Month: March 2017

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – A timber industry group has joined a growing list of entities challenging the legality of former President Barack Obama’s expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Mail Tribune reports (https://is.gd/aIyj5I) the American Forest Resource Council filed a lawsuit Friday asking a federal court to invalidate the expansion. It’s the third federal

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Commissioners in Lane County have increased the legal age for using and buying tobacco products to 21. The county, which includes Eugene, is the first county in the state to raise the age limit from 18. The Register-Guard reports (https://is.gd/r9WthS ) the ordinance was approved Tuesday by a 3-2 vote and

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife had some help Tuesday as they released nearly 300,000 juvenile Chinook salmon into the Metolius River. The release is part of an ongoing program to reintroduce wild salmon and steelhead to the Upper Deschutes Basin. Students from a natural resources class at Madras High School joined biologists from

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed a Republican vote Tuesday to overturn a U.S. Department of Labor rule that clarified drug testing practices for state unemployment insurance programs. In a speech on the Senate floor, Wyden called drug testing for unemployment insurance recipients in the middle of an opioid epidemic “ineffective and mean spirited.” “If Republicans

MULTNOMAH FALLS, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a dozen hikers from Texas were rescued in the Multnomah Falls area after they became stuck across a snow hazard. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says deputies and other rescue personnel were dispatched Tuesday afternoon to search after receiving location data from a hiker’s cellphone that placed them

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A years-long movement to elect the presidential candidate with the most popular votes is up for discussion in the Oregon Statehouse for the fourth time in last eight years. The proposal, which is piggybacking on momentum from Donald Trump’s Electoral College victory, drew more than 220 public testimonies on Tuesday for

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – DeMarcus Cousins scored 22 points, Anthony Davis had 15 points and 15 rebounds and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Portland Trail Blazers 100-77 on Tuesday night. Cousins had nine rebounds and three assists. He made 9 of 17 2-point shots but missed all five of his 3-point attempts. Jordan Crawford

This time of year many farmers, ranchers and land owners use fire to ready their land for the spring and summer growing season. This practice is a great way of eradicating noxious weeds, removing dead plant material and prepping the land for new crops. But this practice can also be dangerous if not done properly,

(Update: 59th cat arrived Tuesday) The Humane Society of Central Oregon removed 59 cats Monday from a home in Crescent whose owners called for help after receiving an eviction notice from their home. On Friday, the cats owner contacted Bend Spay and Neuter Project, saying he and his mother were eing evicted from their home

A Tumalo art gallery announced Tuesday it is closing its doors after nearly six years in operation, and the rough winter is a prime culprit. Here’s their announcement: “It is with great sadness that the Circle of Friends Art Association announces the closing of our gallery located at 19889 8th Street in Bend (Tumalo). The

Residents of southwest Bend are noticing an addition to their neighborhood, and it’s not a welcome one. It’s a new rash of graffiti, much of which appears to have been the work of the same vandal. Bend police said over the last two weeks, they’ve seen a huge spike in graffiti reports, compared to last

A 24-year-old Bend man who was convicted of firing an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle into the street after a northwest Bend street fight last April in which two people were wounded was sentenced Tuesday to more than eight years in prison. Walker Owen Henneke received a 100-month sentence from Deschutes County Circuit Judge Bethany Flint for

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Clackamas County woman who was found dead in the trunk of her car was discovered with handcuffs attached to one wrist, a bottle of water, a bag of cookies and used duct tape. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://is.gd/ZYhBL8 ) that police found Merrilee Cooley’s car parked in an apartment complex in

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) – A young woman who fired a gun during an argument with her boyfriend – inadvertently killing her elderly neighbor – has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison. Noelle St. John told investigators she grabbed her boyfriend’s .380 caliber handgun at a suburban Portland apartment last June.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Military surplus Humvees could soon share the Oregon streets and roadways with minivans, hatchbacks and compact electric cars. A proposal began advancing in the Legislature last week that would make Oregon one of the few states to allow retired military Humvees on the roadways for civilian use by giving the same

The Internal Revenue Service is seeking civic-minded volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), a federal advisory committee that listens to taxpayers, identifies major taxpayer concerns and makes recommendations for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction. The TAP reports annually to the Secretary of the Treasury, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service

The state of Oregon is facing a $1.7 billion shortfall for the coming biennium, and now lawmakers and the governor’s office are hammering out a budget. Gov. Kate Brown has proposed a number of budget-balancing cuts to mental health and public safety, including cuts to the Oregon State Police and its drug enforcement officers. The

Researchers have confirmed what Oregon farmers have feared for nearly two years – some populations of Russian thistle in the northeastern part of the state have developed resistance to glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States. “This is not good news for growers,” said Judit Barroso, a weed scientist at

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Monday asked Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to spell out the Trump Administration’s plans to help public high schools increase graduation rates in Oregon and across the country. In a letter, Wyden specifically asked DeVos how she would implement a Wyden priority to increase graduation rates that was included in

While retail gas prices across the country were relatively stable for most of the past month, Oregon pump prices recorded the second-highest increase of any state, AAA Oregon-Idaho reported Tuesday. AAA Oregon/Idaho Public Affairs Manager Matthew Conde said, “For the week, the national average falls two cents to $2.29 a gallon, while Oregon’s average jumps