A 19-year old Bend resident died Monday afternoon when his vehicle left Highway 126E about ten miles east of McKenzie Bridge and crashed into a tree. On April 10, 2006 at approximately 5:00 p.m., a silver 1996 Honda Civic 4 door driven by JOSH M. KEELEY, age 19, from Bend, was eastbound on Highway 126E near milepost 53 when it lost control, crossed the highway and crashed into a tree. After impact, the vehicle rolled and ... [full story]

Oregon State University is partnering with multiple institutions in the Central Oregon region to help create a more seamless system linking all parts of the public education experience, from pre-school through graduate school. Closer alignment of the “P-20” system has been a very public goal of Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski for some time. Last year, the governor visited Bend, home to the OSU-Cascades Campus, and expressed his support to facilitate a better system, including identifying an ... [full story]

Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network (COCAAN) announced today the dates scheduled for the Giving Table Online Auction.  The eBay event will run from Sunday, May 7th to Saturday, May 13th. Each year, the local  the local restaurant community comes together to help fight hunger and homelessness by participating in the Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network’s (COCAAN’s) Giving Table fundraiser. This year, however, we have changed the concept from an eat out night at participating ... [full story]

The High Desert Education Service District was awarded a federal grant worth nearly $277,000 to help four Deschutes County early childhood programs improve student achievement and build strong characters.  The 18-month grant is through the U.S. Department of Education Foundations for Learning Program. The grant provides funding to the Family Access Network, First Step to Success, Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education, and Healthy Beginnings. Starting in mid-April, the Family Access Network (FAN) will add two ... [full story]

Three of five licensed businesses in Bend failed a recent Oregon Liquor Control Commission compliance test by selling alcoholic beverages to a minor. Two inspectors and a minor volunteer conducted the test as part of the agency's program to control underage drinking, which is a serious problem in Oregon according to a news release from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.  In a compliance test, minor volunteers age 18-20, try to buy alcohol from licensees or their ... [full story]

Mt. Bachelor Village Resort, Bend's luxury resort located within the city limits, announced today it will offer guests a complimentary $50 Shell gas card with every two night stay. "Many of our guests come from the Pacific Northwest and northern California areas," said Michelle Marquis, Director of Sales and Marketing for the resort.  "They generally come by car, and we want to find a way to help them subsidize their travel costs so that they can ... [full story]

Buena Vista Custom Homes, named the fastest growing homebuilder in the nation by Builder Magazine in 2005, announced today that it plans to enter the Central Oregon housing market for the first time after securing 455 homebuilding lots in the Bend area. The announcement will provide a major economic boost to the Bend homebuilding industry.  The current average value of a Buena Vista home is $440,006, which means the total value of the Bend area developments ... [full story]

A mumps outbreak that first appeared to be confined to one state has spread, and federal health officials are investigating airline travel as a potential source of exposure. All states have been advised to be on the lookout for additional cases, public health officials in the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) said today. As of Thursday, 605 possible mumps cases were reported in Iowa with additional cases reported in six neighboring states. Two of ... [full story]

Students from Mountain View High School and Redmond High School, along with area health professionals will have an opportunity to learn about the newest heart device therapies in an unusual venue: an 80-foot semi truck traveling education unit parked on the St. Charles Medical Center • Bend campus. The Medtronic Therapy and Procedure Training Center Mobile Unit contains two virtual surgical implant labs with advanced simulation systems, which allows St. Charles to bring high-tech training ... [full story]

Doey Overies I'm teaching my wife how to play tennis. We joined a club across the street. We're members, darling. Now, Yahaira is pretty competitive as women go. When she loses a game of Uno, she's likely to attack. Teeth first. Her whole family is like that. Aunt Ena hasn't spoken to us since that Pictionary fight last Christmas. So while I teach Yahaira the ropes -- or the net as it were -- I take care ... [full story]