Northeast Yellowstone Lane, said Fire Inspector Steve

The first big snowfall of the season caused chaos on Central Oregon’s roads on Tuesday — and the driving challenges are far from over. “In a 24-hour period, we responded to about 110 crashes or slide-offs,” said Deschutes County sheriff’s Sgt. Nathan Garibay, the county’s emergency services manager. And crews had a hard time keeping

A power outage hit more than 1,300 Pacific Power customers in Madras for over two hours late Thanksgiving Eve. Pacific Power’s outage update page said the cause was not known but that a repair crew had been dispatched. Residents reported the power came back on by about 12:40 a.m. Some area residents said power went

This Thanksgiving, many Central Oregonians ate pie for breakfast, but not until they completed a 2-K run. Thursday was FootZone’s ninth annual “I Like Pie run at snowy Drake Park in Bend. Due to the heavy snowfall the High Desert has experienced the last few days, the run was modified to a shorter course and

The Humane Society of Central Oregon is saying “bye-bye Black Friday” and “hello #PetFriday.” Instead of the stressful Black Friday shopping, #OptOutside with your furry friend and de-stress with a stroll in the snow, or head to the dog park. Some may want to #OptInside and snuggle up with a book or movie with a

Jericho Road in Redmond is accepting donations of bottled propane, sleeping bags, heavy coats, warm gloves and socks during the present cold weather conditions. They are also seeking cash donations in order to help people find temporary shelter during the extremely low temperatures. Jericho Road provides free, hot meals and is a partner with Shepherd’s

Acting on several neighborhood complaints of possible drug activity at a northwest Prineville home, police conducted an investigation that led to a raid Wednesday in which three Prineville residents were arrested – two on outstanding warrants, officers said. Two young children at the home prompted involvement of state child protection officials. Prineville police and Crook

More ta 100 people got a warm Thanksgiving meal in Bend Thursday afternoon. The Salvation Army and AmeriCorps volunteers worked around the clock to get everything ready. Snow and ice didn’t stop the volunteers from delivering a hot Thanksgiving meal to families in need. The volunteers awakened at 6 a.m. to start preparing the Thanksgiving

U.S. house prices rose 1.3 percent in the third quarter of 2015 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Index, released Wednesday, which also again put the Bend-Redmond metro area in the top 10 for the largest home price rises. The metro area (actually defined as all of Deschutes County) came in No.

There’s a new business making its way into Bend. It’s causing a headache for law enforcement and heartache for some residents. And worst of all, business is booming. “Bike thieves are making a living in Bend right now,” says Pine Mountain Sports Owner Dan McGarigle. According to the Bend Police Department, reported bicycle thefts are

After recent revisions, fall hiring across the High Desert was in line with normal seasonal ebbs and flows, while unemployment levels showed their first signs of improvement in over six months, the state Employment Department reported Tuesday. “The employment situation was little changed in October across Central Oregon,” said Regional Economist Damon Runberg. “The preliminary

Due to the frigid temps and heavy accumulation of snow, I Like Pie will operate on a very limited basis with only the food drive for NeighborImpact, pie contest, pie feed, and 2k walk/slog loop as options. The course will NOT be clear of snow and ice so footing will be treacherous, officials said. Snowshoes

Central Oregonians awoke Wednesday after a huge dump of a foot-plus of snow over much of the region to the big chore of clearing roads, sidewalks and driveways on Thanksgiving Eve, traditionally one of the busiest travel days of the year. The first big winter storm of the season — and one of the biggest

As winter arrives in Central Oregon, the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee reminds property owners to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice. Bend, La Pine, Redmond, and Sisters all have ordinances relating to the year-round clearing of sidewalks. While the language varies, the message is the same – business or property owners

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has closed the gate to the Pilot Butte summit road as of Wednesday. The road will remain closed to public vehicle traffic until spring, out of safety concerns for park visitors. “We are now in the winter driving season and the stretch of road on the north slope of

At Redmond’s Opportunity Foundation Thrift Store, it’s hard to get in the spirit of the holidays when there’s an empty spot where a beloved greeter always stood. “Spencer White was our official greeter,” Manager Tom Tome said Tuesday. “Any customer who came in here would talk to him.” The gift of gab: Spencer was a

The Oregon State Public Interest Research Group Foundation has released its latest “Trouble in Toyland” report and list of dangerous toys. It says despite improvements from recent safety regulations, there are still dangerous toys on store shelves. “Year after year we continue to find hazardous chemicals and choking hazards on store shelves,” Campaign Organizer for

A 65-year-old Redmond man who was struck and fatally injured by a car at a southwest Redmond intersection Monday evening was crossing the street against the pedestrian control “don’t walk” signal, police said Tuesday. Redmond police Lt. Jesse Petersen said officers responded to the vehicle-pedestrian crash, reported around 5:09 p.m. at the intersection of Southwest