Month: August 2019

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., on Monday hosted a Portland roundtable discussion on the high cost of prescription drugs in Oregon and across America, gathering experts who provided insights on how and why drug prices have risen, and hearing from patients who have been impacted by them. “As we speak, the Trump Administration is meeting with

SEATTLE (AP) — Five years after Washington launched its pioneering legal marijuana market, officials are proposing an overhaul of the state’s industry rules, with plans for boosting minority ownership of pot businesses, paving the way for home deliveries of medical cannabis and letting the smallest growers increase the size of their operations to become more

CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. (AP) — One of the most popular hikes in the Columbia River Gorge has reopened, almost two years after it was damaged by the Eagle Creek Fire. The Statesman-Journal reports the Wahclella Falls Trail, near Cascade Locks and east of Multnomah Falls, features a 2.4-mile out-and-back hike through a slot canyon to

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Two people are facing an assault charge in Portland after getting into an altercation with a man who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. Twenty-three-year-old Adebisi Okuneye and 22-year-old Leopold Hauser made a court appearance Monday. Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Bumjoon Park says in a probable cause affidavit

A fire that destroyed a 16-foot utility trailer in La Pine early Tuesday morning likely was caused by spontaneous combustion of oil-soaked rags from a deck-staining project, officials said. La Pine Rural Fire District crews were dispatched around 4:45 a.m. to the reported vehicle fire with an outbuilding/shop exposure in the 1900 block of Blanket

Federal marshals and the FBI in Oregon are alerting the public of several nationwide imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals, court officers or other law enforcement officials. They are urging people to report the calls to their local FBI office ( https://tips.fbi.gov ), and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board will meet Sept. 5-6 in Bend. The board meeting is scheduled beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 6 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 425 SW Bluff Drive, Bend. The agenda includes review of three project proposals, board planning for the 2019 program

Central Oregon’s largest wine and food event, the three-day Cork & Barrel fundraising series, a benefit for KIDS Center of Bend, reported $500,000 in net revenue raised at the 2019 event series. Held annually in July at Broken Top Club in Bend, Cork & Barrel funds 20% of the $2.8 million annual operating budget of

KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — The Kennewick School District in eastern Washington canceled the first day of school on Tuesday after teachers went on strike. The Tri-City Herald reports the district failed to reach a tentative union contract agreement by the Monday deadline with the Kennewick Education Association, which represents more than 1,200 teachers and certificated

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The United Network for Organ Sharing has approved Oregon Health & Science University’s new primary physician for heart transplants, allowing the Portland hospital to resume its heart transplant program. The hospital said in a news release the decision by the network to approve the physician was unanimous and effective as of

(Update: Adding details/quotes) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Portland homeless shelter has opened with assistance from some large private-sector donations, officials said. The Harbor of Hope River District Navigation Center opened Monday in Portland, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Monday. Developer Homer Williams raised private funds to help cover the $3.5 million construction costs of the tent-like

Good Tuesday Morning, Everyone… High pressure overhead will keep our skies clear and sunny today. With that the warm up continues. Look for highs to reach the low 90’s . Breezes, generally out of the north, will be quite variable at 5 -10 mph . Skies will stay fairly clear tonight, but we may see

The Ochoco Irrigation District and project partners announced Tuesday an upcoming public meeting on the region’s latest canal-piping project, a proposal to modernize aging infrastructure to conserve water, reduce energy use, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance fish and wildlife habitat in Ochoco and McKay creeks and the Crooked River. “By converting open-ditch irrigation canals into

The public is invited to review and comment on the draft 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan . It will be reviewed and considered for adoption by the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 12-1:30 pm in the DeArmond Room at the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall Street, Bend. The draft

Deschutes County commissioners weren’t quite ready on Monday to adopt an updated solid waste management plan that moves the county toward a Knott Landfill replacement when it fills up in about a decade. One board member said he wants more time to review it, while others said they’d want to make sure privatizing the operation

Could you memorize 300 names, to match them with faces, in about three weeks? Debbie Van Vliet, kitchen manager at Bend’s Pacific Crest Middle School, says she works to do just that, every year. “I do it because names are important,” Van Vliet said. “We’re not another number. We’re not a statistic.” She says she

Summer is coming to an end, which means school is about to begin. Many parents in Central Oregon are busy buying supplies for their children. According to a new report by TopCashBack.com, 40% percent of people said the costliest items to buy are new clothes and shoes, while 35% said technology and appliances are the

(Update: Correcting that only dogs riding in flatbed pickups violate Oregon law) In Central Oregon, dog safety is a top priority for dog owners, especially when traveling with your pets. The Humane Society of the United States estimated at least 100,000 dogs die each year from riding in pickup truck beds. Many dogs ride unrestrained

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal prosecutors said Monday they have charged a southern Oregon drug smuggler in what they described as a sordid murder-for-hire plot that targeted an associate who owed tens of thousands of dollars for marijuana trafficking services. Authorities say John Tobe Larson, 68, offered an informant $20,000 to kill the associate, whom

(Update: Adding video) With the start of the school year fast approaching, Central Oregon public health departments reminded parents Monday to make sure their children have all the immunizations they need to go to school and stay healthy. ” It’s really important to remember serious diseases such as measles and pertussis still exist and can