Month: August 2018

Just a year ago, the path of the solar eclipse crossed over Central Oregon. Totality happened right over Madras, among other locations. Around 10:18 a.m. on Aug. 21, 2017, the moon completely covered the sun and the skies went dark in Madras. For months and even years before the date, volunteers and city officials were

(Update: Area closure, campground, trail closures announced) A fire burning in dense forest near Terwilliger Hot Springs at Cougar Reservoir on the Willamette National Forest has grown to 125 acres and is still at zero containment, officials said Tuesday as they announced an area closure around the fire, as well as a list of closed

Not all news stories have a happy ending, but in this case, there is. NewsChannel 21 spoke Tuesday to professional skier John Spriggs, who has managed to turn his life around. It’s not easy to admit you have a problem, but Spriggs did just that, after a dramatic and very public fall from grace. “I

Happy Tuesday evening, everyone! AN AIR QUALITY ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY FOR POOR AIR QUALITY LEVELS ACROSS THE HIGH DESERT. Overnight we’ll see mostly clear skies with poor air quality levels at times. Winds will be breezy at times. Temperatures will be chilly overnight tonight and tomorrow morning. We’ll begin in

(Update: Afternoon update on Gilliam, Wheeler county fires) Four fires burning in Gilliam and Wheeler counties have grown to total more than 77,500 acres, as crews battle to contain them, authorities said Tuesday. Here’s the Tuesday afternoon update on the Stubblefield fires and the Jennie’s Peak Fire: NW Team 7 joined the Oregon Office of

SEATTLE (AP) – A federal judge hearing arguments over a settlement that allows a company to post online plans for printing 3D guns said the overall issue of such untraceable plastic weapons should be decided by the president or Congress. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik said Tuesday that he’ll rule on the legal issues involving

DAYTON, Ore. (AP) – Police are searching for a 27-year-old woman who has been missing since Saturday, when she attended a wedding in the Grand Island area south of Dayton. The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday that Meighan Cordie, of Clackamas, left her mother’s vehicle around 10:30 p.m. Saturday after an argument and walked

The Sisters Folk Festival said Tuesday they are thrilled to welcome Kelley Moen as their new education program manager. Here’s their news release announcing the selection: Kelley brings her enthusiasm and understanding of the Sisters School District to the position, and will help integrate and sustain SFF programming in the schools. In addition, she will

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Ashland City Council is considering updating its policies to allow ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft within city limits. The Daily Tidings reported Tuesday that Uber reached out to the small city and asked it to consider a policy similar to nearby Medford’s, because the two cities are so

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality has settled a lawsuit filed by environmental groups over the state’s regulation of stormwater pollution. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that the settlement announced Monday provides special protections for rivers and streams that are already too polluted for salmon, drinking water or swimming. Earthrise, Northwest Environmental Defense

The Prineville Police Department will be conducting a pedestrian enforcement operation on Saturday in the area of Northeast Third Street downtown, the agency said Tuesday. The goal of the noon to 2 p.m. operation is to increase awareness that every intersection is a crosswalk and to be aware of pedestrians walking in those intersections. “The

Bend police made nearly two-dozen DUII arrests and issued nearly two-dozen tickets during a recent “Intelligence-Led Policing Unit” effort, the department announced Tuesday. “The Bend Police Department knows the dangers of people who drive intoxicated,” Lt. Clint Burleigh said in a news release. “We know people driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs are

As unemployment rates on the High Desert hold at historically low levels, the rate of job growth over the past year has been accelerating in Deschutes County, with the pace of growth once again above 5 percent, a state Employment Department economist said Tuesday. Meanwhile, the pace of job growth continues to slow in both

In a show of growing momentum to tackle threats to American election systems, Sen Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Tuesday the addition of Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., as cosponsors to his bill to strengthen election security and require paper ballots, as well as endorsement for the bill by two

Plans to modernize aging irrigation infrastructure in the Tumalo Irrigation District through piping of canals and laterals have been approved to move forward into construction, following Tuesday’s release of a Finding of No Significant Impact by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in partnership with the irrigation district, the Deschutes Basin Board of Control and

Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after the Trump administration issued a new plan to allow more carbon pollution: “Today, the Trump agenda to turn the Environmental Protection Agency into the Polluter Protection Agency is complete. This pro-pollution plan is a threat

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon has identified a U.S. soldier who died of injuries from a helicopter crash in Iraq. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Taylor J. Galvin, 34, was from Spokane, Washington. The Pentagon said he died Monday in Baghdad of injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed in the northern Iraqi city of Sinjar.

(Update: Adding Bend meeting time/location, link for more info) MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – Oregon agencies are holding a series of public meetings on measures aimed at reducing wildfire smoke by increasing controlled burns during non-fire seasons. The Mail Tribune reports the state forestry and environmental quality departments will hold a meeting next week in Medford,

Good Tuesday Morning, Everyone…A consistent northerly flow will keep smoke in the air all day today and that will keep the air quality at unhealthy levels. The National Weather Service has put an Air Quality Alert in place for most of the state of Oregon until at least noon Thursday. “People with heart or lung

A death investigation possibly involving a fatal shooting was underway Monday evening at a home in southwest Bend, and another person apparently was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, initial reports indicated. Police Lt. Clint Burleigh said a death investigation was under way at a home in the 20000 block of Mt. Hope Lane, located