Scott Hammers
The Bulletin
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Past articles by Scott:
Former Redmond principal to enter plea on new sex abuse charges
Former Redmond educator Michael Bremont declined to enter a plea to new allegations of sexual abuse against him Tuesday in Deschutes County Circuit Court. Bremont, 44, was arrested in early December by Redmond Police after a former student at the Redmond Proficiency Academy reported a sexual relationship with Bremont that began in 2009, when she was a 17-year-old high school senior and Bremont… → Read More
The biggest stories of 2017
From record snow to epic sun, 2017 was a year full of meteorological and cosmological wonders. Here’s a look back at the year’s top stories in Central Oregon.Record snowfallBend residents spent the past 24 years telling tales of the winter of 1992-93 — in the future, they’ll talk of the winter of 2016-17. The winter started strong but not overwhelmingly so, with more than a foot of snow on the… → Read More
Hunters repair Highway 97 deer fence
Volunteers with the Oregon Hunters Association spent Wednesday morning repairing a section of a wildlife fence south of Bend along U.S. Highway 97. Last week, the fence took a direct hit from a car that went off the road, knocking down a short section on the east side of the highway near Lava Butte. Roughly 8 feet tall, the fence runs along both sides of the highway along a four-mile stretch… → Read More
Meissner Nordic club victimized again
For the fourth time in less than a year, the Meissner Nordic club has been targeted by thieves and vandals. Club officials said Tuesday that a large quantity of firewood has gone missing from the shelter the club stocks and maintains at Virginia Meissner Sno-park west of Bend. The nonprofit club collects donations to maintain and groom nearly 25 miles of cross-country ski trails fanning out from… → Read More
Hwy. 97 closed north of La Pine
A crash roughly eight miles north of La Pine on U.S. Highway 97 has closed the highway in both directions about noon Wednesday. An Oregon State Police report stated two vehicles were involved in a rollover crash. A medical evacuation helicopters is headed for the area.Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Peter Murphy said reports indicate ice and slush on the road near La Pine, but it… → Read More
Rep. Gene Whisnant says no to 2018 campaign
State Representative Gene Whisnant announced Monday he will not seek re-election next year. A Sunriver Republican, Whisnant has represented District 53, including most of Deschutes County outside of Bend, since 2003. Whisnant’s decision marks the third shakeup for Central Oregon’s delegation in Salem in recent months. Republican Knute Buehler, who represents District 54 in Bend, is campaigning… → Read More
Suspect arrested in Crook County murder
A Crook County woman is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of a man in the Juniper Acres neighborhood last month.In a news release, the Crook County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Tina Marie Hill, 53, on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, reckless endangering and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hill is suspected of killing 51-year-old… → Read More
Meissner Nordic club suffers third break-in in six months
By mid-November in most years, members of the Meissner Nordic club would be watching the skies for snow and counting down the days until the ski season begins. This year, they’re repairing the damage from a break-in Saturday night at their storage facility at Virginia Meissner Sno-park, the third break-in during the last six months.This time, the perpetrators took the club’s snowmobile for a… → Read More
ODOT road crews ready for winter
Roads across nearly all of Central Oregon are still snow-free, but for the Oregon Department of Transportation, Monday marked the start of winter. Each year in the second week of November, ODOT makes the shift to winter operations. The fleet of plows and snowblowers, de-icing trucks and sanding trucks is readied for action, and employees are moved to schedules that allow for a round-the-clock… → Read More
Bend park district opening three new parks
The Bend Park & Recreation District is on track to open three new parks by the end of the year, and to complete renovations at one of the district’s older parks. The biggest and most anticipated new park is the Riley Ranch Nature Reserve, located north of Awbrey Butte along the Deschutes River. Also coming up are openings at Stone Creek Park and Eagle Park, new community parks on the city’s east… → Read More
Re-sold rental skis at center of Mt. Bachelor lawsuit
A pair of second-hand skis in need of a wax are at the center of a lawsuit filed against Mt. Bachelor and four of the resort’s employees last week. The suit was filed by Melissa Gottlieb of Bend, alleging she and her son were mistreated and unlawfully detained by Mt. Bachelor employees who accused her son of theft. The suit seeks up to $766,000 in economic, noneconomic and punitive damages for… → Read More
Prineville gets historic caboose for museum
PRINEVILLE — The newest addition to downtown Prineville is a colorful nod to its past. Monday morning, a bright yellow, 42,000-pound caboose from the City of Prineville Railway reached its likely final destination at the Bowman Museum. Over the next several months, the museum will be preparing the caboose before opening the new display to the public in 2018, the 100th anniversary of the… → Read More
Board pondering new library in Bend
Bend’s population has more than doubled since the downtown library opened in 1998, and now, the Deschutes Public Library is wondering if it’s time for a bigger library. The library has been circulating an online questionnaire in recent weeks, soliciting input on what local residents might want in a new library.The questionnaire, which closed on Saturday, quizzed participants about their library… → Read More
Bend horse rescue close to shuttering
One of Central Oregon’s highest-profile animal welfare organizations, Equine Outreach, is on the brink of shutting down.It’s been just over a year since the entire board of Equine Outreach Inc. resigned due to disagreements with the organization’s founders, Joan Steelhammer and her husband, Gary Everett. Board members brought on over the past year have minimized the role played by Steelhammer… → Read More
Bend ice rink opens for season Tuesday
Ice skating returns to Bend on Tuesday, with the opening of the Bend Park & Recreation District Pavilion. The Pavilion, located off Simpson Avenue in southwest Bend, begins its third season of operations. Admission and skate rental will be $6 on opening day, and skaters are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. The rink is expected to remain open through mid-April, weather permitting. During… → Read More
Gas leak closes part of Bend
A gas leak near downtown Bend has forced the closure of some streets and is expected to result in an electrical outage. The leak is between Florida and Delaware avenues near Wall Street, according to a city news release. Florida and Delaware avenues have been closed between Bond and Broadway streets, while Wall Street is closed south of Georgia Avenue, near Florida Avenue. One residential block,… → Read More
Neighbors challenge 4 Peaks music festival location
Organizers of the 4 Peaks Music Festival will have to wait more than a week to learn if they’ll be able to return to their new home next summer. Deschutes County Commissioners heard nearly three hours of testimony on Monday from festival proponents and detractors concerning whether the county should issue the permit needed for the 2018 festival to proceed. The commissioners elected to put the… → Read More
Summit High principal announces departure
The principal of Bend’s Summit High School announced Monday she will be leaving the district at the end of the school year. Alice DeWittie, now starting her sixth year at the helm of the west side Bend high school, sent an email to Summit parents early Monday afternoon. The email does not go in to detail as to the reasons behind DeWittie’s decision — instead, she thanked students, staff and… → Read More
With stumps still smoldering, fire cleanup on McKenzie Pass nears end
A hastily organized push to clear trees killed during the Milli Fire is nearing completion west of Sisters. Sparked by lightning in early August, the Milli Fire burned more than 24,000 acres, including a roughly 7-mile stretch along the McKenzie Pass Highway, state Highway 242. Representatives of the Deschutes National Forest, Oregon Department of Transportation and others started planning the… → Read More
Police, fire agencies update radios regionwide
The switch to a new radio system for Central Oregon police and fire agencies should be complete early next year. The Bend Fire Department was recently awarded a $1.4 million federal grant to purchase radios for the 12 public safety agencies across Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties participating in the region-wide upgrade. Bend Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Blake said local police agencies have… → Read More