PRINEVILLE, OR -- A several hours-long standoff in Prineville led to the arrest of a wanted man Thursday evening. According to Prineville Police, an officer spotted a reckless driver near NE Elm and Loper, just after 4:30 p.m. The officer recognized the driver as 47-year-old Timothy Woodruff, who had a misdemeanor warrant out of Deschutes County. 

Woodruff was reportedly chasing a woman driving her two children in a different vehicle. Officers tried to pull over the suspect, but he took off, stopping on NE Dunham Street and running into a house on NE Seventh.

Law enforcement surrounded the house as Woodruff allegedly barricaded himself inside, refusing commands to come out. The Central Oergon Emergency Response Team (CERT) later executed a search warrant and took Wodruff into custody. He was booked into the Crook County Jail on the arrest warrant, three counts of recklessly endangering another, reckless driving, attempting to elude, menacing, disorderly conduct, and violating a no contact release agreement. 

SISTERS, OR -- The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office is investigating an 8-month-old Belgian Malinois stolen from its owner's vehicle parked at the Whychus Canyone Preserve Trailhead. Deputies say the dog "Grisha" was in a crate with water available, the vehicle was parked in the shade and windows were down to provide airflow.

Grisha's owner returned from walking two other dogs and found evidence someone had opened the vehicle and removed the dog. 

The Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help locating Grisha. Anyone with information is asked to call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.

Grisha is microchipped. She was wearing a black collar at the time. Her owner says she's well-mannered and responds to her name. 

BEND, OR -- The city of Bend is implementing a program aimed at getting more public input on decision making. Citizens Assemblies are common in Europe and have been utilized by towns in Oregon and California to help local governments make decisions.

City manager Eric King tells KBND News it is similar to jury duty, “Citizens are asked to participate and they get a stipend, a pretty substantial stipend, to account for their time and they're sequestered in a location for a couple of days and they help make that decision. That decision then goes to the public body for a formal vote. Typically, it's in that 30 to 40 (people) range. It kind of depends on the topic. But I think that's what they're shooting for here. This is a pilot project with this topic. But the idea is that hopefully it can continue and be sustained.”

Previous Coverage: Citizen Assemblies Concept Proposed For Central OR

The first Assembly has an important task. “There is actually a group that has formed through a federal grant to just fully prioritize policy recommendations to prevent youth homelessness. So, they would like this group to weigh in and help kind of further some of those recommendations.” King adds the issue has far-reaching implications, “Homelessness is not something that's squarely within the city of Bend's purview. It's a county- and there's a newly formed joint office on homelessness. So, we'll have to think about not just the city of Bend hearing those recommendations but other local public bodies.”

Solicitation to recruit members for the assembly will happen this summer, with the goal of meeting in September.

PORTLAND, OR -- Oregon is now considered drought free. NRCS Hydrologist Matt Warbritton says it's the first time since December 10, 2019 the state hasn't had any areas showing "Moderate Drought" or higher.

According to data released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor, the last area under a D1 drought designation improved to D0, which is considered only "Abnormally Dry."

Last week, 41% of the state was at least Abnormally Dry (D0), with 4.5% considered in Moderate Drought (D1). The impacted areas were in the northwest part of the state, all of Central Oregon and a large part of northeastern Oregon. 

Now, just under 10% is Abnormally Dry, stretching across only two parts of the state: small portions of central and northeast Oregon.

BEND, OR -- U.S. Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR5) is joining the push for stable federal funding for the Deschutes River Conservancy. 

"This mattered to a lot of people," Chavez-DeRemer tells KBND News, "The Deschutes River Conservancy matters for sustainable water management, certainly improving water quality and supporting recreational activities for generations that need to come. So that needs to come with funding." She says stable funding for the DRC is important for the entire basin, "When we look at their efforts over the past several years: 100 miles of irrigation canals, restoring 350 cfs of streamflow to those basins, increasing water supply reliability; people love the reliability of understanding what that means."

The Oregon Republican introduced a bill in Congress Thursday to reauthorize a 10-year funding plan. It would provide the Conservancy with $2 million a year during that time, paid out by the Bureau of Reclamation. "It’s a price tag. But, again, what’s the value of that price tag?" asks Chavez-DeRemer.

Almost a year ago, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced a similar bill. That effort stalled in December after it passed out of committee. Previous federal funding expired in 2015.