Month: May 2018

(Update: Sisters teen charged in marijuana dispensary burglary) An 18-year-old Sisters resident was arrested on burglary and other charges Sunday, one day after he allegedly ripped the door of a downtown Bend marijuana dispensary off its hinges, only to enter and find that all of its products were kept locked up in a safe. Lt.

SEATTLE (AP) – Seattle officials say the city’s sugary beverages tax generated more than $4 million in revenue in its first three months. Finance and Administrative Services department spokeswoman Julie Moore said the office had received more than $4 million in first-quarter tax payments as of last Friday. The Seattle Times reports the department expects

Continuing his efforts to put forth concrete solutions to combat the opioid crisis in Oregon and throughout the country, a House panel chaired by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., advanced more than two-dozen pieces of legislation Wednesday to address the nationwide scourge. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, where Walden serves as chairman, approved 25 pieces

SEATTLE (AP) – The Seattle City Council continues to hear from all sides as they weigh a proposal to tax large businesses such as Amazon to pay for housing and homeless services. The council is considering a tax on employee-hours to raise $75 million for homeless services. Nearly 600 large employers making at least $20

A former Madras police officer is awaiting trial late this summer on federal child sex abuse charges alleging inappropriate touching of a girl living on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. John Joseph “J.J.” Wallace Jr. was indicted Feb. 28, accused of abusing a girl aged 12 to 15 who is a

Here are the results of Tuesday’s KTVZ.COM poll, asking how often you donate to local charities: How often do you donate to local charities?Monthly – 20% (123 votes)A few times a year – 42% (266 votes)Once a year – 14% (85 votes)Not able to donate – 24% (153 votes)Total Votes: 627

Forrest Cepeda of Bend was just 16 years old when a texting driver hit and killed him. The driver had been texting two women, one of whom was sitting right next to him in the passenger’s seat. His mother, Melissa Howiler, vividly recalls what happened on that day, eight years ago: “My dad showed up

Influenza vaccination rates among Oregon health care workers continue a steady rise, but they still fall short of national immunization goals, a new state report shows. While health care worker flu vaccination rates have grown more than 40 percent between the 2011-2012 and 2016-2017 flu seasons, the 2016-2017 season’s overall rate of 73 percent is

Many people living on the northeast side of Bend say they are tired of seeing people speed through their neighborhoods. An area right off of Highway 20 is being used as a cut-through for people to make their way to and from Neff Road. Drivers will turn off of Highway 20 onto Dalton Street, then

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined his colleagues Wednesday in introducing the bipartisan National Guard Promotion Accountability Act to address delays in federal recognition of promotions for National Guard members. The bill would compensate Guard officers who serve at a higher rank while waiting for federal recognition by backdating their date of rank to the date

Do you know someone who helps enhance Deschutes County communities by improving bicycling and walking conditions or encouraging people to walk and ride their bikes? The Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) is seeking nominations for the 2018 Big Chainring awards. Since 1996, the award program has recognized businesses, agencies and individuals who

The Oregon Rescue Challenge is an annual event, now in its third year, that teams up equine rescuers and their trainers with at-risk horses for 120 days. Eventually, they will be adopted into a new home. Equine facilities from all over Oregon participate in the challenge. Taylor Gordon is one of the trainers, and he

OnPoint Community Credit Union today announced the finalists for its Educator of the Year award, and also named six teachers to the Circle of Excellence. The awards are part of the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education. The annual contest honors local educators who work to inspire enthusiasm and creativity in the classroom and have

Good Wednesday Morning, Everyone… After a few scattered and isolated morning showers we will see some more clearing this afternoon. The passing of this storm system will leave us with cooler and more average temperatures. Highs will be in the mid to upper 60’s with westerly winds at 5-15 mph. Under partly cloudy skies, tonight’s

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A Salem man and woman have filed a lawsuit against Dick’s Sporting Goods after a pair of kayaks they purchased at a Salem store took on water. The Statesman Journal reported Tuesday that Bryan Orrio and Keeley McCallum are seeking more than $455,000. The lawsuit says a store employee removed Styrofoam-like

Strong thunderstorms rumbled through Central Oregon on Tuesday afternoon, with one dropping golf ball-sized hail on a Culver Middle School track meet, leaving welts on competitors and canceling the event. Audrey Clare told NewsChannel 21 the winds and hail came up suddenly, “and mats went flying. Track meet canceled all of a sudden. Kids falling

Happy Tuesday evening, everyone! Thunderstorm activity is widespread across Central Oregon this evening. We’ve had reports of nickle size hail in Jefferson county with heavy downpours and very strong wind gusts. We have the chance for isolated thunderstorms for the rest of the evening, but overnight should see dry conditions. Overnight lows will be in

Anyone who loves being surrounded by the natural beauty of the forest would probably love to call Sunriver home, but some residents are raising concerns over fire safety in the resort community. Doug Hoschek is worried about what would happen if a major fire breaks out. Sunriver has about 1,500 permanent residents, but on a

Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a string of burglaries that happened this month in Crooked River Ranch. Patrol Sgt. Ryan Grote told NewsChannel 21 on Tuesday that deputies are seeing a spike in burglaries around the county. Grote said they’re investigating a burglary reported on Wednesday at a property on Southwest Buckskin Lane. Investigators

(Update: Adding Forest Service comment) Wildfires show no respect for property lines, but a new analysis of the 2013 Douglas Complex fire in southwestern Oregon concludes that young plantation forests managed by industrial owners experienced higher severity fire than did nearby public forests. Researchers in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University used satellite