Month: April 2017

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee applauded Thursday the announcement of grant funding to tackle opioid addiction in Oregon. As part of the 21st Century Cures Act, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the first round of grants to help states and territories combat the opioid epidemic.

Looking to improve your overall life satisfaction? Try regularly hiking in a forest or otherwise engaging with the natural environment. And then, for good measure, look for ways to build your trust in the scientists and policymakers involved in managing the forest where you like to hike. New research at Oregon State University empirically demonstrates

MARCOLA, Ore. (AP) – Meet the Mohawk Mustangs. The Marcola School Board voted Wednesday night to drop the Indians nickname and mascot at Mohawk High School. Final approval of the mascot change is scheduled for the board’s May 8 meeting. The Register-Guard reports (http://bit.ly/2ovgK2q) a committee that sought suggestions for a new nickname received about

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A proposal to alter a voter-approved mandate for college-prep, vocational and dropout prevention funding in Oregon high schools effectively failed this week in Salem, at least for now. Debates are heating up over Oregon’s looming $1.6 billion budget deficit as the second half of the 2017 session begins, and the $300

SEATTLE (AP) – A Washington woman who was convicted last year of animal cruelty for collecting over 100 cats in a recreational trailer has been arrested in Oregon for investigation of animal neglect. The Daily Herald reports (https://goo.gl/M94z7D ) 58-year-old Kathryn St. Clare was arrested in Warrenton, Oregon Monday night. A police officer allegedly found

(Update: Adding link to more details of projects online) The Bend Park and Recreation District got a chance Wednesday to show off its progress on this year’s projects to the district board, candidates running for office and budget committee members. It’s a once-a-year event that lets the board get out and see what capital projects

The Bend City Council dealt with a variety of topics familiar in a fast-growing city Wednesday night, approving a 216-lot housing development in the southeast part of town, though rejecting on a 4-3 vote the developer’s request for a slight miss on the 10 percent open-space requirement due to the 48-acre property. The J.L. Ward

The Bend City Council on Wednesday night authorized an exemption to the city’s low-bid process that will allow direct appointment of contractor MA Mortenson Co. to finish uncompleted work associated with the Water Reclamation Facility, the city’s sewage treatment facility. “Direct appointment is in the ratepayers’ best interest in this case because it will be

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A 72-year-old dog breeder from Veneta has been sentenced to two years on probation after admitting she failed to meet care standards. The Register-Guard reports (https://is.gd/xPzVce ) Shirley Ann Stephenson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge relating to standards of care applicable to dog breeders. Prosecutors dismissed a felony charge of

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) – A Klamath Falls man with a history of drunken driving has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a crash that killed a pedestrian. The Herald and News reports (http://bit.ly/2pDpSUj ) 52-year-old Charles Vermillion pleaded guilty Tuesday to manslaughter, assault, drunken driving and reckless endangering. Vermillion

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Stephen Curry scored 19 points on an off night, JaVale McGee sparked Golden State off the bench with 15 points, and the short-handed Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-81 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Wednesday night without injured leading scorer Kevin Durant. McGee shined on a night

A bill in the state House is looking to tackle a major issue in Oregon: sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. Currently in the House Judiciary Committee, House Bill 3279 would protect employees in the janitorial industry, where incidences of harassment are especially high, said Michele Roland-Schwartz, executive director of the Oregon Attorney General’s

(updating with AP story about ruling) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A federal court has killed a large wind energy project in southeast Oregon over concerns about a declining sage grouse population that needs the area to breed. The U.S. District Court in Portland vacated plans for the project Tuesday, bringing an end to lengthy litigation

Community college students in Oregon would get more say in how their student-initiated activity fees are spent under House Bill 2666 , which passed the House Wednes day on a 35-24 vote. The bill grants community college students authority similar to what have university students have now. These fees are initiated by a community college’s

The Oregon Senate Rules Committee held a hearing Wednesday on a measure sponsored by Rep. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, to amend the state Constitution to help protect voter intent on state ballot proposals, by requiring that an adequate revenue source be identified. Senate Joint Resolution 46 ensures ballot proposals include a source of revenue sufficient to

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The Oregon Department of Human Services has temporarily halted cuts to in-home care services for people living with disabilities. Disability Rights Oregon, a Portland-based nonprofit, last week filed a federal lawsuit against DHS, alleging it violated disability laws by cutting assistance for in-home services. The services, which include help with cooking,

(Updating to add CCB will turn over information to Oregon DOJ for possible criminal investigation) The Oregon Construction Contractors Board said Wednesday it has levied more than $80,000 in fines against a phony Bend-based home inspector who performed dozens of inspections in Central and Eastern Oregon in recent months. Gregory Mason Miller of Bend used

A 30-year-old northeast Oregon woman driving with a suspended license fled a Culver-area traffic stop late Tuesday afternoon, dragging a deputy about 50 feet at the start of a wild high-speed police chase that ended in a crash, a foot chase over two fences and her arrest, the sheriff said. A deputy had stopped Jeani

A new study suggests that one type of omega 3 fatty acid offers people who are obese or have a poor diet a chance to avoid serious liver damage. This is something that no available drug can accomplish, and can otherwise only be obtained by significant weight loss based on a very healthy diet. The

Scientists are on the hunt for a mysterious, shrimp-like creature with a unique claim to fame: Its entire population lives in and around the City of Roses. Nicknamed the “Stumptown scud,” this tiny crustacean helps keep Portland’s waterways clean by processing dead and decaying material. It is also a food source for fish, amphibians and