Wyden-Merkley bill aims to ensure more wildfire-resistant power grid
Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced new legislation Tuesday to incentivize utility companies to do more to reduce wildfire risks as…
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Gov. Brown releases budget proposal as state deals with multiple crises
Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday released her recommended budget and policy agenda for the 2021-23 biennium, which she said focuses on the key challenges…
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US: Mountain pine tree that feeds grizzlies is threatened
Federal officials say climate change, beetles and a deadly fungus are imperiling the long-term survival of a high-elevation pine tree that’s a key…
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Deschutes DA Hummel won’t file charges in downtown Bend anti-mask protest
Participants in a recent downtown Bend protest against Gov. Kate Brown’s two-week “freeze” won’t be charged with violating her order related…
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Deschutes County seeks applicants for Fair Board openings
Deschutes County residents are invited to apply to serve on the Deschutes County Fair Board.…
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USDA invests $542 million in homes for low-income rural Oregonians in 2020
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development said Monday it invested a record $542.6 million this year to help more than 2,225 low-income…
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C.O. restaurants await new guidelines, prepare for winter outdoor dining
The statewide two-week freeze officially comes to an end on Wednesday, meaning restaurants in Deschutes County can open up for outdoor dining on…
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Oregon delegation seeks health insurance enrollment extension to Dec. 31
Oregon’s congressional delegation pushed the Trump administration Monday to extend the open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace through…
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Forest Service looking for vandals who defaced pictographs west of Bend
U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officials reached out for the public’s help Monday to find whoever recently vandalized some rock art…
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State closes $22 million sale of Stevens Road tract in SE Bend for mix of uses
The Oregon Department of State Lands, on behalf of the Common School Fund, has closed its $22 million sale of the 382-acre Stevens Road tract in…
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Oregon mink farm put under quarantine after first cases of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Service Laboratory has confirmed 10 cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink at one Oregon farm, the…
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BLM releases plan to reduce massive wildfires in the West
Federal officials have released a plan for removing or changing vegetation over a huge swath of the West to stop devastating wildfires on land used…
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Oregon relaxing some restrictions, despite still-high COVID-19 cases
Bars and restaurants can reopen for limited outdoor service next week, but many restrictions will remain in place until a vaccine against the…
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Oregon reducing extended jobless benefits as unemployment rate falls
The Oregon Employment Department announced Wednesday a reduction in extended benefits as a result of Oregon’s falling unemployment rate. Following a…
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Oregon hunger on the rise as holidays arrive; more government action urged
As Thanksgiving approaches, more Oregonians are struggling with hunger because of the economic downturn from the COVID-19…
Continue ReadingAudit urges more steps to manage state workers’ health care benefit costs
The Public Employees’ Benefit Board and the Oregon Educator’s Benefit Board have implemented several strategies to help address increasing…
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Federal judge rejects Oregon restaurants’ lawsuit over 2-week ‘freeze’ closures
The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association expressed disappointment after a federal judge on Tuesday refused to grant a temporary restraining…
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OSP still seeking witnesses to recent deer poaching west of Bend
More than a week after a mule deer buck was poached west of Bend, Oregon State Police troopers again requested the public’s assistance Tuesday in…
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City of Bend seeks members for new Human Rights and Equity Commission
From now until Jan. 4, the city of Bend is accepting applications from those interested in filling up to 13 seats on the city’s new Human Rights and…
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Central Oregon jobs saw more recovery last month from ‘COVID-19 shock’
Central Oregon’s recovery from the COVID-19 shock continued in October, with strong monthly employment gains on a seasonally adjusted basis across…
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