Month: May 2017

Continuing our series of special reports on some of Central Oregon’s inspiring women, we introduce you to a mother-daughter duo who turned a huge negative into an even bigger positive. Mrs. Greenbalm is a natural balm that could be used on anything that needs healing, but it’s power stretches beyond just the salve. The mother-daughter

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Voters in Portland were approving the largest school bond in state history, which would raise taxes to address high levels of lead in drinking water at nearly every school and pay for modernizing schools. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/To7UH4 ) that according to partial returns Tuesday night, 61 percent voted for the

Rachel Scdoris-Salerno is the mother of a 2 year-old and a small business owner. In 2005, she was the first legally blind person to finish the grueling Iditarod race in Alaska. She also won Glamour Magazine’s Woman of the Year award, and as a fifth-generation Central Oregonian, she wants to represent the state’s Second District

(Update: Adding more on Hwy. 97 dust storm, comments about wind) Winds gusting to 40 mph hit Central Oregon Tuesday, toppling trees around Bend and to the south, triggering a dust storm and a reported multiple-vehicle crash south of Madras and prompting Bend-area fire officials to close outdoor debris burning after one burn got away

From mini to major, road projects of varying size, duration and frustration are spread across Bend over the next year. Many of them are starting right now because they have to, Tom Hickman, director of the city’s Engineering and Infrastructure Department, said Tuesday. “With the growth this community has experienced, we have to take advantage

A bill to remove barriers some veterans face when seeking to obtain high school diplomas that qualify them for better jobs in civilian life will go to Gov. Kate Brown for signature. House Bill 2220 – which passed by a 29-0 vote on the Senate floor Tues day – eliminates the General Educational Development exam,

Monday marked the beginning of Peace Officers Week. On Tuesday, Central Oregon law enforcement gathered in Bend to celebrate the men and women who serve our community and protect us every day. At the Heroes Memorial at Brooks Park, police officers from Redmond and Bend, as well as the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Michael F. Bennet, D-Colo., pressed Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke Tuesday to respect local input and years-long collaborative efforts on land management plans to prevent an Endangered Species Act listing for the greater sage grouse. They said such a listing would harm land users by creating unpredictability for ranchers,

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum praised the Oregon Legislature Tuesday for passing legislation (HB 2090) that will update Oregon’s consumer law to hold companies accountable for their online privacy policies. Sen. Chuck Riley carried the bill in the Senate, and Reps. Jennifer Williamson and John Huffman carried the bill in the House. The bill will

SELCO Community Credit Union has awarded $30,000 in college scholarships to 20 graduating high school seniors throughout Oregon, including four students from Central Oregon. The $1,500 scholarships provide assistance for college-related expenses and support the Oregon financial institution’s mission of helping member-owners reach their goals. Scholarship recipients were chosen from hundreds of applicants from all

Oregonians can now see proposed rates for 2018 individual and small employer health insurance plans, officials said Tuesday. Health insurance companies submitted rate requests to the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Division of Financial Regulation on May 15. The division must review and approve any rates before they can be charged to policyholders. The

MORO, Ore. (AP) – Sherman County may order the use of herbicides on a 2,000-acre organic farm in north-central Oregon after complaints from neighboring farmers about noxious weeds. The Capital Press (http://bit.ly/2qoRsaX ) reports Tuesday that spraying would cause Azure Farms to lose its organic certification for three years. The farm is operated by Azure

Here are the results of our Tuesday morning (sorry for delay) KTVZ.COM Poll on whether you use the Voters Pamphlet to cast your ballot. Do you read the Voters Pamphlet before filling out your ballot? Always – 66% (82 votes) Never – 6% (7 votes) Usually on candidates – 11% (14 votes) Usually on issues

(Updated with more info on safety violations) Valley Retriever Buslines, which provided daily round trips between Newport and Bend and between Newport and Portland, closed down on Monday, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported. Last week, Valley Retriever notified the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that it would not meet the Monday deadline for addressing

Central American tropical forests are beginning to disappear at an alarming rate, threatening the livelihood of indigenous peoples there and endangering some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America. The culprit? Cocaine. The problem is not the cultivation of the coca plant – which is processed into cocaine – that is causing this

A legally blind Bend woman who drew worldwide attention over a decade ago for her competition in Alaska’s famed Iditarod sled-dog race announced Monday she’s entering a far different sort of race, with its own big challenges: a bid for Congress, to unseat veteran Rep. Greg Walden. Rachael Scdoris-Salerno, a 32-year-old Democrat, filed paperwork Monday

Oregon’s unemployment rate edged down to 3.7 percent in April from 3.8 percent in March, reaching a new record low since comparable records began in 1976, the state Employment Department reported Tuesday. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in April. Oregon’s rate was significantly below its year-ago rate of 5.0 percent in April

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday it has released a free mobile app to help better connect with the residents of county. The app allows users to quickly obtain some of the most commonly requested information from the sheriff’s office. The public can easily access latest news, events, inmate information, and the most wanted

St. Charles Bend announced Monday it is the first hospital in Oregon to offer a new treatment program for patients at risk for stroke due to blockages in their neck arteries. The minimally invasive procedure, called TransCarotid Artery Revascularization or TCAR, utilizes a new FDA-approved neuroprotection system that temporarily reverses blood flow in the artery

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) – Oregon park officials are proposing adding campground sites and rental homes for Fogarty Creek in a plan for the future 25 coastal Oregon state parks between Lincoln City and Yachats. The Salem Statesman Journal reported (http://stjr.nl/2rkxqfR ) Friday that the plan also proposes expanded camping at South Beach State Park,