For the second time in less than one week, Deschutes County correctional deputies successfully halted a suicide attempt by a jail inmate -– this time for a newly admitted man who was arrested late Wednesday night. The man, whose name is being withheld, tied his t-shirt around his neck and secured it to a handicap bar about 1:46 a.m. on Thursday, October 26.  According to a news release issued by Lt. Michael Whitney and Captain ... [full story]

Firefighters to ignite hundreds of debris piles through Thanksgiving – Caution recommended to drivers and residents for drifting, settling smoke Deschutes National Forest fire specialists have begun their fall program for burning hundreds of debris piles on the Crescent Ranger District.Oregon Department of Corrections inmate crews previously made many of the piles to reduce woody debris that can feed wildland fires.  Heavy equipment formed other piles, following timber harvests.Firefighters trained in the use of prescribed ... [full story]

Bend residents will pay more for natural gas beginning November 1, but the rate increase is less than previously expected, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) announced Wednesday.  The rate hike is in the single digit range in comparison to the previous two years in which some customers experienced double digit increases.  Rates will increase 7.9% for residential customers, and from 9.0% to 9.4% for commercial and industrial accounts. The new rates for Cascade Natural Gas take ... [full story]

Finding room for all the guests you want to entertain during the holidays and year-round dinner parties can be a problem, but you won't have to set up rickety card tables or serve people standing up to accommodate a large group with the Parisian banquet table from Century Furniture's Bordeaux Collection. Since a typical place setting with a full complement of china and silverware occupies 22 inches, the 17-foot-long table seats 16 people comfortably, and as ... [full story]

The Public Works Department has completed its draft revision of the City’s Integrated Stormwater Management Plan and it is now ready for public comment. The City is inviting citizens to an Open House on Thursday, November 16 to learn more about the plan and to provide comments. The purpose of the Integrated Stormwater Management Plan is to meet federal clean water requirements for both the Deschutes River and groundwater through Bend and to protect the ... [full story]

Robert Greenwald's new documentary film will be shown at 7 p.m., Saturday, October 28 "Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers," Robert Greenwald's new documentary film about the deadly corporate privatization of Iraq, will show in an exclusive one-night engagement at 7 p.m., Saturday, October 28, at the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend. Tickets are $8 at the door; $5 for students and seniors. "Iraq For Sale" is co-sponsored by the Deschutes County Democrats, Central Oregon Jobs ... [full story]

Fire specialists plan to complete a controlled burn this afternoon in an area seven miles southeast of Bend where they burned 45 acres on Thursday. Friday’s 40-acre burn will be south of China Hat Road and a half mile north of Kelsey Butte.  It is part of a 2001 environmental assessment area that involves several burns intended to reduce forest floor woody debris in strategic patches so fires are less likely to spread and safer to ... [full story]

The Deschutes County Road Department has announced the gate on the Paulina/East Lake Road (Road 21) will be closed effective the morning of Wednesday, November 1, 2006. The road closure begins at the Ten Mile Sno-Park.  Road closed signs will be posted and any vehicle within the closure may be cited. For more information please call 388-6581. [full story]

OSP Report: Drivers clocked at speeds in excess of 130 mph In spite of tougher laws against high-speed traffic violations enacted at the first of this year, a preliminary six-month review of Oregon State Police (OSP) enforcement statistics indicates Oregon is on track this year to easily stop and cite more drivers at speeds 100 miles per hour (mph) and faster. Two high speed traffic stops last week are reflective of what OSP troopers continue to see -- ... [full story]

Existing-home sales eased last month, as did the number of homes available for sale -– indicating the housing market is stabilizing, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Total existing-home sales -– including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops -– dipped 1.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.18 million units in September from a level of 6.30 million in August, and were 14.2 percent below the 7.20 million-unit pace in September 2005, ... [full story]