Month: March 2017

With spring at hand, the Oregon Department of Transportation advised motorists Thursday to be on the lookout for migrating mule deer on U.S. Highway 97 and other Central Oregon highways “Deer migration is beginning in early April this year,” said Cidney Bowman, wildlife biologist for ODOT, “So motorists need to be on the alert for

(Update: Hiker warned, not cited over bear cub actions) SALEM, Ore. (AP) – State authorities say a Salem man who found a 3-month-old black bear along a hiking trail and took it to a wildlife rehabilitation center has been warned but not cited. KGW-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2oamvXa) Corey Hancock says he found the cub not moving

Behavioral health touches every Oregonian. Everyone has a friend, a loved one, or a neighbor who has experienced a mental health issue or substance use disorder — and many Oregonians experience these challenges themselves. While Oregon has made progress related to the behavioral health system, there is still much work to do integrating behavioral health

Tilly’s pups are on the move — sort of. The 4-week-old river otters at the Oregon Zoo, one female and one male, now weigh about 2 pounds each and have begun taking their first, tentative steps. The next step, keepers say, is to give them names — and you can help. “The little ones haven’t

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police in Portland arrested six people during and after a downtown rally protesting the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old black boy. Police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said in a news release that those arrested Wednesday included 34-year-old Hollis McClure, 20-year-old Adebisi Okuneye and 22-year-old Damion Feller. All were arrested for

The City of Bend Utility Department is partnering with the Bend Park and Recreation District, OSU Extension Office and Oregon Department of Forestry to remove bark beetle-infested trees and fire fuels from Overturf Butte, beginning Monday, April 3 . The targeted completion date of the tree removal is Friday April 7 . During the tree

The Redmond Municipal Airport warned Wednesday that its pay parking lot is very full this spring break week — and may become completely full during the busy spring and summer travel season. RDM is encouraging travelers to consider using options in lieu of using the pay parking lot. Thy include, but are not limited to,

Prineville’s two-year project to turn land next to the Crooked River into a walkable wetland area — plus save tens of millions of dollars on sewer-plant expansion — has just been completed. A couple of years ago, the city was faced with a $62 million expansion cost for their waste management system. But city officials

(Update: Victim’s name released, police release mroe details) A 26-year-old Madras woman was killed Tuesday night when her car left a northeast Madras road and crashed, police said Wednesday. Police were dispatched at 8:42 p.m. to the reported crash on Northeast Loucks Road near Lakeside Drive, said Madras police Sgt. Mel Brown. The driver, Melissa

(Update with Degraw sentencing) A California man was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to reduced charges in the January abduction, assaults and threats to kill two Crooked River Ranch residents. The victim’s housemate received a 6 1/2-year term at her sentencing Tuesday, also in a plea deal to reduced

One week after a judge raised her bail from $200,000 to $500,000, a Bend babysitter accused of leaving seven young children home alone on numerous occasions is seeking a reduced bail – a move the Deschutes County district attorney opposes. Last week, Circuit Judge Beth Bagley raised the bail from an initial $200,000 to $500,000

Care to see the unusual mating ritual of the greater sage grouse? Now you can do so from your video or smartphone — or even be part of a small tour to watch what’s called “lekking” in person. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered with The Nature Conservancy for a live-streaming Webcam, set

The federal Bureau of Reclamation will begin drilling in early April to collect soil samples at Ochoco Dam east of Prineville. Crews will be working near the toe of the dam’s downstream face, collecting soil samples from the embankment and foundation at six drill sites to refine existing studies of the dam’s seismic stability. This

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Forest Service officials are proposing a series of regulations aimed at reducing damage from increasingly large crowds in some areas of the Willamette National Forest. The Statesman Journal reports (https://is.gd/Nh4bLm ) the steps include an alcohol and campfire ban in certain areas, along with increased restrictions on where people can camp.

A former Sunriver Fire Department firefighter-paramedic who was president of their labor association was sentenced Tuesday to nearly 200 hours of community service, to be completed within three years, after he pleaded guilty to hacking the fire chief’s computer email to see documents related to labor relations. Jason Arnold and former Capt. Jeff Ruthardt were

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Jusuf Nurkic had a career-high 33 points with 16 rebounds against his former team, CJ McCollum had 39 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 122-113 on Tuesday night to take hold of the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Portland leads Denver by a game for the

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The state of Oregon has agreed to pay $175,000 to a former inmate who claimed she was sexually abused by a prison doctor during a 2013 gynecological exam. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/zz5Z7h ) the lawsuit, filed in 2015 in U.S. District Court, was settled earlier this year. The suit named 58-year-old

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries confirmed Tuesday it has launched a new investigation involving gender discrimination against the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, the third in recent months. Deputy Jennifer Gaspard filed a complaint with the agency on March 3, alleging she and other female employees have been passed over for several positions in

(Update with House Democrats’ news release, explanation) Oregon House Republicans blamed the Democrats Tuesday for rejecting a GOP minority report to HB 2005 that would have made it illegal to pay military veterans unequal pay for equal work. But the Democrats said that wasn’t the issue. HB 2005 MRA was voted down on a 29-31

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon’s child welfare system often leaves children in danger because workers miss or ignore threats to a child’s safety. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that according to an internal state report made public Monday, analysis of 101 Oregon Department of Human Services cases found that social workers incorrectly determined children were safe in