Month: July 2016

Oregon’s unemployment rate rose to 4.8 percent in June, up from May’s rate of 4.5 percent, but that’s largely due to a surge in the state’s labor force, the state Employment Department reported Tuesday. Here’s the rest of the agency’s news release, in full: One significant factor in the rise of the unemployment rate was

Nestled away in the Rogue Valley of southern Oregon, the city of Jacksonville may be small. But with its rich history and thriving tourism, it’s anything but ordinary. The year is 1851, and gold has just been discovered in Southern Oregon. As the news spread, prospectors flock to this unknown corner of Oregon, hoping to

They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice, but one couple who live in the Alfalfa area east of Bend said their house was hit by lightning twice Monday morning. “It hit twice, almost simultaneously,” said ersident Kathy Nash. She said the storm started around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning, and at 8 a.m.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that Central Electric Cooperative will receive an $86,912 grant to help reduce the costs of the cooperative’s community solar project in Bend. Provided through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), the grant’s proceeds will reduce participation costs by 20 percent for CEC members who subscribe to a

The Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon is pleased to announce they recently received a generous donation from the Estate of Horace C. “Bud” and Kathryn J. “June” Nachand in the amount of $32,000. The Nachands were longtime residents of Bend, having moved from Portland to this area in the early ’70s. After serving in World

Police officers across Central Oregon are starting this work week with heavy hearts after three officers were shot and killed and three others wounded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday. Local law enforcement leaders said Monday they are making sure their officers are being safe and vigilant while patrolling the roads. Patrol Deputy Kevin Riding

A homeowner northeast of Bend arrived home Monday morning to hear people inside and called 911, bringing out Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies and their tracking dog Ezel, who with the help of citizen tips found two burglary suspects hiding in a neighbor’s shed. Deputies were dispatched around 8:40 a.m. on a report of a possible

A call to Jefferson County 911 from the Juniper Motel on Monday morning shed little light on what was going on, other than shouting, but sheriff’s deputies called to the scene learned a woman had accidentally shot herself in the foot. Patrol Sgt. Jason Erickson said the sheriff’s office got a call around 10:30 a.m.

On Wednesday, July 20 , Dutch Bros Central Oregon will donate proceeds from the day sales to two local girls to help offset medical expenses. Taylor Laidlaw and Ashley McNeil have both endured the trials and tribulations of living with cancer. Taylor is currently in remission and Ashley is still going through treatment, and is

Cascade Natural Gas crews working on the Bend Westside Replacement Project will have a chunk of Broadway Street closed again this week. They’re working south from Florida Avenue, and will have the section of Broadway between Florida and Colorado avenues closed until about 6 p.m. each evening. Motorists should continue to avoid Northwest Broadway Street

The Bend Park and Rec District Board is being asked Tuesday night to agree to plans to lease about 170 parking spaces to OSU-Cascades for up to five years, for interim student and staff parking as it develops its new four-year campus that opens this fall. The initial 10-acre campus site’s plans for 300 short-term

Members of a Bend family are packing their bags and heading to Germany this summer, but this is no vacation. They say they’re leaving for medical treatment doctors here won’t provide. It’s a long-standing controversy in the medical community. The Pratt family is seeking treatment for chronic Lyme disease. Many doctors say it doesn’t even

Crews worked on the ground and from the air to douse a small fire burning northwest of Sunriver Saturday evening, police said. In an email sent out shortly before 8 p.m., police Sgt. Joe Patnode said crews were fighting the fire, about a half-acre in size and located near forest roads 41 and 4130, across

A 52-year-old Madras woman died and three children were injured after she drove into the path of a freight train north of Culver, possibly distracted by an earlier, nearby crash, Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies said Friday. Patrol Sgt. Jason Erickson identified the woman who suffered fatal injuries in Thursday evening’s crash as Lourdes Perez. Erickson

Governor Kate Brown announced Friday “Oregonians United to End Gun Violence,” a plan to address gun safety in Oregon and across the country. Here’s the rest of her news release, in full: Governor Brown was joined by Rep. SuzanneBonamici, D-Ore., Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill,faith leaders, advocates for gun safety, and more than 30

You’ve heard of service or support dogs — but what about support pigs? Pearl is one such pig, who is helping her owner Brit Oliphant get through some of the tougher parts of having ADHD. “If I’m having a conversation with someone, having something there in the background helps me have a conversation,” said Oliphant.

Governor Kate Brown on Friday ordered all flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff immediately until sunset on Tuesday, in honor of the victims of the attack in Nice, France. “My heart is with France,” Governor Brown said. “Please keep the people of France in your thoughts as they cope with yet

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs said Friday it has lowered its competitive home loan rates and is now offering a 20-year fixed rate loan starting at 2.50 percent with a 1.375 percent origination fee (2.685 APR). Additionally, the program’s 30-year loan rate is now starting at 2.75 percent with a 1.375 percent origination fee

The Oregon Health Authority said Friday it has lifted the health advisory issued July 1 and extended July 8 for the Metolius and Crooked River arms of Lake Billy Chinook 12 miles west of Madras in Jefferson County. Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of blue-green algae toxins are below guideline values for human

The High Desert Food & Farm Alliance recently received two grants to improve their Grow & Give program with the goal of donating 8,000 pounds of food this summer. Thanks to the generous support of the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation and the Schwemm Family Foundation, HDFFA’s Grow & Give fresh food donation program increases