Month: July 2016

As the Fourth of July approaches and Oregonians head outdoors, public health officials advised people Friday to take general precautions against mosquitoes to avoid a possible risk of West Nile virus infection. Historically, warm weather leads to elevated mosquito activity and the threat of West Nile virus. So far in 2016, West Nile virus has

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with 30 Senate colleagues, sent a letter Friday to the Departments of Education and Justice, urging the agencies to ensure colleges and universities receiving federal funds adhere to new requirements intended to help prevent sexual violence on campus and increase accountability for students’ safety. These regulations, which went into effect

A health advisory due to blue-green algae was issued Friday for the Metolius arm of Lake Billy Chinook from Perry South Campground to and including the area around Three Rivers Marina, about 12 miles west of Madras in Jefferson County. Water monitoring has confirmed the presence of blue-green algae and the toxins they produce. These

Friday’s start of Oregon’s new three-tier minimum-wage law can be potentially full of paperwork perils for small-business owners who think just knowing their new regional rate is enough, their representative group warned. In a guest editorial to appear in the July issue of the Salem Business Journal, Anthony K. Smith, Oregon state director for the

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is cracking down on distracted drivers during this Independence Day weekend. The agency is joining several law enforcement agencies across the state in a high-visibility enforcement campaign. Police are looking for drunken drivers, and seat belt and cellphone violators. Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins told NewsChannel 21 on Friday traffic

The noise and bright lights of fireworks delight humans, but can terrify our companion animals. The week surrounding the 4th of July is the Humane Society of Central Oregon’s busiest week of the year. There is a dramatic increase in lost and frightened animals due to the sounds of fireworks. If you lose or find

Apple announced this week they’ll be building a third data center in Prineville. The tech company will also be adding a 70,000-square-foot logistics building as well. Facebook also is well along with its third data center as Prineville, a once-thriving timber town, is growing into a high-tech magnet. Crook County Commissioner Ken Fahlgren said Thursday

A former employee of the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office and the Oregon Department of Justice appeared in Portland federal court this week and admitted to stealing more than $55,000 in benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bruce A. Endicott, 34, of

A smoky fire early Friday morning destroyed one building at a closed Madras mini-storage business now under foreclosure, where neighbors said they had seen transient activity “for some time,” an official said. Jefferson County Fire District No. 1 crews responded to the structure fire on Brush Lane at 5:37 a.m. and arrived within four minutes

A fire that broke out early Thursday evening grew to nearly 3,000 acres by nightfall and was threatening homes about six miles east of The Dalles, prompting evacuations that later were lifted and a partial closure of Interstate 84 for a time, authorities said. Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue said on Twitter the 15 Mile Fire

In response to the staggering amount of food wasted in the U.S. every year, Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., joined colleagues Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., to introduce comprehensive legislation to reduce food waste in stores and restaurants, at schools and institutions, on farms, and in American homes.

Deschutes VFW Post 4108 received a special delivery Wednesday evening, just days before Independence Day. A truck hauling an Army tank pulled into the Redmond parking lot around 6:30 p.m., and veterans on hand said they’re thrilled to have a new piece of American history to display on the High Desert. “The tank is just