picture courtesy Central Oregon Daily News

A packed crowd in Powell Butte turned out to hear proposals for a massive power line potentially coming through the area.  Central Oregon Daily’s Peyton Thomas covered Tuesday’s meeting.

 

 

Deschutes County’s next Sheriff will be Captain Ty Rupert.  County Commissioners appointed him Tuesday morning.  Commissioner Tony DeBone says he’ll be sworn in Thursday.  Rupert replaces Sheriff Kent van der Kamp, who resigns Thursday amid a scandal over dishonesty. A native Oregonian, Rupert joined the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office In 2005. During his tenure at the agency, he has served as: Detective Lieutenant; Patrol Lieutenant; Special Services, Search and Rescue and Emergency Management Unit Lieutenant; Patrol Sergeant; Criminal Detective; Street Crimes Detective; Patrol Deputy Sheriff and Reserve Deputy Sheriff.

A rare flying squirrel is being treated at the Think Wild rehabilitation center for wildlife near Bend. A hiker initially thought the orphaned baby rodent was dead, when they found it near the Virginia Meissner Sno-Park. When it moved, they called Think Wild. They started caring for the Northern flying squirrel feeding it by hand and helping it to grow stronger. It's one of two species of flying squirrels in Oregon. They're nocturnal and rarely seen during the day. They don't actually fly, they glide between trees.

UPDATE: The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to report that Leon Lyle Haight, the 84-year-old man reported missing from Paulina Lake Campground, has been safely located.

 

Early this morning, a civilian volunteer who had been searching overnight found Mr. Haight in a remote area just south of Devil’s Horn, east of where his vehicle had been discovered Sunday. Medics evaluated Mr. Haight at the scene, and he declined transport. He is currently being reunited with family by Deputy Hicks.

 

 

An 84-year-old Salem man went missing yesterday (Sun) while on a family camping trip in Central Oregon.

Leon Haight may have wandered off from the campsite at Paulina Lake Campground, near La Pine ... when relatives returned to the campsite, he and his car were gone. Earlier in the day, Haight mentioned they were nearly out of firewood, and the family also noticed the camp axe was missing after he disappeared. He is believed to be driving a silver 2008 Honda Civic 4-door sedan with Oregon license plate 988 DRD. Haight is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs approximately 169 pounds, and has a full gray beard.

Searchers checked roads around the campground, and Salem Police visited his home, but he has not returned.

 The state Board on Public Safety Standards and Training unanimously decided Thursday to revoke the law enforcement certification of Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp.

 

 

The mother of the individual still missing has issued a statement through the Sheriff’s Office, addressing misinformation. She emphasized her family’s gratitude for the professionalism and dedication of deputies, staff, and volunteers involved in the search efforts. She urged the public to avoid speculation and false claims, and specifically requested that “Juan the Diver” cease public commentary and participation, as he is not part of the coordinated response. The family is requesting privacy and has stated they will not engage further with the media while focusing on bringing their loved one home.

Search and recovery efforts continue at Dillon Falls as authorities look for the last missing person after last weekend’s tragic incident.

Six people missed the takeout area Saturday while floating on inner tubes; The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reports only three made it safely to shore.

Officials confirm a 40-year-old woman from Rockwall, Texas, and a 33-year-old Parkland, Florida woman as the deceased.

Crews, including search dogs, divers, and aircraft, will continue working intensively to locate the final victim.

The community is urged to avoid the Dillon Falls area while the search continues… and exercise caution near local waterways as summer activities peak.

UPDATE: The search continues in the Deschutes River, after a party of six went over Dillon Falls, Saturday. Two men and a woman survived.  The body of one woman was recovered Saturday … a second was found Monday.  One man remains missing. 

 

(Bend, OR) -- Two people remain missing after a group of six were swept over a waterfall near Bend. Police say at least one person was killed in the accident Saturday when the group went over Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River. Three people were rescued and taken to a hospital, and one person was pulled from the river deceased. The search continues for the missing two people.  The identities of those involved have not yet been made public. 

The Madras City Council voted to dismiss Police Chief Tim Plummer during Wednesday's Council Meetings.  Central Oregon Daily’s Peyton Thomas has this report.

 

 

Firefighters face ongoing challenges in Central Oregon, as they battle the Cram Fire… as of Thursday, it’s more than 77-thousand acres and zero containment.  

 

 

The Cram Fire has expanded to just over 41,000 acres with erratic winds and high temperatures pushing growth in several directions. Strong, shifting conditions kept firefighting teams busy, particularly near Highway 97, where flames briefly forced a closure earlier Tuesday. ODOT urges drivers to visit TripCheck-dot-com before traveling in the area.  A large portion of Jefferson County northeast of Madras is under a Level 3-GO NOW evacuation order, along with portions of Wasco County. Overnight, teams concentrated on defending structures and reinforcing containment lines, as the blaze is expected to remain active.

The Highland fire south of Prineville is now 55-percent contained on it’s 718 acres.  Firefighters continue to locate and cool hot spots within the perimeter of the human-caused blaze.

Ashwood, Ore. – Northeast of Madras, the Cram Fire grew from 4,500 acres Monday afternoon to an estimated 28,635 acres Tuesday morning. “That heat signature is going every direction and it’s hot in every direction. So that’s a tough spot to be in right now,” says Kassidy Kern, with the Central Oregon Fire Management Service. She says it moved into the small community of Ashwood Monday, prompting expanded evacuations, and threatening homes and regional infrastructure, “There are lines that are going through there: Bonneville Power and Central Oregon Electric. Bonneville Power actually has a lineman on-scene in case they need to do work.”

The Cram Fire is one of two incidents declared conflagrations by the Governor this week. The Highland Fire is burning outside Prineville. It was more accurately mapped yesterday at 719 acres. Kern says one key factor kept it from growing as large as the Cram Fire, burning due north, “The Highland Fire, luckily, had folks on it immediately. They happened to be in the area. There were BLM and Crook County engines that were right in- within blocks of where this fire started.” But both, she says, have been challenging under the conditions, “Minimum temperatures in the low 90s, could be up to mid 90s. We have gusts ranging from 20-30 miles an hour.”

A High Desert Type 3 team from Eastern Oregon is now in unified command with the Oregon State Fire Marshal. They’re looking for possible containment line opportunities in steep and roadless country.

Authorities believe the Highland Fire was human caused, although the specific spark has not been determined. The cause of the Cram Fire is under investigation, but Kern says it started along Highway 97, “We are having an issue with human-caused starts right now. When we look at the level of risk that we’re putting on our communities, these fires are often close to homes or to public infrastructure. And that’s something over which we have complete control.” She says it’s even more critical to follow fire restrictions, “Because at one point, fire prevention was really about saving our wildlands. Well now it’s about saving our communities.”

Northeast Bend residents will soon have a new transit option.

 

 

 Bend city leaders are expressing concern over Oregon’s transportation budget stalemate, which has left local governments without anticipated funding increases.

 

 

A state investment of $10 million will help build Redmond’s new Core 3 emergency training and response center.

 

 

The Bend Police Department says this year’s 4th of July was relatively calm, despite upticks in both visitors and calls for service.

 

 

Law Enforcement Officers who want to be the next Deschutes County Sheriff were at a forum Monday night held by the Sheriff’s Employees Association.

 

 

picture courtest of Central Oregon Daily News

As OSU-Cascades lists its Graduate Research Facility in Bend, industry insiders are touting its unique advantages.  

 

 

picture courtesy of Central Oregon Daily News

The Grizzly Flat Fire is being attacked by air and ground resources burning between Madras and Prineville. The blaze has an updated size of 624 acres, and forward progression has stopped. The fire is almost completely lined. It’s on Oregon Department of Forestry Prineville jurisdiction. There are Level 3…2… and 1 evacuation orders in place for that area. The fire is south of Rams Road and southeast of Grizzly Road, southeast of Madras.

The City of Redmond declared an emergency due to fire-risk…and is banning personal use of fireworks beginning 12:01 AM on Saturday July 5^th.