An improperly discarded cigarette sparked a small fire in a northwest Bend residence Sunday night, prompting a reminder from Bend Fire Battalion Chief Bill Boos to ensure proper disposal of any burning materials. Twelve firefighters from three engine companies were called to the home of Jackie and Dave Warrington at 2417 NW Hosmer Lake Drive about 10:30 p.m. February 18.  Upon arrival, Boos reported, light smoke was coming from the rear of the residence.  With ... [full story]

Search and rescue personnel are confident they have identified the exact location of three climbers who fell off a 150-foot ledge near Illumination Saddle on Mt. Hood Sunday.  Six rescue teams were deployed early this morning in an effort to reach the missing climbers before a strong Pacific storm front moves through the area today and Tuesday. The missing climbers, two women and a man, reportedly fell over a 150-foot ledge down a steep section of ... [full story]

A 13-year old Eugene-area boy died Saturday afternoon in a skiing accident at Willamette Pass Resort ski area, Oregon State Police (OSP) reported. The boy, Nathan Daniel McBryde, traveled with his mother to the ski resort February 17 as part of a Boy Scout outing.  According to a witness, McBryde was skiing downhill on a lower mountain intermediate run when he tried to turn and traverse across the hill, lost control and struck the root-ball ... [full story]

Alcohol and icy road conditions may have contributed to a single-vehicle crash and rollover on South Century Drive that left the 18-year old driver dead and sent five others to the hospital early Saturday morning, authorities reported. Ryan Tyson of La Pine was traveling north on South Century Drive near the entrance to the Crosswater subdivision, about one mile south of Spring River Road, when the accident occurred at 2 a.m., Sgt. Gary Cima said.  Tyson ... [full story]

An argument at a Bend skate park Saturday afternoon led to a call for help, a car chase, then a crash in southeast Bend sending four people to the hospital, culminating in the arrest of a driver charged with a dozen offenses. Derek Groom, 21, of Bend, called 911 about 2:20 p.m. to report that he was being tail-gated by a vehicle with a passenger who was flashing a knife at him and yelling for him ... [full story]

A 43-year old Bend man who accidentally shot himself in the hip Saturday morning prompted gun-safety reminders by Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies. Deputies were called to a residence in the Deschutes River Woods area southwest of Bend about 11:15 a.m. to a report of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound, deputy Sean Bell and Sgt. Dan Bilyeu reported.   The Sheriff’s Office has gunlocks available to the public at no charge (limited to two-locks per household). The man ... [full story]

Bestselling Christian author of apocalyptic novels/political potboilers and close friend to Israeli officials sets his sights on Iran In a recent blog post datelined Jerusalem, Joel Rosenberg wrote: "The buzz here in the last few days is that Israel is seriously considering a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites." Given Israel's less than sterling performance against Hezbollah this past summer, Rosenberg wasn't convinced that Israel "has the capacity -- or the ... [full story]

This week, the Expedition 14 crew continued to focus on preparation for their final planned spacewalk ahead of the space shuttle Atlantis’ arrival in March. This comes following Sunday’s unexpected circuit breaker trip on the International Space Station and subsequent resetting of affected equipment. As Atlantis was moved to the launch pad this week, station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin conducted leak checks of the Russian Orlan spacesuits they will wear for ... [full story]

Feb. 9 Reports: Jason David Adams, 30, was arrested on an unspecified outstanding warrant. (NE Penn Ave.) Christopher Scott Hansen, 39, was arrested on an unspecified outstanding warrant. (NW Wall St.) Richard Joseph Belhumeur, 52, was arrested for violation of probation. (SW 13th St.) Patrick Andrew Yackley, 54, was arrested for second-degree criminal mischief, victimizing Chrisopher Corbitt. (NW Greenwood Ave.) Louise Helen Horton and Russell Mark Orton reported theft and forgery by unknown persons who opened a Spring cell ... [full story]

Feb. 2 Reports Eric Neil Davenport, 33, was arrested on two counts each for failure to appear, fourth-degree assault, and interference with making a police report. (61360 Blakely Rd.) Ryan Steele Hogg, 30, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII). (700 NW Galveston Ave.) Jeremy Steven Botta, 30, was cited for following a vehicle too closely after being involved in an accident.  (222 SE Third St.) Scott Steven Daniel, 34, was arrested on ... [full story]