News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 29611
The family of a U.S. Marine veteran and Sisters High School graduate has launched a campaign seeking information on her whereabouts. Kirsten Anne Clarke reportedly left service and cut off all contact with family and friends in March 2023. Clarke's family lived in Sisters from 2006 to 2020, and still maintains property and connections in the area. Kirsten Clarke graduated from Sisters High School in 2011. She was a cross country runner. She served as a Navy corpsman (medic)... Full story
The Sisters Library re-opened last week after a month-long closure following extensive water damage from a broken pipe. The children’s area and the community meeting rooms remain out of commission as damage was more extensive than first assessed. It was originally thought that the building would be reopened in two weeks. “Fortunately no books were lost and the children’s area books were on rolling shelving so we were able to move them into the main section for the time being... Full story
It’s not too early to start thinking about your summer garden. Join the Sisters Community Garden and reserve a place to grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Applications for new and existing members are available through March 1. Returning gardeners have until that date to reserve the same raised bed they used last year. After March 1, new applicants will be assigned a space depending on availability. Garden plots measure four feet by 20, 15, and 10 feet, are surrounded with wood siding, and have a water spigot. Two w... Full story
Recently the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced its findings for gray wolves in the Western United States, and its launch of a national "path to support a long term and durable approach to the conservation of gray wolves, to include a process to develop - for the first time - a National Recovery Plan under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for gray wolves in the lower 48 states." The announcement does not make any changes to the legal status of gray wolves in the... Full story
The Oregon Department of Forestry needs more and consistent funding to fight wildfires. That much was clear following the 2020 Labor Day fires that burned nearly 850,000 acres of forests and became the state’s most expensive disaster in history. But lawmakers are split on how to pay for it. Two Democratic senators recently unveiled competing proposals to address long-term wildfire funding. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, wants a tax on the value of industrial timber harvests to pay for protection that he says d... Full story
Have you ever considered running for a local leadership position, but haven’t yet taken the plunge? Do you care deeply about your community, but aren’t sure how to give back? Are you interested in learning more about how your local government works? If so, a new initiative from the City of Sisters might be for you. This spring, the City is partnering with Citizens4Community to launch the Sisters Civic Leadership Academy. The academy is a civic leadership training model, designed to build a broader, stronger pool of tal... Full story
It all began in 1911 as a schoolhouse followed by a stint as the Hitchcock family residence and later to be occupied by the Barclay family. The old white house just north of East Barclay Drive on the west side of Camp Polk Road has had a history of ups and downs. Its last life came to be in the 1980s when Frank and Marie Conklin turned it into a quaint bed-and-breakfast. It was described then in travel guides as "Country elegance in a serene pastoral setting. Perfect spot for... Full story
In testimony to Congress last week - described as chilling - FBI Director Christopher Wray said that China's hackers are targeting American critical infrastructure, including water treatment plants, pipelines and the power grid, to be able to "wreak havoc" in the U.S. if Beijing ever decides to do so. Testifying before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Wray also warned that there has been too little public attention on the threat that he says China's... Full story
On Saturday, January 27, Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District paramedics assisted in delivering a baby during a transport to the hospital. Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District crews were dispatched with lights and sirens to a medical call for a woman in labor. Upon arrival, ambulance crews quickly confirmed the patient was in active labor with just a couple of minutes between contractions. The patient and her significant other were assisted to the ambulance and crews began to transport the couple to St. Charles Medical Center in... Full story
Paul David Weston, 47, of Sisters, pleaded guilty in Deschutes County Circuit Court to a single felony count of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, but has already served 11, and so will not serve any additional time. A second larger and more serious case involving drugs and equipment theft is still pending. Judge Beth Bagley reset the trial date for that case to July 22, but both prosecutor and defense anticipate that the case will be... Full story
It's been a rough couple of weeks with the snow, rain on snow, and icing cycles that have befallen Sisters Country folk needing to get about. Getting to work, school, the grocery store, or gas station isn't an option for most. Nor is walking the dog. Lt. Chad Davis who heads the Sisters Sheriff's Office told The Nugget that he's been surprised by the few numbers of slip and fall accidents his team has encountered given the persistent conditions. But many have fallen without... Full story
While every drop off water and every inch of snow is critical for our summer needs, recent snows and rain have barely budged the critical SWE (snow water equivalent) readings at the Three Creeks Meadow station which Saturday stood at 46%. On Saturday, the readings were low. Sitting at 5,690 feet, the observed snowpack was 18 inches, down three inches in the preceding 24 hours, as unseasonably warm La Niña weather returned. Temperatures rose to the high 50s over the weekend.... Full story
Traffic-calming devices will be installed on West McKinney Butte Road between North Trinity Way and the new Sisters Elementary School. Cities employ a number of barriers to reduce speed: speed bumps; speed humps (a wider, smoother contour, lower-profile bump); and speed tables. Speed humps are parabolic vertical traffic calming devices intended to slow traffic speeds on low-volume, low-speed roads. Speed humps are three to four inches high and 12 to 14 feet wide, with a ramp... Full story
Drivers leaving and entering Sisters Friday afternoon at the east gateway were momentarily stunned to see some 200 feet of art removed from the fence at the Sisters Elementary School. The fence stands in the way of the new Locust Street roundabout scheduled to start construction this spring. There was no way the community was going to just allow the art to be dismantled with no future. Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) in keeping with their long standing commitment to Sisters... Full story
The snow that dumped on Sisters Country ranging from 18 to 30-plus inches was challenging enough, especially as it was accompanied by bitter cold and hazardous winds. When the snow subsided, weather related problems were not abated. In some cases they got worse. Most tragically two children, including an infant, were among the five people killed in a crash on Highway 97 near Crescent last Wednesday, January 17, after colliding with a semi-truck. Another child was injured. The... Full story
Now that the four new roundabouts on Highway 20 between Sisters and Bend have been completed and are in full use, numerous regular users tell of their frustration experienced when drivers enter and exit the dual lane circles. "Yee gads!," exclaims Todd Robbins who lives in Sisters and works in Bend, making the drive at least five times a week. "It's not that hard. These people need to stay off the road if they can't manage it." Les Collins from Sisters is a bit more forgiving... Full story
Following a lengthy search process, Reverend Liliana Stahlberg has been called to fill the position of Rector at the Episcopal Church of The Transfiguration in Sisters. She will begin her new ministry as pastor to the congregation on February 1. Transfiguration is a somewhat unique configuration of two separate worship styles under one authority. The 8:30 a.m. service is comprised of mainline Protestants who plan and lead the service. The 10:15 a.m. worshippers are... Full story
In April of 2022, the City of Sisters hired its first ever code compliance officer whose job is fairly straight forward - obtain compliance of the municipal and development codes. This includes complaints of properties with overgrown vegetation or having an accumulation of debris, garbage, and junk. Other areas of concentration include compliance with Dark Skies standards, noise, dust, dangerous trees, weeds and signage. Complaints of animal nuisances, noise, illegal parking,... Full story
If you like local history, sooner or later you may take a deep dive. You might end up wondering about the sandy earth at your feet or the age of the jagged peaks in the evening skyline. Maybe you watched too many dinosaur movies over the holidays and started imagining what Sisters was like millions of years ago. The origin stories of the mountains and landscapes of Sisters fill geology books. They involve plates in the earth and under the sea, subduction zones, millions of... Full story
The City of Sisters is getting work underway to figure out how to accommodate future growth. The City has put out a request for proposal (RFP) seeking a professional consulting firm with experience in Oregon comprehensive land use planning to coordinate and lead the City’s proposed Urban Growth Boundary Amendment (UGB Amendment). Population projections from Portland State University say that the population inside the city limits will hit 7,108 in 2043 - more than double the current population of 3,475. Sisters currently d... Full story
In the five years between 2017 and 2021, 721 elk and mule deer were killed in collisions with vehicles on the Highway 20 Bend to Suttle Lake corridor. The heaviest concentration was east of Sisters, and in the Black Butte Ranch stretch there were higher numbers. Numbers for 2022 and 2023 are not yet available. The removal of dead animals on state roadways is undertaken by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). "ODOT is responsible for removing road hazards on state... Full story
It was 0 degrees Fahrenheit Friday night, -5 at 8 p.m. Saturday, and -3 Sunday morning before the skies cleared after the biggest snow storm to hit Sisters in several years. Concern started rising at the start of the week as City staff looked at the forecast, and worried that some families in Sisters could be at grave risk, especially the homeless living in the nearby woods. On Wednesday night, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Sisters City Council approved a... Full story
Multiple women made statements at the sentencing hearing for Michael Boyle on Tuesday, January 9, recounting the lasting impact on their lives of the acts to which he pleaded guilty via Alford plea last month. One victim testified in person, while the others had their statements read into the record by a Deputy District Attorney. “Mike Boyle is a predator and must be held accountable,” one of the victims stated, while another characterized him as “an opportunist and an extre... Full story
Sisters residents and visitors alike value the ability to enjoy the night sky — and the City of Sisters has passed new dark skies code language to promote that ability. Sisters City Council chambers burst into spontaneous applause as Council voted unanimously to approve amendments to the Sisters Development Code that have long been in the works. City planning staff noted that City code around dark skies was adopted in 2010. “Since the adoption, there have been many cha... Full story
The snow that fell in Sisters Country much of last week causing some havoc and disruption was not a record - not even close - but it was nonetheless the main topic of conversation. What made it the talk of the town were the winds and temperatures that tagged along. Sustained winds in the 20 mph range kept some folks up at night and consistent gusts in the 30s rattled windows and nerves. The wind brought down a 30-plus foot ponderosa pine Friday on Steve Allely's property in th... Full story
