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⛑️🔥Three dogs perish in fire that destroyed motor home in ‘Dirt World’ homeless area, found to be accidental

Issue #095

14 Mar

This issue’s Sponsor is

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In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia

🌄 Bend, OR Weather

📰 Local News - What’s a Happening?

📌🏛️ Deschutes County again paces Oregon growth, while state drops a bit — and now, all of C.O. lives in the ‘Bend Metro Area’

🛣️🏗️🚧 Section of Cooley Road closing for 10 days starting Thursday

🏫 Principal Selected to Lead Summit High School

📰 Fire & Rescue

💥 Fatal Rollover Accident Claims Life of Sisters Resident

💥⚡Redmond Woman Injured as SUV Veers off Negus Way, Collides with CEC Pole, Leaving 200 Without Power

⛑️🔥Three dogs perish in fire that destroyed motor home in ‘Dirt World’ homeless area, found to be accidental

📰 Crime News

🚨Bend woman seeks public’s help in finding stolen pickup truck, nicknamed ‘Baby Blue’

😁 MEME of the Day

📅 Lots of Events

 

Which of the following entities in Oregon is NOT named after John Day?

A) John Day River

B) City of John Day

C) John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

D) John Day National Forest

👇Find the Answer at the end of the Newletter👇

BEND

Be Careful out there - THE SUN IS OUT!!!

sun GIF

Deschutes County again paces Oregon growth, while state drops a bit — and now, all of C.O. lives in the ‘Bend Metro Area’

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Deschutes County, which paced the state as one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S. for quite a stretch 20 or 30 years ago, is back atop the state’s growth rankings in a year that saw Oregon actually decline in population, the U.S. Census Bureau reported in July 1, 2023 estimates released Wednesday night.

But perhaps the most surprising population-related news was released quietly last summer – not by the Census Bureau, but the Biden administration – and has more to do with where the lines on a map are drawn than where people live. Still, its impact is just now coming fully into light with these new numbers.

For many years – whether most residents knew it or not -- the official Bend “metropolitan statistical area” (MSA) has actually been all of Deschutes County – every bit of it, from Brothers to Sisters, Terrebonne to La Pine. So for all that time, the county’s population was also the Bend “metro area” population, whether in the once-a-decade census or the in-between population estimates. But while Deschutes County grew by an estimated 2,030 residents in the year ended last July 1 and 10,262 in the years since the April 1, 2020 census, to total 208,513, the official Bend metro area population estimate jumped this year to 260,919 – that’s about 58,000 more than the county’s population.

This story first appeared on KTVZ

Section of Cooley Road closing for 10 days starting Thursday

Heavy construction on the Bend North Corridor Project will close a section of Cooley Road for 10 days starting Thursday. It's a route that many people use to access Highway 97.

 

Principal Selected to Lead Summit High School

Donna Servignat has been a school leader in Fairview, Independence, Hillsboro

 

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook announced today the selection of Donna Servignat as the next Principal of Summit High School. Servignat is the Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning for the Reynolds School District in Fairview, Oregon, a position she has held for two years.

Prior to her current role, Servignat served as the Principal at Central High School in Independence, Oregon, for four years and as the Assistant Principal at Century High School in Hillsboro, Oregon, for four years. She has 14 years of classroom teaching experience as a World Language teacher, and she has served in the roles of activities director and dance coach at the high school level.

“We are fortunate to have someone with such rich experience join our administrative team and the Summit High community,” Superintendent Cook said. “Donna brings extensive classroom teaching experience, as well as building and district-level experience. Her time as a coach and activities director also will serve her and the Summit High School community well. I look forward to the leadership and dedication to fostering a positive learning environment that Donna will provide in this role.”

“I am honored to join this district and community,” Servignat said. “My vision is to lead for academic excellence and personal growth, and to foster an environment where every student is empowered to reach their fullest potential, where diversity is celebrated, and where kindness and respect form the cornerstone of our interactions.”

She said she’s eager to collaborate with students, staff, families and community partners “as we continue to uphold the tradition of excellence at Summit High School.”

Servignat will begin July 1. She succeeds Principal Michael McDonald, who is retiring after six years as Summit’s principal and 22 years at the school.

Weekly Road & Traffic Report Week of March 2nd - March 8th Redmond

Weekly Road Construction Update Week of March 10th to March 16th Deschutes County

 

Fatal Rollover Accident Claims Life of Sisters Resident

 Sisters, Oregon - On March 12, 2024, tragedy struck as a single-vehicle rollover accident claimed the life of Kevin Blake Gast, a 65-year-old male resident of Sisters, Oregon. The incident occurred around 8:26 PM local time near the intersection of Wilt Rd. and Henkle Butte Rd., just north of Sisters.

Deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office swiftly responded to the reported accident, finding a Dodge Ram pickup resting on its side on the shoulder of the road upon their arrival. It was determined that the pickup had rolled over, resulting in fatal injuries to the driver. Regrettably, Kevin Blake Gast was pronounced deceased at the scene. The name of the deceased was withheld initially to allow for family notification.

Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved in the accident. However, Wilt Rd. was temporarily closed to facilitate the investigation. The road has since been reopened for normal traffic.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to the officers from the Black Butte Police Department and personnel from the Sisters Fire Department for their prompt response and assistance at the scene.

Redmond Woman Injured as SUV Veers off Negus Way, Collides with CEC Pole, Leaving 200 Without Power

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Redmond woman was taken to the hospital with apparent non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday after her SUV left Negus Way east of Redmond and sheared off a power pole, the top of which landed on her roof, authorities. About 200 people lost power for nearly two hours as a result.

The crash occurred around 12:15 p.m. as the woman was heading north on Northeast Negus Way, just south of Upas Avenue, Deschutes County sheriff's Sergeant Aaron Harding said.

A Central Electric Cooperative power pole was severed in the crash, and the top of it came to rest on the vehicle’s roof, Harding said. No power lines fell on the car, but deputies waited until a CEC crew was on scene to assure it was safe to remove her from the SUV. The driver was not cited, the sergeant added.

The crash and power pole repairs blocked Negus Way into the afternoon, until flaggers could direct one-way traffic around repair crews.

Central Electric crews were able to isolate the pole and restored power to the nearly 200 affected members just before 2 p.m., the co-op said. Line crews continued working at the scene to replace the damaged pole.

This story first appeared on KTVZ

Three dogs perish in fire that destroyed motor home in ‘Dirt World’ homeless area, found to be accidental

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Several U.S. Highway 97 motorists north of Bend called to report a fire Tuesday evening that destroyed a motor home in the homeless camp area known as “Dirt World” north of Bend, and killed three dogs. Bend Fire & Rescue determined the fire was accidental, due to a propane leak.

The fire was reported shortly after 7 p.m. near Fort Thompson Lane as drivers spotted flames and black smoke rising from the trees about 50 yards east of the highway.

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said the fire had threatened to spread to trees and another vehicle but was stopped before doing so. It took about a half-hour for crews to knock down the fire.

Bend Fire Deputy Fire Marshal said Wednesday the fire was determined to be accidental. He said a woman lived in the camper with several dogs, three of whom unfortunately perished in the blaze.

"The occupant had a propane tank leak inside the camper, and it was close to a source of ignition," he said.

Story first appeared on KTVZ

Bend woman seeks public’s help in finding stolen pickup truck, nicknamed ‘Baby Blue’

A Bend woman says … well, here's Devyn Aschoff's note to us this morning: "Help! 1990 blue Toyota pickup stolen this morning around 4:00 in the morning off Textron Rd. It has been reported it was stolen on a blue trailer. This was our grandmother's and was to be passed down to my daughters. It is very sentimental. License plate starts with RFK. Please help." It doesn't start, and they're offering a $500 reward for the pickup, nicknamed "Baby Blue." Anyone who spots it or has info is asked to contact Bend Police.

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

What’s Up Central Oregon

March Madness

March Madness is an annual fundraiser for Stroke Awareness Oregon. It's also great fun for college basketball fans and there are prizes. Proceeds support our work educating about the causes and prevention of stroke and supporting stroke survivors and their families in their best possible life. Stroke is a brain attack and affects anyone of any age, race or social standing. It is the 4th leading cause of death in Oregon. One in 5 people will suffer a stroke.

Welcome to Stroke Awareness Oregon's March Madness Fundraiser!

Register by March 17th!

$10 Suggested Donation

$30 Total For Second Entry

Once your donation is complete, you will receive an email with further directions and the bracket link.  

Thursday March 14th

Trio  @ Beach Hut Deli 5:00PM - 7:00PM

Friday March 15th

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend @  Boneyard Pub Bend Fire Pipes & Drums & Yeates Academy of Irish Dance

Saturday March 16th

Ski For All @  Mount Bachelor 8:00PM - 8:00PM

Bend Fire Pipes & Drums St Paddy’s Day 2024 Pub Crawl @Downtown Bend Sat & Sun 4:00PM - 9:30PM

 

Enjoy local pubs around Bend and support HSCO's programs and services that serve people and animals in our community. Visit 14 local brew pubs with your friends and canine companion(s) and enjoy good vibes throughout March on the weekends.

Got an upcoming event you want us to share?

Please visit this Week’s Sponsors & Partners ⬇️

 

Which of the following entities in Oregon is NOT named after John Day?

A) John Day River

B) City of John Day

C) John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

D) John Day National Forest

Answer: D) John Day National Forest

The John Day National Forest does not exist, making it the correct choice as the entity not named after John Day. John Day, an American hunter and trapper, is commemorated in Oregon with several namesakes including the John Day River, the city of John Day, and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, reflecting his historical significance to the region.

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