PRINEVILLE, Ore. – Multiple reports of shots fired in northeast Prineville prompted the closure of a four-square block area for two hours Thursday night, but no property damage was discovered and no injuries were reported. According to Prineville Police Captain Michael Boyd, just before 10 p.m., March 19, police officers, Crook County Sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police troopers searched the area of NE Third Street and Combs Flat Road. Officers also heard the shots ... [full story]

TERREBONNE, Ore. – A traffic stop on a speeding vehicle, a drug-detecting police dog who found hidden drugs, and a raid on one suspect’s residence   (left) Oswaldo Cibrian, (right) Cristobal Corrales Reyes – DCJ photos    Redmond Police narcotics K-9 dog “Tanya” alerted on the vehicle, and found meth and cocaine hidden in a secret compartment – CODE photo    In total, 10.6 ounces of meth and 4.2 ounces of cocaine were seized – CODE photo    A search of the ... [full story]

It has been almost a decade since I retired as an editor for the American Psychological Association magazine, the Monitor. I had a lot of ideas that day in 2000 when a reporter from the New York Times tracked me around town. I made many predictions about my future life in the golden years; most of them turned out to be inaccurate. So, today, I thought for the benefit of those contemplating retirement, or even ... [full story]

Imagine how different things might be right now if there were a Republican Party. I mean a party like the one led by Ronald Reagan, George Bush or Newt Gingrich; a party with a program, a single set of talking points, and the technological and communications advantages to get their message across. That kind of Republican Party. The kind that doesn't exist right now. Conservative talk radio is on the wane. The Internet, with the ... [full story]

The African-American religious community deserves considerable praise for taking leadership of the civil rights movement during the first half of the 20th century. But there is no doubt that toward the end of the 20th century, the black church, primarily because of its opposition to homosexuality, abdicated its responsibility and totally disregarded the human toll that AIDS has had on the members it largely serves. It only has been recently that pastors have opted not ... [full story]

As the U.S. financial crisis broadens and deepens, wiping out the wealth and savings of tens of millions, destroying hopes and dreams, it is hard not to see in all of this history's verdict upon this generation. We have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. For how did this befall us, save through decisions that brushed aside lessons that history and experience had taught our fathers? It all began with the corruption called ... [full story]

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan." WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs claims this is its "mission." The slogan — extracted from the last paragraph of Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address — is inscribed proudly on metal plaques at the entrance of the VA's headquarters in Washington. The Obama administration made a mockery of this pledge by proposing to charge veterans' private insurance ... [full story]

Rock stars are rarely controversial for acting like rock stars. A decadent lifestyle of sex, drugs and alcohol abuse are the expected menu. In our upside-down popular culture, rock stars create controversy only when they advocate an alternative lifestyle — when they wear purity rings and abstain from sex until marriage. Some dream of being rock stars just for the selfish fantasy of organizing an assembly line of casual sex partners. In the minds of ... [full story]

As he often does, the comedian Andy Borowitz nailed it Monday on his online satire site, BorowitzReport.com: In New Terror Video, AIG Demands Huge Ransom from U.S. Shadowy Group Seeks Bonuses, Golf Retreats American intelligence experts are analyzing a new terror video from the American International Group (AIG) in which the leader of the shadowy organization demands billions of dollars from the United States. In the four-minute tape, which surfaced over the weekend and caused ... [full story]

As the American economy continues to deteriorate and U.S. exports decline sharply, the rumblings of a self-inflicted trade war are starting to be heard. This is an ominous turn for President Barack Obama, who started the trade dispute by signing a bill to prohibit Mexican trucks on U.S. highways outside of a 20-mile zone along the border — in glaring violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. In retaliation, Mexico has announced it will ... [full story]