For the seocnd month in a row, all three counties in central Oregon saw a drop in their unemployment rate.

Regional economist Damon Runberg says it's nice to see significant job growth.

"So when you look at heh April numbers and the revised numbers from the first quarter, January through March, the jobs picture for Deschtues County is much better than first thought.  In April, the county gained 670 jobs seasonally."

Growing tourim and construction jobs help boost the numbers.

In April, Deschutes County's unemployment rate was 10.1 percent.  That's the lowest rate in the county since October of 2008.

Unemployment in Crook County was 12.8 percent and in Jefferson County 11.1 percent.

Andrew Gorayeb, a school board member is filling in on an interim basis until July.

Former city manager Eileen Stein was forced out earlier this year and city councilor David Asson wants the search for her permanent replacement to be more transparent.

He just wrote a letter to his fellow councilors explaining how he felt.

"I comment on the process and how disappointed I am about the actions last month and the second part is concern over the interim manager being appointed and possibly extended.   I would prefer a more formal process looking at several candidates for manager."

Asson says he's not unhappy with the jbo the current interim manager is doing.  He just wants the process to be more transparent, since the community is divided on how the whole city manager situation was handled.

This week is for beer lovers. The Second Annual Central Oregon Beer Week begins today and runs until next Monday.

Over the next 8 days, you will have plenty of opportunities to taste some of Central Oregon's craft brews, with over 20 breweries showcasing their beers all over the area.

John Abernathy, one of the organizers with Central Oregon Beer Week says their is plenty of fun and family friendly events that you can combine with your beer celebration.

"We’ll be seeing some fantastic events. At worthy brewing Monday night, we're doing the kickoff celebration there. Deschutes Brewery is having a “Beerlesque” event Wednesday night. Sunriver Resort, out title sponsor is doing their First Annual Brewfest on Sunday. That will be out at the resort in their new beer garden."

Organizer Carlos Perez says the first year was pretty informal; but this year, about 20 breweries will be celebrated in all kinds of businesses in Central Oregon.

"Central Oregon Beer Week is a celebration of craft beer in Central Oregon. We’re trying to highlight all the different breweries; places that serve or host their different types of beers and kind of bring the community together to celebrate the beer, for sure."

Perez says not only restaurants will showcase the beers; but tourist attractions like canoe tours, spas and the Sun Mountain Fun Center will highlight the local suds.

Matt Neltner, owner of the new Blue Pine Restaurant (used to be Players) on Bend's west side is fully involved in the event and says he's got a menu that reflects the beer culture in Central Oregon.

"We’ll be doing parings with the food. We’ll also be showcasing old world and new world beers. So we'll be offering specials featuring some on the old European original styles and showing what the Central Oregon brewers have taken with these styles. And how they've made them unique in their own. Which I’m really excited to do these side by side parings."

You can find out more about all of the daily events by going to: centraloregonbeerweek. com.

Pioneer Memorial hospital in Prineville is in lockdown today, Thursday. The facility was secured around 10:30 this morning. Here's Lisa Goodman a spokesperson with St Charles Health Systems with details:

"A patient called our bend facility last night and made threatening comments shortly after being seen in the emergency dept. we followed up with him this morning with a call during which he indicated he may go to pioneer memorial hosp (in prineville) today to seek care - based on the tenor of that conversation we decided to secure our facility for the safety of our patients and caregivers."

Bend and Prineville police are both working on the case.  Goodman says lockdowns are pretty rare, they typically only have a lockdown in their system about once or twice a year.

****************************************************************

Here is the news release from St. Charles...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 16, 2013

Pioneer Memorial Hospital on lockdown due to security threat

Prineville, Ore. — Pioneer Memorial Hospital is on lockdown due to a security threat.  Patients with non-life threatening medical issues are being asked to stay away from the hospital until further notice.

Those who need to be seen for a medical emergency are still able to access the Emergency Department.

The health system will update this information regularly throughout the day.

About St. Charles Health System

St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras and Redmond, and leases and operates Pioneer Memorial Hospital. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 3,000. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities

Tuesday afternoon, Wallaae Birdwell, who has mild dementia, was following his daughter in a separate vehicle in Bend when she lost sight of him.

Wednesday morning, brokers at High Lakes Realty in LaPine -- found Birdwell when he walked into the office, looking for a place to rent.

Mark Miller talked with him.

"And when we were walking out the door, one of the brokers went to the internet and said she remembered seeing that van in connection about him missing.  We called local authorities and they showed up."

Birdwell had been living with his daughter in Remdond, after being evicted from his home in Christmas Valley.

Of course, Tea Party groups stood in opposition to many of President Obama's policies.

Local Tea Party member, John Philo isn't surprised by the charges.

"I believe this is kind of the modus operandai of the Obama Administration.  They're targeting groups that don't agree with his policies.  For that reason, the Tea Party formed in opposition to the increased spending an the beginning of the ACA , aka Obamacare. -- all things the Tea Party group objected to."

President Obama has vowed to hold the IRS accountable if these reports prove true.

Here's the news release: 

North Entrance Road Opens at Crater Lake National Park

The North Entrance Road in Crater Lake National Park is now open for travel.  Superintendent Craig Ackerman announced that visitors can now drive to and from the park via this popular route and access spectacular views of the lake from West Rim Drive.   This is an exceptionally early opening for Crater Lake’s North Entrance.  Warm temperatures and a low snow pack have resulted in a greatly accelerated spring opening this year.

Some snow still remains on the ground at park headquarters – plenty for throwing snowballs!  Snow depth is greater at many locations around the rim.  All trails, including the Cleetwood Trail, are still closed and snow covered.  However, it is possible to hike and bike on the parts of East Rim Drive that have been plowed, but are not yet open to traffic.  National Park Service snow removal crews are now focusing their efforts on opening other parts of the park.  More information will be issued when the entire Rim Drive is open for travel.

Crater Lake Lodge will open for the season on Friday, May 17^th.  The Rim Café and Gifts is open daily.  For lodging reservations, please call (888)774-2728; for general concession information, please call (541)594-2255.

Steel Visitor Center in Munson Valley is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.   Ranger talks will be given daily at Crater Lake Lodge beginning Friday, May 17^th.  Our full complement of ranger-led programs, including boat tours and trolley tours, is scheduled to begin on Friday, June 28, 2013.  For more information, call the Steel Visitor Center at (541)594-3100.

With several feet of snow still covering much of the park, visitors should be aware of potential hazards such as slippery snow patches and falling rocks.  Please use caution when driving as icy and snowy roads can still occur this time of year, especially at night and in early morning hours.  Steep snowfields still exist at many of the overlooks along Rim Drive, and visitors should use extreme caution to prevent falls.  Because of the hazardous terrain that exists in the caldera surrounding Crater Lake, travel below the rim is prohibited at all times.   Be safe and have an enjoyable visit!

Decades ago, people used to come from all over Central Oregon to stay in the old Madras Hotel and now, it’s days could be numbered.

Local businessman Miguel Segoviano bought the old hotel that was built in 1911 for about $100,000 recently and now is deciding what to do with it.

Segoviano says the building is in such disrepair it is too expensive to renovate.

"If you get into the inside of the hotel, you can start imagining what and early 1900's used to be and the first level, I believe that it's only 1 bathroom for the whole 15 rooms."

The three story building has quite an interesting story: it was originally built at the Oregon Trunk Railroad Depot site in southwest  Madras; but the owners moved it to downtown Madras in 1925 on rolling logs pulled by horses and mules to its present location.

Segoviano says he might just tear it down, unless her can find a buyer for it.

Beaverton Police arrested Jason Donaldson Friday morning after information led them to his whereabouts.

He is currently lodged at the Washington County Jail and is awaiting transport back to the Oregon Department of Corrections.

Donaldson walked away Tuesday afternoon from a work crew that was clearing debris from Phil's Trail, west of Bend.

He is serving time on theft and burglary charges.

During the last ten yeras, the state has seen a doubling in immunziation exemption rates for children.

The Immunization Coordinator for Deschutes County, Heather Kaisner says exemption rates are up here as well.

"You know it doesn't surprise me -- unfortunately it's been creeping up every year for the last several years.  The state went from 5.8 percent to 6.4 percent.  In Deschutes County, we also went rom 7.7 percent to 8.1 percent. We're definitely higher than the state average which is definitely a concern in our county and region."

Last year Oregon had more than 800 cases of Pertussis, the highest rate since the 1950's.

Over 15 emergency response agencies will converge in Prineville for an emergency response drill next week.

Corey Grogan with the Office of Emergency Services says that not only includes local police, fire and sheriff; but state agencies such as the National Guard, FBI and state police are participating.

"The breadth of it is pretty large and it's very encouraging to see these different resources working together and being able to communicate. The key in an emergency response situation is communication."

Grogan says the topic of the drill is kept a secret, so they can get as much of a "real time" response from all involved.

He adds that this is a very timely drill as the Boston bombing is still fresh in people's minds, and this drill is demonstrate the readiness of our agencies.

Several Senators are pushing to have the Oregon Legislature vote on some gun control laws - but experts say the interest just isn't there.

Speaking on the "Lars Larson" show Tuesday, Kevin Starlett with the Oregon Firearms Federation says he's hoping these issues will come to a vote, just for the record.

"I’d love to see them vote on it. Because when we have a recorded vote, then we can tell people, this is a senator who is anti-gun. Alan Bates doesn't want to vote on it; Arnie Roblan doesn't want to vote on it because they're in districts that have a lot of gun owners in them. But I think they should be on the record." 

The four laws include background checks for gun sales within families; outlawing guns at schools; another would prohibit visible guns in public buildings and outlaw online gun safety training.

Starlett says there are some "diehard" Democrats hoping to get a vote on the issues voted on, because they just want to take away people's rights, but these laws would have a hard time passing.

Local fire crews are starting to gear up and train for what may be one of the worst fire seasons in years. BLM spokesperson Lisa Clark says the dry conditions from last year in Eastern Oregon are still with us,  and they are more extreme, and have spread to Central Oregon.

She also says Federal budget cuts will *not* impact crews or equipment for fighting those wildfires.

"You know fire suppression is a little different - emergency response is always going to happen- we have helicopters -3 here in central oregon - repell crew - hotshots and smoke jumpers - air tankers and bringing on season firefighters right about now - we are gearing up for the summer and are ready for anything that happens here in Central Oregon."

Last year, Southeastern Oregon saw a dramatic fire season, with massive range fires. This year, that same prediction and weather outlook has been extended to Central Oregon.

Deschutes County is again reminding folks to register their cell phones at thier website, so if there's an evacuation in your neighborhood, you know about it.

Rob Poirier is the Director of Deschutes County's 911.

"If you have a cell phone of Voip phone such as Vonage, you do need to register these in order to ge the call at www.deschutes.org -- the home page.  It's over to the right , there's a link to register you cell phone."

If you have a landfile, you are automatically registerd for 911, but not for cell phones.

The school district is asking for 96 million to build two new schools and renovate some existing schools.

Neil Bryant is part of the politcal action committee trying to get the bond measure passed.

"We are being proactive about growth.  We need a new middle school and elementary school.  11 of our 17 elementary schools are at capacity. It takes three years to get a school open -- there's the bond measure, then theelection and if it passes, the constrution.  So it's two and a half to three years to have a school open.  What will our population be then?"

The bond would cost the homeowner of a  a 200-thousand dollar  home about 70 dollars a year.  It will repalce another school bond that is expried.

It's been proejcted that the Bend LaPine shcool district will grow by three thousand students in the next ten years.

Governor Kitzhaber is signing a bill directing school districts to adopt policies for allowing students to use personal electronics like Smartphones and I-Pads in the classroom.

Shay Mikalson with the Bend La Pine School District says this is nothing new to them.

"This House Bill directs districts to allow students to bring that. We’ve allowed students to bring them, by board policy, for a number of years; so that doesn't change any aspect. And we've wrestled with that as a district and have really moved forward with a plan to provide those resources to all of our students. As we look forward, we're in the process of a digital conversion that will provide again those technology tools for our teachers and all of our students."

Mikalson says they are establishing a "lending library" for those students who don't own a Smartphone or I-Pad.

Want to help the city of Bend balance it's budget; now there's a "app" for that - sort of - it's actually an interactive program on the Bend City website.

City Manager Eric King says in the program they supply you with all of the services that need to be funded - and you try your hand at allocating money appropriately.

All of the responses are taken into consideration by city officials.

"The responses go into our Communications Director and he'll tally those responses and we incorporate the feedback that we receive from that. Then we give it to Council when they are making decision so say this is the amount of folks that use this tool and here's what their suggestions are for how to balance the budget."

The City of Bend's General Fund revenues total about $35-million and there's always a lengthy debate on how that money should be spent.

King says the bend budget balancer is free to use and maybe a little educational too.

Most Central Oregon cities and counties have recently signed a cooperative agreement to share public works equipment and sometimes services when the need arises.

Bend Public Works Director, Paul Rheault says Bend, Redmond and Deschutes County  have been informally doing this for over a year, and now other municipalities and counties are interested in the program.

"It's not just limited to those in Central Oregon; we've invited Grant County, Jefferson County to be part of this but right now what we do is a number of us communities, La Pine, Madras, Redmond, Bend, Prineville, Sisters, we all get together on a quarterly basis and have meetings and discuss many things related to the public works sector. For instance everything from chip seal projects to utility issues, you name it."

Rheault says they can easily share equipment for special projects, and that can bring costs savings to everyone in the long run, because it will eliminate the need for a city to have to purchase some equipment that would seldom be used.

With a cut on her hand and stressed about a personal issue,- a Terrebonne woman walked away from her residence early Thursday morning,  and has not been seen or in contact with her family since.

Sgt. Vance Lawrence with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office says Carol Pepper-Graves,69 left the Rustic Ranch Mobile Home Park  around 7:15 in the morning.

Lawrence says she does not know a lot of people in the area, had no cell phone and was not dressed appropriately for cool nighttime weather.

Deputies, Search and Rescue and a Bend Police K-9 unit were deployed to search for the woman who is described as 5-foot 6 inches, 200 pounds with grey neck length hair; wearing a white short sleeve shirt with a flower pattern and blue pants.

Police are asking if you have seen Carol Pepper-Graves or have any information to call Deschutes County 911.

Pilot Butte Middle School art student Olivia Springer is heading to Carnegie Hall in June to be honored by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her artwork.

Springer - an eighth grader says she was very surprised when she got the news that her landscape print - called "Violet Mountains" was chosen for one of the gold medals - but her classmates we not surprised.

"They weren't surprised really. I also got the “Most Artistic Award” for the yearbook this year, so most of them know I’m pretty artistic."

Springer says she wants to go to college and get an art degree and work in  the field, but not sure what that will be.

She says she is looking forward to the trip to New York for the ceremony and plans to see a Broadway show and the Empire State Building.

We’re just now finding out about a drug bust in a Bend motel; and the arrest of three Portland people who were in the area to sell drugs.

It began with  a short investigation in mid-April by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team and the arrest of  Lenard Taylor, 46,  of Portland, at Third Street and DeKalb in Bend.

Taylor revealed he was in town to allegedly sell drugs.   Shortly after his arrest "CODE" detectives contacted Torrance Hunter, 38, and Karen Chambliss, 23, both of Portland in the motel room Taylor had been staying.

Drugs were found in the motel room; all were arrested for various narcotics charges and are lodged in the Deschutes County Jail.

Witcosky was one of three finalists competing for the job.

All the candidates were here interviewing last week.  The other candidates included current city councilor Camden King and Ashton Harrison, a county and city administrator  from Colorado.

Keith Witcosky is the head of Economic Development for Portland and  has a lot of government experience.

His family has a summer home in Black Butte Ranch and has been coming to central Oregon for many years and has always wanted to live here.

Redmond Mayor George Endicott says they still need to do a formal background check on Witcosky and negotiate salary.

They hope to have him in Redmond by July.

Tami will serve nine years in federal prison on conspiracy, wire and bank fraud and money laundering charges.

Kevin Sawyer, a former Bend police captain was sentenced to just over two years for making false statemetns to financial insitutitons.

They also have to pay nearly 6 million dollars in restitution to the victims of the fraud.

The Sawyers began serving their sentences immediately following the hearing.

After they get out, they will also be under supervised released for five years.

A Pilot Butte Middle School art student recently learned her landscape  titled "Violet Mountains" has won a National American Vision Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition.

Eighth grader Olivia Springer is one of about 2000 Middle and High School students in the nation who were chosen for the prestigious award, out of over 100,000 entries.

Art teacher Pat Roberts says the normally very shy Springer stepped forward when the opportunity was presented to her.

"When I opened up the opportunity to the students, I said find your best pieces let's enter 'em, lets enter something in scholastic. And she stepped up and said 'I want to enter scholastic this year, and I want to enter this piece.' It won a gold key locally; and then it went on for national judging and it won a national medal.  So we're heading to Carnegie Hall."

Roberts says they are holding fundraisers to send Olivia and her father to the awards ceremony in June.

After twelve years on the job, he'll be retiring on May 15th.

Esselstyn has been instrumental in developing Bend PD's volunteer program and has lent his time and expertise to endless community events.

After his retirement, he is planning on volunteering at the police department to ensure a smooth transition for his successor.

It is located in the Crook County Health Department building.  Starting this Wednesday (May 1st) Mosiac Medial in Prineville will implement a smoke and tobacco free policy.

Elaine Knobbs with Mosiac says it just made sense.

"We just know that tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death.  There are over 64 deaths a year in Crook County attributable to smoking and tobacco use.  And as a care provider it is our obligation to have a smoke and tobacco free environment or patients, employees and visitors."

Knobbs say Mosaic Medical plans to go smoke-free in its other facilities in Bend, Redmond and Madras in the next year.

After students took the "A-P" - or advanced placement tests - local high schools ranked in the top 10-percent in the state according to a recent U-S News and World Report ranking.

Oregon has about 278 high schools and Summit is ranked 12th - Bend High is16th and Mountain View is 30th.

Bend La Pine School District spokesperson Vicki van Buren says they are a leader in the state in many things.

"Our three high schools do perform very well in comparison to other high schools across the state and we're very proud of that. i think its because of the work we do and the quality teaching that we're able to provide our students."

Van Buren says the ranking is especially significant because they are compared to some schools that pay their students to take the optional "A-P" test, and district students choose to take it on their own.

She adds that this information will be added to the district and high school profile- that is sent to colleges with student transcripts.

Bend has been named on several lists for being very pet friendly; in fact some tourists come to Bend because they can bring their dog and play in out great outdoors.

There’s an old saying that you're not really a “Bendite” unless you have a dog, and stats seem to bear that out.

Lynne Ouchida with the Humane Society of Central Oregon says almost 50% of households have at least one dog and Bend has the highest rate of pet adoption in the nation, as well as pet return to owner rates. Why?  We love out pets.

"Central Oregon seems to attract active, retired people who value the outdoor recreation and lifestyle that Central Oregon has to offer. And that is a huge benefit to animals. People are getting out year-round. Think of the valley. You only have a few months a year to get out and enjoy walking with our dog and enjoying all the open space and dog parks. Central Oregon has lots of months throughout the year to enjoy."

Ouchida always recommends you spay or neuter your animal and make sure they have proper I.D.. for a happy lifetime with your furry friend.

A three-hour manhunt ended with an Oregon State Police trooper shooting and wounding a burglary suspect northeast of Madras.

Around 2:15 Friday afternoon, Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the report of a burglary and trespass at a home off Fern Lane, about 10 miles northeast of Madras.

Several police agencies; a tracking dog a search plane were deployed to search for an unidentified suspect - the man had fled in an SUV. They eventually found the abandoned car in a remote wooded area.

OSP Lt. Gregg Hastings says the long pursuit ended just after 5 p.m. when an officer reportedly shot him.

He was taken to St. Charles - Bend by air ambulance and is being treated for his wound.

The Oregon State Police will release more details on this incident at a later time.

It was about a week ago that 30 year old La Pine resident and former high school cheer coach Nicole Mickelson was arrested on various sex abuse and alcohol charges.

The Deschutes County Sheriff was tipped in March to the rumors that Mickelson was allegedly involved with a 17 year old boy inappropriately.

The investigation led to charges being filed against her last week.

An unidentified student at La Pine High spoke with our news partner - News Channel 21 about Mickelson.

"She was nice. She definitely got along with everybody; kind of had that high school mentality, so she kind of fit in, and I never expected that."

School District officials say Mickelson resigned from her position before the investigation was completed.

She currently is out on bail and will be in court on May 2nd.

Full faith and credit bonds will pay for the projet.  That means the county wil  borrow the money with the understanding they will generate enough revenue to cover payments.

County Commissioner Tammy Baney says this will help us deal with the jail overcrowding for the foreseeable future.

"This is as trim as you can get.  This is a Hyundai.  It's sufficient.  It might not be the smoothest ride, but it's conservative and I appreciate that.  And in today's eocnomic climate, there's a tendency to push the envelope.  I'm glad this is conservative and we can do this without raising taxes and that is huge."

The expansion will add 144 beds to the existing jail in north Bend.

The work is scheduled to start this spring and finish by June 2014.

the Crook County Sheriff's office says a Prineville man who suffered injuries to his hands from being tied up tightly for five hours is home from the local hospital.  Undersheriff John Gautney says this is a serious case for Prineville and other areas.  He also says it's not a Home Invasion because the suspect and alleged victim knew each other.  Here is the Sheriff's Department's full news release from 3:00am Thursday:

***********************************************************************

On April 24th, 2013 at about 9:40pm Oregon State Trooper Josh Nagle conducted a traffic stop on HWY 126 E near the intersection of HWY 97 in Redmond. Trooper Nagle stopped a 2008 Jeep Wrangler for driving without headlights and made contact with the driver, Skyler Suchodolski age 20 of Prineville. After the Trooper made contact with the driver he became suspicious of the driver and the contents in the vehicle. Trooper Nagle questioned Suchodolski about the ownership of the vehicle and he told the Trooper he borrowed the car from the owner.

The white 2008 Jeep Wrangler is registered to Leo Novak, age 73 of Prineville. Trooper Nagle observed an empty pistol holster in the vehicle and further questioned Suchodolski about weapons in the car. Trooper Nagle then observed a pistol under the front seat and placed Suchodolski in handcuffs. Trooper Nagle then contacted Crook County dispatch and asked that they send an officer to do a welfare check at Novak's home. Police found him tied to a kitchen chair.

Novak told Officers that he had been bound by Suchodolski nearly five hours earlier after the two of them had sat and visited. 

Suchodolski was transported back to the Crook County Jail where he was charged with 1st degree Robbery, 1st degree Kidnapping, 1st degree Burglary, 4 counts of 1st degree Theft, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Coercion, Assault II and menacing. Bail is $215,000 dollars.

Dr. Cook, who was the attending E.R. Dr. at Pioneer Memorial Hospital at the time Novak arrived stated that had Novak not been discovered by the responding officers his hands would most likely have to be amputated if left with the ligatures on much longer.

Some scary moments for the customers at the Erickson’s Sentry Market in Madras Wednesday night.

Around 7:15 p.m. Store Manager Josh Bibler received a call from an anonymous man.

"Somebody called on the phone and said they put a bomb in the store and it was going to blow up. I called the cops and evacuated everybody out of the store and let the cops search the store."

Bibler says people understood and immediately left the store and police quickly searched the store, did not find anything and within the hour, everyone returned to the store.

He says he did not recognize the man's voice, and didn't know why the store was chosen as a target; but police advised him to take note of the phone number if another call comes in.

The 15th Annual Central Oregon Business Expo is at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds Thursday from 1p.m. until 5 p.m.

Karen Sande with the Redmond Chamber of Commerce says the event kicks off with a luncheon at noon.  This year's keynote speaker is Becky Johnson, the Vice President of Oregon State University - Cascades Campus.

"What she's going to talk about is what the university is going to give back to Central Oregon; how it's going to help the local businesses and help the consumers in Central Oregon. And they're also going to be talking about the economy, educational needs that they'll need to have for the region. And it's just going to be a great presentation. And I think it's going to be really important for everybody. a 4-year college is a big thing."

Sande says the event is a collaborative effort between all Central Oregon chambers - and so there will be a good variety of businesses represented.

Besides the business booths; there will be marketing workshops and prizes to win.

All three counties saw reductions in rates.  Deschutes County remains just over 10 percent and Crook County's is just over 13 percent.

Jefferson County actually saw the biggest reduction at 11.6 percent down from 12 percent.

But regional economist Damon Runberg admits that unemplyment in the region still remains too high.

"We're seeing all three counties drop, but our unemployment is still stubbornly high compared to the rest of the region.  Deschutes has the highest unemployment rate in the state for metro statistical areas.  Crook County remains the highest for all the counties in the state."

For the first time in months -- the state's unemployment rate fell from 8.4 percent to 8.2 percent.

People throughout the Bend area are noticing a large plume of smoke southeast of Bend. Fire officials and 9-1-1 dispatchers have been fielding a lot of calls from concerned citizens- but they assure us that nothing has gone wrong with a planned prescribe burn off of China Hat Road.

1110 KBND news just spoke (Tuesday afternoon) with Heather Fisher who is physically on the scene - she says many people have been driving out to the burn - because they were worried.

"But i can understand- it's the first bit of smoke we've seen this season - it is our underburn season so it's time for prescribed burns-i'd like to let people know they probably will see more in the future. but we do have a lot of people out there (to help) and this will reduce the risk of wildfire in the future.

She says about 50 fire fighting crews and several engines are there to make sure that the planned burn goes well. 

She also says that they were expecting a lot of smoke from the burn - its in dense vegetation, which is wetter than usual right now.

Fisher says they may also do another burn in that area tomorrow, Wednesday.

Bend Fire officials says emergency centers are busy taking calls from people who are seeing the smoke and are asking citizens not to call 911 dispatchers about the fire.

A man armed with a knife robbed a clerk at the Erickson's Thriftway grocery store in NE Bend Monday night.  But he didn't get far before he was arrested, with the help of a police dog, Haras.

The Bend Police Department says the robbery occurred around 9:30 p.m. at the store on  Greenwood Avenue.  The man showed a knife to a checker, got cash and ran, and was tracked to the park near the store.

 Bend Police spokesman Sgt. Ron Taylor says the police dog was very helpful. -

bite "And- in this case, it was still difficult for the officers to locate the person- he was hiding in a thicket and even with the aid of a flashlight it was hard to see the man- the color of his sweatshirt- it was really the canine and his nose- locating this individual for us."

The suspect is 41 year old Michael Monroe, who police say is a transcient. He resisted arrest and was bitten by the dog,  and was still being treated at St. Charles in Bend as of early Monday morning.

He just took over rom Steve Hasson -- who's last day was last Friday.

Allen was interim manager between 2010 and 2012 -- before the city hired Hasson.

He's looking forward to getting up to speed.

"Right now we're in the middle of budget cycles -- so I'm working with the budget officer.  Thigns are in place for the next year.  I haven't had a chance to do that.  There has been one budget hearing but there's another one next week.  I've got to get my arms around the budget and the whole financial situation."

Allen has said he could stay on for up to a year, but believes they could find a permanent city manager for LaPine in 6 to 8 months.

A bill passed in the Oregon House on Monday that allows school districts do mental health screening without the pro-active approval of parents.  Some lawmakers are against Housebill 3474 because parents have to "opt out" of the mental health screening, rather than "opt in." Letters are sent to the home before the mental health screening takes place. 

Lawmakers hope the additional effort will identify suicidal or violent kids earlier, so they can get professional help.  Democrat Shemia Fagan of Clackamas was a "yes" vote. 

"To those who are concerned about kids inadvertently screened i would ask - what is the worst thing that can happen- they are inadvertently screened- they're taken to a therapist- they're fine.  alittle bit of wasted time perhaps.  but when we fail to cast a broad net and catch mental health early on what is the worst thing that can happen if they aren't screened.... just ask the parents at  Sandy Hook - Clackamas and Boston- to get the answer to that question."  

The bill passed 42 to 16 and moves to the Senate.  One Representative who voted against  the bill says when it comes to parental notification lawmakers need to err on the side of the parents.  All Central Oregon lawmakers voted against the bill.  

The Bimart Taste of Home Cooking School is Tuesday night and after taking off a year, thanks to the economy,  many businesses are excited to get involved again.

Casey Kaiser with Combined Communications says they are finding that businesses are feeling stronger about getting involved in events like this.

"There is actually a lot of excitement with the businesses that are involved with it this year. Quite a few of them have shares with us that they were disappointed that the event was off line here in Central Oregon for a year. As you know, it's a national event that travels around the country, so Central Oregonians are always really excited to have it here."

Kaiser says its a very encouraging sign that so many businesses are eager to join the event.

The Taste of Home is Tuesday at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds; doors open at 3 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m.  You can still buy tickets at the door.