Month: October 2017

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jim Risch (R-ID) said Friday they have introduced the Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Act to provide resources to assist communities recovering from damaging wildfires. The bill treats wildfires in the same manner as other natural disasters by making available Hazard Mitigation Assistance

(Update: Patient found, back in custody) The Eugene Police Department on Friday took into custody a psychiatric patient who was reported missing Thursday by the Oregon State Hospital after attending a treatment session in Eugene, the Oregon Health Authority said Friday. Peace Dawn Wickham was located around 9 a.m. Friday and was taken to the

Open debris burning outside of the Bend city limits is now closed through Saturday due to current and forecast weather conditions. Winds are expected to increase, and fuels are still very dry, fire officials said Friday. Open debris burning is never allowed within the city limits of Bend. Check with your local fire department or

The fire closure for the area around the 24,000-acre Milli Fire was reduced Friday by the Deschutes National Forest. For many visitors, the most notable change is that Forest Service Road 15 and the Pole Creek Trail and Trailhead are now open. As of Friday, the following trails and recreation sites are OPEN: Camp Lake

Crews are working to clean up the McKenzie Pass Highway after the Milli Fire burned through the area. For the past three weeks, the Deschutes National Forest has had crews out clearing potentially dangerous trees from the side of the highway. Steven Orange, with the Deschutes National Forest, is overseeing the tree removal process. He

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Two men who were in a small plane suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a crash-landing at a private airstrip in Hillsboro. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2z2gT3G ) the 1963 Piper 250 Comanche single-engine plane crash-landed on Thursday at the Twin Oaks Airpark. Piloting it was 39-year-old John Gorman. He and 68-year-old flight instructor Ronald

The Oregon coast is now facing annual threats from hypoxia, or low oxygen, and scientists liken the phenomenon to the wildfire season the state faces every summer and fall. The oxygen content of Oregon’s near-shore Pacific Ocean waters plummeted to dangerously low levels this summer before a timely storm arrived in mid-September to “flush” the

An Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries final order issued Thursday wiill direct $1 million to a then 15-year old minor who faced unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment at Stars Cabaret strip club, where she was hired as a dancer. A previous civil rights settlement of $1.25 million for the first victim, then a 13-year

A motor home south of Redmond exploded in flames Thursday night as a resident tried to light a propane furnace, officials said. One of two residents inside the home was taken to St. Charles Bend with serious burn injuries, officials said. Redmond Fire and Rescue crews were called around 9:45 p.m. to the motor home

Just a few Sundays ago, while enjoying Central Oregon’s perfect fall weather, 160 community members came together to both dine on impeccably prepared food and raise funds for local non-profit Heart of Oregon Corps. The second annual Farm to Fork Dinner & Fundraiser: Sunset at the Green was held at Pronghorn Resort and hosted by

(Update: Driver had notified OSP about the crash; deputies say no crime committed) Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Thursday they were looking for whoever struck and killed two 1,000-pound cows on a ranch about 30 miles east of Bend and failed to report the collision. But they learned hours later the driver did indeed report

Here are the results of Wednesday’s KTVZ.COM Poll on the issue of banning devices that allow guns to be fired more rapidly: Should devices that allow guns to be fired more rapidly be banned? Yes – 36% (789 votes) No – 64% (1405 votes) Total Votes: 2,194

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland police say three teenage girls have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a series of strong-arm carjackings. The Oregonian/Oregon Live reports (http://bit.ly/2xWfYSd) they were arrested after crashing a stolen SUV during a police chase that began late Tuesday. Detectives say the trio was involved in the carjackings and at

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Three Republican lawmakers say they’ve gathered enough signatures that, if verified, would set up a special election to determine the fate of a multimillion-dollar health care tax that was approved by the Legislature this year and signed by the governor. The chief petitioners said Thursday they’ve submitted the signatures of 84,367 people

A new 36-acre park is open in Northeast Bend next to Lava Ridge Elementary School and Skyview Middle School. A community celebration is scheduled for Rockridge Park on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 1-3 p.m. Rockridge Park features include a lunar-scape skatepark, nine-hole disc golf course, beginner and intermediate bike skills course, paved and unpaved paths

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – An effort to repeal a new Oregon law that enables a court to deny a gun to a person deemed at risk of suicide or hurting others has failed, its organizers said, because they didn’t get enough signatures to place it on the ballot. Rep. Mike Nearman, a Republican from the town

(Update: More burns planned near Crescent, Indian Ford area) The Forest Service plans several prescribed burns around the region in coming days, continuing to use cooler, dryer weather to conduct fall operations. Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest plan to conduct a 1,200-acre prescribed burn near Spears Meadow next week along Highway 26 east

(Update: Outage repaired) U.S. Cellular customers were unable to contact 9-1-1 in 10 Central and Eastern Oregon counties for several hours due to an outage that was repaired by Thursday afternoon, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management advised. Citizens in Grant, Morrow, Union, Umatilla, Baker, Wallowa, Gilliam, Sherman, Wheeler and Jefferson counties were urged use

A robot named “Relay” is expected to attract more than 100 hospitality executives from around the state when it makes its Central Oregon debut at an event hosted by Oregon State University-Cascades on Monday evening. The event is a hospitality technology showcase led by Todd Montgomery, the executive-in-residence in OSU-Cascades’ hospitality management program. It will

(Update: Adding Oregon Dept. of Agriculture news release) Governor Kate Brown announced Wednesday details on her upcoming trade mission to Asia to promote foreign investment in Oregon, Oregon goods and tourism. The governor will lead the mission in Hong Kong and Japan from Oct. 9-15. “Trade missions abroad drive jobs and economic growth here in