Month: June 2017

Many things will look different on Oregon highways in the days before the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse. And it’s not just because things will be dark for a while mid-day. ODOT is making some significant changes in highway procedures to help you stay safe and reduce congestion during the #Eclipse2017. How different? Here are

The noise and bright lights of fireworks delight humans, but can terrify our companion animals. The week surrounding the 4 th of July is the Humane Society of Central Oregon’s busiest week of the year. There is a dramatic increase in lost and frightened animals due to the sounds of fireworks. If you lose or

(Update: Mugshot, more details on arrested Redmond man) A Redmond man wanted on an outstanding warrant was arrested Friday, accused of fleeing police Wednesday and sparking a manhunt in which a Redmond police officer and two others were injured when his patrol car was rear-ended, officers said. Jonathan Eveland, 34, was taken into custody without

The Deschutes National Forest announced Friday it will close the Cultus Lake boat launch starting at 10 p.m. next Wednesday, to the chagrin of some holiday-week vacationers who expected to be able to use it after the Fourth. On Monday, contracting crews will move equipment into the Cultus Lake Campground and Day-Use Area. They plan

(Update with details of crash, names of victims) An Idaho man was killed and two other people were seriously injured Friday morning in a head-on crash on state Highway 230 near Diamond Lake that shut the road for much of the day, Oregon State Police reported. An initial investigation found a white 2007 Chevy Silverado

(Update: Burnout wrapping up, grows fire to 406 acres) Firefighters were finishing burnout operations Friday on the now 406-acre Sheep Springs Fire in the Metolius Basin and will begin mop up, extinguishing hot spots and fire along the perimeter. Thursday, crews were able to successfully complete burnout operations using existing roads to create a containment

Here are the results of Thursday’s KTVZ.COM Poll about legislation to bar drivers from holding their cellphones: Should state law bar drivers from holding a cellphone behind the wheel? Yes – 81% (537 votes) No – 19% (123 votes) Total Votes: 660

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – An Oregon department responsible for approving insurance rates says some will likely change in 2018 from 1.6 percent down to 14.8 percent up. The Department of Consumer and Business Services said Friday costs for many policies for small businesses and individuals who buy their own coverage are rising in part due

A health advisory for high levels of blue-green algae and the toxins they produce was issued Friday for parts of Lake Billy Chinook, located about 12 miles west of Madras in Jefferson County. The advisory boundaries are different for each arm of the lake, officials said, and are as follows: — The Metolius River Arm–From

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Lawmakers sent legislation requiring railroads to develop safety plans for oil spills back to a legislative committee because of concerns about concessions to the rail industry. Lawmakers were prepared to vote Friday on the bill by Rep. Barbara Smith Warner, a Democrat from Portland. It was crafted to address safety concerns

(Update: Comments from a resident, Redmond police) The Oregon Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved House Bill 2597, a measure that will forbid drivers from touching any electronic mobile device while driving. The Senate passed the bill 21-8, but sent it back to the House, for concurrence with revisions. The bill forbids talking, texting, movies, emailing,

(Update: More from ODOT on new system) The Oregon Department of Transportation has unveiled new technology to track drivers in real time in Central Oregon, to help them make better decisions on what routes to take and which to avoid. The Iteris Freeway Performance Measurement software utilizes cell phones to track drivers (in actuality, any

A federal judge in Portland sentenced a brother and sister to two years in prison for their roles in long-running schemes to promote prostitution at 10 Portland-area strip clubs and adult video stores and for conspiring to evade more than $728,000 in federal income taxes by concealing from the IRS $2.6 million in income from

At its monthly meeting Thursday, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission took action to repeal draft tap labeling restrictions and dropped a ban on advertising “happy hour” offerings. Previously, businesses selling malt beverages on draft were required to affix a label to each tap handle. As the brewing industry has evolved in Oregon, tap houses, breweries

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – Details of a new, $43.7 billion budget for the next two years that would increase spending for public schools, mental health and state worker contracts have been released on the same day lawmakers need to vote on the plan. The proposed 2017-2019 spending plan adds $1.8 billion for K-12 public schools,

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – A man who robbed a medical marijuana grow operation at gunpoint has been sentenced by an Oregon judge to almost 17 years in prison. Authorities say Delonte Brooks and another man were armed when they confronted three men and stole more than 40 pounds of marijuana at the grow operation in

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a jail inmate died in a hospital west of Portland Wednesday after deputies found him unresponsive in his cell. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/amgTNf ) 58-year-old Dale Thomsen was found around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in a cell at the Washington County Jail. Washington County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. David Thompson says

This year’s 4 th of July Pilot Butte public fireworks display will commence at approximately 10 pm on Tuesday, July 4 th , 2017. In preparation, the Oregon State Parks Department and Bend Fire Department ask that the community observe the following restrictions to Pilot Butte State Park from July 2 nd through July 5

Roads in downtown Bend are due for maintenance, and the city is about to begin repaving Wall and Bond streets. Crews will work at night from 7:30 p.m. to 9 a.m. starting Wednesday, July 5 , and Thursday, July 6 . Construction will begin on Bond Street just south of Greenwood Avenue and progress north

A fire burned an area no bigger than a house Thursday afternoon on a small hillside northeast of Bend, on BLM land off McGrath Road. But the small fire pointed to bigger issues, of a wealth of flammable cheatgrass this year — and a rise in human-caused fires in recent years. The cause of this