Month: October 2017

In mid-October, Central Oregonians will again come together as a community, determined to do something about the ongoing seasonal streamflow challenges facing the upper Deschutes River with what’s become a traditional fall fish rescue. Each fall, streamflows in the Upper Deschutes from Wickiup Reservoir to Bend are reduced to refill reservoirs for the following irrigation

(Update: Bend’s air quality improves, Prineville’s worsens) Smoke similar to August’s murky levels returned in force to the High Desert on Tuesday, and officials said it was not from any local blazes, but instead blowing north from the destructive, deadly wildfires in Northern California. Winds blowing to 25 mph or greater from the south-southwest were

The last time Crook County took a look at its transportation plan was in 2005. Now, after 12 years, they are looking at revising the plan. County leaders said Tuesday they are looking at ways to make roads safer, not just for cars but for bikes and pedestrians as well. Crook County Judge Seth Crawford

Four Oregon Department of Forestry fire engines and their two-person crews arrived in Northern California on Monday to help with wildfires that have been ravaging parts of that state. ODF’s Southwest and Klamath-Lake districts bordering California sent the crews as part of a long-standing mutual fire aid agreement between U.S. states. Two of the engines

SUMPTER, Ore. (AP) – A woman in northeast Oregon forgot to latch her front door and awoke to find a 160-pound bear in her living room. The Baker City Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2yW5jpW) that the bear knocked over a bookshelf but didn’t harm the 78-year-old woman. The 3-year-old male bear was trapped and euthanized late last week by

In September, the Redmond Police Department conducted a DUII High Visibility Enforcement effort. During this time ,Redmond police placed three additional officers on our roadways funded by DUII grant funds. A total of 12 hours were worked on grant time, resulting in several traffic citations issued, but no DUII arrests. Redmond patrol officers working their

Deschutes National Forest fuels specialists plan to ignite slash piles along Cascade Lakes Highway near Wanoga Sno-Park, Mt. Bachelor and Elk Lake beginning Wednesday. Ignitions are expected to take place for the rest of the week. Smoke from these piles could be visible from Bend and could last into next week, officials said Tuesday. Please

Here are the results of Monday’s KTVZ.COM Poll, asking if it was wise for Oregon State, football coach Gary Andersen to part ways in mid-season: Do you think it was wise for OSU, coach Gary Andersen to part ways in mid-season? Yes – 66% (230 votes) No – 34% (120 votes) Total Votes: 350

(Update: Teen found, unhurt) The Crook County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that a Prineville 15-year-old who was reported missing over the weekend had been found hiding in a church. Prineville police were dispatched around 2:30 p.m. to the LDS Church on Southeast Idlewood Street in Prineville on a report that Christian Robert Goff had been

The City of Prineville has received the 2017 Award for Excellence from the League of Oregon Cities for its move to expand sewer capacity with a novel wetlands project. The award acknowledges the innovative approach the city took to responsibly expand its wastewater capacity, while at the same time it lowered residential and business System

Predicted high winds have postponed Tuesday’s scheduled start of a 1,200-acre prescribed burn near Spears Meadow along Highway 26 east of Prineville, officials said. “Fire managers will continue looking for opportunities to reschedule the burn, possibly later this week, depending on weather,” said Forest Service spokesman Patrick Lair. This prescribed burn is part of an

City of Sisters and Sisters School District representatives walked a portion of the middle and high school campuses Monday afternoon and came to an agreement to resolve a dispute over what trees should and shouldn’t be removed. Last month,, the city ordered the school district to stop the removal of trees on school property, saying

EPHRATA, Wash. (AP) – Authorities say a multi-agency effort has netted over 41,000 pounds of marijuana, more than 50 firearms, ammunition, cash and hazardous chemicals used in illegal growing operations in central Washington. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says authorities in Grant, Franklin and Adams counties participated in serving warrants and making arrests from early August

High school students across Oregon are invited to let their video skills shine in service of a good cause: increasing awareness about safety on the job for young workers. The annual “Speak up. Work safe.” video contest is now open for submissions. The top three entries will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to

The High Desert Education Service District is pleased to announce that Gwen Carr has joined its board of directors. Carr brings a blend of financial, social service and education experience to the organization’s leadership and is an active advocate for children and families in Central Oregon. A Crook County School board member for the past

After nearly 7 1/2 months, Oregon State Police said they have been able to use DNA to positively identify a 55-year-old Bend man killed in a fiery late-February crash on George Millican Road south of Prineville. The victim of the Feb. 27 crash has been identified as Mark Bryan Tsatsa, said OSP Sgt. Jeff Proulx.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – Oregon State and coach Gary Andersen have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately, with the Beavers off to a 1-5 start. The school announced the split in a news release Monday, two days after a 38-10 loss at Southern California. Oregon State did not have a victory against an FBS team

A brief pursuit of a speeding car Sunday evening led to a crash into an abandoned Metolius cafe that sparked a fire in the car and structure, authorities said. The deputy pulled the driver, an 18-year-old Madras resident, from the burning car. “He went around the corner and overcorrected and lost control,” Jefferson County Sheriff

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., was in Central Oregon Monday to discuss the proposed Resilient Forest Act, which aims to get more funding for forest restoration projects across the nation. The legislation also would allow for more money to help with wildfire prevention efforts. Jim Geisnger, executive vice president of the Association for Oregon Loggers, said

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Officials in Oregon are accusing the federal government of going behind their backs to undermine a plan, completed over several years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to clean up toxic pollution in Portland Harbor. The director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Richard Whitman, told a regional EPA official that