A 41-year old Bend man was arrested Wednesday on drug charges in connection with a marijuana growing operation detectives found when they raided a northeast Bend residence near a high school, drug agents reported.    Michael Paul Hunt - DCJ photo   The suspect faces additional charges because of the marijuana grow's proximity (less than 1,000 feet) to a high school.Bend Police officers requested assistance from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team when they received information about an alleged ... [full story]

Fire officials announced Thursday that the likely cause of a fire that nearly destroyed a Deschutes River Woods mobile home early the day before was the improper disposal of smoking materials on an exterior deck that ignited combustible furniture. Cynthia Bond and her 14-year-old son were awakened by smoke alarms shortly before 1 a.m. on January 3rd, Bend Fire Department’s Deputy Fire Marshal Sue Lovisco said. They and their two pet dogs quickly evacuated the mobile ... [full story]

A 32-year old La Pine man was arrested Thursday morning and charged with half-a-dozen crimes in connection with the alleged stabbing of another man during a fight, deputies reported.    Dale Wade - DCJ photo According to a news release, deputies responded to the La Pine Fire Department at the corner of Day Road and Burgess Road about 9:45 a.m., January 3, to a reported stabbing victim. Based on evidence and witness testimony, deputies determined that Wade allegedly pulled ... [full story]

Preliminary information gathered by Oregon State Police (OSP) and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) indicated a slight jump in the number of traffic-related deaths and an increase in DUII arrests during this year's 102-hour New Year's holiday period between 6 p.m., Friday, December 28th, and 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, January 1, 2008. Six people died and 98 drivers were arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants.According to ODOT's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), ... [full story]

Kenya's almost certainly stolen election and the tribal violence that followed are doubly tragic. For Kenya, the rigged vote count and ensuing killing are ugly, heartbreaking steps backward for a nation that had been one of Africa's comparative success stories. For Africa, this is yet another reminder that the long road to better governance, ethnic peace and economic development is fraught with peril and that progress is fragile. Kenya's president, Mwai Kibaki, claimed a narrow ... [full story]

Mexican President Felipe Calderon's heart is obviously in the right place. But, sometimes, one has to wonder where his head is. For instance, take a look at how he has handled the enormously important yet incredibly delicate issue of immigration. After spending the first six months of his tenure largely focusing on battling drug cartels, Calderon spent the next six months making up for lost time by talking incessantly about the issue. But what is ... [full story]

It's now been nearly 14 months since Rep. Nancy Pelosi, then incoming speaker of the House, vowed to lead "the most honest" and "most ethical" Congress ever. The San Francisco Democrat's bold declaration on election night 2006 was welcomed by voters whose anger over lawmakers' scandals and crimes led them to end Republicans' control of both the House and the Senate. Pelosi acknowledged the daunting task she faced, given legislators' bipartisan addiction to "earmarks." These ... [full story]

The Green Bay Packers won their first two preseason games this year, which meant exactly nothing in the National Football League. To win it all, the Pack will have to get to the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 and win it. But if the rules of presidential politics applied to the NFL, the Packers could have laid an early claim on the Lombardi Trophy in August. In the game of nominating a president, which begins ... [full story]

Given the harsh realities of the health insurance marketplace, the decision by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that employers can reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare shouldn't come as a surprise. Employers are struggling to provide benefits to younger employees, much less those over 65, and still stay competitive. But AARP and other advocates for older Americans certainly can't be faulted either for contending that ... [full story]

Given the harsh realities of the health insurance marketplace, the decision by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that employers can reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare shouldn't come as a surprise. Employers are struggling to provide benefits to younger employees, much less those over 65, and still stay competitive. But AARP and other advocates for older Americans certainly can't be faulted either for contending that ... [full story]