(Bend, Oregon) The Bend Athletic Club will be the site of Soup Fest '07, a benefit for Winning Over Anger & Violence. The Soup Fest will feature a competition for professional chefs with a total prize purse of $3,000. Guests will receive ballots and vote for their favorite recipe.The music stylings of the Cascade Brass quintet will entertain guests as they enjoy soup, side dishes, desserts and a no-host bar. Raffle tickets for prizes and ... [full story]

According to results of a study released recently by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS), Oregon's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program has room for improvement. AAAFTS included seven basic GDL components in its research, and found that 16-year-old drivers are involved in 38 percent fewer fatal crashes and 40 percent fewer crashes resulting in injuries if their state GDL program has at least five of the seven common components. Those seven components are:  A ... [full story]

Mitch Weiss looks at pickup truck beds in a way most people don't.  He sees the potential for projectiles from unsecured cargo, loose trashcans and recycling barrels that could soon add to the trash along the roadside, and fuel cans lashed precariously and prone to leakage. There has to be a better way, and he's working on it one rack, bracket and bolt at a time.   BEDDER HEDDER - The Bedder Hedder bolts to the truck bed ... [full story]

It started in controversy, with the suspensions and fines. It ended in controversy, with a huge accident and hotly debatable finish. No one could say this year's Daytona 500 was dull. Hard as it is to imagine, what happened at the end of the race has managed even to overshadow the days before, when five crew chiefs were suspended, multiple fines and points deductions were levied and even Jeff Gordon's team was called into question. ... [full story]

Toyota U.S.A., Inc., announced Tuesday the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the 2007 Camry Hybrid 50th Anniversary Edition. The limited edition Camry Hybrid celebrates Toyota's 50 years of business in the United States. This specially badged Camry Hybrid comes with features exclusive only to the 50th Anniversary Edition. Its stunning Blizzard Pearl paint, unique 16-inch alloy wheels with a graphite finish, and exterior "50th Anniversary Edition" badging are just some of the 50th Anniversary ... [full story]

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A state appeals board was asked Friday to stop the expansion of a Stark County landfill, which already is under way, because of two fires burning under the original 88 acres of the landfill. But attorneys for the state and Republic Services, which owns the landfill, said it's too late. The permit to expand was approved in 2003, though it's been under various appeals since. "We're entitled to a decision," said Republic ... [full story]

Christopher Burgeson, fleet manager for the Northern California city of Napa recently got an e-mail alert saying the throttle sensor on one of the city's vehicles was not working right. At best, that meant the vehicle was getting poor gas mileage. At worst, it meant the vehicle was in danger of breaking down out in the field, possibly resulting in an expensive tow and downtime for workers. KEEPING TRACK - Diego Borrego, left, of Networkcar ... [full story]

Iowa Introduces New Crop: Human Embryos CHELSEA, Mich. - The national Catholic based advocacy group Fidelis condemned the 52-46 vote by the Iowa House of Representatives in favor of a bill that lifts a four-year-old ban on human cloning. The approved legislation legalizes embryonic cloning and killing for stem cell research. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Chet Culver, who actively lobbied for its passage. Fidelis President Joseph Cella stated: "The most outrageous ... [full story]

Biologist Steven Amstrup discusses global warming, polar bears in Oregon Zoo lecture Scientists agree: If greenhouse-gas emissions remain uncurbed, the consequences to the planet will be devastating. Wildlife biologist Steven Amstrup discusses the effects of global warming on polar bears as part of the Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Oregon Zoo. Amstrup, a research wildlife biologist with the Alaska Science Center, is an expert on polar bears and has studied ... [full story]

On Thursday evening, and for the second time in five months, drug agents raided a home in southwest Redmond and arrested a 53-year old man for dealing methamphetamine.  The suspect was on pretrial release for charges pending from an October 2006 drug raid and arrest, detectives reported.   Kenneth Wayne Zitek – DCJ Photo Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team members received credible information over the course of the past several months that Kenneth Wayne Zitek was ... [full story]