News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 29577
Once a month, there is a gathering of Sisters residents who are known as Community Builders to share with each other news of what they, their nonprofits, businesses, startups, and interest groups are doing to add to the community spirit of Sisters. The meetings are fun to attend because there is generally good, upbeat news of projects being undertaken, changes being made, partnerships working together, and other ways in which something is being done to sustain and improve the... Full story
The construction of the roundabout at Highway 20 and Locust Street is well underway, and now the City of Sisters is turning its attention from function to aesthetics. In consultation with ODOT, city staff is spearheading the process of selecting artwork that reflects Sisters’ heritage and identity. Kerry Prosser, deputy city manager, noted that community input is pivotal in this process, and a survey seeking public opinion on the theme for the roundabout is available on the city website under “What’s Happening,” https:/... Full story
After considerable discussion and some dissent, the Sisters Planning commission voted 4-2 to recommend acceptance of code changes that would allow an RV park as a use in the Sun Ranch Tourist Commercial Zone. The final decision will go before the Sisters City Council, which is scheduled to have a work session on the matter on June 26, and a public hearing on July 10. The property developers suggested the code changes. They propose a “boutique, higher-end RV Park that caters t... Full story
Margaret Helen Fine, tagged "June Bug" at an early age by her father because she never lit for very long, has been known for all her adult life as June Phillips, after marrying her husband Bill in 1944. On May 15, June will be celebrating her 100th birthday at The Lodge in Sisters, where she has resided for the past year-and-a-half. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 15, 1924, to Goldie and Luther Fine, who ran a grocery store six days a week where June worked in her youth.... Full story
Proposed code changes to facilitate a boutique RV park at the former site of the Conklin Guest House on the corner of Barclay Drive and Camp Polk Road/Locust Street are back before the Sisters Planning Commission on Thursday, May 16. The Planning Commission will carry on with a continued public hearing, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Ave. The changes, which would allow an RV park as a use in the Sun Ranch Tourist Commercial zone, would have to be in place before a formal plan for the site can be... Full story
The City of Sisters has kicked off a public process to help determine where the city will grow in the next 20 years. City of Sisters staff is working up a Sisters Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Amendment proposal. A UGB is a line drawn on land- use planning maps to designate the area within which a city expects to grow over a 20-year period. The purpose of UGBs in Oregon is to protect the state’s farm and forest lands from the pressures of urbanization and sprawl — the UGB is where the city ends and the farms and forests beg... Full story
A stolen purse may not constitute a major crime, but it’s a big deal to the person whose purse was stolen. Patricia Bricker had that experience back in March — and she was very grateful for the actions of Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputy Jerad Bearson in recovering her property. “He’s an angel — well, in my book,” Bricker told The Nugget. “He went above and beyond what he had to do. He went out of his way to follow through.” Bricker said she had parked her car in the parkin... Full story
Electricity demand in the Northwest is expected to grow more than 30 percent in the next decade, or about five percent more than estimated last year and triple the prediction three years ago, industry experts said in a new report. Large data centers, an increase in high-tech manufacturing and growing electrification in homes, buildings, and transportation are key factors in the forecast. The projections are in an annual report published Wednesday, May 1, by the Portland-based industry trade group Pacific Northwest Utilities C... Full story
Citizens of Sisters can get a detailed look at the work of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office in a 2024 Community Academy on May 15-16 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Community Hall, located at 301 S. Elm St. This is the second time the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has hosted this event. The Community Academy is an opportunity for the public to meet the Sheriff’s Office command staff, and representatives from the Patrol Division, Corrections Division, Special Services/ Emergency Management, schoo... Full story
Housing is a real challenge for many folks in Sisters. There's not a lot available, especially for rent, and prices are very high for people who work for Central Oregon wages. Housing challenges are not unique to Sisters - it's a problem across the nation and particularly in the desirable towns of the American West. Sisters is seeking ways to address a challenge that for many rises to a crisis - and a full-house gathering at Sisters Fire District's Community Hall dug into the... Full story
A deputy with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office was conducting routine patrol in the area of Forest Road 4606 near Sisters on May 5 when the deputy discovered a camp believed to be occupied by a Leah Marie Sharp, a 37-year-old transient who was wanted for three counts of custodial interference and three counts of kidnapping out of Caldwell, Idaho. According to DCSO, the deputy learned that Sharp was likely with her three children, the victims of the custodial interference and kidnapping, listed as missing and e... Full story
A 21-year-old Bend man is under arrest for allegedly assaulting a ride share driver and stealing his vehicle in Sisters. According to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a report of an assault and theft of a vehicle in Sisters on May 3, at 2:48 a.m. Deschutes County 911 Dispatch advised a male subject had assaulted a ride share driver and subsequently stole the vehicle. During the course of the investigation, it was determined Joshua Buck, a 21-year-old transient was at the Deschutes County Stab... Full story
Redmond Police officers arrested 28-year-old Redmond resident Michael Moran, and 25-year-old Sisters resident Christien Richardson on Thursday, April 18, in connection with burglaries in Redmond. The arrest took place in the parking lot of Dairy Queen. Redmond Police Lt. Eric Beckwith reported that the pair were arrested on cases involving burglaries at La Frontera and the Redmond Tap House. La Frontera was burglarized four times with a large multitude of items stolen, and... Full story
Oregon’s getting better at preventing and responding to wildfires, experts said Thursday, April 25, but much more still needs to be done. A panel of University of Oregon professors who study climate change, smoke, and wildfire discussed the 2024 wildfire season in an online forum with journalists as the West braces for summer fires. “Wildfire risk in the West and in Oregon this year is not abnormally higher than in recent years,” said Daniel Gavin, a professor in the geography department who specializes in paleoecology — the... Full story
"While most holidays celebrate something that has already happened and is worth remembering, Arbor Day represents a hope for the future. The simple act of planting a tree represents a belief that the tree will grow to provide us with clean air and water, cooling shade, habitat for wildlife, healthier communities, and endless natural beauty – all for a better tomorrow." - Arbor Day Foundation In celebration of Arbor Day 2024 on April 26, the excited voices and enthusiasm of s... Full story
Drive or walk around Sisters early any morning of the year — including holidays — and you just might see a safety-vested worker in a City truck making the rounds. They are doing seemingly quotidian tasks, and you may ask why they’re out on a Sunday or holiday. Sisters Public Works Director Paul Bertagna, in typical fashion, downplays the work. It’s just routine in his world of streets, water, and sewers. He provided The Nugget a list of what’s checked every morning: four water... Full story
Keeping power lines safe from wildfire is a critical part of infrastructure protection in Sisters Country. Right of way (ROW) clearing can mitigate sources of wildfire ignition and improve worker safety for those who maintain power lines. Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) has begun a vegetation management project on approximately 3.5 miles of existing powerline along Forest Service Road 2058 (North Pine Street) - a road that connects the City of Sisters with Indian Ford Road... Full story
Sisters City Councilor Jennifer Letz makes a stark — but hopeful — assessment of Sisters’ housing situation. “I perceive it as bad, but salvageable,” she told The Nugget. “We’re not too far gone yet. I think we have the ability as a community to take charge of the housing situation and improve it.” The community will get an opportunity to share a situation report on housing, and ideas on how to address the challenges of affordability, at a forum sponsored by Citizens4Commun... Full story
Should rural property owners be allowed to rent space to RV dwellers? That is the question that will come before the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Wednesday, May 8. The Commissioners will hold a public hearing where residents can provide their input on allowing recreational vehicles to be used as rental dwellings. Following the adoption of Oregon Senate Bill (SB) 1013, which became law in January 2024, the BOCC is considering whether to amend Deschutes County zoning code and permit property owners... Full story
The discussion of development code changes that would allow for a boutique RV Park at the former site of the Conklin Guest House on the corner of Barclay Drive and Camp Polk Road/Locust Street will carry into next month. The Sisters Planning Commission continued their April 18 public hearing on the matter to May 16. The changes, which would allow an RV park as a use in the Sun Ranch Tourist Commercial zone, would have to be in place before a formal plan for the site can be... Full story
Local nonprofit Citizens4Community (C4C) recently selected 10 organizations, businesses, and individuals as the recipients of its 2024 Momentum Grants. Now in its fifth year, the program offers funding for grassroots projects aligned with the Sisters Country Vision. The Vision is a “guiding light” for the community, developed through a citizen-led process and designed to offer a long-term framework for the future of Sisters Country. A Vision Implementation Team (VIT) composed of local agency, organizational, and com... Full story
Kevin Eckert speaks bluntly when it comes to “affordable housing” in Sisters: “The era of single-family homes being affordable is gone,” he says. Eckert is the principal of Build LLC, architects and designers of Sisters Woodlands, a housing development located on a portion of the former Sisters Ranger District property along Pine Street on the western edge of Sisters. He will be part of the panel sparking discussion of the housing situation in Sisters at a town hall sponsor... Full story
A massive fire at a shop east of Sisters consumed two rare cars and destroyed the structure early Wednesday morning, April 17. There were no injuries and firefighters kept the fire from spreading. The Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District responded to an early morning fire near the 67000 block of Fryrear Road near Sisters. Cloverdale fire officials reported that multiple callers indicated that there was a large building on fire with explosions. The first arriving crews... Full story
The May 21 primary election is underway. If you are an active registered voter in the county, you should expect to receive an official primary ballot by mail in early May. Once you vote your ballot, you can return it either by mail or at any of the secure, official drop boxes available throughout Deschutes County. There is a drop box in front of Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Ave. In Oregon, the two major political parties, Democratic and Republican, have chosen to hold closed primaries. This means that only voters who... Full story
A strong turnout was on hand at the Teixeira Ranch sale barn in Terrebonne, April 9, for the second meeting of the freshly reanimated Deschutes County Livestock Association (DCLA). Dave McMichael, president of the DCLA, who raises commercial beef cattle throughout Central Oregon, told The Nugget that he accepted the mantle as an "act of service," and that members are energized around three priorities: communication with the broader public, education of the next generation,... Full story
