Month: April 2016

Homelessness is a very visible issue in Central Oregon, and the need continues to grow due to many factors, including; lack of affordable housing, few “living wage” jobs, substance abuse, mental health conditions and lack of social service access, to name but a few. The Homeless Leadership Coalition(HLC) is a large group of social service

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office this week released new cellphone video from Ryan Bundy in the moments leading up to LaVoy Finicum’s shooting death. “They’re shooting at us,” Bundy is heard saying on the video. “They got lasers at us. LaVoy got out. I think they killed LaVoy.” Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox and Victoria Sharp

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday it wants to turn a non-operational fish hatchery site near Camp Sherman into a youth fishing destination. The agency is hosting a meeting to talk about their plans to create a small fishing pond and small parking area on the 15-acre property on Spring Creek. The

The Bend City Council drew not just support, but applause Wednesday night for voting to sell off a troubled water system to the private sector. On another, touchy topic, it decided to hold off on a vote and try to avoid a costly, public fight with another elected body over the future of a downtown

It was a night of female empowerment in Central Oregon. The Women’s Foundation of Oregon stopped by Central Oregon Community College Wednesday evening as part of its statewide listening tour. The foundation is spending the month traveling the state and listening to what women and girls have to say. The Women’s Foundation of Oregon is

A 13-year-old Redmond boy has been arrested in the recent burglary of a home at which several guns and a minivan were stolen, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Monday. The vehicle was recovered the next day and some of the firearms were later sold in the Redmond area and recovered, leading to charges against three

Every April, the Blue Ribbon Campaign promotes child abuse prevention on the High Desert. More than 50,000 blue ribbons are distributed in Central Oregon, but it all started with one in 1989. Kayla Rotunno, development director at MountainStar, said Wednesday the campaign started with a grandmother’s tribute. “Her grandchild was being abused, and she tied

Emergency managers from across the state are meeting in Warm Springs this week for the annual Oregon Prepared! workshop. The workshop is presented by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority. It brings together city, county, tribal, state and federal partners from the emergency management community. More than 300

Deschutes County Sheriff L. Shane Nelson announced Wednesday five promotions for the sheriff’s office, including two new captains, one lieutenant and two sergeants. Nelson called it a positive day for his agency after many setbacks in recent months. “This is a very exciting day for our office and for the community that we serve,” Nelson

Given favorable weather conditions, Deschutes National Forest fuel specialists on the Sisters Ranger District plan to conduct a prescribed burn Thursday west of Sisters, by the Tollgate community. The prescribed fire area is 3 miles west of Sisters, adjacent to the Tollgate community. The 77-acre “SAFR” unit is also nearly a mile north of the

A Madras woman shot and wounded a reported burglary suspect late Monday night in her southeast Madras duplex, police confirmed Wednesday. Police Chief Tanner Stanfill said officers responded shortly after 11 p.m. to 408 Southeast Seventh Street on a reported shooting, along with Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police. A preliminary investigation indicates

A Corvallis man was critically injured when he apparently ran a stop sign and caused a three-vehicle crash on Highway 126 east of Sisters early Tuesday evening that also sent the two other drivers to the hospital, Oregon State Police said. The crash occurred around 5:20 p.m. six miles east of Sisters, at the intersection

Beginning next Monday, Ferguson Road will be closed between 15th Street and King Solomon Lane for construction of a sewer line, Bend officials said. The closure is scheduled for 60 days. Eastbound traffic will be detoured south on 15th Street to Knott Road, then east to 27th Street. Westbound traffic will be detoured south on

The Deschutes National Forest and Discover Your Forest, friends of the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland, are hosting a Natural Resources Career Fair for high school youth called “Finding your Niche in Natural Resources.” The Natural Resource Career Fair is for high school students, grades 9-12, from Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath

Is the city of Bend considering becoming an Internet provider? You might get that impression from the label for a Bend Chamber “What’s Brewing” event tonight, but the city has its own answer. “Should the city of Bend be your Internet provider?”was the topic of the gathering at the Deschutes Brewery Tap Room. The invitation

Scientists who for the first time used global positioning system telemetry to monitor the movements of reclusive Pacific martens have discovered that these fierce, tiny mammals tend to avoid open stands of trees resulting from forest thinning. That could put conservation efforts to protect martens at odds with modern forest management, but the researchers say

An Oregon State Police vehicle totaled when a distracted driver’s car hit it last February took center stage on the Capitol Mall Tuesday, showing what can happen when drivers are distracted for even a short time. Standing in front of that awful sight, ODOT Director Matt Garrett kicked off National Distracted Diving Awareness Month in

A Central Oregon rancher and veterans advocate testified Tuesday before the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee after Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., invited her to share her story and serve as a witness about opportunities for veterans in agriculture. Merkley serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Alison Perry is the founder of

The Summit High School robotics team has advanced to the Northwest District Championships competition after winning two state events. The team, also known as FRC #5678 Retrobots, had its first competition a month ago, followed by another event last weekend. Team members described the competition as the hardest fun they ever had. The team of

If conditions remain favorable, Deschutes National Forest fuels specialists will continue prescribed burning near Hole in the Ground southeast of of La Pine on Wednesday and possibly Thursday. An additional 300-600 acres are slated for burning mid-week in the southernmost area of the forest, 22 miles southeast of La Pine near Hole in the Ground.