Month: February 2019

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted narrowly (54-45) to confirm William Barr as attorney general: “Barr’s ‘job application’ for the position of Attorney General was an unsolicited memo attacking the special counsel and arguing a President cannot commit obstruction of justice. An Attorney General is supposed to be

(Update: Clarifying 2007 domestic violence plea, later dismissal) A horse trainer’s criminal history and an organization’s alleged lack of transparency has led to the cancellation of a popular summer horse adoption event. The Oregon Rescue Challenge is a competition that’s been held at a riding facility in Powell Butte, featuring rescued horses in hopes of

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) – The family of a 13-year-old girl in Vancouver says the teen died while playing a dangerous game. KATU reports family and friends of Gabby Perez gathered Wednesday at Cascade Middle School for a candlelight vigil. Perez was a seventh-grader at the school. Her family says she died Feb. 6 while playing

The Oregon Department of Education and the Early Learning Division on Thursday jointly released results from the 2018-19 Oregon Kindergarten Assessment. The assessment is given each fall to entering kindergartners and provides a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in three core areas of learning and development: early literacy, early math and interpersonal/self-regulation skills. “This assessment

Starting April 15, more than 2,100 trees are scheduled to be cut down and removed along Highway 20 west of Sisters. The move is in response to the Oregon Department of Transportation spraying herbicide along the highway to kill weeds back in 2013 to 2015 that ended up killing some trees as well. The U.S.

Secretary of State Dennis Richardson and the Oregon Audits Division released the 2019-20 Annual Audit Plan on Thursday. “As public servants, we work for you, the citizens of Oregon,” Richardson said in a news release. “Our auditing approach is citizen-centric with the key goal of expanding transparency, accountability, and integrity in Oregon government.” This is

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – After being sued by a woman who was jailed under conditions she described as inhumane, officials in a southern Oregon county have agreed to lower the number of inmates crammed into a single cell, allow them showers twice a week and provide menstruating prisoners with hygiene products. Kelly Simon, an American

The Brian Grant Foundation is kicking off its annual Pints for Parkinson’s fundraiser with parties in Portland and Bend in late March to celebrate the 35 businesses that participate in the program. Throughout the month of April people can purchase $25 “Pints Passports” that are good for 10 pints at any of the participating locations.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Portland City Council has voted to withdraw the city from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s anti-terrorism task force, citing a deep distrust in the program’s ability to root out terrorism while upholding the civil rights of residents. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Commissioners Amanda Fritz, Chloe Eudaly and Jo Ann Hardesty

(Update: Sheriff’s office confirms fatality, IDs driver) An 84-year-old Bend man was killed Wednesday morning when his SUV left the Old Bend-Redmond Highway north of Bend, went through a fence and struck a large juniper tree head-on, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies reported. There were no other occupants of the SUV in the single-vehicle crash, reported

Good Thursday Morning, Everyone……and a very Happy Valentine’s Day! We may see a bit of a break in this morning’s mixed showers, but they are likely to return. Snow will turn to rain for many as highs climb into the low to mid 40’s. Most will see gentle SE winds, but it will be very

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) – Health officials in southwest Washington state say they have confirmed 53 cases of measles. The Columbian reports Clark County Public Health officials have identified one new case since last week, and one previously confirmed case was ruled out from additional testing. Officials say 47 of the 53 confirmed cases are people

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Damian Lillard scored 29 points and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped Golden State’s five-game winning streak with a chippy 129-107 victory Wednesday night that included the late ejection of Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Jake Layman added 17 points off the bench for the Blazers, who had eight players in double figures.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., reintroduced three bills Wednesday that he said would help bring transparency to the opaque, broken drug pricing system and bolster consumer protections for seniors with high drug costs. “Drug companies and their middlemen operate in the dark as they extract profits from taxpayers and working families that

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced bipartisan legislation this week that aims to ensure the success of current rural broadband initiatives and to remove barriers to future rural broadband growth in Oregon and nationwide. “All across Oregon, one of the top issues I hear about is the need to bring fast, reliable internet to our rural

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said Wednesday that Congress should focus on lowering health care costs, increasing patient choice and giving states like Oregon greater flexibility for innovation to keep health care affordable. During an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, Walden said that lawmakers must work together to “cut out-of-pocket costs, promote access to preventive services,

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said Wednesday that Congress should focus on lowering health care costs, increasing patient choice, and giving states like Oregon greater flexibility for innovation to keep health care affordable. During an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, Walden said that lawmakers must work together to “cut out-of-pocket costs, promote access to preventive services,

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking nominations to fill three positions on its National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. Selected Board members advise the BLM and U.S. Forest Service from the perspective of a particular interest in wild horse and burro management. The call for nominations released today is for the positions that

(Update: Judge Ahern comments on his tenure; adding video) Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that she is accepting applications for a judicial vacancy on the Jefferson/Crook County Circuit Court created by the planned retirement of Judge Daniel J. Ahern. The governor thanked Judge Ahern for his dedicated judicial service, and announced that she will fill

Some Central Oregon cancer patients will no longer have to drive over the mountains to receive care. St. Charles Bend has expanded its radiation treatment services. This comes just five years after the hospital added a $13 million cancer center. It’s a shift in the local medical community. St. Charles Health System plans to treat