Month: May 2019

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A GOP stalling tactic to delay progress on Oregon House Democrats’ platform came to an end after two Republicans broke party lines. Reps. Bill Post and Mike Nearman joined House Democrats Wednesday in voting to suspend the requirement that all legislation be read in full. That gave the chamber, overwhelmingly controlled

(Update: Details on three Sisters-area homes damaged by lightning) Intense thunderstorms rocked and rolled through much of the High Desert late Tuesday afternoon, bringing long periods of heavy rain as well as hail, thunder and lightning that hit homes and trees, knocking out power to thousands. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District said three structures and

A trio of natural basalt stone sculpture compositions created by artist Masayuki Nagase will be celebrated next week as the first exterior, commissioned public art installations on the Oregon State University–Cascades campus. An event to introduce the artwork to the public will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4, in Tykeson Hall, Room

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The controversial oil exploration tactic known as fracking will be temporarily banned in Oregon until 2025 under a bill on its way to the governor. The Senate voted 17-11 Wednesday to prohibit hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking,’ which injects high-pressure liquids into underground rock to extract oil and gas. Environmental advocates say

SEATTLE (AP) – Authorities say a ferry hit a whale near Seattle and the Coast Guard is searching for it. KING5 television reports the whale breached about five feet in front of the M/V Wenatchee during the ferry’s 8:15 p.m. trip from Seattle to Bainbridge Island on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Washington State Ferry

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Amazon’s packing and shipping center in Salem should open in August, with about 1,000 jobs that are expected to pay at least $15 an hour. The Statesman Journal reports that hiring for the 1-million-square-foot building begins in June. Jobs will range from line workers to management positions. The company in January

The Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association announced Wednesday the date of closing for residential and private lands open debris burning across the tri-county region in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. Burning debris piles on private lands in much of central Oregon will not be allowed at sunset on Friday, May 31 this year as the

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal announced Wednesday that a Pacific Northwest legend, best known as Bigfoot, is joining fire prevention activities statewide, particularly in the wildland urban interface and communities at greatest risk of wildfires and property loss. Starting in June, the OSFM will be promoting wildfire safety education with its partners, using

Recovering from severe weather earlier this year and preparing for fire season, residents are taking action to create defensible spaces on their properties. Through FireFree, a Project Wildfire program in Deschutes County, people reduced hazardous fuels for free this spring, saving a $4 per cubic yard disposal cost. Since FireFree’s inception in 1999, over 498,000

The City of Bend has scheduled an open house at two times Monday for members of the community who may be interested in the next phases of Empire Avenue Corridor Improvements underway in Northeast Bend. People are encouraged to drop in at either of two open house sessions on Monday, June 3: · 9 –

Better Business Bureau Northwest + Pacific is alerting consumers to a Portland-based timeshare scam operating under the name M&T Property Management. Consumers have so far lost nearly $37,000 to this company. BBB’s investigations team found that M&T is pretending to be a timeshare resale company and has gone through great lengths to make the company

Do you like to teach and interact with people? The AARP driver safety program needs an additional instructor for the Redmond and Bend areas. You don’t have to be a driving expert, just have a desire to help older drivers reduce traffic crashes and be able to drive longer and safer. This is a volunteer

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Republicans have forced a clerk in the Oregon Legislature to read aloud every word in nearly every piece of legislation as the minority party uses the stalling tactic to try to gain leverage. Democrats have supermajorities in both the state Senate and House, and Republicans are using the strategy to push

Good Wednesday Morning, Everyone… We will see another sunny, warm day that will include a chance of some thunderstorms developing in the late afternoon. Highs will be in the mid 70’s with northerly breezes at 5 -10 mph . Downdrafts from localized thunderstorms could create gusty winds. We will see some partial clearing tonight. Overnight

For the first time, Bend-La Pine Schools will award graduates a special distinction for bilingual academic achievement. Twenty members of the Class of 2019 will receive the prestigious statewide Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas in recognition of their high academic fluency in English and another World Language. “We are tremendously proud to honor the

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – An Oregon man arrested Friday in Portland following the disappearance of a Salem woman and their 3-year-old son has been arraigned and will be held without bail. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 52-year-old Michael Wolfe appeared in court Tuesday and will remain in the Yamhill County Jail. Neither Karissa Fretwell nor William has

A popular summer sport in Bend is on the way out, at least for now. The sand volleyball courts in the Old Mill District south of Les Schwab Amphitheater likely will be closed by the end of the summer, those involved say. The courts have been a staple of the area for the last 10

Happy Tuesday evening, everyone! We’ve seen thunderstorms across Central Oregon this afternoon and evening. These storms will likely include hail, heavy rains, strong wind gusts, thunder, and lightning. Remember when you hear thunders to head indoors immediately. The chance for storms continues until just past sunset, then we lose our daytime heating and will see

Two boisterous, squeaky river otter pups, one female and one male, have just taken up residence at the Oregon Zoo after being orphaned this month in different parts of the state. The female pup was found wandering a construction site near Gold Beach. Oregon State Police took her to Wildlife Images Rehabilitation & Education Center

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Numerous U.S. House members from the Pacific Northwest have signed a letter in support of the delisting of gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act in the Lower 48 states. Tuesday’s letter was signed by 34 bipartisan House members and will be submitted as a public comment in the Federal Register.