A 27-year-old LaPine man has been arrested for fatally-striking a pedestrian with his vehicle and fleeing the scene. Josh Day has been charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and failure to perform duties of a driver involved in an accident, according to Sgt. Dan Bilyeu with the Deschutes Sheriff’s Office. At 3:09 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a hit and run accident at Highway 97.  Upon ... [full story]

78 Years Old, Still Climbing Climbing a mountain in the Cascades, most would not expect to be side-by-side with an 80-year-old man.  However, if Robert Speik gets his birthday wish, someone will do just that. Currently 78, the Bend mountaineer is already making plans on how he will climb North Sisters and Mount Jefferson.  “I don’t know that anyone has climbed them at that age,” Speik said.  “I bet you, I might be the oldest.”       All ... [full story]

The Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) 18th Annual Tour of Homes opens its doors July 21-23 and July 28-30 to over 50 new homes showcasing both builders and designers in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Terrebonne, Prineville, Sunriver and Powell Butte. “It is an opportunity for builders and trades people to show the public what’s happening in the building and trade industry here in Central Oregon,” said Tim Knopp, the executive VP of COBA.    There will be ... [full story]

The Central Oregon Community College Board had a busy agenda Wednesday, July 12.  Two large campus construction projects were approved to move forward and college officials announced a $750,000 gift to the college that will be dedicated to the construction of a rehearsal hall for the college’s instrumental performing groups. Construction for a multi-million dollar campus center has been given approval after budget-saving alterations were made to the project. “The board approved us to work ... [full story]

It will come as no surprise to people who live in Bend; the city has made the pages of another national magazine for being one of the “Best Places to Live.”  Along with two other Oregon cities, it made the top 100 list in the August issue of Money magazine.  Bend came in at No. 86, topped by Beaverton at No. 79 and Hillsboro at No. 63. “This city is known throughout the United States ... [full story]

The Oregon Arts Commission has announced $655,500 in grants to 102 Oregon arts organizations awarded through its Arts Services and Arts Learning Grant programs.  Among the recipients was Arts Central in Bend.  The non-profit organization received $17,000. Arts Central is the regional arts and culture council of Central Oregon.  The organization works to build an appreciation of the arts through education and advocacy.  Arts Central oversees four primary programs: The Art Station, Arts in Education, ... [full story]

The Deschutes County Home Rule Charter Committee met Tuesday, July 18 to draft the language of the proposed Home Rule Charter. One member was not there, Leland Smith.  The Wednesday prior he gave his resignation citing his concerns and disappointments. The letter read, “Now that all of the major decisions on the structure of the Home Rule Charter have been made, I have decided to resign from the committee so that Jim Carnahan can be ... [full story]

Reality is whatever you focus on. My grandpa said that the day he was sober. I didn’t know what he meant until last week, when I suffered my first panic attack. If I could describe it in three words, they would be GET ME OUT! One minute I was doing crunches in the gym, and the next moment all my demons were on top of me.  If you’ve never had a panic attack, it’s a ... [full story]

There’s no tiptoeing around the matter. Former Steptoeville, known now as “the town so nice they named it twice”, Walla Walla’s residents are hell-bent on blaming Bend for their recent outbreak of rurbia. A phenomenon occurring throughout the West, rurbia is a blending of urban, rural and suburbia. The fate of nearly 360 acres of Walla Walla farmland lies in the hands of county commissioners. If approved, the development will include 365 new homes, a ... [full story]

Summer heat can be as brutal on a vehicle and its occupants as the most chilling winter weather, according to AAA Idaho, which reminds motorists that the temperature in an overheated car can turn deadly dangerous in a matter of minutes. "An unattended small child or a pet is defenseless against the heat in an unattended or locked car, and the common reasons for a car overheating in the first place can put all occupants ... [full story]