News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 29643
The Deschutes Land Trust (DLT) has announced its first cohort of Emerging Conservationists of Central Oregon (ECCO). The first ECCO cohort includes 31 individuals from throughout Central Oregon who bring a wide variety of skills, expertise, and passion for conservation to the Land Trust. "The Land Trust is thrilled to work with this amazing group of people to generate excitement, knowledge, and interest in conservation here in Central Oregon. Together we are building the... Full story
President-elect Donald Trump ordered congressional Republicans on Wednesday, November 20, to block a broadly popular bill to protect press freedoms, likely ending any chance of the U.S. Senate clearing the legislation. The measure would limit federal law enforcement surveillance of journalists and the government’s ability to force disclosure of journalists’ sources, codifying regulations the Department of Justice has put in place under President Joe Biden. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved it last year and... Full story
As we enter the annual season of giving, you may be thinking of charities you wish to support and wondering how to gain tax benefits from your gifts. In the past you wrote a check to a charity and then deducted the amount of the gift, within limits, from your taxes. A few years ago, as part of tax law changes, the standard deduction was raised significantly, so fewer people were able to itemize deductions. Consequently, there was less financial incentive to make charitable gifts. This didn’t stop people from making them a... Full story
Four state agencies are teaming up this holiday season to support the “Rethink the Drink” winter advertising campaign that encourages people in Oregon to celebrate safely by understanding the health and social harms of excessive alcohol use. Officials at the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission (ADPC), Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) hope the tools provided by the campaign help people reduce the pressure to drink alcohol during fam... Full story
For the first time since being established in 2017, Sisters Cold Weather Shelter (SCWS) organization has a consolidated space for their office and supplies. Wellhouse Church has rented SCWS the building they used for their food bank, with the shelter taking over operation of the food program that is open every Thursday. Last week 220 customers received 850 lbs. of Thanksgiving meals. Shelter Executive Director Sharlene Weed said, “Our current space was the one we used a couple of years ago as a shelter and we had no reported... Full story
Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who cultivated a closer relationship with some labor unions than most Republicans and narrowly lost her bid for a second term in Congress earlier this month, is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Labor Department. Trump on Friday praised Chavez-DeRemer, the daughter of a Teamster who sought endorsements from unions in her unsuccessful reelection campaign, for building relationships with business and labor. “I look forward to working with her to create tre... Full story
Sisters Transportation and RideShare (STARS) announced its ride sponsorship “drive” is launching on Giving Tuesday, December 3, and will run through December 31. STARS is a volunteer ride share program that provides Sisters Country residents with free non-emergency medical rides to Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. STARS “riders” are unable to drive themselves or afford private ride services, and many say, without the nonprofit, they would need to cancel their medical visits. According to Rennie Morrell, STARS’ Executive Director,... Full story
The Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District invites qualified voters of the fire district interested in serving on the Civil Service Commission to submit letters of interest and applications to the Board of Directors of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District. Civil Service for Firefighters is covered by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 242.702-242.824. The Civil Service Commission is made up of three citizens of the district who are not members of the board or employees of the district. They are... Full story
Folks in Sisters woke to a beautiful sunrise on Monday morning - and an inch or so of snow on the ground. A storm dropped far more than that along the Cascade crest, an earlier-than-usual arrival of winter conditions. While the snow is pretty, and inculcates a spirit of the winter holidays, it does complicate travel, and locals and visitors are reminded to adapt to winter driving conditions as a mix of rain and snow showers are forecast to persist for the next week and more.... Full story
The public can now purchase Christmas tree permits for the 2024 season at Forest Service offices, online, and from local vendors around Central Oregon for use on the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests. Purchase online at Recreation.gov — a $5 per permit with an additional $2.50 reservation fee. Permits purchased online must be printed to be valid. In-person permits are available at Forest Service offices and several local vendors ( www.bit.ly/3fsheXA ). Individual permits are $5 and households can purchase a maximum of f... Full story
Folks in Sisters turned out on a snowy evening on Sunday to take stock of the well-being of youth in the community. The broad conclusion of the Citizens4Community (C4C) forum “Are the Kids Alright?” held at Sisters Elementary School was that Sisters has a lot of assets that support youth well-being — but there are still challenges that the community should work to address. Panelists were Lindsey Overstreet of Mosaic Community Health’s school-based health clinic in Sisters... Full story
The City of Sisters will host an open house on its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Expansion process on Monday, December 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the new Sisters Elementary School. City staff is inviting the public to come learn more about the future of the community and make their voices heard. All are invited to the open house: Sisters residents, as well as those living in Sisters Country and beyond. Attendees will learn more about progress made so far on the UGB expansion project — including on how much land is needed to a... Full story
It was 6 a.m. last Saturday at Level 5 CrossFit when a group of 33 men formed a loose circle around Ryan Hudson, owner. It was an uncanny hour for such a workout, if not for the cause it represented. "Blood, sweat, and tears for those who have served our country, that's why we're here," he says. "Every rep represents a veteran fallen to suicide. Every minute stands for them." This particular workout was the first of its kind. Consisting of 22 movements, 22 reps each, over a 22... Full story
BURNS - Oregon State University researchers have received a $1 million grant to study the impact of adding seaweed to the diets of beef cattle as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recent research has found that feeding seaweed can reduce methane emissions from cattle, most of which originates from enteric fermentation that is characteristic of their digestive process. Oregon State will investigate a specific type of seaweed – Pacific dulse, a species grown c... Full story
CLACKAMAS — Surrounded by a hastily assembled group of campaign volunteers, Democrat Janelle Bynum declared victory in Oregon’s closest congressional race. The Democratic state representative is the first Black congresswoman from a state that banned Black people from living within its boundaries when it joined the union. That history was on Bynum’s mind as she gave brief remarks at her campaign headquarters Friday afternoon, November 8. “It’s not lost on me that I am one generation removed from segregation. It’s not lost on... Full story
With the approach of winter upon Sisters Country, preparations are underway at the City to prepare for allowing emergency shelter to those who are living unhoused. At the Wednesday, November 20, Sisters City Council meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, the Council will be asked to approve a resolution creating an emergency declaration for the period of November 21, 2024 to March 15, 2025, to allow for getting people out of the cold. The resolution will help avoid the... Full story
The agency that keeps our highways operating is facing a structural revenue crisis. This is due to three main causes, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT): Oregonians are driving increasingly fuel-efficient vehicles, and switching to electric vehicles (EV) at a high rate. With increased fuel efficiency and more EVs, Oregon sees lower tax revenues and less money available to maintain the transportation system. Inflation has made maintaining the... Full story
Jennifer Letz was re-elected to a seat on the Sisters City Council, to be joined by Sarah McDougall and Cheryl Pellerin. Letz and McDougall each won a four-year term, while Pellerin will serve a two-year term in the wake of the November 5 election. “It’s just an honor to serve this community in this important role,” Pellerin said. “I really appreciate the community support. My decision to run was driven by the desire to serve this special community.” Pellerin cited housing, livability, growth, and wildfire resilienc... Full story
After a bruising campaign, Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp decisively won election as Deschutes County Sheriff. Vander Kamp garnered 59.32 percent of the vote while his opponent Captain William Bailey recorded 40.06 percent. “It was a pretty loud message — enough is enough,” Vander Kamp told The Nugget. The Sheriff-elect told The Nugget that his immediate priorities revolve around community engagement, a comprehensive budget review, enhancing traffic safety initiatives, and build... Full story
When the community asks “Are the Kids Alright?” at a Citizens4Community (C4C) forum next Sunday, we might want to ask also whether their parents are alright. Long-time school counselor Charlie Kanzig, who will be one of the panelists at the forum set for Sunday, November 17, 4 p.m., at the new Sisters Elementary School, reports that he’s seeing a different kind of stress in parents than he did 10 years ago: economic stress; political stress; and “the feeling that they’ve got t... Full story
Kent Vander Kamp has a significant lead over William Bailey in the race for Deschutes County Sheriff as initial election results are reported. Vander Kamp, who was endorsed by the Deschutes Sheriff’s Employees Association had almost 59 percent of the vote to Bailey’s 41 percent. Bailey was endorsed by retiring Sheriff Shane Nelson. Jennifer Letz (25.31%), Sarah McDougall (24.5%), and Cheryl Pellerin (18.63%) lead the race for the three open seats on Sisters City Council, with Eli Madrone (17.73%) trailing slightly behind Pel... Full story
Growing up in Sisters has many benefits for youth. It's still a tight-knit community that looks out for its people; schools are strong and staff works hard to build beneficial relationships with students. Yet it's still challenging to be a 21st-century kid, no matter where you are. Lindsey Overstreet is a licensed clinical social worker working in pediatric behavioral health at Mosaic Community Health's school-based health clinic in Sisters. She works with youth who may be str... Full story
Curious motorists and pedestrians observed heavy machinery in action as trees were cleared and earth moved in preparation for Phase One of the Sisters East Portal Transportation Master Plan. The hub is located on recently purchased City property between West Hood Avenue, Highway 20, and OR 242 (McKenzie Highway). The overall plan calls for a dedicated transit patron parking area and drop-off lane. The site layout allows for patrons to park or be dropped off to access transit... Full story
The Sisters High School Hall of Fame inducted a total of six individuals and one group at an afternoon ceremony held Sunday, November 3 at Sisters High School (SHS). Don Pollard, co-chair of the Hall of Fame committee, helped welcome the attendees and thanked the numerous sponsors for supporting the Hall of Fame for the tenth year celebration. Dennis Dempsey emceed the evening. The ceremony included guest speaker Pat Tyson, currently the head cross-country coach at Gonzaga... Full story
As has happened every year for decades, the historic McKenzie Highway (Highway 242) closed on the Sisters side last week. A week earlier, the western side closed. The November 1 close is about average, and just in time as a series of minor storms dropped as much as 10 inches of snow above 5,000 feet. The top of Highway 242, at the Dee Wright Observatory - the halfway point - sits at 5,187 feet. In making its annual announcement of the closures, Oregon Department of... Full story
