The City of Bend has announced that street division crews will be working on Third Street, south of Greenwood Avenue to the South Parkway signal from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., nightly from May 28 through June 7. Street legend markings including crosswalks, arrows, etc. are scheduled to be worked on. Reader boards, warning signs, and cones will be in place to control traffic, but citizens are reminded to use caution when approaching the work zone. [full story]

The public is invited to meet Lillian Pitt, the sculptor of “She Who Watches” at a dedication ceremony from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, on the Central Oregon Community College campus between Modoc and Metolius halls. Pill will give a short talk about her sculpture and refreshments will be served.   Pitt's "She Who Watches" sculpture will be dedicated at COCC on June 6 Pitt has been exhibiting her contemporary sculpture, carvings, masks, glass, ... [full story]

ODOT Publication gives location, description of projects on state highways Want to know where and when you may encounter orange cones and work zones as you travel around the state this summer? The Oregon Department of Transportation is distributing the Summer 2007 Road Projects map so motorists can plan ahead and be prepared. With 108 projects listed on the map, Oregon is experiencing of the busiest construction seasons in recent years. The increased activity is fueled in ... [full story]

BEND, Ore. — Expect to see significant smoke plumes in the air southeast of Bend early next week. Forest Service fire managers, in cooperation with the Bend and Sunriver Fire Departments and the Prineville BLM helitack crew, have two large controlled burn projects scheduled. Both of these projects will be accomplished utilizing aerial ignition with support from ground crews. The helicopter is being provided by Henderson Aviation out of Eugene and will be based out ... [full story]

The City of Bend has scheduled a construction project which may negatively impact vehicle and foot traffic on and near the Newport Bridge from May 21-25.  According to project manager Bob O’Neal, Holm II contracting will be placing tier caps from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.  The sidewalk will be closed, and a clearly-marked alternate route will be established. If necessary travel lanes may be closed, but flaggers, signs, and cones will ... [full story]

SUNRIVER, Ore. — Forest Service fire managers are nearing completion of acontrolled burn project-located west of Sunriver and just northwest of Spring River-on the Deschutes National Forest today. Ignition will start around mid-morning between Forest Roads 540 & 700 northwest of the junction of Forest Roads 40 & 41.Weather permitting, the last 20 acres of a 104-acre controlled burn project will be completed.  The final 29 acres of a 226-acre controlled burn near Pringle Falls ... [full story]

Road improvement project will close highway for approximately 60 days starting June 15 MCKENZIE BRIDGE, Oregon -- The McKenzie Pass Highway (OR 242) will officially open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic on Saturday morning, May 19. The highway closed for the winter on November 7, 2006. Last year, the highway opened to bicycle and pedestrian traffic on June 2, and to motorized vehicle traffic on June 29. An ODOT snow blower has spent the past week ... [full story]

The Prineville Police Department will be conducting a Seat Belt Safety Operation in the Prineville area during daylight hours from May 21 through June 3. The Three Flags Campaign is an international selective traffic enforcement program (STEP) involves hundreds of law enforcement agencies in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Since October 1993, the campaign has sought to reduce the number of motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries by increasing public awareness of laws regarding safety belt ... [full story]

Fire chiefs and firefighters from around Oregon will converge on the state capitol in Salem next Tuesday, May 22, for Fire Service Day. The event is designed to highlight the state's fire agencies in front of the Legislature, provide fire safety information and give fire officials an opportunity to visit with their representatives. The Office of State Fire Marshal will highlight a new safety trailer designed to teach fire safety and demonstrate the effectiveness of home ... [full story]

BEND, Ore. - The public is invited to learn more about the City of Bend’s Central Area Plan Part 2. The City’s Long Range Planning Division is holding a Public Meeting on Thursday, May 17th at 5:30 p.m. at the Deschutes County Services Building located at 1300 NW Wall Street. Maps and other planning materials will be on display to inform the community about the Central Area Plan process.  The public is encouraged to attend ... [full story]

LA PINE, Ore. — Forest Service fuels specialists will be lighting a controlled burn today on the Deschutes National Forest just north of Pringle Falls and west of the Wild River Subdivision, fire officials announced. According to Virginia Gibbons, public affairs specialist with Prineville BLM and Ochoco National Forest, fuels specialists plan to start ignition around mid-morning near the junction of Forest Roads 43 & 4350.  The objective is to burn 124 acres, however, ... [full story]

SISTERS, Ore. — Deschutes National Forest fuel specialists, in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Forestry, are planning a controlled burn near Sisters today, May 7th. The burn will be located south of the McKenzie Highway (approximate three miles west of Sisters) and directly adjacent to the Crossroads subdivision.This 60-acre underburn is part of a series of controlled burns designed to reduce fuels on federal lands surrounding the Crossroads subdivision. The objective of the project ... [full story]

A citizen advisory group of approximately 30 community members will meet in Bend, Oregon on Monday, April 30 to continue discussion of motorized vehicle access on the Deschutes National Forest. The group began meeting last December to assist federal managers with the implementation of a 2005 “Travel Management Rule” for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, and the Crooked River National Grassland. Their most recent meeting occurred April 4 in Bend, where recommendations were made regarding ... [full story]