Month: June 2019

Firefighters have been busy responding to several new blazes on lands managed by the Prineville District of Bureau of Land Management, sparked by the hundreds of lightning strikes that have blanketed Central Oregon over the past 24 hours, officials said Wednesday night. The largest incident, the Cottonwood Fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon near Dayville,

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A spokesman for the Department of Human Services has confirmed that Oregon’s child welfare director left her post Wednesday. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Marilyn Jones had been in charge of reforming Oregon’s foster care system and child protective services. Department spokesman Jake Sunderland says she will remain at the agency as a

Happy Wednesday evening, everyone! A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH is set to expire at 8 p.m. Wednesday evening. Within the thunderstorms we could see large hail, heavy rains, and gusty winds along with thunder and lightning. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors! A FIRE WEATHER WARNING remains in effect through midnight for the threat of lightning

(Update: Adding Wednesday thunderstorms, viewer video) The National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued a “red flag” fire weather warning for much of Central and north-central Oregon from 1 p.m to midnight Wednesday, predicting “abundant lightning” from thunderstorms that could ignite dry, fine fuels across lower-level grasslands. The red flag warning stretches from the east

Oregonians can now see the state’s preliminary rate decisions for 2020 individual and small employer health insurance plans. The Division of Financial Regulation must review and approve any rates before they can be charged to policyholders. Preliminary rate decisions are for individuals who buy their own coverage rather than getting it through an employer and

Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced legislation Wednesday that would provide federal emergency assistance to at-risk individuals in Oregon and nationwide suffering from unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The Oregon senators said their Wildfire Smoke Relief Act of 2019 would help people most vulnerable to the health damages from wildfire smoke

A 73-year-old Sisters man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 30 charges of possessing and distributing child pornography. A formal indictment reduced the number of charges from the 50 listed when George Staab was arrested May 13 after a raid on his home. Ten of the charges of encouraging child sexual abuse are first-degree, a Class

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The divide in Oregon between the state’s liberal, urban population centers and its conservative and economically depressed rural areas has made it fertile ground for the political crisis unfolding over a push by Democrats to enact sweeping climate legislation. Eleven Republican senators are entering the seventh day of a walkout Wednesday

(Update: Rally concludes; added video) Amid developments in Salem on the six-day-old stalemate over cap and trade legislation that prompted Oregon’s 11 Republican state senators to walk out and leave the state, dozens of their supporters and critics held competing rallies at the same downtown Bend street corner on Tuesday evening. Organizers staged the rallies

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A replacement for the late state Sen. Jackie Winters has been selected. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that commissioners in Marion and Polk counties on Tuesday unanimously voted to appoint Denyc Boles, a Salem Republican serving her first elected term in the Oregon House, to the empty seat, which represents part of both

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A company that failed to report a large-scale ammonia discharge from its plant near St. Helens and annual ammonia emission estimates has entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Dyno Nobel has agreed to pay a $492,000 fine and buy $931,500 in fire emergency

Oregon OSHA has launched a free online course to help employers and workers across the state meet the agency’s requirements to eliminate fall hazards, prevent falls, and ensure that workers who do fall do not die. The two-hour course, “Fundamentals of Fall Protection,” which includes six parts with 28 videos, is designed to supplement employers’

(Update: Victims, suspect identified) WASHOUGAL, Wash. (AP) – Authorities have identified the two German tourists who were killed when a vehicle crashed through a fence and struck them at a southwest Washington swimming hole. A Washougal man arrested in the case appeared in court Wednesday. Washougal police say the people killed Tuesday afternoon were Rudolf

Site preparation is underway at the site of the new high school on the south end of Bend at the corner of Knott Road and 15th Street, and with a construction project approved by the Bend-La Pine School Board Tuesday night, the project is ready to move forward Crews are busy improving the site and

Good Wednesday Morning, Everyone… The slow moving storm system that gave us thunderstorms yesterday will continue to do so today. Highs today will be in the mid to upper 60’s . While these cooler temps will weaken the chance of thunderstorms, that chance still exists as storms move through all day. NW winds will be

BBB Northwest + Pacific warned Tuesday of a growing scam targeting would-be homebuyers. Here’s how the scam works: First, scammers gain access to a real estate agents’ email and monitor communications. Next, they use a phishing scheme confirming or suggesting last-minute wiring changes to divert closing costs and down payments to a fraudulent account. Mortgage

Saving Grace welcomes Cassi MacQueen as their new executive director, who will assume the position on Monday, July 1, at the start of the nonprofit organization’s new fiscal year. Saving Grace was established in 1977 and provides comprehensive services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. MacQueen is a native Texan who grew up

The Crescent Ranger District on the Deschutes National Forest has closed the bridge across Trapper Creek on the White Fish Trail (#3842) in the Diamond Peak Wilderness for safety reasons. A reroute is in place approximately 100 feet downstream from the bridge so the public can wade through the water and return to the designated

This week, the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment focuses on building a digital defense against utility fraud. The weather is heating up, and your utility bills will likely rise with the temperatures this summer. This is a good time for us to give you a reminder about what to expect – and not expect –

At the Kiwanis Club of Redmond’s annual Vintner’s Dinner on May 18 at Redmond Community Church, the Family Access Network was the grateful beneficiary of the paddle raise fundraiser. The Vintner’s Dinner is a gourmet extravaganza during which the winemaker explains each of the wines paired with all five courses, and the proceeds benefit youth