Month: August 2017

(Update: Mapping reduces fire’s acreage; now 50 percent contained; small new fires contained) The McKay Fire, located about three miles east of Highway 97 and north of Deschutes County Road 21 near McKay Butte, grew to 1,219 acres before it was encircled, officials said Wednesday afternoon. A mapping reduced the fire’s size by about 100

(Update: More comments from victim) A New York state man was arrested on car theft, robbery and other charges Wednesday morning, accused of hitting a 70-year-old Bend man on the head with a stolen shovel and trying to steal a pickup he was driving in the Bend River Promenade parking lot. Police said the victim

Thick smoke is blanketing Central Oregon, and the area’s air quality isn’t just bad, it’s among the worst in the country. “It’s ridiculous. The view is gone. My sister came out for vacation, and she’s a photographer, and she can’t even take pictures,” Tami Ciciora said Wednesday. No mountains were visible from the top of

Watery eyes, scratchy throat, bit of a rasp to your voice? You’re far from alone. Central Oregon has become less of a hotspot for campers and more of a campfire itself. Which means sports and outdoor activities are less happy and more hazy. Kevin Cooper, a teacher and football coach at Bend Senior High, said

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – Billboards supporting net neutrality call out three Republican U.S. Congress members, including Oregon Rep. Greg Walden, in their home districts. The Medford Mail Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2wj0usu ) on Tuesday the digital rights advocacy group Fight for the Future is responsible for the crowdfunded billboards, which target the Congress members who the group

(Update: Potato Hill Fire at 50 acres; pilot car still guiding Santiam Pass traffic) A wildfire that broke out Tuesday afternoon in brush and timber south of Highway 20 has burned about 50 acres and continued to restrict travel over Santiam Pass on Wednesday, officials said. The Potato Hill Fire was burning west of Forest

Due to weather conditions forecasted for this coming weekend, regrettably Sunriver Resort has decided to postpone the 7 th Annual Sunriver Half Marathon for a Cause benefiting St. Charles Cancer Services. This includes all running events – the Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk and Kids Dash. Sunriver Resort will contact all participants and issue an announcement

(Update: Charges dismissed in raid) Charges have been dropped against two La Pine-area men in an Aug, 15 raid, Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel confirmed Wednesday . Robert Edmondson Jr., 60, was accused of not following deputies’ commands and fighting with them to get control of their guns during the raid at a home

LEBANON, Ore. (AP) – A Lebanon home has been destroyed in a fire that began with a man cooking french fries. Division Chief Jason Bolen of the Lebanon Fire District says a 52-year-old man was cooking fries on the stovetop Wednesday morning when the oil overflowed onto the burners and ignited. Bolen says the man tried

(Update: Fire’s cause determined as electrical) Investigators said an electrical failure sparked a house fire early Wednesday morning that caused $200,000 damage to a northwest Redmond home. The residents escaped with no serious injuries, but a dog perished in the blaze. A call to Deschutes County 911 around 3:10 a.m. brought firefighters and officers to

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a Portland family escaped their house after a hoverboard caused a fire. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/5JSZM3 ) the fire started at the foot of the stairs in a home in Southwest Portland Tuesday afternoon. Portland fire spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons says a boy was trapped upstairs but escaped using a collapsible

Here are the results of Tuesday’s KTVZ.COM Poll, asking which side you usually favor in disputes over neighborhood noise from concerts: Who do you usually support in concert noise disputes? The neighbors – 63% (417 votes) The venue/concert promoters – 37% (241 votes) Total Votes: 658

Smoke from wildland fires across Oregon has created unhealthy air quality in Bend over the last few days, and we expect that these conditions may persist at least into next week, according to the Pendleton office of the National Weather Service. This level of air pollution is harmful to all, but here are a few

The Bend Park and Recreation District announced Wednesday it has canceled some programs and activities due to poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke. Information about changes is at: http://www.bendparksandrec.org/about_us/air-quality-and-smoke-updates/ . The district canceled its youth sports programs, adult pickleball, tennis and softball programs, and closed the outdoor pool at Juniper Swim & Fitness Center.

St. Charles Health System is pleased to announce it is providing $99,500 in safety net grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Central Oregon. Schools, food pantries, homeless shelters and health and wellness programs for underserved children are among the 14 nonprofits in the region that are helping meet the critical needs of individuals and families, providing

Students built an augmented reality sandbox to help Redmond schools get their hands-on learning. Last spring, Mike Nye, a technology instructor at Redmond High School went to an Integrated Tech Conference in Portland. There, he got the idea to have Redmond High School students build a sandbox so students can learn about landforms, water cycles,

The back and forth dispute between the Century Center and some of its neighbors over the sounds from concerts is nothing new. Some neighbors living nearby are unhappy with current city policy and want Bend to more closely mirror the policies of other cities such as A ustin or P ortland . Joshua R omero,

LEBANON, Ore. (AP) – A handyman in Lebanon has died after being fatally electrocuted in a farming accident. Linn County authorities said Tuesday that 58-year-old Robert Leeland Prock was standing a 40-foot irrigation pipe on its end to move it when the pipe touched an overhead electrical wire. The 12,000-volt wire was suspended 22 feet above the

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey. The team did not disclose terms of the deal, which runs through the 2020-21 season. Olshey was named general manager in 2012 and promoted to his current positon in 2015. His first year he was

A Deschutes County grand jury has indicted the co-founders of a Bend wildlife rehabilitation facility on 19 counts of second-degree animal neglect and three counts of wildlife law violations, Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said Tuesday. Janette Bonomo, 42, and Dr. Jeffrey Cooney, 61, are alleged to have failed to provide minimum care for