The Crook County Sheriff’s Office on Monday morning reduced the evacuation notice to Level 1 BE READY for a wildfire fanned by heat and wind that broke out Saturday afternoon near McKay Creek Road, about six miles north of Prineville, burning over 200 acres and brought by 100 firefighters to 30% containment.
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Crook County School District is excited to welcome Dr. Melissa Skinner as the new superintendent, effective this week. Dr. Skinner’s first day on the job included attending her first school board meeting Monday night, where she was welcomed by the board and community, setting the stage for her first 100 days
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Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley has been pushing for over a year for the state to step up efforts to test Crook County residents’ contaminated water, which they claim is due to the nearby Knife River mine. We talked with him Wednesday about the governor’s recent steps to make it happen.
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Monday the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is awarding $299,973 to the Crooked River Water Quality Partnership, in collaboration with the Deschutes River Conservancy, through its WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program. This federal funding will be used to formalize the Partnership, identify priority projects and develop project
Continue Reading Gov. Tina Kotek has ordered state agencies to develop a water testing plan and have an independent analysis performed as residents of over 40 Prineville-area homes claim a nearby gravel mine has caused high levels of dangerous manganese in their drinking water.
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A reportedly armed suspect in a domestic violence case in Prineville ran before Crook County sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene Monday afternoon, leading to a manhunt, partial closure of Northwest Madras Highway and his eventual surrender at the Crook County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were dispatched around 1:20 p.m. Monday to the
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The Crook and Deschutes County district attorneys provided more details Saturday after a Bend man facing murder and manslaughter charges in the May 2023 fatal shooting of a Powell Butte man pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
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PRINEVILLE Ore. (KTVZ) – A Prineville man was killed early Monday morning when his pickup truck drifted across the oncoming lane of U.S. Highway 26 east of Prineville, left the road and hit a rock and tree before flipping onto its side, Oregon State Police said Wednesday. A medical event is the suspected cause. OSP
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Crook County Sheriff’s Office and the Prineville Police Department will be teaming up and conducting a high-visibility enforcement event during the Crooked River Roundup, June 19th through June 22nd and Horse Races, July 10th through July 13th. The goal is to increase the number of law enforcement officers on the
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — For 79 years, Crook County has welcomed rodeo fans to one of Oregon’s oldest family-friendly events — the historic Crooked River Roundup rodeo, presented by Papé, Oregonians Credit Union, Fortis, Les Schwab, Pendleton Whisky and Ninebark Real Estate. Nightly performances are scheduled for Thursday, June 20, through Saturday, June 22. Tickets
Continue Reading Senator Jeff Merkley, in Prineville for a town hall Sunday, also visited two of the dozens of homes dealing with manganese contaminating their water, which they say is caused by a nearby gravel mine. Merkley, whose hand was covered by black sludge from the water in one home’s toilet, is pressing state agencies to get
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — At 18 years old, US Army Corporal and Central Oregonian Norvin Brockett was declared missing in action in North Korea in 1950 during the Korean War. His remains were recovered and identified almost 70 years later and laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on July 21,
Continue Reading PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – Crook County sheriff’s deputies and Prineville Police raided a southeast Prineville home Saturday, finding about $40,000 worth of stolen items, including four trailers, a skid steer and artificial turf. One of the two women living there was arrested on 17 charges. Deputies and officers served a search warrant in the 2200
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Ochoco National Forest will host the Redmond Smokejumpers for their Rookie Training live fire exercise next Monday. Weather permitting, ignitions will take place 10 a.m. Monday. The training will take place on the Lookout Mountain Ranger District, 10 miles southeast of Post, near Drake Butte. There are no road or
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When Senator Jeff Merkley holds a Crook County town hall in Prineville on Sunday, he’ll also visit with residents who claim a nearby mine is contaminating their water. He’s been pressing state agencies for more testing and action.
Continue Reading PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — From Monday, May 20, through Sunday, June 2, the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and the Prineville Police Department participated in 11.5 hours of enhanced safety enforcement. They conducted 26 stops which produced: 1 citation for driving while suspended, 5 warnings for distracted driving, 9 warnings for seat belt violations, 7 warnings
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced Friday he will be holding six in-person town halls for Oregon communities in June: Coos and Curry counties on Friday, June 7; Klamath and Lake counties on Saturday, June 8; and Crook and Wheeler counties on Sunday, June 9. The events continue Merkley’s 2024 town hall tour of Oregon, where
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) —The Oregon Health Authority is joining other state agencies and Crook County commissioners for an open house on domestic well safety next Thursday, May 30. Staff from OHA, along with the Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Agriculture, will be on hand to gather and share information on services agencies can
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Crook County announced Thursday the appointment of Will Van Vactor as the interim county manager. Van Vactor, who currently serves as the Community Development Department director, “will step into this role effective immediately, bringing with him a wealth of professional experience and expertise,” the county said. Here’s the rest of the
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – On Tuesday, voters in Crook County passed measure 7-86, which asked voters if they support negotiations to move the Oregon/Idaho border to include Crook County in Idaho. The measure is passing with 53% of the vote, and makes Crook County the 13th county in eastern Oregon to pass a Greater Idaho
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