News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 29577
In response to the extreme winter weather conditions, the City of Sisters is designating the currently vacant City-owned building at 291 E. Main Ave. as a temporary emergency shelter. This facility will provide overnight warming shelter services specifically for houseless families and individuals within the community. This emergency shelter is a temporary solution to provide assistance to houseless neighbors during extreme winter weather. The emergency declaration was approved by the City Council for the shelter to operate...
Drivers passing by the Sisters District Ranger Station on Saturday, December 30 felt a certain amount of anxiety as thick smoke and fire arose from one of the several buildings on the District's campus. The obsolete building, once used as a dormitory, was in the way of the new 14,000-square-foot headquarters building to be constructed this year. Rather than demolish it, the Forest Service donated it to Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District (SCSFD) for a live fire training... Full story
Sisters Ranger District firefighters plan to conduct pile burning operations one mile southwest of Sisters along Forest Service Roads 15 and 1505. Firefighters may continue burning throughout the week as conditions are favorable. Smoke may be visible from Sisters and the surrounding area. Residents are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to help decrease smoke impacts. Firefighters select pile burning units for ignition based on moisture levels, forecasted weather and conditions predicted to move smoke away from... Full story
A large glow in the distance was reported to Deschutes County 911 just after 11 p.m. on Sunday evening, January 7, by a property owner over a mile-and-a-half away from a fully involved structure fire in Stevens Canyon. Firefighters were initially dispatched to a possible structure fire on Wilt Road in Sisters. Responding firefighters were later directed to the Ridge at Indian Ford Subdivision and finally to a group of homes off Stevens Canyon Road. Due to the uncertain... Full story
America’s oldest trees, most of which are in the West, will get added protection from wildfire and climate change under updated forest plans from the U.S. Forest Service. In announcements over the past week, officials from the Forest Service said they would begin the process of amending forest management plans affecting all 128 of the agency’s forest and grasslands, including the Northwest Forest Plan governing federal forests in northern California, Oregon, and Washington. The amendments, both nationally and in the Nor... Full story
Kate Tibbitts comes to her North Star Elementary School kindergarten class every day excited about teaching her students. She's rewarded and challenged by her students' unique personalities, learning styles, and stories. Watching Tibbitts teach reveals her skills and approach, grounded in life experiences and an education focused on helping students understand themselves and how their minds work. In her 10 years of teaching, she hasn't focused on recognition or accolades, but... Full story
The collective efforts of a very giving local neighborhood gleamed with a donation of $4,280 toward Sisters Camp-Sherman Rural Fire Protection District's sponsorship of "Spirit of Christmas Giving 2023." Providing Christmas gifts and financial assistance to Sisters Community families this holiday was the mission of the Aspen Lakes Estates Owners Association. Five years ago, the Aspen Lakes Social Committee chose to join the collective community efforts of our local fire... Full story
With homeowners in Sisters Country — and across Oregon — concerned about keeping their homeowners insurance policies in the face of industry-wide wildfire risk concerns, when the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2024 many new laws immediately take effect. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) reports that Senate Bill (SB) 82 strengthens consumer protections for homeowners dealing with wildfire-related issues. It requires insurance companies to explain, using property-specific characteristics, why a policy mig... Full story
Winter may not have hit Sisters Country in earnest, but roads can still be icy, especially in the morning. An incident on Highway 20 near Suttle Lake demonstrates the importance of slowing down and adjusting for conditions. According to Black Butte Ranch Police, on Tuesday morning around 8:26 a.m., Black Butte Ranch Police responded to assist on a crash on Highway 20 near the entrance to Suttle Lake. A vehicle had slid off the road due to icy conditions. Black Butte Ranch Fire Department medics arrived on scene to assess the... Full story
State biologists say Oregon's gray wolf population may have reached its ecological limit in the eastern third of the state and that packs will probably spread out to the west and south in greater numbers. Those comments, made at a meeting of the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, came as Colorado released five wolves trapped from Oregon as part of a historic reintroduction program. Roblyn Brown, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's wolf coordinator, told ranchers and... Full story
Much of Sisters Country woke up on December 25 to what might be characterized as a minimalist white Christmas. There was just the lightest skiff of snow on the ground, and that was it. Temperatures have been mild and precipitation minimal in Sisters — and it’s likely to stay more or less that way through March, according to the latest forecast from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. According to Oregon Department of Forestry lead meteorologist Pete Parsons, we should “expec... Full story
The Roundhouse Foundation began bolstering organizations that serve and support rural and Tribal areas of Oregon in 2002. This fall, they supported the work of 105 organizations for the fall 2023 Open Call cycle, with nearly $1.5 million given across the state. Here in the Sisters area, eight organizations received funding for special projects. Grant partners working in Sisters fell into three focus areas: education, social services, and environmental stewardship. “We are honored to support the great work happening in our h... Full story
The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District (SCSFD) plans to conduct live fire training exercises on Saturday, December 30, and Saturday, January 6, 2024 on the U.S. Forest Service compound in Sisters. The compound is located at 201 N. Pine St. According to Fire District officials, the exercise will provide invaluable training to firefighters using live fire. The buildings are being burned as the Sisters Ranger District begins construction of its new headquarters facility on the property. District firefighters will be practicing... Full story
On December 12, at 7 a.m., Detectives with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Illegal Marijuana Market Enforcement Team (DCIMME) executed three search warrants after conducting a long-term investigation into the illegal production of marijuana at multiple addresses in the Bend area. The team was supported by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team, Drug Enforcement Administration, Deschutes County District Attorney's Office, Redmond Police Department, Bend Police... Full story
Maybe you are one of the estimated 7.5 million air passengers traveling for the Christmas holidays. Or maybe you are expecting family traveling to you. Good luck. You will probably need it. In addition to the anticipated record number of travelers - up by 200,000 from the previous high in 2019 - you may encounter uncommon delays at RDM – Redmond airport - in the form of fog. A couple from Camp Sherman arose at 3 a.m. last week for a 6 a.m. am flight that would take them to S... Full story
While Sisters Ranger District Special Forest Products Officer Jeremy Fields and local volunteer Therese Kollerer were out on a Forest Service volunteer clean-up and patrol on December 4, they stopped to examine the site of a crime. Someone had felled a very large, green old-growth ponderosa pine. The felling of a large, important tree - one that the Forest Service had gone out of its way to protect during fuels treatment in the area - is a stark example of a problem that is... Full story
From Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, across the nation to Sisters, Oregon, Americans laid wreaths on Saturday, December 16 to mark National Wreaths Across America Day. The national moment commemorates fallen veterans during the holiday season in a mission to remember the fallen; honor those who serve; and teach the next generation the value of freedom. In Sisters, the December 16 observance was hosted by Sisters veterans and held at the veterans' memorial at Village... Full story
Those who have worked with Jeremy Fields in his capacity as Sisters Ranger District's Special Forest Products coordinator, or in his work with the unhoused population in Sisters' forests, know that he approaches his work with exceptional dedication, and with humility and a high degree of respect for all. His work was recognized last week in the U.S. Forest Service's Regional Forester's Honor Awards ceremony held in Portland. Fields was named Region 6 Employee of the Year.... Full story
Most folks in Sisters Country know that there's public bus service to Bend and Redmond. They're often surprised to learn that it's free, until further notice. Even at no charge, ridership remains flat. There are three buses a day, Monday through Friday, between Sisters and Redmond (Route 28) and three between Sisters and Bend (Route 29). Both routes are timed to coincide with common work schedules. The two morning buses from Redmond, where many Sisters workers live, arrive in... Full story
A small fire. Cups of steaming hot cocoa. Walking together in silent meditation, contemplating the idea of peace. It’s the little things that help people through the darkest time of the year. Sisters Community Labyrinth will host its annual Winter Solstice gathering and labyrinth walk on Thursday, December 21, the shortest day of 2023. Everyone is invited; there is no charge to attend, and no religious affiliation is involved. Sharlene Weed came up with the theme: peace. ... Full story
On Wednesday, December 13, members of the Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC) Board will meet with Sisters’ city councilors to review five years of successful collaboration. Thanks to the support and endorsement of both Mayor Ryan in 2019 and current Mayor Michael Preedin, the City of Sisters has been an active partner in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Livable Communities. This national network of states, urban cities, and rural communities works collectively to share ideas and implement projects that positively impact the... Full story
Home should be a safe place, but there are hazards that can lead to accidents — hazards we might not even be aware of. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District is offering residents a one-on-one review and consultation at their homes about maximizing safety concerning fire and fall risks. Services are conducted by a team of trained volunteers. The District’s concern comes from experience and knowledge that many citizens within the community are at a higher risk of needing emergency medical or fire services. These risks can be... Full story
Deputy Jerad Bearson is on patrol in the town where he lives, having joined the contingent of Deschutes County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) deputies assigned under contract to the City of Sisters. While Deputy Bearson is a relatively new face in Sisters, he's a law enforcement veteran with considerable depth of experience. He came to DCSO from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office in September 2021. He has previously served in the Sisters area as the west county deputy. "I opted... Full story
Michael Boyle of Sisters pleaded guilty via Alford plea to multiple criminal counts in Deschutes County Circuit Court on Monday, December 4. Boyle pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sex abuse in the first degree, two counts of third-degree sex abuse, and three counts of practicing massage without a license. An Alford plea is a guilty plea in which the defendant acknowledges that there is sufficient evidence that they could convicted at trial, and agrees to accept all... Full story
Truly ugly weather didn't dampen the spirits of the 250 runners and walkers who took part in the third annual Ugly Sweater Run and Walk, organized by Kelly Bither of RunSistersRun. Strong wind gusts combined with nearly constant rain made for some cold conditions - and soaked sweaters - but smiles remained on the faces of the festive participants. A very short dash for children started things off at 9:45 a.m. as members of the cross-country team led some youngsters on an out... Full story
