Month: May 2019

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., was joined Wednesday in the forest west of Bend by local leaders in the effort to manage wildfires in Central Oregon as he announced the introduction of the Wildfire-Resilient Communities Act, a bill he said would reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and the smoke and economic losses that they cause.

The Sisters City Council on Wednesday evening unanimously approved Hayden Home’s plans for McKenzie Meadows Village, a 191-unit development on West McKinney Butte Road, including conditions to require a minimum number of affordable housing units. Here’s a city of Sisters news release about the approval and process leading up to it; The Sisters City Council

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America has awarded $5,000 in grant funding to the Council on Aging of Central Oregon to help fund their Caregiver Respite program, which provides short-term breaks for unpaid family caregivers who are caring for older adults. ” AFA’s grant for respite support is deeply appreciated and timely,” said Susan Rotella ,

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., demanded Wednesday that the Social Security Administration and Federal Trade Commission take necessary steps to protect American families from fraudulent Social Security-related robocall schemes that are victimizing tens of thousands of consumers. For years, robocallers have swindled millions of dollars from American families and eroded public trust in the government agencies

It’s the stuff of horror movies — the villain chasing teenagers through the dark woods, brandishing a chainsaw. But nothing is scarier than the statistics on chainsaw use. While chainsaws can be a useful tool to trim, prune, or remove trees, 36,000 people are injured by them in the U.S. every year, according to data

All students educated in Oregon, regardless of immigration status, will receive access to in-state tuition for graduate programs at public universities under legislation passed by the Oregon House of Representatives Wednesday night, supporters said. Senate Bill 859, which passed 52-6, ensures students who qualify for tuition equity in undergraduate programs in Oregon’s public universities are

Deschutes County commissioners and citizen budget panel members are weighing how much funding to give to the district attorney’s office for the upcoming fiscal year, amid a big request for more staff totaling some $1.3 million. It was a heated discussion at times on Wednesday afternoon as District Attorney John Hummel plead his case to

The Bend Police Department, along with the Black Butte Police Department, Sunriver Police Department, Deschutes County Parole and Probation, Deschutes County 911, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office, FBI and the Oregon State Police are all participating in the “Flame of Hope” Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. Participants will meet Thursday

Roundabout Books, a Bend bookstore that has been open for about three years, was looking for ways to increase business in order to pay off its small business loan early. The store’s owner, Cassie Clemans, is passionate about books and the benefits of reading, so when NeighborImpact suggested a partnership, it seemed like the perfect

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Oregon and longtime baseball coach George Horton have mutually agreed to part after 11 seasons at the school. The school announced the sides agreed not to exercise a one-year contract option for the 2020 season. Horton says it was “not an easy decision but I believe it to be the best

The Humane Society of Central Oregon has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to significantly expand existing spay and neuter services within the community. To celebrate the investment, a check celebration will take place on Wednesday, May 29 at 11 a.m. at Petco 3197 N Hwy 97 in Bend. Members of the

A fire that heavily damaged a downtown Madras law office Saturday evening has been determined to be arson, Police Chief Tanner Stanfill said Wednesday as investigators asked to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area. Stanfill said Madras police have brought in an Oregon State Police arson investigator to assist in the

Legislation to give teachers the tools they need to make classrooms safer passed the Oregon House Wednesday, supporters said. Senate Bill 963 updates state laws around restraining and removing disruptive students from classrooms. “I have seen first-hand the difficulties faced in my daughter Kohana’s school, and I have had conversations with teachers, counselors and other

Happy Wednesday evening, everyone! Thunderstorms back across Central Oregon this evening with thunder, lightning, hail, rain, and gusty winds. If you hear thunder head indoors! The chance lingers until around sunset then we’ll lose our heat and storms will calm. Winds will be breezy at times around 15 miles per hour through the rest of

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Veteran Republican state Sen. Jackie Winters has died, according to House Speaker Tina Kotek. She was 82. Kotek made the announcement on the floor of the House on Wednesday and called for a minute of silence. Winters, who was re-elected in the 2016 election to represent the Salem area, had been

Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno released Wednesday a follow-up report on the 2018 audit of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s Cannabis Information System. It found that OLCC has taken steps to improve the state’s recreational marijuana program and the information systems that support it but found opportunities to improve recreational marijuana regulation processes and

SEATTLE (AP) – Health officials say a ninth case of the measles has been confirmed in a Western Washington outbreak. It marks the first time this month someone likely acquired the illness in a public place. Public Health – Seattle & King County said Wednesday that a man in his 40s was likely exposed at

The Bend Park and Recreation District said Wednesday it is introducing roller sports and recreation at The Pavilion this summer. The seasonal ice rink facility, which opened in late 2015, is a regular home for ice skaters, hockey players, curlers and other ice enthusiasts from late October through April. It is also home to a

Sunriver’s Hugh Palcic has joined the Oregon Liquor Control Commission as commissioner representing Oregon east of the Cascades. He will be actively participating in the monthly commission meetings beginning June 20. Commissioner Palcic serves as the General Manager of the Sunriver Owners Association, where he has worked for the past 21 years. Palcic has contributed

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A teenage student who was tackled after allegedly bringing a shotgun into a Parkrose High School classroom pleaded not guilty Wednesday to multiple charges. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 19-year-old Angel Granados-Diaz entered not guilty pleas to possessing a firearm in a public building, discharging a firearm at a school, possessing a loaded