Month: May 2017

Spring has finally sprung in Central Oregon and that means it’s time to getting ready for fire season. Across the state and in Deschutes County, fire departments and organizations are encouraging residents to learn about living in Fire Adapted Communities and take steps to reduce the threat of wildfire destroying lives and homes. There have

The National Park Service announced Thursday it is putting its water shortage action plan at Crater Lake National Park into effect, following the state’s call to cease withdrawing water from Annie Creek. Annie Creek is a tributary of the Wood River, in the Klamath Basin. Park officials said despite above-average snowfall this winter, streamflows in

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was caught in the cross-hairs of a standoff between Ammon Bundy, his followers and the federal government. In a 41-day occupation of the refuge early last year, the standoff drew national attention and thrust the rural community into the spotlight. Employees’ offices were taken over and several buildings vandalized. It

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a hiker who fell 150 feet off a cliff in the Columbia River Gorge Wednesday has died. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/sYqqVY ) 31-year-old Samuel Cha fell while hiking the popular Angel’s rest trail. Multnomah County sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Chad Gaidos says Cha was hiking with two family members when

Cows that have witnessed wolf attacks display physical signs associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study by Oregon State University. PTSD is a psychological disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, frightening or dangerous event. This is the first study of its kind to reveal PTSD biomarkers in

Central Oregon is watching as attendance estimates for the August solar eclipse creep higher. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected, but it’s the unexpected that has people worried. About 30 agencies are working together to launch a multi-agency information network. It will be a one-stop shop for the public to get current information and

The Crook County District Attorney’s Office says it’s seeing more marijuana possession cases than ever since recreational marijuana became legalized in the state. In 2015, the district attorney’s office handled 12 marijuana possession cases involving teens under the age of 18, and none involving youth under age 13. Last year, the number of cannabis possession

It’s been 12 years since ambulance transport fees were raised in Bend, and the Bend Fire Department says in order to continue the trend of good service, it’s time for a hike. Currently, the cost of getting into an ambulance in Bend is $986. Then there’s a mileage fee — that’s about $13 per mile.

(Update: Details on second fire at home in six hours) Investigators are looking for the cause of a second fire at a La Pine home in six hours Thursday, officials said. I La Pine Rural Fire Protection District crews responded at 6:42 a.m. to the first reported fire in a home in the 16000 block

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the Humane Society of Central Oregon is reducing the adoption fee to only $5 for cats 6 months and older on Friday and Saturday, May 5 th and 6 th . Cinco de Mayo is the purrfect time to add a little spice into your life, or add a

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The three officials responsible for Oregon’s oldest state forest have staked out positions for its future, with two advocating continued public ownership and the third public ownership of old-growth areas. The fate of the Elliott State Forest, in the Coast Range, is a hot-button issue, with many demanding it remain public

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A small earthquake has been reported off the southern Oregon coast. The U.S. Geological Survey website says the magnitude 4.2 quake happened Thursday morning, just before 7:30 a.m., 136 miles west of Coos Bay. It occurred at a depth of six miles.

A Sierra Nevada red fox was captured and radio-collared in Deschutes County this week, a first for Oregon wildlife biologists researching this rare sub-species of red fox, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported. The ODFW and Tim Hiller of the Wildlife Ecology Institute have continued a study of the foxes, known by the

Fuels specialists will continue prescribed burning on Friday, with ignitions planned for five miles southeast of Sunriver. Friday ‘s ignitions will begin around 11 a.m. and will cover 158 acres. If conditions remain favorable, fuels specialists plan to burn approximately 300 more acres over the weekend. No road or trail closures are expected. Smoke will

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The “TriMet barber” may have snipped again. The Portland Police Bureau said Thursday it got a report of a man cutting a woman’s hair on a TriMet bus, and surveillance photos indicate the suspect is Jared Walter, a 30-year-old registered sex offender with a history of cutting, gluing or masturbating into

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – A small school district in Western Oregon plans to convert its only school into a charter school. The Gazette-Times reports (https://is.gd/rGKiYr ) the Alsea School Board voted for the switch last month, and will formalize its charter document next week. Superintendent Marc Thielman says the change is driven by a desire

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – A small school district in Western Oregon plans to convert its only school into a charter school. The Gazette-Times reports (https://is.gd/rGKiYr ) the Alsea School Board voted for the switch last month, and will formalize its charter document next week. Superintendent Marc Thielman says the change is driven by a desire

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement on the passage of the American Health Care Act: “For seven years, our constituents, patients, friends, and family, have suffered under a one-size-fits-all law that is collapsing under its own weight,” Walden said. “The American Health Care Act

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek introduced an unexpected proposal Thursday she says fills in the holes of a corporate tax overhaul plan that other lawmakers rolled out two days prior as a $1.6 billion budget shortfall looms. Both proposals could boost revenue by about $3 billion through a new business tax

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – An Oregon man who had pointed his gun at protesters last summer has been sentenced to 40 days in jail and is banned from owning guns. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported (http://bit.ly/2qJvD2r ) Wednesday that 37-year-old Michael Aaron Strickland had said he thought he had a right to point his gun at protesters.