The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

For most of his life he found meaning within perfection, whether at the yoke of a fighter jet or the stroke of a brush. But now Jim Horsley is seeking that less and instead finding meaning... — Updated 12/5/2023 Full story

To return home is a gift. That seemingly trite observation didn't resonate with me until a flag-covered casket was slowly, solemnly lowered from the forward cargo hold of American Airlines... — Updated 9/26/2023 Full story

It's a warm afternoon as smoke from a distant fire settles into the tree canopy. Black Butte's faded silhouette overlooks the 50-acre Black Butte Lower Swamp, which is experiencing renewed... — Updated 9/5/2023 Full story

We know what we need to do but do we have the will to do it? That was the burning question that defined last Thursday's screening of the documentary "The West Is Burning." The hour-long... — Updated 5/5/2023 Full story

Mike Riehle stands knee-deep in life returning. “Not long ago this whole area was dry,” he says, gesturing over weeds and decaying willows. “We’re hoping these efforts will fix that.... — Updated 10/12/2022 Full story

On the east shore of Suttle Lake, the picnic shelter is getting an overdue facelift. Friends of the Metolius and the Forest Service are dedicating time and resources to rehabilitate the... — Updated 9/28/2022 Full story

Mike Alayon a.k.a. (“Hawaiian Mike”) refers to his medical journey as a rollercoaster, full of twists and turns to hell and back. After 52 days in the hospital, though, he’s now a free man a... — Updated 8/2/2022 Full story

Walking through the sliding glass door of the once-abandoned mall, I felt guilty. The massive structure, formerly a shopping center in northern Krakow, Poland became a refugee center at the... — Updated 6/28/2022 Full story

Translucent tubing and medical bands protrude from the wrist as Micheal Alayon grips the handrail of his hospital bed in the fight of his life. In his fifth-floor room, he sifts through his... — Updated 6/28/2022 Full story

On a clear, sunny Wednesday morning after torrid downpours of a relentless spring, Sisters was beaming with natural beauty. On the south-facing wall of the public bathrooms in Barclay Park... — Updated 6/21/2022 Full story

Marcus Boyd is at the beginning of what he and his parents hope to be a career in professional snowmobile racing. The 16-year-old high school junior has chosen a unique career path, managing... — Updated 5/24/2022 Full story

The wind roars across the desert, blowing sand 40 mph across an arid landscape. Billowing into rippled sand dunes, the scene embodies the 102-degree heat. The sand hitting his face feels... — Updated 5/18/2022 Full story

After more than a year of cancellations and postponements, Honor Flight of Central Oregon took off for Washington D.C. on September 22. Twenty-three veterans from the Korean and Vietnam wars... — Updated 10/5/2021 Full story

Westside Sisters Church has adopted a new name. The former satellite church of Westside Bend is changing their official title to Wellhouse Church and has acquired the Sisters Christian... — Updated 5/19/2020 Full story

Sisters Park & Recreation District will lay off 18 of its 21 employees including six full-time staff, two part-time staff and 10 temporary seasonal staff. Executive Director Jennifer Holland... — Updated 3/31/2020 Full story

The clamor of brown paper bags being filled with edible goods echos throughout the Bread of Life food pantry at the New Hope Christian Center in Sisters. A team of volunteers fills 200 bags... — Updated 3/31/2020 Full story

Hoodoo’s premiere annual event kicked off on Saturday, February 8, amid winter’s fury, but that didn’t deter the crowds. Festivities began at 9 a.m. where families participated in a numbe... — Updated 2/11/2020 Full story

The Sisters Eagle Airport hosted live helicopter training for Camp Sherman Hasty Team volunteers last Saturday. Joined by Life Flight from the Redmond Airport and Jefferson County Emergency... — Updated 9/24/2019 Full story

A group of volunteers has spent the recent weeks restoring the near-century-old fire lookout atop Black Butte. The old D-6 cupola, originally built in 1922, has gained new life through the... — Updated 9/18/2019 Full story

More than a dozen local agencies along with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., gathered for a Celebration of Collaboration last Tuesday, March 19. Recognizing joint efforts between irrigation... — Updated 3/26/2019 Full story

My second time to Cambodia I was welcomed with a lecture about avoiding the voluptuous prostitute. Apparently the streets of Takeo, Cambodia where we were staying, were a trap for tourists. T... — Updated 2/12/2019 Full story

The ninth annual Sisters Fresh Hop Festival paved the way into fall season last Saturday with breweries from around Oregon sharing their freshest drinks. Hosted this year for the first time... — Updated 10/2/2018 Full story

Ryan Houston, executive director of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, reached down and grabbed a handful of moist dirt from the bank of Whychus Creek. He rubbed the rich soil in his... — Updated 8/14/2018 Full story

Amid the noise and chaos of the Sisters Rodeo stood a small mare, quiet, peaceful, and obedient. Under the banner of red, white, and blue she stood with the 2018 Sisters Rodeo Queen, Hailey... — Updated 6/19/2018 Full story