Month: July 2017

Youth hunters (age 17 and under) can sign up now for ODFW’s free pheasant hunts happening around the state in September. The events are being held in Baker City, Central Point, Corvallis, Eugene, Irrigon/Umatilla, John Day, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Madras, Portland, The Dalles (Tygh Valley). See dates below and register online (see Register for

A 65-year-old Prineville man whose Jeep broke down became lost in the woods north of Prineville on Sunday, prompting a 2-day air and ground search until he turned up at a home in the area, hungry but okay, Crook County sheriff’s deputies said. The sheriff’s office was dispatched shortly before noon Sunday on a report

(Update: Tuesday update) In the past 24 hours, South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership fire crews and resources have responded to 72 smoke reports, spanning more than 170 miles from Fort Rock to the Nevada state line, officials said Tuesday. The Crane Creek Fire was located four miles south of Lakeview, firefighters worked through the

Central Oregon is seeing early signs of a slowdown in the labor market after years of rapid growth, the state Employment Department’s regional economist said Tuesday. “Deschutes County’s pace of job growth is slowing, although the county is still adding jobs at a faster pace than all other metro areas in Oregon,” Regional Economist Damon

(Update: Police identify apparent drowning victim) Police on Wednesday identified a 59-year-old Bend man who died after jumping into the Deschutes River from the First Street Rapids footbridge. Sgt. Adam Juhnke said the man in Sunday’s incident has been positively identified as Andrew Joseph Munster, whose next of kin have been notified. “The Bend Police

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – A Klamath Falls man convicted of forcing a woman into prostitution has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. The Herald and News reported (https://is.gd/D6pBHy ) Tuesday that 28-year-old Javieon Drum of Klamath Falls pleaded no contest to trafficking in persons and coercion. Police arrested Drum and 26-year-old Ahmanda Parke in

NEW YORK (AP) – A federal appeals court says a rifle target maker missed its mark when it said in a lawsuit that NBC mischaracterized its exploding targets as bombs. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday, saying an NBC “Today” show segment’s description of the product as a “bomb” was substantially true. The

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Free parking could soon be a thing of the past in downtown Eugene. The Register-Guard reports (https://is.gd/gHN8Rz ) city councilors debated the topic Monday, and most seem ready to return to parking meters. The council authorized free parking in 2010 to help downtown businesses following the Great Recession. Councilor Alan Zelenka said there’s no

(Update: Correcting girl’s age to 6) Bethlehem Inn announced Mond ay that many of the thousands of community members that attended the 2017 COBA Tour of Homes supported Bethlehem Inn’s capital campaign, all thanks to the ingenuity and generosity of a 6-year old supporter. Olivia Salvesen, daughter of home builder Aaron Salvesen, decided to set

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Portland-area transportation agency has had enough of trouble riders and wants to extend how long it can ban people from using its services. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported (http://bit.ly/2vXmS7 ) Tuesday that TriMet wants to extend the length of time it can ban somebody from its services to one year and possibly life.

(Update: Evacuation orders lifted) HUNTERS, Wash. (AP) – Evacuation orders for people living near a wildfire in a rural area of northeast Washington state were lifted Monday. KHQ reports ( http://bit.ly/2vDCmhO ) that that Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeff Sevigney says the roughly 400-acre blaze near Hunters, Washington, is 10 percent contained as of Monday night.

If your driver license, instruction permit or identification card is expiring in August, you may want to go to DMV well before the Aug. 21 eclipse, officials advised Monday. An estimated 1 million people are expected to visit Oregon to be in the path of totality across Oregon, and the unprecedented traffic will slow down

The Oregon Health Authority issued a blue-green algae health advisory Monday for Odell Lake, located 75 miles southeast of Eugene off Oregon Highway 58, in the northwest corner of Klamath County. Water monitoring has confirmed the presence of blue-green algae and the toxins they produce in Odell Lake. These toxin concentrations can be harmful to

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel announced Monday that he won’t charge a 73-year-old man who was arrested after a suspicious fire on the exterior of an assisted living facility, citing insufficient evidence to do so. The fire late on the night of June 23 prompted evacuation of the Regency Village at Bend on Southwest

Homeowners falling behind on property taxes or mortgage payments should visit www.OregonHomeownerHelp.org because they may qualify for help from a $95 million program, officials said Monday. Help is available through the Oregon Homeownership Stabilization Initiative, which is run by the state of Oregon. A range of help is available, depending on a homeowner’s current situation

The Family Access Network said Monday it is the recipient of $15,000 in grant funds from The Oregon Community Foundation, which will be used to increase funding streams that support eight Redmond FAN advocates at 13 public school sites, including one early childhood site. The eight FAN advocates will connect disadvantaged children and families to

The House on Monday passed a plan co-authored by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., aimed at impoving the care veterans receive at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Walden worked with House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman, Dr. Phil Roe, to introduce the VA Medical Scribes Pilot Act of 2017. Walden’s legislation would implement a pilot program for

A Smith Rock hiker who lost consciousness and fell more than 100 feet from the Misery Ridge trail Monday afternoon was rescued and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. Deschutes County 911 dispatchers got a call around 1:10 p.m. reporting Eric Reynolds, 18, of Aumsville, Oregon, had fallen after losing consciousness, said

A report from the Bend Whitewater Park that a 15-year-old surfer was missing in the water prompted a search of the water and river banks Monday afternoon, until officials learned she had contacted her father to report she was out of the water and okay. The Bend Fire Department responded shortly before 4 p.m. to

A southwest Bend resident leaving for work saw flames on a neighbor’s deck and called 911, allowing firefighters to stop the blaze that they traced to an improperly disposed of cigarette. Firefighters responded around 8:30 a.m. to the reported deck fire in the 19000 block of Laurelhurst Way, said Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki. The