News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 8 of 8
Dennis and Diane Nason, convicted in Deschutes County Circuit Court last November of forgery and racketeering, were in court again Monday for the first day of a hearing that will ultimately lead to sentences on each of the charges. Prosecutor Kathleen Payne-Pruitt took an early aggressive stance in pressing for heavy sentences in the case that lead to charges of abuse, negligence, manslaughter, forgery and racketeering. It all centered around the Nason's custody and care of up to 80 children at a 33-room farmhouse near... Full story
Sisters schools were evacuated just before noon Friday, February 9, after someone phoned a bomb threat to Deschutes County 911. According to Sisters Middle/High School Principal Dennis Dempsey, Sisters police informed him of the threat at about 11:50 a.m. Dempsey in turn informed the elementary school. the elementary school. The 911 caller reportedly stated there were two pipe bombs in a school building set to go off at noon. Since no specific school was mentioned, all the... Full story
I am a student of religion. Most of us are, I would suppose. Amidst my travels in this regard, I have discovered an aspect of common thought that gave form and depth to a phenomenon familiar to me since my childhood. It is the notion of the life force within all things. Animate, inanimate, seen and unseen. All things are given personality thereby and, in varying degrees, one carries on relationships with them which are comparable to our relationships with humans. Not everyone feels this way. I'm sure there are people who... Full story
The flood waters that washed away a section of Highway 20 Wednesday, February 7, left many Sisters businesses high and dry as the usual stream of cars and trucks through town was reduced to a trickle of local traffic. The drought lasted just under a week; Highway 20 reopened at 10 a.m. on Tuesday February 13, allowing through traffic from the Eugene area to Central Oregon. But businesses along Cascade Street that depend on the trade of commuters were hard hit during the long... Full story
Drenching rains and accelerated snow melt became a torrent that severed Highway 20 about 10 miles west of Sisters above Suttle Lake, starting about 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 7. A gaping wound was cut into the major artery linking Sisters to the western portion of Oregon. Cinders and sand beneath that section of road were quickly eroded by the same deluge that caused tremendous flooding throughout Oregon and Washington. "It was like somebody shooting a fire hose into a sand pile," said Pat Creedican, District Manager... Full story
Black Butte, the tree covered cinder cone west of town looms over 6,000 feet above sea level. The butte's trail has been popular with both area residents and visitors alike, and those who complete the rigorous climb to its summit are greeted with a sweeping view of Cascade peaks, nearby lakes and the Metolius River. Local gardeners have even looked to the butte as a planting gauge, determining by its snow level the appropriate time to put seeds into the soil. It is unclear who was responsible for its name, but "Black Butte"... Full story
With a surprising lack of resolution, the Sisters School Board has decided to send another weakly defined bond measure to the voters. Two separate advisory committees have told the school board that the best, most cost-effective method to accommodate growth and improve education in Sisters is to add elementary classrooms and embrace year-round school. The board flinched at that message, sent the advisory committees back to resift the numbers and last November forwarded a timid request to voters for $5.5 million. This... Full story
The Sisters Ranger District has invited public comment on proposals to manage the Jack Creek and Canyon Creek drainage of the Metolius River. At least one environmentalist believes the plan invites ecological disaster. A 30-day comment period began February 12 and will run through Friday, March 12. The proposed action would cover approximately 4,000 acres including clear-cuts (some greater than 40 acres) and thinning in ponderosa and Douglas fir stands where "the number of trees per acre is too high to sustain the forest at... Full story
