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Brush fire prompts evacuations in Powell Butte
A brush fire broke out in Powell Butte Saturday afternoon that prompted evacuations throughout the West Powell Butte Estates area. The fire was reported around 2 p.m. and spread quickly thereafter. Saturday evening, Crook County Sheriff John Gautney issued a statement to the public on Facebook that a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation had been ordered for all of West Powell Butte Estates and areas along McCafferty Road and immediately south of McCafferty Road west of Powell Butte Highway. Evacuated residents were directed to go...
CENTRAL OREGON HISTORY: May Benson Johnson led a prolific life in Jefferson County
Rose May Benson was born on Sept. 19, 1878, in Bardstown, Kentucky. She grew up in Eaton County, Michigan, and attended local school. She graduated from Michigan State Normal School. She had an adventurous spirit and moved to Montana to begin her teaching career. She met William Johnson while teaching in Montana. William was born on Aug. 10, 1875, in Clifford, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Nebraska and moved to Montana as a young man. May, as she was commonly known, began a romantic relationship with William, and they were married in Forsythe, Montana, on Jan. 14, 1904. They had...
Our TV picks for Sunday, July 7: PGA Tour Golf; Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier; Orphan Black: Echoes
PGA Tour Golf KOIN 12 p.m. It’s anybody’s game in this final round of the John Deere Classic from TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. Last year, Sepp Straka shot a blistering 62 on the last day — the lowest closing round since 1982 — to claim top honors and a prize of $1.3 million. ...
Movie Review: ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ is still chilling, literally
Winter won’t be back for a while, but as movies go, “The Day After Tomorrow” is a good way to prepare for it early. Currently streaming on Hulu for a 20th-anniversary engagement, director and co-writer Roland Emmerich’s (“Independence Day”) disaster saga has been a cable-network staple since soon after its 2004 theatrical release, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a high-concept picture that poses a universal dilemma: What if mankind experienced a global freeze-over? Though the cold-weather season will remain at bay for a...
OSU High Desert Garden Tour July 20
Five beautiful home gardens in Powell Butte will be showcased during the High Desert Garden Tour Saturday, July 20. Those taking part in the tour can learn how to have the best possible landscape in the challenging Central Oregon environment. Surrounded by five rhyolitic buttes that are part of the Crooked River caldera. Powell Butte features rocky ground, dry, hot days, whipping afternoon winds and cold nights make gardening here challenging. With a population nearing 3,500 and sitting at 3,117 feet in elevation, the Powell...
What to watch: The must-watch things to stream this week, July 5 – July 12, 2024
What’s Available NOW On Disney+ “Descendants: The Rise of Red” (July 12) Former Villain Kid Uma (China Anne McClain), now Headmaster of Auradon Prep, extends an invite to the school to Red (Kylie Cantrall), the rebellious daughter of Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora). The Queen of Hearts has long held a grudge against Auradon, especially against Cinderella (Brandy Norwood), and seizes the opportunity to seek revenge when she drops...
Movie Review: More than a few good actors fuel ‘A Few Good Men’
“You can’t handle the truth!” Certain lines of dialogue become so legendary, it’s known immediately which projects they come from. So it is with the sentence delivered by Jack Nicholson in an intense military courtroom scene in “A Few Good Men,” Aaron Sorkin’s play that Rob Reiner brought to film in an effective and involving 1992 movie version that BBC America shows Monday, July 8. Nicholson plays hard-as-nails Navy Colonel...
Our TV picks for Saturday, July 6: 2024 Tour de France; National Lampoon’s Vacation; House Hunters
2024 Tour de France KGW 5 a.m. The Tour continues with coverage of Stage 8 broadcast live from the route. Today, the race begins in Semur-en-Auxois, France, and ends in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, just south of Paris. While the terrain is mostly flat, the bikers face a 114-mile ride. National Lampoon’s Vacation ...
Fall head over heels: A love story begins in ‘The Bachelorette’ season premiere
Love is in the air this summer and one lucky lady is about to pick her potential husband from a pool of 25 beaus. Dating game show “The Bachelorette” is back with a brand-new, history-making season, premiering Monday, July 8, on ABC. Former “Bachelor” contestant Jenn Tran, a student in Miami’s Barry University physician assistant program, is the show’s first Asian American lead. After making a splash on Joey Graziadei’s season of “The Bachelor,” Tran became a fan favorite. She spent several weeks getting to...
Oregon’s Tina Kotek among governors meeting with President Biden
After last week’s heated presidential debate, Democratic state leaders in the Pacific Northwest, including Gov. Tina Kotek, held a virtual meeting with President Joe Biden to talk about his campaign. Prior to the meeting, Thomas Wheatley, Kotek’s political adviser, confirmed she would attend the meeting. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee participated as well. In a follow-up communication with KOIN 6 News just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, Wheatly gave a...
Caution urged as temps remain high through middle of next week
Meteorologists urge caution: Make sure the things sizzling this weekend are on our barbecues, not dry grasses around misplaced fireworks, or the fair skins of Oregonians eager for a little sun. High temperatures are expected to hover in the upper eighties for Independence Day, but should climb into the upper 90s on Friday, July 5. The heat could stick around through the middle of week. Some parts of the metro...
Bowman Museum's Belknap Exhibit Center presents new exhibit
Bowman Museum has announced the opening of a new art exhibit, "American Frontier Art: Along the Oregon Trail by David Dittman," at the Belknap Exhibit Center. The exhibit launched on June 17 and will run through Aug. 24, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the history and rugged beauty of the Oregon Trail through the eyes of artist David Dittman. Museum leaders explained that David Dittman, known for his vivid and dynamic artistic style, brings to life the trials, triumphs and tenacity of...
Our TV picks for Friday, July 5: Lingo; Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Lingo KOIN 8 p.m. Love word games? Good things as host RuPaul will have contestants’ tongues tied unravelling words in a race against time. Guess wrong, but have another letter from the right word, they go again. If not, the challenger gets a chance to win. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives FOOD 9 p.m. Where there’s smoke, there’s something heating up. Guy is on the road in Boulder, Colo., checking out a pizza place that knows how to spice things up. Then, Mesa, Ariz., offers tantalizing turnovers, while a BBQ joint in Memphis, Tenn., fans the flames.
Governor says state agencies to take action on Prineville groundwater contamination problem
A Prineville groundwater contamination problem is getting more state and federal government attention in recent weeks and actions may soon follow. The Crook County Board of Commissioners recently received a letter from Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office acknowledging the urgency of the contamination issue and laying out future steps for how state agencies will tackle the problem. The groundwater contamination problem, which has now affected more than 30 residences, began...
Oregon Parks seeks public comment on proposed adjustments to rates charged to visitors
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is seeking public comment on a proposal to adjust the ranges of rates that parks can charge for camping and other facilities in state parks starting in summer 2025. Parks officials say regular adjustments to rate ranges are necessary to respond to increases in utility costs, operations and maintenance needs, plus inflation. Currently the rate range for tent campsites, for example, is $17 to $22 per night (plus any local lodging taxes). Rates vary by park and season. The proposal...
Watch out for these poisonous backyard plants
Spending time in the backyard can be restorative and relaxing. Is it any wonder that homeowners are increasingly improving their homes to blur the lines between the indoors and outside and enjoy more recreational moments in nature? Part of what makes a landscape inviting is the bevy of plants dotting suburban landscapes. Individuals may take painstaking pleasure in mapping out landscapes that are both functional and appealing. When selecting foliage, it’s wise for homeowners to familiarize themselves with certain plants that may not be very...
New plan keeps thousands on Oregon Health Plan coverage
Up to 30,000 people now, and 100,000 people eventually, will continue under state-supported health insurance for low-income households as part of a new Oregon Health Plan extension announced this week. The extension is known as the OHP Bridge Plan. It was announced Monday, July 1, by state officials, the top federal official for Medicaid — the joint program of health insurance for low-income people — and the chief executive of Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, which serves low-income people through 18 clinics in Washington and...
Senators announce PILT payments to Oregon counites
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley recently announced counties throughout Oregon will receive more than $30.1 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2024. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT payments help to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services. Crook County, which has 940,461 acres of federal lands, received $2.073 million. “Oregonians cherish our public lands, and we need to...
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Central Oregonian serves Crook County. It is a member publication of Pamplin Media Group and is published weekly.
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