The man police believe is responsible for an armed carjacking at the Bend Costco store earlier this month was arrested this morning in Yamhill County, Washington, after he turned himself in when he learned police were actively looking for him in the area.   Kevin Allan Couch - DCJ photo  Kevin Allan Couch, 26, of Bend, allegedly wielded a knife when he reportedly carjacked a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee belonging to the 31-year old victim on February ... [full story]

Few details were disclosed regarding an Ashland man’s fall from the roof of an outlet mall in Bend, Oregon during the wee hours Wednesday morning, but police said after he was transported to the hospital for treatment, he was issued a citation for trespassing. Under what seems to be suspicious circumstances, Bend Police and fire paramedics responded to the Factory Outlet Mall at 61334 S. Highway 97 about 2:40 a.m., February 27, and found Matthew ... [full story]

Police are on the lookout for a woman who allegedly stole a car early Thursday morning from a northeast Bend, Oregon auto dealership, then crashed the stolen vehicle into 21 other cars in the lot before it became wedged between two vehicles. The unidentified suspect fled before police arrived. Bend Police Lt. Ken Mannix said officers were dispatched to the scene at Kendall Auto Group, 1975 NE Highway 20E, just before 5 a.m., February 28. ... [full story]

Restaurant Management Program Has Won State Title Four Years In A Row, National Twice. High school culinary programs around the country be forewarned. Bend High School’s Restaurant Management Team has defended its state championship for the fourth year in a row and is ready for national competition. They beat 35 Oregon high school culinary programs on Saturday at the Oregon Culinary Competition and will travel to the National High School Culinary Competition National ProStart Student ... [full story]

31 Bend-La Pine School Bus Drivers Spend The Weekend Learning New Student Safety Tools For Their Routes Before dawn last Saturday, 31 Bend-La Pine Schools (BLS) bus drivers and transportation staff boarded a bus to Turner, Oregon, to attend a unique student transportation safety conference. The eight-hour event, called “Bullies, Behavior and Bombs…OH MY!” focused on preventing bullying, student behavior management, and bomb/explosive recognition and management techniques. Bend-La Pine Schools Transportation Manager Denise Blake said ... [full story]

The Central Oregon Hotshots have announced the addition of three final players to the 2008 roster.  Jeff Dunn, Bryan Zamore, and Dustin Hummel have joined the team, finalizing this season’s line-up.  Dunn is the fourth member of the 2008 Hotshots squad to have earned IBL All-Star honors—joining Arthur Lewis, Chucky Frierson and Jamal Walker. Dunn, 6’5”, played at Linfield and Corban College before joining the Salem Stampede (IBL) in 2006.  Dunn averaged 24.8 points per ... [full story]

Parent Information Meetings Taking Place. Applications Due By March 21. Families interested in a magnet school experience have the opportunity to apply for one of the district’s five magnet school programs next month. Application forms are available at each school and must be submitted by March 21 to be eligible for the magnet school enrollment lottery. Enrollment in a magnet program is open to any resident of the district. A lottery is conducted to give ... [full story]

The Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors met Tuesday to review potential candidates for the position of Superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools. More than 30 applicants were considered for the position, and seven are being recommended for interview.The community is invited to meet the finalists for the position in early March. Forums are set for March 5, 6, and 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bend-La Pine Schools Education Center in Room ... [full story]

The public is invited to attend any of the following scheduled Crook County Sheriff’s Office Spring 2008 Town Hall Meetings.  The Sheriff, Undersheriff, and the deputy assigned to the specific area will be present at the meetings.  Post/Paulina Area:  Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at 6 p.m.—Post Store. Juniper Canyon Area:  Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 7 p.m.—Juniper Canyon Fire Hall. North/Northwest Area:  Monday, March 10, 2008, at 6 p.m.—Ochoco West Community Center. Powell Butte Area:  ... [full story]

On Thursday, February 28, the Deschutes County Health Department began offering a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic day for men only. The creation of the male specific clinic is an effort to combat the high rate of HIV and Syphilis among males in Oregon.  Open from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on a walk-in basis, the clinic will be held at the Department's Downtown Health Center, 1128 NW Harriman St. in Bend, Oregon. The clinic ... [full story]