Month: February 2016

The Oregon House voted Thursday to raise the state’s minimum wage. The new wage will be the highest minimum wage in the country, but it will take six years to get there — and not everyone will see the same increase, which is helping fuel an already hot debate. The state Senate approved the plan

Many schools host curriculum night, an opportunity for parents to meet teachers and find out more about programs offered. On Thursday, Juniper Elementary in southeast Bend put a new twist on this school tradition by hosting its first “Technology Night.” Students and teachers were able to show parents how they’re not only keeping up with

Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., along with Sens. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., today led a group of more than 30 Democratic senators in filing an amicus brief Thursday with the U.S. Supreme Court on the need to protect women’s access to affordable birth control. The brief was filed ahead of

Dogs are known as man’s best friend, but is your companion also a protector? NewsChannel 21 recently put eight pooches of several sizes and breeds to the test using a dog expert wearing a bite suit out of precaution. We sent our “robber” in to steal from three homes in Bend. Dog owner Nick McCallion

Out in the fields of Jefferson County, more than 70 percent of America’s carrot seed is grown, but it’s inside the office where the books are kept that farmer Tom Kirsch worries that number could dip in the future. “There’s a lot of angst and a lot of nervousness. We don’t know where we stand

We told you back in August about 5 Fusion and Sushi Bar Executive Chef Joe Kim, who was nominated at the James Beard Foundation Awards. Now, Kim is one of 20 semifinalists nominated for ‘Best Chef in the Northwest’ — for the third year in a row. Kim is the only chef from Central Oregon

Former refuge occupier Shawna Cox filed for damages “from the works of the devil” in a a defense motion in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. But it didn’t get far. Cox is facing federal conspiracy charges for her role in the 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. She is currently under house

The Ochoco National Forest said Thursday it is seeking public input on the draft plan for a proposed 130-mile Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail system, known as the Ochoco Summit Trail System Project. The agency said the “trail system is intended to provide OHV users a well-designed, sustainable place to ride in the Ochocos in

Two Prineville men who drug agents said were on their way back from a methamphetamine purchase in Salem were stopped in a car on Highway 20 near Black Butte Ranch and arrested early Wednesday. Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team detectives developed information last month that Toby Horn, 41, was involved in meth trafficking throughout Central

Almost every state in the country now has average gas prices at below $2 per gallon, with some states below $1.50. In Bend, prices are as low as $1.69 per gallon, a price many residents worried they would never see again. “We laugh — we went to Seattle not too long ago and it cost

On the rare occasion when gridlock disperses on Northwest highways, drivers here are often vexed by another traffic-clogging culprit: the left-lane camper. But according to a recent poll,, though a majority of drivers regularly witness the oblivious lane-hogging behavior, new data suggests it may be declining. According to the PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll, which surveys

Bend city officials said Wednesday they have a plan in the works to help ease the parking issues in the Northwest Galveston Avenue neighborhood. City officials say the Galveston corridor project includes a plan to add parking along the road and improve bike lanes for residents. The project is in the early design stage. Nick

It’s time to celebrate the women in our region during the Bend Chamber’s second annual Women of the Year Awards hosted at the Tower Theatre on Wednesday, March 9. This is sure to be a night of inspiration as deserving women take the stage to accept their awards. The Women of the Year Awards, brought

This election year, it’s even easier than before for Oregon voters to register to vote. Those who renew their driver’s license will now automatically be registered to vote. “While other states are making it more difficult for people to exercise their democratic right to vote, Oregon continues to lead the way in extending access to

Preliminary estimates out Wednesday from the National Safety Council indicate U.S. motor vehicle deaths rose 8 percent in 2015 – the largest percentage increase in 50 years — but Oregon’s jump was more than three times larger, leading the nation. The National Safety Council estimates 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads, and 4.4 million

A guns-drawn traffic stop of a stolen pickup truck in southwest Redmond led to a drug raid on a home, the recovery of a stolen rifle and other items and the arrests of five Redmond residents, police said Tuesday. And it’s not the first raid on that particular “drug house,” police and neighbors said Wednesday.

Bend city officials say they have a plan in the works to help ease the parking issues in the Northwest Galveston Avenue neighborhood. Some neighbors living off Federal and 12th streets say their neighborhood is being overrun by cars looking for place to park The say local pubs around the area attract many patrons, but

A Bend woman arrested for murder allegedly used a pillow and her body to smother her elderly grandmother to death, according to new court records. Angela Judd, 45, who made a brief court appearance Tuesday, was arrested Feb. 5 in the Dec. 31 death of 92-year-old Nada Bodholdt. At court hearings, prosecutors have shed little

State Rep. Jeff Barker, D-Aloha, has sponsored a bill that would allow a judge to protect the identity of a police officer involved in a deadly shooting for up to 90 days if the officer’s life was deemed to be in danger. Barker told NewsChannel 21 it comes after Oregon State Police Superintendent Richard Evans

The Oregon House voted unanimously Wednesday to increase protections for whistleblowers, a bill championed by Rep. Knute Buehler. The Bend Republican introduced similar legislation last session in response to the Kitzhaber-Hayes whistleblower, Michael Rodgers. “Last year, we learned the identity of an Oregon hero – Michael Rodgers. In the face of indifference at best –