Month: August 2018

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said this week at a hearing on legislation to assist Crooked River Ranch that the adjacent Central Oregon wilderness area needs action urgently to reduce the devastating potential of wildfire — and he took issue with specifics of House-passed legislation on the matter. Wyden’s concerns come as the Senate Energy and

Here is the city of Bend’s road construction and traffic report for the week of August 27: For the week of: August 27 – September 2 · Third Street between Wilson Avenue and Badger Road for asphalt paving, road closure with detour, 8/27/18 – 8/30/18, night work from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m. · Intersection

The Oregon State Marine Board said this week it’s seeking written public comments on a proposed definition for “towed water sports.” The proposed definition will be used in local Boat Operation rules in Chapter 250. Where applicable, the agency is proposing to amend 10 MPH restrictions in local Boat Operation rules to include towed water

Good Friday Morning, Everyone…While we start our day with an unhealthy air quality for much of Central Oregon we can expect a little relief from seriously smoky conditions through the day. With clear skies our highs will stay a bit on the cool side, topping out in the mid 70’s. Gentle NW winds will pick

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – A former Medford youth pastor who was punched in the face midway through a court hearing has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison on a sex abuse charge. The Mail Tribune reports U.S. District Court Judge Anne Aiken ruled Thursday that Donald Courtney Biggs be considered a “repeat

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) – Six states have lined up in support of Washington state in a legal battle over its decision to block a proposed coal-export terminal on the Columbia River. The Daily News reports attorneys general from California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Oregon filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief this week arguing in

The City Club of Central Oregon said Thursday it has opened nominations to the public for its second annual Conversation of the Year Award. The award recognizes the community conversation that best reflects City Club’s mission, which is “to build a conscious and civic-minded community through dialog, education and research that results in responsible civic

The Terwilliger Fire was very active Wednesday and grew to more than 3,200 acres by Thursday morning on the Willamette National Forest, which banned most campfires across the forest later in the day. The fire sent smoke billowing eastward and was a major cause of the very smoky skies over much of Central Oregon. Here’s

YREKA, Calif. (AP) – Northern California authorities have arrested a man they say started a deadly wildfire last month. California’s fire agency said Thursday that it arrested 32-year-old John Colin Eagle Skoda after investigators concluded that a debris fire he started turned into the 38,000-acre Klamathon Fire, a 60-square-mile blaze that killed one person and

CINCINNATI (AP) – The nation’s largest grocery chain will phase out the use of plastic bags in its stores by 2025. Kroger Co., whose stores include Fred Meyer in the Northwest, orders about 6 billion bags each year. The company, based in Cincinnati, operates 2,779 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia, serving

Happy Thursday evening, everyone! AN AIR QUALITY WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TRI-COUNTY AREA THROUGH FRIDAY AT NOON. AIR QUALITY LEVELS WILL BE POOR DURING THIS TIME. A cold front is making its way through Oregon right now and temperatures are much cooler west of the Cascades. Winds will be breezy at times gusting

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Candidates running for governor in Oregon will be asked questions in their first debate not by reporters or by voters, but by younger people. Children First for Oregon, the debate’s sponsor, said Thursday it is soliciting applications via a website from children and youth throughout the state who want to participate.

(Update: Adding Level 2 evacuation notice on Lake County Fire) Governor Kate Brown declared the Ramsey Canyon Fire, burning near Sams Valley in Jackson County, a conflagration Wednesday night and it was estimated at 800 acres Thursday morning. The declaration cleared the way for the state fire marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist

DAYTON, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a woman’s body found by joggers in Dayton is likely that of Meighan Cordie, a 27-year-old who’s been missing since last weekend. The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday the body was spotted down an embankment around 10 a.m. The department says the woman’s description and clothing matched those

(Update: Comments at sentencing) BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) – A 55-year-old Pendleton, Oregon man who was sentenced Thursday for drunken behavior in two national parks in Wyoming said he and his buddy were on a “last hurrah” tour before he entered alcohol treatment. Raymond Reinke’s crimes drew national attention when at least one Yellowstone National Park

As wildfires continue to blaze across Oregon, Sen. Jeff Merkley, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and colleague Ron Wyden announced that the Defense Department’s 2019 appropriations bill, which passed the Senate Thursday, includes $7 million to train National Guard members to fight wildfires. “I’ve met with the people on the front lines of

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Alarmed by as much as $20 million in lost tourism revenue last month over visitors’ fears of wildfires, California tourism officials are teaming up with Oregon and Washington state to reassure tourists that it’s safe to visit. The three states said Thursday that they formed the West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday its Community Action Target Team, or CATT, made 10 drug-related arrests last Sunday in a targeted drug sales and possession operation in Deschutes River Woods and the Redmond area. The CATT patrol used both marked and unmarked vehicles during the operation. The eight-person team, including DCSO Street Crimes

As college students begin returning to class, Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced Thursday the Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act of 2018 . They said it would close a loophole that allows for-profit colleges to take federal financial aid dollars for students to attend unaccredited degree programs that often leave students