Dear Jim: I have plenty of fiberglass insulation on the attic floor, but it still seems as though the bedroom ceiling is warm on sunny days and the air conditioner runs like crazy. What can I do to keep it cooler? - Steve P. Dear Steve: If you put you hand against the ceiling, you would be surprised how warm it actually is. This extra heat will increase your cooling electric bills.   Low-cost single-sided foil is ... [full story]

Dear Jim: I want to spend more time outdoors with my family. We get a nice breeze, so a screened room over the patio would be perfect. Also, we will not have to air-condition as much. What options do I have? - Cliff Dear Cliff: You have the right idea about spending more time outdoors with your family. If the sun is blocked by a patio room roof and there is a nice breeze, you ... [full story]

Dear Jim: I am thinking of building one of those concrete/foam block houses for efficiency, security and strength. Since concrete feels so cold, it is really energy efficient and will I be limited on house styling? - Scott W. Dear Scott: You mentioned "concrete/foam block" houses, but that is just one subset of a construction method called stay-in-place-forms. Another term for this construction method is insulated concrete forms. This type of construction produces one of the ... [full story]

Dear Jim: With high utility bills and all the recent severe weather, I thought about adding rolling window shutters. Do they let any light in when they are closed and what options and features should I consider? - Julia K. Dear Julia: Rolling shutters can protect your windows and sliding glass doors from severe weather. In many hurricane-prone areas, such as Florida and the Texas coast, new homes and one's having major improvement projects are required ... [full story]

A 17-year-old girl with a church group remained missing on late Saturday following a river rafting accident in the Deschutes River about 20 miles south of Maupin, Oregon. Just before 8 pm on Thursday, July 6, the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Wasco County Search and Rescue team responded to the area. According to news release issued by the Wasco County Sheriff's Office, Danielle Hagler of Oregon City was in a raft that flipped over in ... [full story]

Wasco County Sheriff’s Office located the missing body of rafter, Danielle Hagler Sunday, July 9 using an underwater camera.  The body of the 17-year-old, who was thrown from her raft with three others on July 6, was lodged against a large boulder in the river.  It was being held there as a result of the extreme water pressure.  “High water and turbulence in the rapids have created hazardous conditions which are hampering recovery efforts,” Wasco ... [full story]

The Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) 18th Annual Tour of Homes opens its doors July 21-23 and July 28-30 to over 50 new homes showcasing both builders and designers in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Terrebonne, Prineville, Sunriver and Powell Butte. “It is an opportunity for builders and trades people to show the public what’s happening in the building and trade industry here in Central Oregon,” said Tim Knopp, the executive VP of COBA.    There will be ... [full story]

On the mark. Get set. Go! See what is happening at the 27th annual Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic.  The event takes place through July 16 and benefits The Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.  It is the longest consecutively run elite stage race in the country that brings the crème de le crème of the racing world to Bend.   “It attracts people from all over the world,” said Molly Cogswell-Kelley, the events director for ... [full story]

One person died and three were injured in a fiery vehicle crash on Highway 97 south of NW Canal Boulevard in Redmond last Saturday night.  According to a news release from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, initial investigation indicates that a 1989 GMC Sierra swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed into a pickup when the driver was unable to stop behind a line of other vehicles that had been stopped to allow a car to ... [full story]

Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers today detailed his ongoing efforts to detect and deter unlawful gasoline marketing practices. The actions taken by Myers are in response to complaints received from Oregonians concerning price-per-gallon increases of fuel around the state. “Oregonians have clearly expressed their frustrations about high gas prices and its impact on their livelihoods,” Myers said. “We have worked hard to detect unlawful conduct in this important market, and to take aggressive enforcement action ... [full story]