News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 29611
The City of Sisters is conducting a survey to gather residents’ opinions on various aspects of public safety, including traffic, crime, and concerns or suggestions you have for improving public safety in Sisters. The survey will be open until August 25. The survey can be completed online or on paper. Online submissions can be made at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/7QDLHkV, or on the City of Sisters website, while paper surveys are available at City Hall. Responses are confidential and individual responses will not b... Full story
Citizens and public officials are continuing to determine where and how Sisters will grow in the future. The second meeting of the UGB Steering Committee was held on Thursday, July 25, to discuss the Draft UGB Study Area Map. The draft land need report, which was discussed in June, determined that the City needs to add about 250 acres to the new UGB. During this meeting, the Steering Committee reviewed the preliminary study area and discussed the characteristics of various parts. Early in the meeting Scott Woodford, Community... Full story
This summer, local nonprofit Citizens4Community (C4C) wants residents of Sisters Country to get outside and connect with their neighbors. To encourage such community bonding, the organization is launching a new micro-grant program offering stipends to help fund neighborhood gatherings. Launching this week, “Land of 1,000 Picnics” offers community members and organizations up to $150 toward expenses for neighborhood picnics, potlucks, block parties, and related activities. Funds can go towards food, permit fees, pro... Full story
Within the confines of the 2.1, acres known to most locals as Camp Polk Cemetery, lie hundreds of clues regarding the history of Sisters and its inhabitants. There are no well-manicured lawns, paved walking paths, or orderly rows of gravestones. Rather, there are bird houses, horseshoes and other cowboy paraphernalia, a variety of personal memorabilia, and more than a little humor as well as sentimental pathos on display. The land the cemetery inhabits was originally part of... Full story
Firefighters as of last week had harnessed a temporary break of cooler weather and no new lightning fires to add miles and miles of new containment lines across large wildfires on national forests in Oregon and Washington. But after just a short 72-hour reprieve, wildfire conditions across much of the Pacific Northwest came roaring back. “August is showing us nothing but hot, dry, windy conditions and dry lightning all in the first week,” said Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations. “Ex... Full story
Some 300 Sisters-area households north of Sisters Eagle Airport experienced a power outage for approximately three hours on Wednesday, July 31. According to Central Electric Cooperative (CEC), the outage was impacted by safety precautions in place during the height of fire season. The majority of CEC members in Sisters area north of the airport had their power restored at approximately 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. “Due to CEC’s system being set to sensitive settings because of wildfire season, line crews had to visually inspect ove... Full story
The Forest Service plans to issue permits to allow recreation shuttle outfitter and guide services to bring hikers and cyclists to Sisters trails for a year. Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid announced the decision in a letter to stakeholders on August 2. The permits will include some mitigations to address concerns raised by the public about the proposals. “We used public comments received to build in appropriate mitigations where possible and will make those mitigation terms and conditions of the permit,” Reid told The Nug... Full story
Oregon farmers raising sheep, chicken, or cows will soon have to comply with new state rules. Environmental groups and some small farm advocates say the changes bring much-needed clarification on who qualifies for a permit usually reserved for large, commercial-scale livestock farms, while some agriculture trade groups say the changes put more undue burden on farmers. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is wrapping up a process that began after some farm and environmental groups lobbied state legislators for more regulatory... Full story
Health insurance agents who fraudulently enroll consumers in Affordable Care Act health plans could be subject to criminal charges — and civil penalties of $10,000 to $200,000 — under legislation introduced by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. Wyden, a Democrat, first promised the bill in May, when he called on federal regulators to do more to combat sketchy Obamacare enrollment schemes. Often, consumers who are targeted don’t know they’ve been enrolled or that their coverage has bee... Full story
U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer has agreed to participate in four televised debates ahead of the general election in Oregon’s closest congressional district. Chavez-DeRemer’s announcement continues more than a month of negotiations over debates since her Democratic opponent, state Rep. Janelle Bynum, challenged her to three debates – one hosted by a Portland TV station, one hosted by a Bend TV station, and one live-streamed debate hosted by an organization with a print or radio news outlet. Chavez-DeRemer accepted debate offers... Full story
John Grant and Jim Cunningham have walked in each others' tracks over 50 years of service. The two men were squadron mates in special air operations during the Vietnam War. Both went on to careers as pilots for United Airlines, and both continued to serve in the military - Cunningham in the Oregon Air National Guard, Grant with the U.S. Air Force Reserves. "He went into the Reserves, I went to the Guard - that's the only difference as far as our service went," Cunningham told... Full story
Many readers may be surprised to know that there is an Oregon State Park in Sisters. Sisters State Park was established in 1939. The park was named for the adjacent town of Sisters. The original 41 acres was purchased by Louis W. Hill for $1,532. After he purchased the land, Hill donated it to the State of Oregon for a park or some other public purpose. It was Hill's desire to preserve the old-growth pine forest on the property for use and enjoyment of future generations.... Full story
With the addition of at least four pups, the Metolius wolves, a pair first identified in 2021, are now six in number, possibly more. Four sets of tracks have been observed by Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) wolf biologist Aaron Bott. The average litter size is five. Bott has thus far been unable to capture the new arrivals on trail cameras. The den is believed to be on private land in a mosaic of public and private property. The minimum known count of wolves in... Full story
The land of Deschutes County, like other counties, is divided up into interesting shapes. A school district here, a parks and recreation district there, a House of Representatives district that might change from District 2 to District 5. Maps for land use zoning determine whether folks can develop their properties, whether they must grow trees or agriculture, or whether it's suitable for industrial use. What about evacuation zones? This reporter made five web searches and... Full story
Andrew Dutterer's family, friends, and partners in river and watershed restoration gathered Saturday morning to dedicate the "Otter Be Fishing" bench and plaque beside Whychus Creek in Creekside Park. The bench is dedicated to Dutterer who, before his tragic death in an auto accident in 2021, was instrumental in supporting the various agencies and individuals involved in the restoration of the creek. For Andrew Dutterer, fishing connected his past, present, and future.... Full story
Nugget freelancer Jarod Gatley was on a long trail run in the Three Creeks area recently when he got a text from a family member alerting him to a report of a fire at Lower Three Creeks Sno Park. While that fire was quickly dealt with, the encounter sparked a question for him: Hikers are commonly equipped for various types of weather and terrain, hazards from avalanches to flooding, and predators from animal to human, but how should you prepare or act for wildfire?... Full story
Campfires are now banned across Sisters Country, including in developed campground and wilderness areas. Due to continued hot weather and extremely dry vegetation, the Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest, and Crooked River moved into Stage 2 public use fire restrictions and Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) III on Monday. Effective on Monday, July 22, Stage 2 public use fire restrictions prohibit open fires, including wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires on all Central Oregon public lands including... Full story
Jonathan Kelly considers himself one lucky man. The Sisters Middle School teacher just took possession of a new home in Sisters Woodlands subsidized under a workforce housing program. Without assistance from a project created by the not-for-profit Rooted Homes and backed by a consortium of foundations, Deschutes County and Business Oregon, Kelly would still be commuting from Redmond and wondering if he could sustain working in Sisters at all. Kelly cut the ceremonial ribbon... Full story
A man identified as a 37-year-old transient accidentally shot himself in the leg earlier this month in Sisters. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reported that at approximately 10:27 a.m. on July 7, deputies responded to Ray’s Food Place in Sisters to a report of an accidental gunshot wound. Upon arrival, they located the involved red 1997 Chevrolet 1500 pickup parked on the south end of the lot. Deputies located the driver seated on the tailgate of his truck. The man was being attended to by a citizen, who was hol... Full story
Along with the rest of the state, Sisters will soon see the release of the Oregon Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map risk map (Click here to see related story.). A key takeaway is the change in name from “risk” to “hazard” map. The semantics are subtle, but significant. Risk implies impacts on insurance, whereas hazard suggests something more temporary that can be mitigated. Ben Duda heads up the Sisters Sub-Unit Office of ODF (Oregon Department of Forestry). He is also a volunteer... Full story
The Roundhouse Foundation has awarded grants to 106 organizations throughout rural and indigenous Oregon communities, with nearly $1.7 million in total support. These organizations were selected as part of the Spring 2024 Open Call grants cycle which closed in March with decisions shared in May and June. The recipients, or grant partners of the Roundhouse Foundation, are either nonprofits or government entities. They vary in missions, but fall into these core focus areas: arts and culture, education, social services, and... Full story
They came. 10,000 strong. And they came early, even before the 1,000-plus quilts had been completely hung across downtown Sisters. In part because it was 85 degrees by 8:30 a.m., and more to get a first-hand look at one of the premier quilt exhibits in the country. "We drove through on our way to McDonald's for breakfast around 7:15 and when we came back at 8:30 it was like, 'Whoa! How'd that happen?'" said an amazed Cory Archer from Redmond, playing in a golf foursome at Aspe... Full story
Deschutes County Board of Commissioners, on Wednesday, June 12, unanimously approved funding for a new pilot program that encourages builders to construct and sell new homes at prices attainable to median-income earners. The program, called Workforce Home Ownership for Median-income Earners (Workforce HOME), was established in partnership with NeighborImpact, Housing Works, and the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA). It will provide developers a $30,000 builder credit for each home they build that is sold within a... Full story
A chip-sealing project on Locust Street/Camp Polk Road went badly awry this week, causing damage to numerous vehicles. The Deschutes County Road Department is making good on the damage. Road Department Director Chris Doty told The Nugget what happened on Wednesday, July 10. "Chip sealing can be very finicky," he said. "In this case, a little too much oil was applied and we released the road to traffic before the oil had time to settle." The result was "traffic driving on the... Full story
The process of shaping the future of Sisters — both figuratively and literally — is underway. According to projections used by the state, the population of Sisters will nearly double by 2043. To meet the needs of a growing population, the City has embarked on the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion process. Over the next year the City will effectively decide where the city limits will be in 20 years. To aid in this work, the City has assembled the UGB Steering Committee, whose first meeting was held on Thursday, June 27.... Full story
