Consumer Protection

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a fresh wave of scam calls from individuals posing as local law enforcement officers in an attempt to extort money.

The board of the Ochoco West Water & Sanitary Authority (OWWSA) held an illegal special meeting Tuesday night, July 29th, after issuing just four hours’ notice to the public and media—far short of the 24-hour bare minimum required by Oregon law.

Mike Smetzer, the owner of the now-defunct Central Oregon Motors, was arrested Wednesday, July 2nd, by the Crook County Sheriff’s Office following a grand jury indictment that returned on June 27th, according to court records.

Republic Services is once again asking the Prineville City Council to approve a rate increase for solid waste collection services. A public hearing on the request is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 387 NE Third Street.

The investigation into allegations against a local Prineville car salesman, Michael Smetzer Jr. and his company Central Oregon Motors, has been taken over by the FBI.

A Prineville car salesman and his business are coming under fire by a growing list victims for allegedly cheating them out of tens of thousands of dollars -- which combined might be total hundreds of thousands. Central Oregon Motors, LLC, and its owner Michael Dwayne Smetzer, are also named defendants in two lawsuits for over $1.3 million.

The owners of a Prineville company have been fined by the Oregon Construction & Contractors Board for "Advertising or bidding without a CCB license" according to records obtained by the Prineville Review.