Investigations

A battalion chief with Crook County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) made a surprise announcement of his resignation directly to the organization's elected board on Thursday morning, while primarily raising issues related to confidence in the fire district's leadership and turnover in frontline staff.

Superintendent Melissa Skinner makes first public statement amid calls for her resignation

The Prineville Review has released audio of a December 9th, 2024, executive session held by the Crook County School Board. This decision follows the results of yesterday's meeting (December 16th), where the school board avoided substantive discussion during the open meeting after previously holding an illegal executive session behind closed doors.

The Crook County School District Board voted Monday night during a special meeting not to accept review of an appeal of an earlier complaint that was made against Athletic Director Rob Bonner. The decision was followed with a wave of cheers and celebrations by a packed room students, parents, and other community members who came out in support of Bonner.

Downtown Prineville as well as the Crook County School District Office was overrun this morning by hundreds of high school and even some middle school students who were protesting the district's handling of a complaint against Athletic Director Rob Bonner.

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.