Month: August 2016

A Sisters construction company bookkeeper and office manager has pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer over the past several years. Now, she faces two years in prison — or four — depending on whether she can pay the victims $200,000 restitution at her Aug. 31 sentencing. Cheryl Ann Waldron,

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on Peru on Wednesday to take additional measures to combat illegally harvested and traded timber, following a new report on continuing shortcomings in Peru’s efforts to enforce its own forestry laws. Wyden requested the report earlier this year. “The report provided by Peru demonstrates that it

As the Bend North Little League team prepares for its Little League World Series debut Thursday afternoon, the community is rallying behind Central Oregon’s first team to make it to Williamsport, Pa. Bend North Little League’s 12U All-Star team topped Washington, 5-1, on Saturday to win the regional championship game in San Bernardino, California. The

The Redmond man accused of abducting assaulting and killing Kaylee Sawyer of Bend waived extradition during a California court appearance Tuesday afternoon and could be back in Deschutes County by next week to face four counts of aggravated murder. Edwin Lara, 31, was scheduled for a pretrial conference on five felony counts in a Yreka,

A 42-year-old Prineville man has been arrested on numerous rape and sex abuse counts, accused of molesting a now-17-year-old girl over the past eight years, police said Tuesday. Prineville police said they began the investigation last Thursday evening, learning the abuse was alleged to have occurred over the past eight years, in several locations throughout

The Redmond City Council Tuesday night approved a $2,654,000 contract with Griffin Construction, LLC for the construction of a new Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center at the Redmond Municipal Airport. The planned 7,000-square-foot facility is part of a 20-year lease agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, supporting their efforts to relocate the Central Oregon Interagency

The Internal Revenue Service recently alerted tax professionals to an emerging phishing email scam that pretends to be from tax software providers and tries to trick recipients into clicking on a bogus link. The email scheme is the latest in a series of attempts by fraudsters to use the IRS or other tax issues as

Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Tuesday that the U.S. Geological Survey has awarded about $3.7 million to six universities, including the University of Oregon, to help advance an earthquake early warning system along the West Coast. The funding announced Tuesday will help improve the “ShakeAlert” system that would give people a precious

One day after an Oregon State Police evidence analyst admitted in court to stealing over 700 pills from the Bend and Pendleton crime labs, the OSP issued a statement Tuesday on what transpired and efforts to prevent any recurrence. OSP forensic scientist Nika Larsen pleaded guilty in Portland federal court Monday to charges of stealing

Beginning this fall, Oregon State University–Cascades will launch night classes towards degrees in social science, and human development and family sciences. The addition of the classes will allow students to maintain weekday work and family commitments, while completing their bachelor’s degree in the evenings. The degree programs provide excellent preparation for individuals wanting to become

A Crook County deputy district attorney was arrested in Marion County Monday on charges of attempting to elude police, accused of speeding away from a sheriff’s deputy late Sunday and abandoning his car in a rural area near state Highway 22. Deputies said they had towed the car when he returned to the property early

With the start of the school year fast approaching, Deschutes County Health Services is reminding parents to make sure their children have all the immunizations they need to go to school and stay healthy. “It’s really important to remember diseases such as measles and pertussis still exist and that children should be up to date

Law enforcement agencies across Oregon are partnering with ODOT and safety advocates to tackle a trend that needs to end: an increase in injuries among 7 – 11 year old child passengers in crashes. For 2015, preliminary numbers show child passengers killed and injured under age 12 jumped more than 9 percent, from 1,564 to

Last week, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., wrote a letter to Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin to address his concerns over a new system that would block online access to benefits for seniors without a text-enabled cellphone. The Social Security Administration announced Monday they will change the policy and develop an alternative system for seniors without

Obsidian pieces found by a Willamette Valley landowner have been identified as a collection of Native American artifacts currently estimated to be 1,000-4,000 years old. The landowner has asked that his name not be shared. The cache of 15 bifaces is important for several reasons, said Assistant State Archaeologist John Pouley with the Oregon State

Five people were injured early Saturday in the rollover crash of an SUV on the Powell Butte Highway near Highway 20 east of Bend, including a 23-year-old Redmond man now facing DUII, reckless driving and other charges, Oregon State Police reported Sunday. Shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle

An injured hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail was rescued Sunday near Elk Lake by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers, officials said. Just after 12:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office was dispatched to a report of an injured hiker who could not continue on from the trail northwest of Elk Lake Lodge, said Deputy

The state of Oregon announced Monday a new foreclosure prevention program will launch statewide on Wednesday at noon. The program, called “Home Rescue,” will provide assistance to homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage. Home Rescue will provide struggling homeowners with monthly mortgage payments for up to one year (12 payments with a total maximum benefit

A Redmond man wanted for parole violation refused to pull over for police Friday afternoon and led officers on a brief slow-speed pursuit through downtown Redmond at speeds of up to 25 mph before spike strips prompted him to pull into a card-lock gas station, jump out of the moving car and run. Officers said

The Bend North Little League’s bats were as hot as the field on a sweltering day in the 100s at San Bernardino, Calif., on Saturday as they defeated Pacific (Lynnwood) Washington 5-1 to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. — the first team from the High Desert to do so. The