Month: September 2016

It was an historic day as the fall term kicked off on Wednesday at the brand new, 10-acre OSU-Cascades campus on Bend’s Westside. The university hosted resource fairs and offered free coffee to students, which was provided by Starbucks. OSU-Cascades is currently holding off on issuing parking passes to students until a new parking system

Authorities on Wednesday recovered human remains found by a hunter Tuesday evening on U.S. Forest Service land off South Century Drive near La Pine, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. The hunter reported finding the remains shortly before 7 p.m. near milepost 10 of South Century Drive, said sheriff’s Sgt. Don Manning of the agency’s detective

Parents were given a warning after a high school student in Redmond reported being approached by a stranger, offering a ride. The student told police he got off the bus Monday afternoon near Southwest 33rd Street and Indian Avenue when the stranger offered him a ride. Police investigated but were unable to find the person.

Bend’s form of city government may be in for some changes. At the very least, the issues revolving around the best form of representation are back up for discussion, as they have been periodically through the city’s century-plus history. Three groups held a city charter review forum Tuesday night, hoping to engage the community in

A long-awaited trial got underway Tuesday afternoon for former Central Oregon Community College student Eric Norgaard, accused of stabbing his roommate, James Briles, 14 times in October 2014. Norgaard faces charges including attempted murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. The trial before Deschutes County Circuit Judge Michael Adler is expected to last

Recent Central Oregon brushfires have officials reminding residents that even though cooler conditions have hit the High Desert, fire season is not over. Bend Fire Battalion Chief Dave Howe said Tuesday there are many misconceptions about the tail end of fire season. “People think that when it gets cool, fire season is over and they

Oregon election officials reported Tuesday they are receiving complaints from voters who have received letters from an organization called Voter Participation Center. which inaccurately claim that the recipient is not registered to vote. In the letters, VPC includes a pre-filled voter registration form that may contain incorrect or outdated information, or information for people who

A trial gets underway Tuesday for former Central Oregon Community College student Eric Norgaard, accused of stabbing his roommate, James Briles, about a dozen times in October of 2014. Norgaard faces several charges, including attempted murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. The trial before Deschutes County Circuit Judge Michael Adler is scheduled

Central Oregon’s unemployment levels stabilized in August following several months of increases, a state Employment Department regional economist said Tuesday. Meanwhile, hiring patterns in Central Oregon were fairly consistent with seasonal norms, said Regional Economist Damon Runberg. On a different note, Runberg noted that the Bureau of Economic Analysis just released the 2015 Gross Domestic

Starting next week, the city of Bend will begin work on South Third Street between Wilson Avenue and Powers Road to enhance accessibility for everyone and improve Bend’s overall transportation system. The project will pause over the winter and will resume in March. Construction will happen from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. The City anticipates

Bend police surrounded a downtown office building early Monday and arrested a 29-year-old Bend man on charges he threw rocks through the windows and glass door of three businesses and trespassed on a total of five properties. Isaiah Marcy, 29, broke two windows and a glass door the three Greenwood Avenue businesses: Raymond James Financial

It’s getting closer to November, and because of that, the pressure is high for Bend City Council candidates, as evident in an intense debate Monday night full of sharp exchanges between incumbent Doug Knight and challenger Bill Moseley. The Bend Chamber held its second debate in a series of election forums at the Deschutes Brewery

Deschutes County businesses have been hit with three large embezzlement cases in just over a year. In each one, an employee is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. William Walton was accused of stealing more than $700,000 from a Bend construction company in August 2015. Cheryl Ann Waldron admitted to taking a Sister’s

Two fires in Bend and La Pine about a day apart prompted officials to remind residents that even though fall is nearly here, Central Oregon’s dry conditions continue and fires can spread quickly. Around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Bend Fire Department units were joined by the Oregon Department of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service in responding

A Sherwood man was arraigned Monday in Deschutes County Circuit Court on manslaughter and other charges in a recent crash that killed a 2-year-old Bend girl on Hwy. 20 west of Tumalo. Last week, a grand jury returned an Indictment charging David William Fincher, 46, with first-degree manslaughter, five counts of third-degree assault and DUII.

In the span of about 12 hours Saturday and early Sunday, Oregon State Police troopers said they investigated four separate crashes on Western Oregon highways that took the lives of five people. Below is a summary of each: HIGHWAY 22, MP 75 – LINN COUNTYAround 4 p.m. Saturday, troopers and emergency personnel responded to the

A 63-year-old Prineville registered sex offender was arrested Saturday on two-dozen counts of rape, sex abuse and related offenses after two Prineville residents came forward and disclosed several years of abuse, police said Monday. Frank Villastrigo Jr. made his initial appearance Monday afternoon in Crook County Circuit Court, where his initial $9.25 million bail was

In the span of about 12 hours Saturday and early Sunday, Oregon State Police troopers said they investigated four separate crashes on Western Oregon highways that took the lives of five people. Below is a summary of each: HIGHWAY 22, MP 75 – LINN COUNTYAround 4 p.m. Saturday, troopers and emergency personnel responded to the

The Coast Guard is monitoring a 50-foot commercial fishing vessel that went aground near Florence, Oregon. The vessel ran aground at about 2:15 a.m. Saturday on a beach north of the Siuslaw River Bar north jetty. Officials in North Bend received the initial report from the two-person crew. They said there were no injuries. A

Seven of the 155 water outlets tested by the Bend Park & Recreation District this summer showed elevated levels of lead, but none is believed to be a danger to public health. The Bend Bulletin reports (http://bit.ly/2clwy4V) that people in buildings where lead was found were warned against drinking water from those fixtures. Officials say