Storms brought flash-flooding in the Powell Butte area Monday evening. Learn more here.

POWELL BUTTE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A strong thunderstorm triggered a flash-flooding event in the Powell Butte area Monday evening, causing some damage to Crook County roads and “significant” damage at Brasada Ranch resort to several homes, a golf course and roads, sheriff’s deputies said Tuesday.

The National Weather Service in Pendleton issued a special weather statement around 5:30 p.m. advising of a strong thunderstorm being tracked in the area, one of several such alerts as storms moved across the region.

Around 6 p.m., Crook County 911 dispatchers got a report of flooding in the 10000 block of SW Powell Butte Highway, sheriff’s Lt. Mitch Madden said.…

The weather is unseasonably warm in Oregon – some places hitting the mid-90s. Learn more here.

By OPB

Unseasonable heat continued Sunday in Oregon, with temperatures many places in the western part of the state predicted to hit the mid-90s.

Portland could reach 94 Fahrenheit and Roseburg, 98.

The National Weather Service expected temperatures in the mid- to upper-70s along the coast, and Eastern Oregon is looking at highs in the upper-70s and low 80s.

Many of Saturday’s predicted high temperatures did not come to pass. It only hit 91 in Portland, three degrees lower than weather officials had expected.

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A second sinkhole forms at Cape Kiwanda. Learn more here.

PACIFIC CITY, Ore. (KTVZ) —  The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is asking visitors to use caution and to stay away from the area where a second sinkhole has formed at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area.

The second sinkhole was discovered Monday about 10 inches away from the first, which appeared in January. The new sinkhole measures about 10 feet across and about 30 feet deep and developed within the safety fence of the first sinkhole in the northwest corner of the lower dune, officials said Tuesday.

Park staff learned about the additional sinkhole late Monday evening when a photo was posted on social media. They expanded the safety…

The USDA will place a $50 million+ order for Oregon seafood. Find out more here.

by Gold Meadows/KVAL

Oregon lawmakers lead the way to the approval of $52 million to purchase Oregon seafood products.

Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden led the charge to have the products purchased by the United States Department of Agriculture for distribution to food assistance programs for its commodity purchasing programs.

In a letter sent to the USDA, Merkley and others stated that inclusion in the program would provide a boost to West Coast fishermen and seafood processors while including their products in American food assistance programs.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Legislation to allow minors younger than 15 to get abortions without parental approval, expand state coverage of medical services for transgender individuals and make several other changes to state laws regulating reproductive and gender-affirming care has passed the Oregon House of Representatives, despite Republicans’ repeated attempts to block House Bill 2002.

It now needs approval from the state Senate before going to Gov. Tina Kotek for her consideration.

House members spent nearly 10 hours on the floor Monday, primarily on the 46-page bill’s third reading…

The Oregon recreational cannabis system may be facing some changes. Learn more about it here.

By Dirk VanderHart (OPB)

Oregon’s recreational cannabis system has overly strict regulations that make running a business expensive and hamper people aspiring to join the industry, state auditors found in an audit released Thursday.

The report is likely to be cheered by current and aspiring participants in Oregon’s legal cannabis market. It suggests the state should consider easing up on security requirements and other safeguards that made sense when Oregon first legalized cannabis, but…

A parcel off of Century Drive in Bend will be the site of a $100 Million+ project. Learn more here.

BY SIMON MATHER — CBN FEATURE WRITER

Ground has been broken on a spectacular site overlooking the Deschutes River in Bend which will feature luxury condominiums and, in the future, a 4-star and 5-star hotel, complete with a rooftop bar, as part of a 7.6-acre mixed-use development off Century Drive with an estimated price tag north of $100 million.

Ridgeland, Mississippi-based developers Wealth Hospitality Group plan to roll out the project in three stages, starting with The Ridge consisting of 37 high-end condos across five four-story buildings, boasting pristine…

An intense solar storm has the northern lights gracing the skies farther south than usual.

From Washington state to Wisconsin, auroras were reported as mostly a reddish glow instead of the typical green shimmer. In the U.S., skygazers also took in the sights from Colorado, California, New Mexico and even Arizona.

A blast of superhot material from the sun late last week hurled scorching gases known as plasma toward Earth at nearly 2 million mph, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.

Earth felt the brunt…

Six sites on the Oregon coast were approved for special protection designations. Find out more here.

By Nicole Bales, The Astorian

CANNON BEACH — State protections have been secured for two rocky shore areas on the North Coast.

Ecola Point and Chapman Point were two of six sites approved for special protection designations by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development Commission on Thursday.

The sites, initially proposed by the North Coast Rocky Habitat Coalition, were reviewed and considered over the past few years as part of an update to the state’s management strategy for rocky shores under the Oregon Territorial Sea Plan.

Similarly to the measures taken at Haystack Rock, the designations…