Remember back in 2010 when Pfc. Bradley Manning leaked tens of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks? It’s a fascinating and bizarre story of international intrigue and diplomacy. The whole affair brought WikiLeaks and it’s founder, Julian Assange, on to the world stage in ways any media outlet could only dream of. […]
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Oklahoma Tornado Survivor Is Reunited With Her Dog
May 21, 2013: A woman whose home was flattened by a deadly tornado in Oklahoma City was reunited with her dog as a CBS News crew recorded an interview with her. The dog spent three days in the rubble under the house, but emerges uninjured from the debris.
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Noise Ordinance Officially Changes, But Look For Council To Reconsider Again Later
Changes to the noise ordinance approved at the last Bend City Council meeting were reaffirmed in a second vote on Wednesday night. The changes were welcomed by live music lovers and music venue owners. First offenses for violating the city’s noise decibel levels will now be $250 instead of $750. Sporting events are now exempt […]
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Overheard
I first started writing for weekly papers 20 years, as an intern for San Francisco Weekly. At the time, to make financial ends meet, I also had to paint houses. It was a tale of two jobs: White collar writer, combing City Hall and the San Francisco clubs for stories, and then putting on my […]
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Noise Ordinance Gets Big Tweaks
Critics of the city’s new noise ordinance went away happy Wednesday night after a host of changes were approved to the law passed last July. The Bend City Council members unanimously approved the following changes to the ordinance: • Police officers must now use decibel meters before writing a ticket to commercial enterprises for noise […]
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The Sawyers! Sentenced!
Finally. Locals Tami Sawyer and her husband Kevin have gotten their just deserts. The two were sentenced in federal court today for defrauding about 30 investors out of over $6 million during Bend’s housing boom. She got nine years in prison, he two. KTVZ captures the Sawyer’s departing federal court in Eugene today. See KTVZ’s […]
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City and Union Agree on Overhaul of Wage System
A new contract between the city of Bend and its employee union marks a significant victory for the city, but also generates higher wages for staff. The Bend City Council unanimously approved the three-year contract at its Wednesday night meeting. The contract had already been approved by the City of Bend Employees Association, or COBEA. […]
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Read This 2013 Pulitzer Prize Winner
This year’s Pulitzer Prize winners were announced earlier this week and I was glad to see New York Times writer John Branch listed for his feature piece, “Snow Fall, The avalanche at Tunnel Creek.” It’s a moving, in depth analysis of the “sidecountry” avalanche that killed three of the 16 experienced freeskiers who were spending […]
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Real Life Political Theater in Bend This Friday
What should Oregon do with its Benjamins? No matter what your issue you need to get down to the Oregon Legislature Ways and Means Joint Committee meeting in Bend this Friday. HEY! Wait! This is not boring. It’s all about THE MONEY. And no matter what your issues, or lack thereof, this is going to […]
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Bend Car Crash Rates Higher Than Other Oregon Cities
From 2006 to 2010, 24 people died in car crashes in Bend. Compare that to just 2 deaths in Corvallis during the same time and you have the impetus for a renewed effort by the city to make streets safer. The city is hoping to find the funds to provide more guardrails, more signage, more […]