Month: September 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson says he’s visiting China on a 12-day trade mission in November. Richardson made 11 trips to China during his years as a state lawmaker, but this will be his first since getting elected to the statewide office last year. Richardson said Wednesday that his flight is being

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Some Oregon activists are pushing for the state to implement a system that would allow voter signatures to be gathered electronically for initiative petitions. The Register-Guard reported (http://bit.ly/2xKAyXI ) on Wednesday that a grass-roots effort is calling for petitions to be signed online so more initiatives can bypass the Legislature and go

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) – Detectives have identified a suspect in the fatal shooting of a man near North Plains. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says 38-year-old Chad Brandon Pitcher should be considered armed and dangerous, and anyone with information should call police instead of approaching him. Court records show Pitcher has been arrested several times on

The Ochoco National Forest on Wednesday reduced the closure area surrounding the Desolation Fire, which is still burning within the Mill Creek Wilderness. The closure is now restricted to Wildcat Trail #833, which transects the Mill Creek Wilderness. The trail is closed to the public from its junction with Belknap Trail #833A on the south

The High Desert Food and Farm Alliance’s third annual Local Food Challenge kicks off this coming Sunday, daring you to test your knowledge, compete in mini-challenges, and eat delicious local food along the way. Each day, Oct. 1-7, the HDFFA is giving away local food prizes for participants who complete daily mini-challenges that include testing

Construction is underway on a pedestrian undercrossing on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway west of Bend, the Oregon Department of Transportation said Wednesday. The undercrossing, located at the Rimrock Trailhead, will allow people to safely cross the highway to access a non-motorized, multi-use trail being constructed by the Deschutes National Forest. The new trail will

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is recruiting volunteers for two positions within the All-Terrain Vehicle Advisory Committee (ATV-AC). These successful candidates will also serve on the ATV Grant Subcommittee. Current vacancies include active representatives within the following disciplines:> Class II ATV Representative (Sand rails and four wheel drive vehicles, such as Jeeps, trucks

The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace will sponsor “Health Insurance 101,” a free one-hour workshop on understanding health insurance, in Bend, Prineville and Madras. The Bend events, which are open to the public, will be from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2, and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Both presentations

Two new, small high schools are coming to Bend next school year. Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Shay Mikalson made the announcement at a school board meeting Tuesday evening. The district’s enrollment has increased by 300 students each year for 30 years. Just last year, the school population grew by 500. To help with capacity, the

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Portland student says he found a sticker in one of his school’s bathrooms that reads, “The KKK Wants You.” The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2fxIyoB) the student told Roosevelt High School officials about the sticker he found on Tuesday. The school issued a press release confirming the incident. School administrators are reviewing video of

TILLAMOOK, Ore. (AP) – Authorities from multiple agencies are searching for a 49-year-old man who was reported missing after he didn’t return from picking mushrooms in the Tillamook State Forest. KGW-TV reports (https://goo.gl/wyPXwK ) Michael Scott Lund was reported missing by a friend Monday. The Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office says Lund was in the area of Drift

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The Salem City Council rejected a proposal to outlaw sitting or lying on city sidewalks during the day. The council instead voted Monday to establish a task force to study homelessness in downtown. The Statesman Journal reports (https://is.gd/ev9Wh3 ) members of the public expressed concern about the proposal, saying it targets the homeless.

BROOKINGS, Ore. (AP) – Oregon State Police say a Colorado man visiting the coast died after falling onto the rocky shoreline. Sgt. Jeff Proulx says 27-year-old Jeremy Tilton was climbing a large rock at Mill Beach in southwestern Oregon when he slipped and fell about 50 feet onto rocks and into the ocean. Brookings firefighters attempted

Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after North Korea’s foreign minister said Monday that President Donald Trump has “declared war” on North Korea, citing Trump’s tweets from last weekend: “As we know, North Korea is a malignant and destabilizing force within the region. These remarks from

A woman whose travels brought her to Bend says she’s grateful for another woman’s generosity. When Carol Kelley’s service dog, Dot, was sick, a stranger stepped in to pay the bill — and also put about $150 in Kelley’s account for future visits to the vet Currently, Kelley is staying at Thousand Trails Campground, south

(Update: Bend-La Pine Schools top Oregon, U.S. averages) Oregon students who took the SAT exam during the 2016-17 school year continue to outperform their peers around the country, according to results released Tuesday by College Board, which administers the test. Oregon public school students had an average score of 555 on the Evidence-based Reading and

Saving Grace is currently accepting applications for its semi-annual advocacy training. This 40-hour training — held over three weeks in October — prepares volunteers to work directly with survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault seeking services from Saving Grace. Participants gain the necessary background and skills to assist with a wide-range of services

Forest officials have pushed back the start of a 3,800-acre prescribed burn in the Ochoco National Forest due to wet fuel from Tuesday to Wednesday. Officials had to wait an extra day for the fuels to dry out before a burn can happen, but they and firefighters alike are relieved by the rain Central Oregon

(Update: Comments from mayor, long-time friend) Robert L. “Bob” Eberhard, the familiar face and voice of Redmond-based Eberhard’s Dairy Products, died Tuesday at his Redmond home, ending his battle with cancer, family and colleagues said He was 82. Bob Eberhard was born May 6, 1935 in Prineville to John and Nelda Eberhard. In 1953, Bob

ODOT’S Wickiup Junction rail overcrossing project has been stopped, and the fallout from that decision is prompting a lot of questions. The Oregon Department of Transportation is looking at making sure it moves forward in the safest way possible. The department told La Pine city councilors and residents late Monday it will begin by removing