Month: December 2018

SEATTLE (AP) – A bill making it easier to kill sea lions that feast on imperiled salmon in the Columbia River has cleared the U.S. Senate. The measure would allow a more streamlined process for Washington, Idaho, Oregon and several Pacific Northwest tribes to capture and euthanize sea lions. Supporters say the bill will protect

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon is seeking federal approval to toll two Portland-area freeways. KOIN reports the Oregon Transportation Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to send its tolling proposal to the Federal Highway Administration. Oregon wants to collect tolls along 7 miles of Interstate 5 between North Going Street/Alberta Street and Southwest Multnomah Boulevard. The

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget includes more than $247 million for rural infrastructure projects in Oregon and other increased spending to benefit rural residents. The Daily Astorian reports there is enthusiasm from observers about Brown’s spending plans for rural Oregon, from dams to housing to high-speed internet. But some advocates and

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement Friday after President Trump announced that he would nominate Heather Nauert, a former Fox News host appointed last year to be spokesperson at the State Department, to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations. Merkley serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Multilateral

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement on Donald Trump’s announcement he will nominate William Barr to serve as Attorney General: “Donald Trump is nominating a man whose writings endorse the antidemocratic notion that the president is effectively royalty, unaccountable to laws, the Constitution, or constraint by Congress. “William Barr has defended the firing

An off-and-on power outage affected more than 12,000 Pacific Power customers in the Bend-Redmond area Friday morning, a utility spokesman said. The outage occurred around 10:45 a.m. and was related to a “transmission issue” between Bend and Redmond, spokesman Tom Gauntt said. It affected 12,229 Pacific Power customers in an area from north of downtown

SEATTLE (AP) – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s new political action committee has reported $112,500 in donations as the Democrat gears up for a possible presidential run. The Seattle Times reports that Inslee’s early donations include support from longtime environmental donors, including Martha Wyckoff, a board member with the Trust for Public Land, who gave the

A 22-year-old Bend man was arraigned Thursday on 40 child pornography counts, accused of uploading numerous images to the internet, police said. The federal Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force informed Bend police in October that a suspect had been uploading images of child pornography, Lt. Clint Burleigh said. Detectives following up on the tip

A 24-year-old volunteer wrestling coach at Bend Senior High School was arraigned Thursday on 10 counts of luring a minor, accused of sending sexually explicit photos by social media to a student-athlete and trying to engage in sexual activity with the student. On Wednesday, the student reported the incidents to Bend High staff and the

Oregon has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, and Deschutes County is no exception. State law requires that children be immunized against diseases including polio, measles, mumps, pertussis and rubella. But a recent report by the Oregon Health Authority suggests that there’s been an increase in parents choosing to claim exemption from

During this season of giving, remember the homeless, abused and neglected animals in our community. The Humane Society of Central Oregon wants to bring holiday cheer to the homeless animals by inviting the community to an open house on Saturday, Dec. 22 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Refreshments and goodies will be served for

There are a lot of factors in the price of a pill. Think of it like the stock market: Numbers are going up and down, changing constantly with internal and external forces. ” It is complex, how many fingers are in the pie and how much goes into the prescription process,” said Kristen Erickson, the

Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced a bill that would prevent new red tape from being imposed as soon as Jan. 1 on small businesses as a result of the Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc . That Supreme Court ruling in June overturned precedent, letting states collect sales tax

With the New Year around the corner, Bend Park and Recreation District is opening registration for winter and spring recreation programs beginning Monday, Dec. 10 at 5:30 a.m. Winter and spring programs run from January through May and include youth and adult activities, before- and afterschool care, fitness, swimming, ice, sports and outdoor recreation. Registration

Good Friday Morning, Everyone… Patchy dense fog to our north will still be a factor this morning, but most woke up under clear and cold conditions. We will be mostly sunny through a portion of the day and then watch some clouds build in later in the day. Highs will be in the low to

Bend residents have been invited to attend a public meeting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 710 NW Wall Street, to provide input on what affordable housing solutions could ease “rent burden” in the city. More than 25 percent of Bend residents have a very difficult time

(Update: Comments from LandWatch planner) Central Oregon LandWatch said Thursday it has received a $100,000 grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to continue work on the BCD Initiative, which is building broad support for policies and programs that promote the community’s vision for a vibrant, healthy, and resilient mixed-use neighborhood in the Bend Central District. Meyer

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – A slaughter and meat-processing facility proposed at a farm in southern Oregon has led to opposition from neighbors, citing concerns about possible water contamination and odors. The Mail Tribune reports Jackson County Development Services tentatively approved a meat-processing building and a chicken house last week on Uproot Meats’ 28-acre property southeast

Here are Thursday’s Oregon prep basketball scores, compiled by The Associated Press: BOYS PREP BASKETBALL Astoria 63, Semiahmoo, British Columbia 54 Creswell 67, Scio 38 Galena, Nev. 52, Grants Pass 46 Harper 47, Meadows Valley, Idaho 25 Irrigon 52, Pilot Rock 47 Life Christian 67, St. Stephens Academy 43 N. Clackamas Christian 66, Valor Christian

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Damian Lillard had 25 points and eight assists before sitting for the final quarter and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 108-86 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Jake Layman came off the bench to score a career-high 24 points for the Blazers, who