Month: September 2017

(Update: OSP identifies driver as Prineville man) A motorcyclist ran a stop sign and was struck and killed by a semi-truck early Saturday morning on Highway 26 west of Prineville, Oregon State Police reported. OSP identified the motorcyclist on Sunday as William Eric McCloughan, 41, of Prineville. Around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, McCloughan’s blue Yamaha sport

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The Willie Taggart era at Oregon got off to a fast start with Tony Brooks-James’ 100-yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff against Southern Utah. Fitting for a team that’s (still) known for speed. Royce Freeman ran for 150 yards and four touchdowns and the Ducks routed the Thunderbirds 77-21 on Saturday for

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – Isaiah Hodgins caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jake Luton with about a minute left as Oregon State came back to defeat FCS member Portland State 35-32 on Saturday. Luton threw for 235 yards, one TD and one interception and had six completions in a row on the last drive for the

A kitchen fire that spread smoke throughout a Deschutes River Woods home Friday night and caused about $60,000 in damage was caused by combustibles placed too close to a stove, officials said Saturday. Bend Fire Department crews responded shortly after 6 p.m. to the reported fire in the kitchen of a home in the 60200

HUBBARD, Ore. (AP) – A hazelnut company in northwest Oregon has been pushing out nuts on nothing but the power of the hot, summer sun. The Statesman Journal reports (http://stjr.nl/2eywS4d ) NW Hazelnut Company’s plant is operating entirely on solar panels. The company on Friday held a ceremony to celebrate its sustainability shift, which was attended

CLE ELLUM, Wash. (AP) – New evacuations notices were issued overnight Saturday because of the Jolly Mountain fire, which has burned more than 23 square miles (14,500 acres) near Cle Ellum, Washington. KOMO TV reports (http://bit.ly/2wvXSWB ) that law enforcement went door to door with evacuation notices for people who live north of the Double O

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says a wolf has been killed in Washington state in an effort to stop attacks on cattle in Ferry County. The Spokesman-Review reported (http://bit.ly/2ey2xD2 ) Friday that the killed animal was from the Sherman wolf pack. Officials believe the cattle kill on Monday was the fifth

The Education Foundation for Bend-La Pine Schools announced Friday it has received a generous $5,000 grant from Brooks Resources Corporation towards STEM classroom grants and a supportive $2,000 Arts & Wellness grant from US Bank. Additionally, Eric Meslow of Tualatin-based Timbercon Inc. donated $2,000 to purchase a Spheros Robotics Kit for Bend-La Pine schools. “We

Friday’s prep football scores, as compiled by The Associated Press: Adrian 48, Days Creek 12 Aloha 32, David Douglas 24 Amity 14, Irrigon 0 Banks 28, Gladstone 14 Beaverton 47, Battle Ground, Wash. 6 Blanchet Catholic 16, Regis 0 Camas, Wash. 35, Central Catholic 13 Canby 35, Reynolds 14 Cascade Christian 43, Henley 22 Centennial 14, Radford, Hawaii 12 Central 35, Bend 6 Churchill 33, Willamette

(Update: Comments from fire manager, traveler) About 1,000 firefighters are battling 14 wildfires burning in the Willamette National Forest, affecting Labor Day weekend traffic and activities. The Oregon Department of Transportation advised on Friday that motorists traveling between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon should be prepared for long delays on Oregon highways because of

Members of the public are invited to offer feedback about Bend-La Pine Schools’ plans for two small high school options that will expand choices for student learning and help to temporarily relieve overcrowding at local high schools beginning in the fall of 2018. The school district on Friday invited community members to attend one of

Many people still will be heading over to Central Oregon for the Labor Day weekend — but with wildfires and smoke causing issues, not as many as might have been expected are to be found at area campsites. Cascade Area Manager for Hoodoo Ski and Recreation Amy Miller said Friday that with the smoke and

(Update: More on Milli Fire interior burning, Level 1 pre-evacuation along Highway 242 west of the Cascades crest) Although air quality conditions improved Friday for a second day in a row, wildfires throughout Central Oregon showed increased fire behavior and the smoke was returning to many areas late in the day, fire managers said. By

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon has removed nearly 55,000 people off of its Medicaid program after a backlog of eligibility checks was processed. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2gy2CXJ ) the state kicked out people they found no longer qualified for the program or failed to respond to the eligibility check. The state’s announcement came Thursday, which was

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A federal panel is recommending that President Donald Trump reject or suspend the pending $1.3 billion sale of the Portland area’s largest tech company to a Chinese-backed investment firm. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2evDArA ) the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ruled against the deal Friday. The deal has been

This weekend’s weather promises to be hot, dry, with unstable atmospheric conditions and more wildland fire smoke, possibly through midweek. These conditions are conducive to new wildland fire ignitions and may increase the rate of fire spread, creating a dangerous situation for firefighters, while increasing the smoke potential. The Bend Fire Department has a few

Here are the results of Thursday’s KTVZ.COM Poll, asking if you have refrained from selling items online due to concerns about being a crime victim: Have crime concerns kept you from selling items online? Yes – 45% (186 votes) No – 55% (228 votes) Total Votes: 414

There are scorpions in Central Oregon, but sightings are rare. People can go their whole lives without seeing one, but that could be changing. Kathleen Evans was doing a load of laundry when she found this out. “I went to go grab the last bit of laundry, picked it up and I heard a thump,”

(Update: More on sting operation, business reaction) The Oregon Liquor Control Commission recently used their “minor decoy” program to see if Central Oregon businesses would sell alcohol to minors. And the number that did was way above the statewide passing grade. The program uses minor volunteers who go into businesses and attempt to buy alcohol

For Central Oregon, wildfire is nothing new — but this summer has been a lot more smoky than years past in populated areas. It also has had a major impact on aerial firefighting efforts as well. U.S. Forest Service smokejumper pilot Tony Sleznick said Thursday that smoke can make things more difficult in battling blazes