Month: April 2017

(Updating adding trail, bridge map) This week, the Oregon House voted to block construction of a proposed footbridge over the Deschutes River. It would have connected from the area of Deschutes River Woods east of the river to the Deschutes River Trail near the Good Dog trail area on the west side. For years, the

Cascade Natural Gas crews working on the gas line replacement project in downtown Bend have completed installation of all gas mains on this phase. Gas service tie overs should be completed by this Thursday, so traffic congestion will be minimal, as crews prepare to repave all the areas excavated. Next week, repaving will begin, so

(Updating, adding driver’s comment) A Madras woman was taken to the hospital with injuries early Saturday after her minivan left Highway 26 northwest of Prineville, crashed through a fence, toppled a juniper tree and rolled at least twice, Crook County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies and Prineville police responded around 5:40 a.m. to the reported single-vehicle

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Portland commissioner wants the city to issue a legislative subpoena to look at the “playbook” Uber used to dodge city regulators. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2qmz0x5) Portland sought the ride-hailing company’s playbook and Greyball software during a month-long investigation. Uber didn’t turn them over by the city’s deadline. Commissioner Dan Saltzman

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – New charges have been filed against a man accused of slapping the backsides of women along a popular hiking trail that runs through the eastern Washington city of Spokane. KXLY-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2qtaQjE ) that 28-year-old Jonathan Smith now faces charges in Spokane County District Court and that they carry more serious

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard is expanding its operations along the North Coast by selecting Astoria as the new home for two fast response cutters. The Daily Astorian reports (http://bit.ly/2qsXXGl) the 154-foot cutters will replace smaller, 1980s-era patrol boats that are nearing the end of service. The new boats will arrive in

GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) – The mother of a 16-year-old girl who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run is pleading with the driver to come forward. Gresham police have been looking for the driver who left the scene of Friday night’s crash. Aleyda Perez was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Police say the

FRISCO, Texas (AP) – Tesho Akindele scored his first goal in the 80th minute and FC Dallas rallied twice to tie the Portland Timbers 2-2 on Saturday night in a battle of the top two teams in the Western Conference. Dallas (4-0-3) , which allowed just three goals in its first six games, limited Portland

HOOD RIVER, Ore. (AP) – Authorities are investigating after a hiker found the body of a man on a popular trail in the Columbia River Gorge on Friday. Deputies with the Hood River County sheriff’s office say the man was in his 50s and died of natural causes within the last 24 hours. Deputies say

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say somebody slashed the tires on the personal vehicles of four firefighters with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. Officials say the firefighters discovered the vandalism Thursday morning after they left work following a 24-hour shift. No fire department vehicles were parked in the lot. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is

KENT, Wash. (AP) – A school district in Washington state has halted all international field trips over concerns students in the country illegally wouldn’t be able to get back in. The Seattle Times reports (http://bit.ly/2p7zusN) that the Kent School District’s Board of Directors announced the decision Wednesday. The decision immediately canceled an education exchange to

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) – An eastern Oregon prosecutor wants to double check the psychological evaluation of a man facing a murder charge to make sure the defendant isn’t faking mental illness. Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus said he wants to see raw data from psychological exams that 26-year-old Oscar Villegas Garcia of Milton-Freewater could

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Two men have been arrested after police say they were sex trafficking a 16-year-old girl. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/7qs06V ) 22-year-old Tre Jenkins and 20-year-old Antonio Moore were arrested Thursday at Moore’s southeast Portland apartment after an investigation that included Beaverton police and the FBI. The girl has been reunited with

(Updating with correct last link) Personal use firewood collection will open on Monday across the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and within designated cutting areas on the Crooked River National Grassland and the Prineville BLM. All areas will remain open through November 30 . Beginning May 1 , firewood cutting permits will be on sale

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has urged U.S. Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub to review potential conflicts of interest arising from White House advisor Ivanka Trump’s interactions with the Chinese government, including the recent approval of three Ivanka Trump brand Chinese trademarks. In a letter Thursday to Director Shaub, Wyden

The reopening of Crooked River Elementary School in Prineville is causing an unexpected traffic problem. “When we decided the new Crooked River Elementary School traffic flow, we didn’t anticipate that we would have as much exit back into Second Street and Knowledge Street as we have,” Crook County School Board Chair Doug Smith said Friday.

The legalization of marijuana in Oregon two years ago has done little to stop the black market. Butane Hash Oil, or Butane Honey Oil, is in high demand on the East Coast. It can have little odor, making it ideal to smuggle across state lines, but its production is innately dangerous. The BHO production usually

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon lawmakers next week will unveil a corporate tax overhaul akin to Measure 97 – the multi-billion-dollar tax hike proposal on big business that voters rejected in November – that will include new levies for almost all businesses and a scaled-back tax burden on low-income households. With hiring freezes and other

In response to President Trump’s executive orders removing protections and moving to reopen risky offshore drilling, Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., on Frid ay reintroduced the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act, a major piece of legislation to permanently protect the Arctic from offshore drilling. The legislation would prevent any new or renewed leases for the exploration,

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – West Coast seaports where work stoppages have affected billions of dollars in cargo could get long-term labor peace if dockworkers approve a new contract extension. Union leaders for 29 ports from Washington to California voted Friday in San Francisco to allow about 20,000 rank-and-file members to vote on a proposal from