‘Senior prank gone wrong’ occurs at Culver High School, confirmed by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
An elaborate senior prank at Culver High School last week has sent some ripples through the Class of…
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Jordan Road near Lake Billy Chinook reopens after slides, flooding from third straight stormy night
A third straight night of thunderstorms rumbled through Central Oregon Saturday evening, bringing more lightning, thunder, rain and hailstorms,…
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Jefferson County jury convicts Madras man of murder in 2020 fatal shooting; brother goes on trial in fall
After four hours of deliberation, a Jefferson County Circuit Court jury convicted a 22-year-old Madras man of murder and other charges Friday in the…
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Culver winemaker Doug Maragas can’t help but worry and wonder: Where have all the bees gone this year?
Doug Maragas, winemaker and vineyard manager at Maragas Winery in Culver, said Tuesday he’s alarmed that for the first time since beginning their…
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New ‘Festival of the Land’ celebrates diverse history, food and culture of Cove Palisades
The Festival of The Land at Cove Palisades State Park will celebrate the diverse history, food and cultures from Central Oregon 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on…
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Farmer caught Jefferson County pursuit on camera, shortly before it ended in crash on Hwy. 26 at Elm Lane
A pursuit north of Madras by a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy Friday evening ended in a crash that critically injured the fleeing driver, a…
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Crews stop small brush fire at 4 acres in Metolius Basin north of Camp Sherman
A small early-season brush fire broke out north of Camp Sherman on Saturday afternoon, bringing out engine crews from several agencies to stop its…
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Maragas Winery starting to see buds break in the vineyards after late cool spring brings delays
Doug Maragas, winemaker and vineyard manager at Maragas Winery in Culver, said Sunday he is very happy to finally see bud break at their vineyards in…
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Early-morning fire heavily damages downtown Madras tavern; apartments evacuated; cause sought
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of a fire early Sunday morning that heavily damaged a downtown Madras bar and…
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Marine law enforcement training academy participants test their skills on waters of Lake Billy Chinook
The Oregon State Marine Board is conducting its annual two-week marine law enforcement training academy on Lake Billy Chinook through Friday.…
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Rough road: ODOT lowering Hwy. 26 speed limit near Warm Springs until it’s paved — and it may happen elsewhere
Years of wear and tear have taken their toll on U.S. Highway 26 between Highway 216 and the Warm Springs River, resulting in a highway scattered with…
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Jefferson County scam alert: Callers are ‘spoofing’ the sheriff’s office phone number
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Scam calls are nothing new just about anywhere, including Jefferson County, where the sheriff’s office has issued an alert…
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Pickup, school bus collide on Hwy. 26 in Madras; truck driver injured, no kids were on bus
A pickup truck and Jefferson County school bus collided on Highway 26 in Madras Tuesday afternoon, sending the pickup driver to the hospital, but…
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Man, 19, killed, several others injured in rollover crash SE of Madras
A 19-year-old man was killed and several other young people were injured late Friday night in a single-vehicle rollover crash southeast of Madras,…
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‘Ezra’s Law,’ sought after tragic Madras assault, fails to pass Legislature a 4th time, but backers won’t give up
The latest attempt in the Oregon Legislature to pass a measure known as Ezra’s Law, to toughen the sentence for assaults that leaves victims with…
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Senator Merkley plans Crook, Jefferson County town halls on Sunday April 23
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced Friday he is continuing to hold in-person town halls in 2023, with community conversations in five Oregon…
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Bend fisherman caught 25-lb.-plus, likely record bull trout at Lake Billy Chinook — and he let it go
Last Saturday, Ryan Mejaski of Bend and Joe Wilhite were fishing for kokanee on the Deschutes arm of Lake Billy Chinook without much luck, when they…
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Madras man killed, second seriously injured in three-vehicle crash on Hwy. 97 south of Madras
One Madras man was killed and another was seriously injured in the head-on collision of a minivan and SUV Sunday night on U.S. Highway 97 south of…
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CERT Team captures Washington state double-homicide suspect near Madras
A Washington state double-homicide suspect deemed “armed and dangerous” was arrested by Central Oregon’s SWAT Team early Sunday after a brief…
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FlyFisher Foundation grant to enhance upper Trout Creek habitat for wild steelhead
The Deschutes River Conservancy announced Wednesday that flows in some of the most critical wild steelhead habitat will continue to be bolstered,…
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