Month: June 2017

Noxious weeds are a major problem in Central Oregon – perhaps more than you think. “They just overgrow everything — they just take over, and it’s just so hard to get rid of them. Pulling often doesn’t work,” said Julie Craig, code enforcement officer at the city of Bend Public Works Department. Along with overrunning

(Update: Both lanes of highway reopen; one will shut again Wednesday for cleanup) A fuel tanker crash east of Eugene Tuesday morning injured an Eastern Oregon driver and caused a spill that shut Highway 126E throughout the day, Oregon State Police reported. One lane reopened late Tuesday afternoon, and both lanes temporarily overnight, but motorists

House Bill 2505 , a move to end “dark money” campaign spending in Oregon, passed the state Senate unanimously Tuesday and now goes to Gov. Kate Brown for her signature. Rep. Nancy Nathanson (D-Eugene) was the chief co-sponsor of the legislation with Sen. Brian Boquist (R-Dallas). “This legislation will shine a light on the dark

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – After a dozen meetings since early May, the Joint Tax Reform Committee invited the public this week to weigh in for the first time on a large-scale makeover to Oregon’s corporate tax system. The committee could vote on the proposal, now called House Bill 2830, on Thursday and send it to

Katie Diez lost her father 10 years ago to cancer. While making a quilt out of her father’s T-shirts, she found a tomato seed. After planting that seed, it flourished, and Diez said Tuesday she has found healing in the process of taking care of those tomato plants. In growing the plants, she said she

Nine overflowing shopping carts of groceries. Eight Farm Bureau volunteers. One long cashier’s receipt. And$1,500 raised by the Oregon Farm Bureau Women’s Advisory Council and donated by County Farm Bureaus. Together, these numbers add up to a pantry full of groceries at the Ronald McDonald House Charity in Bend, a home away from home for

A fire that caused $100,000 damage to a Tumalo home under construction Tuesday morning was ignited by stain-soaked sawdust in a floor sander, Bend Fire officials said. Firefighters responded around 6:40 a.m. to the fire reported by the homeowner in a home under construction in the 64900 block of Gerking Market Road, said Deputy Fire

Here are the results of Monday’s KTVZ.COM Poll about direct flights from Redmond Airport: Do you think RDM needs more direct flights to more destinations? Yes – 82% (406 votes) No – 18% (89 votes) Total Votes: 495

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A trade mission of 25 people from China will be stopping in Oregon to check out specialty food, snack products, wine, craft beer and hard cider. The Capital Press reports (http://bit.ly/2s79SvK ) the trade mission will be in Portland June 21-22. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is hosting the group, which

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Court records state Portland police didn’t pursue or submit evidence for a sexual assault case until five years after the assault was reported, despite police having the name of a suspect and a sexual assault kit. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported (http://bit.ly/2rniAc4 ) Monday that a 19-year-old woman told police she was raped

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon’s record-low unemployment rate keeps setting new records. The state Employment Department said Tuesday the jobless rate for May was 3.6 percent, a slight drop from April’s record-low rate of 3.7 percent. The U.S. employment rate for May was 4.3 percent. Another unemployment measure, known as U-6, fell to 7.7 percent

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a man who jumped from the Burnside Bridge in Portland didn’t appear to be seriously injured while officers were able to talk another man off the Marquam Bridge in a separate incident. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/qRyJwY ) firefighters pulled the man who jumped onto a fire boat Monday afternoon.

The Oregon House on Monday unanimously passed Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s public record reform legislation, Senate Bill 481. The bill will now move to the governor’s desk. “When it comes to public records requests, Oregonians are entitled to both transparency and timeliness. I am proud to have spearheaded the most significant reform to our public

The Oregon House on Monday approved Senate amendments to a bill that supporters say may help make higher education more affordable for Oregonians. The bill is part of a years’ long effort by Rep. Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver) to identify and address cost drivers within Oregon’s higher education system. “Throughout my legislative career, one of my

Oregon continues to lead the way in expanding voter access with the passage Monday of Senate Bill 802 which gives 16-year-olds the ability to pre-register to vote. Under current Oregon law, an otherwise qualified person who is at least 17 years of age may pre-register to vote. This legislation will lower that to age 16

The Oregon House of Representatives approved Monday a resolution paving the way for legislative committees to accept remote testimony via video conferencing. Chief sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, House Concurrent Resolution 24 is touted as a way to make the legislative process more accessible to Oregonians, including those from rural areas or who

Oregon has work to do to improve its support of children, a new report finds. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual KIDS COUNT Data Book assesses states on key indicators of how children and families are faring, and this year ranks Oregon 31st overall. Results were mixed among the different indicators. Oregon ranks 40th in

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon lawmakers have advanced a proposal that would allow the state to issue state driver’s licenses and identification cards in compliance with federal standards borne after the 9/11 attacks beginning in the next three years. Senate Bill 374 passed on Monday of committee with unanimous support and now heads to the

A fire destroyed an unoccupied RV and damaged a family’s adjacent RV near Ochoco Reservoir east of Prineville Monday afternoon, officials said. Crook County Fire & Rescue responded around 12:45 p.m. to the reported fire at Lakeshore RV Park on the Ochoco Highway with an engine, water tender and medic, said Fire Chief Matt Smith.

The city of Redmond is looking to get input from the public as it unveils its new parks plan. The Parks Master Plan will be in effect for the next 20 years, according to Parks Division Manger Annie McVay. The plan accounts for the city’s growth and demand for more parks around Redmond. The Parks