Newest Puzzle Fire near Mt. Jefferson tops 4,100 Acres Comprised of the Black Crater, Lake George, and Puzzle fires, the Cascade Crest Complex Wildland Fire has burned just short of 19,000 acres and is estimated at 30 percent containment. The newest fire, dubbed “The Puzzle Fire” because of its proximity to the Puzzle Creek Drainage, started August 19 from unknown causes.  It has now grown to 4,126 acres with zero containment.  The Puzzle Fire is ... [full story]

The Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network (COCAAN) will be joining Clay Guild of the Cascades at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend during their second annual Wildfire Pottery Showcase event September 1-3.  The partnership is an effort to get more pottery bowls thrown for COCAAN’s annual Empty Bowls event, where artisan bowls are filled with soup and sold as a fundraiser for the COCAAN food bank. This year’s Empty Bowls event will be ... [full story]

Safeway stores in Oregon are conducting a five-week campaign to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.Oregon stores join some 1,500 others across the country in the coordinated  campaign, which began Aug. 1 and runs through Labor Day weekend. Safeway stores are encouraging customers to donate $1 or more at any store checkstand by offering an MDA scannable checkout receipt.Safeway Inc. has over 1,700 stores across the US and Canada and last year raised more ... [full story]

(Sisters, Oregon) – Applications are being accepted for the 2007 PRCA Sisters Rodeo Queen, according to John Leavitt, queen selection committee chair. Applications will be accepted until September 23 with tryouts are scheduled for Sunday, September 24 at 1 p.m. at the Sisters Rodeo Arena. "We are selecting our 2007 queen in advance of our rodeo next June to allow our queen to appear at more events before the rodeo," Leavitt explained. Applicants must be, ... [full story]

The Deschutes County Health Department has been awarded $2,500 from the Oregon Dental Foundation to help begin the Deschutes County Oral Health Program. The Oral Health Education and Prevention Program would benefit pregnant women and children up to age 36 months.  Typically, low-income, underinsured and uninsured pregnant women and children do not getcomprehensive oral health education and prevention.  The Oregon Dental Foundation grant will fund the dental program for an entire year of service and ... [full story]

The PacifiCare Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by PacifiCare, a UnitedHealthcare company, has contributed $10,000 to Bend-based MountainStar Family Relief Nursery. MountainStar Family Relief Nursery provides strength-based child abuse and neglect-prevention programs serving families with children ages 0-4 who have a past history with or who are at high risk of child abuse.  The $10,000 PacifiCare Foundation grant will be used to support the Relief Nursery program that will provide parent support and referrals, parent ... [full story]

A Bend man was killed in a crash Monday night when he lost control of his motorcycle on a curve and struck a concrete post on Northeast 8th Street.  According to witnesses and police, excessive speed appears to be the primary cause of the accident. Bend Police officers responded to the scene near Northeast Dyer on Northeast 8th Street about 8:20 p.m. on August 21 and found the only person involved had received life-threatening injuries ... [full story]