Month: March 2018

A familiar scam has resurfaced in recent days in Crook County: A caller claims to be with the sheriff’s office or Prineville police, says a warrant is out for their arrest — and to pay up. Both agencies have received several reports from area residents over the past few days, sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Estes said

Construction at the Crook County Jail has resumed as officials work to keep the project within budget. Over the winter, county officials had to take a step back from the original plans for the jail to make sure that the project stays on budget. Sheriff John Gautney said Tuesday that the project is something that

Despite a big jump in January employment, Central Oregon is seeing a slowdown in economic growth. According to Regional Economist Damon Runberg, the region’s economy is maturing. Runberg said the labor supply has gotten really tight, so businesses aren’t expanding at the rate they had been previously. “We just don’t have people to fill jobs,

Multimillion-dollar changes are likely on the way for Redmond’s medical district. The city’s Urban Renewal Advisory Committee is supporting plans for a $6.5 million medical facility. It’s recommending the city invest $600,000 in a forgivable loan toward the project. The Central Oregon Medical Specialists building, located at 333 N.W. Larch Avenue, was purchased for about

The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation sent 14 athletes to the Cross Country Junior Championships March 3-10 at Soldier Hollow, Utah. MBSEF teammates, representing the Pacific Northwest Ski Association, Annie McColgan, Fiona Max and Izzy Max won the Classic Ski Relay on March 10 th at the Junior Championships. The following MBSEF athletes that placed

Happy Tuesday evening, everyone! We’re seeing widespread rain showers across Central Oregon. Highs topped out in the mid to upper 50s today before the cold air arrived. Snow levels are in the process of falling behind a passing cold front. Overnight lows will fall into the upper 20s and low to mid 30s. We can

Here are the results of Monday’s KTVZ.COM poll, asking if you’ve seen trash along Central Oregon hiking/biking trails: Have you seen trash along Central Oregon hiking/biking trails?Yes – 80% (449 votes)No – 20% (112 votes)Total Votes: 561

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Three environmental groups are suing the federal government over the decline in wild salmon and steelhead in the Upper Willamette watershed. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Portland alleges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Marine Fisheries Service have not completed specific tasks intended to help fish overcome dams

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – An arbitrator has awarded $50,000 to a bicyclist who suffered a broken jaw after an angry driver stepped out of his car and punched him as the two stopped at a light in Portland. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Monday that Seth Jacobson filed a lawsuit against Gabriel Smith after police declined to

Crook County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue used snowmobiles and an ATV Monday night to reach two Prineville men whose pickup broke down in the snow on Forest Road 27 about 25 miles north of town, officials said. Driver Jeff Randolph, 55, and friend Brad Firestone, 52, called 911 about 4:40 p.m. to seek help after

With an expected increase in travel during the busy spring break season, Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) warned Tuesday that passengers might experience longer wait times at the TSA security checkpoint, and find few paid parking lot spaces available – but it’s also added new online webcams to check the lot. “It is important for travelers

The Ochoco National Forest on Tuesday reminded drivers and other visitors traveling through the Big Summit Wild Horse Territory east of Prineville to slow down when passing groups of horses, and to give newborn foals some space as they work to stand up and assimilate to the herd. This is the time of year when

Researchers at Oregon State University said Tuesday they have made a key advance in the fight against drug resistance, crafting a compound that genetically neutralizes a widespread bacterial pathogen’s ability to thwart antibiotics. The findings are important because antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat, with the percentage of isolates with multidrug resistance on the

The spread of western juniper and invasive grasses are major threats to the health of the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem, an Oregon State University researcher says. A new study, published in the journal Rangeland Ecology and Management, finds that in areas already overrun by juniper and non-native grasses, juniper reduction efforts alone aren’t going to be enough

The arrival of spring brings many visitors to the Oregon coast and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department wants you to be safe while exploring the shoreline. “March can be a tricky time of year on the coast,” said Lisa Stevenson, OPRD beach ranger speaking at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area. “The ocean can still

It may still feel like winter, but spring is right around the corner. The Oregon State Marine Board encourages boaters and their passengers to take a boating education course before the boating season gets underway. The Marine Board is teaming up with other states to promote the Spring Aboard — Take A Boating Education Course

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Tuesday they are looking for a 42-year-old La Pine man with a long criminal history on charges he refused to pull over for a deputy Sunday night, sped away, crashed his SUV into a house and ran away. A deputy was patrolling the area of Day Road and Cascade Lane

This week, the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment focuses on building a digital defense against tax refund fraud. Last week, we talked about theft of your W-2 information from your employer. This week — we are focusing on scams that target individual taxpayers. The IRS recently warned about a new scam in which a fraudster

Recent data revisions using payroll tax records confirm that the pace of job growth in Deschutes County was starting to slow in 2017, but the state Employment Department also noted Tuesday that January figures show the region is still adding jobs at a fast pace. Regional Economist Damon Runberg noted “a particularly large jump in

Hundreds of Central Oregonians are banding together in an effort to toughen how DUII cases are handled and reduce the number of tragedies. At a town hall meeting in Bend Monday evening, more than 60 people gathered to talk about “Marika’s Mandate,” named in honor of a woman who lost her life to a DUII