State provides free PPE to agricultural businesses
The state of Oregon gave out free masks and hand sanitizer to agricultural businesses Thursday. The supplies were available at the OSU Extension Offices in Redmond and Madras.
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Bend mayor questions whether Phase 2 reopening should start soon
Many are anxious for the next steps in Deschutes County reopening plans; however, there are some concerns that it may be too soon to move forward with phase two.
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Senator Wyden weighs in on legislators voting remotely
NewsChannel 21 had an exclusive interview Thursday with Senator Ron Wyden. The senator weighed in on a push by some Democrat House members to allow lawmakers to vote remotely.
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Oregon has 3 new COVID-19 deaths, 49 new cases; Valley fruit processor outbreak
COVID-19 has claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 151, the Oregon Health Authority reported Thursday.
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Forty Oregon DMV offices set to reopen for limited services, by appointment
A limited selection of in-person services again will be available at 40 Oregon DMV offices across the state, starting next week, the agency said Thursday.
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Walden, Oregon colleagues press FS chief for wildfire prep details amid COVID-19
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Reps. Greg Walden (OR-02), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) requested Thursday that U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen provide details on the agency’s efforts to prepare for the 2020 wildfire season amidst the coronavirus pandemic.“The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with high levels of drought throughout
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Deschutes County preps for potential COVID-19 surge, trains more contact tracers
After just two weeks since Deschutes County entered Phase 1 of Gov. Kate Brown’s reopening plan, county officials confirmed there has been a spike in positive cases attributed to multi-household gatherings.
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Some Columbia River Gorge trails, parks reopen
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — State and federal agencies say some trails and day use sites in the Columbia River Gorge reopened Wednesday, while crowded sites, including most waterfall viewing areas, campgrounds and visitors centers, will stay closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials from Washington and Oregon, along with the USDA Forest Service, said Wednesday
Continue Reading Virus outbreak at unnamed business could disrupt Portland-area reopening
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Multnomah County officials say the county hopes to begin reopening in about two weeks, but a mysterious coronavirus outbreak could hinder those plans. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Oregon Health Authority said Wednesday afternoon that it is working with county health authorities to investigate “an increase in COVID-19 cases tied to an
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Washington issues new guidelines for religious services
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Churches, mosques and synagogues in Washington state can resume in-person services, with those in counties in the second stage of the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan allowed to have limited in-building services and the remainder limited to outdoor services with no more than 100 people. Religious organizations are required to have a
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Wyden, colleagues intro bill to prevent garnishment of relief payments
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Sen. Ron Wyden said Wednesday he has introduced a bipartisan bill that would protect recovery payments provided in the recent CARES Act pandemic response legislation from garnishment by private debt collectors. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime economic crisis. Relief was intended for struggling families, not predatory debt collectors,” said Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. “Our
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Local painters give back during COVID-19
Webfoot Painting is giving away three great house-painting prizes to those hit hard by COVID-19. Nominate someone (that can be yourself) at: https://www.webfootpainting.com/projectserious
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City revises downtown Bend curbside pickup spots, not enforcing parking limits
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related impacts on businesses, the city of Bend has continued to adjust parking management downtown, now offering businesses a designated curbside pickup spot.
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Deschutes, Crook county jobless rates explode past 18%; Jefferson tops 14%
The business and other closures done to curb the spread of COVID-19 hit Central Oregon’s job market hit in somewhat expected, yet unprecedented fashion, sending April jobless rates soaring to record levels, the Oregon Employment Department reported Wednesday.
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Wanderlust Tours adjusts to serve locals
Wanderlust Tours in Bend launched the ‘Never Have I Ever’ program which offers a variety of excursions and is limited to Deschutes County residents and groups under 10.
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Deschutes County health official: 100+ Phase 1 reopening complaints so far
It’s been almost two weeks since restaurants and bars opened their doors back up to the public, in limited fashion. During that span, Deschutes County health officials say they’ve received more than 100 complaints about businesses violating Gov. Kate Brown’s guidelines.
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Sisters Folk Festival called off until Sept. 2021
The staff and board of directors of Sisters Folk Festival announced Wednesday they have “made the difficult decision to postpone the 24th annual Sisters Folk Festival,” originally scheduled for Sept. 11-13, to Sept. 10-12 of next year.
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C. Oregon Emergency Information Network Joint Info Center transitions back to agencies
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As Central Oregon’s response to COVID-19 continues to evolve, the Central Oregon Emergency Information Network’s Joint Information Center has begun to turn public information functions back to local public agencies, beginning this week. The team, which has served to provide media releases, social media content, media response and public service announcements
Continue Reading Sisters Folk Festival called off until Sept. 2021
The Sisters Folk Festival has been postponed until next summer. They do still hope to do a small live stream program in place of the full-scale festival.
Continue Reading Oregon reports 71 new COVID-19 cases; no new deaths for third straight day
Oregon’s death toll from COVID-19 is unchanged for a third straight day and the 11th time this month, remaining at 148, while the latest data shows a promising drop in the percentage of positive test results, the Oregon Health Authority reported Wednesday.
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