Hey there! Ever wished you could stay in the loop with all the exciting local events happening in Central Oregon without the hassle of constantly searching for them? Look no further! With Central Oregon Local Live, you can receive convenient event reminders straight to your phone. Signing up is easy – just visit centraloregonlocalbuzz.com and opt-in for Event Reminders with a simple YES reply. You'll receive a curated list of current events once a week, typically on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Plus, rest assured that your privacy is our priority – we will never share your information or bombard you with unwanted messages. Stay informed and connected with Central Oregon Local Live!

In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

👨‍🌾🍽️FivePine Meet your Farmer Dinner

🚴WildRide Brewing MX13 Jump Show

🎉New Event Calendar! Central Oregon Local Live!

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

🚫Northwest Bend Businesses Temporarily Closed After Early Morning DUII Crash

📝High Desert Museum To Create Learning Hub With Federal Grant

👮Deschutes Co. DA Plans For Organized Retail Theft Training

👮🚫🚙RVs parked more than 3 days along Bend streets will be notified to move

📰Bend Fast-Tracking Urban Growth Boundary Expansion for Housing

Central Oregon Fire Info

Updates of Oregon Fires

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🏛️ Government News

🏛️Oregon legislative Democrats join governor, Republicans in opposing rebate ballot measure

🔥⛑️Fire & Rescue News

🏠🔥Homeowner and two dogs escape early morning house fire because of working smoke alarms

🚨 Crime News

💵Young adults scammed nearly $10,000 🎦

 📰 Community News

 Got some news or know of news for our Community News Segment - share it with C.O. Local Buzz!

😁 MEME of the Day

🌆 On going Events

📲Sponsors & Partners

Under the treaty negotiated by Joel Palmer, what did the Warm Springs and Wasco tribes retain the rights to do?

A) Own private property on the reservation

B) Establish their own schools and government

C) Harvest fish, game, and other foods off the reservation

D) Trade freely with settlers

👉Find the Answer in Tomorrow’s Newsletter👉

BEND

Events Sponsored By Enjoy Bend Life Real Estate

What’s Up Central Oregon 

FivePine

Wednesday August 21st | 5:30pm-8:30pm

Join us for an unforgettable evening at our "Meet Your Farmer" dinner event on Wednesday, August 21st. Experience the best of Central Oregon's local flavors as you dine under the towering pines in our serene and picturesque setting.  Learn about sustainable farming practices and the journey of your food from Farm to FivePine while you savor a delectable multi-course meal crafted from the freshest, locally-sourced ingredients.

Benefiting Central Oregon Locavore, this community event features ingredients and provisions sourced locally from Mahonia Gardens and Cascade Mountain Pastures.

After this one of a kind experience, enjoy luxury accommodations in a cabin or suite for only $129 plus tax*.

MX13 Jump Show

MX13 Jump Show in Redmond! This year's event is a fundraiser for Hospice of Redmond. It is free to attend and family friendly.

August 22nd 5pm - 8pm @WildRide Brew Co

Northwest Bend Businesses Temporarily Closed After Early Morning DUII Crash

Bend, OR - Two newly opened businesses in northwest Bend are having to close for now and pick up the pieces after a suspected drunk driver rammed into their building early Wednesday morning. The driver was arrested on suspicion of DUII after the 3:30 a.m. crash into the structure at the corner of Galveston Avenue and Federal Street police said. No staff or customers were in the building at the time of the crash and the driver was uninjured. “Unanticipated renovations” is the jovial way Bonta Gelato described the reason their new location has to close for a while. “Last night, somebody who shouldn’t have gotten behind the wheel drove through the wall of our Galveston Avenue location,” the business’s Instagram post said. “Most importantly, nobody was hurt.” They added, “We hope to be slinging scoops on Galveston again real soon, but until then, we look forward to serving you at our downtown Bend location and at our Eastside Tasting Room.”
The other business in the building is the newly opened Iris & Stout, which sells a variety of goods, from jewelry and clothing to décor. It has no other locations to move to and lost a bit of inventory in the crash. With only an online store to sell its goods for now, it must figure out how to stay afloat. “It’s a family business,” co-owner Chelsea Graff said. “I am still working as a nurse at the hospital, and here about five days a week, so it definitely impacts the business.” Both store owners said they were glad no one was hurt in the crash. There are also small residential units above the shops that were disturbed when the crash occurred, but Bend Fire officials said the building is safe for residents to stay in them. Property managers were on scene early Wednesday, working with a disaster repair company, ServPro of Bend, to board up and secure the structure and assess the damage.

High Desert Museum To Create Learning Hub With Federal Grant

Posted by Heather Roberts KBND

BEND, OR -- The High Desert Museum has been awarded a large federal grant to create a learning hub for children, families and community groups. "The museum is planning an expansion, to grow along with our amazing community," says Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, "And part of that expansion is doubling our classroom space, our learning spaces. This $238,000 will be part of that project." She tells KBND News, "We'll be able to double the size of our kids camps in the summers, we have K-12 classes all year long, we do teacher professional development workshops, we're part of a four-year National Science Foundation study on how to bring the best STEM - Science Technology Engineering and Math - workshops to families in rural areas." Completion of the expansion is likely a couple of years away. 

Whitelaw says the last major renovation was in the late 90's, "The museum has always been looking ahead: what is our community going to need now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now? And what do we need to be doing now to make sure that we stay that relevant and catalyzing resource for Central Oregon." She tells KBND News the museum has again outgrown its facility, "It opened in 1982, when Bend had 17,000 people here. We have three classrooms that, right as I'm speaking, have three amazing groups of kids campers in them." The museum just hit a new attendance record with almost 225-thousand visitors a year.

The High Desert Museum is the only Oregon facility outside Portland to receive this round of funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. OMSI and the Portland Art Museum were also awarded grants. "These are very competitive grants and to have three of Oregon's cultural anchors receive about $750,000 is a badge of honor for the museum sector in this state," says Whitelaw.

Deschutes Co. DA Plans For Organized Retail Theft Training

Posted by Heather Roberts KBND

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County's District Attorney is optimistic new state funds will help curb organized retail theft. D.A. Steve Gunnels says groups of thieves enter stores, load up carts with merchandise and walk out without paying. ?"It's really a big problem for retailers. It's a problem for people who shop at retail stores, which is all of us, because that kind of activity drives the prices up for everybody."

But the incidents are more than just a blight on the retailer's bottom line, "There are a lot of situations where if the store tries to intervene, there could be violence with people who just want to get away with their stolen property and people can get hurt."

As KBND News first reported last week, Gunnels' office was awarded a nearly $18,000 grant from Oregon's Criminal Justice Commission to provide training and resources for local businesses through the end of the year. "It's a small grant, but it's important to get some funding to help with the time and some of the materials that we'll be distributing to the local retailers," says Gunnels. "It's basically for flyers, for materials that we would hand out to stores to kind of identify ways to reduce this threat to their wellbeing, their bottom line." Gunnels had asked for $50,000. The Criminal Justice Commission says he can apply for the remainder in January.

Gunnels tells KBND News local businesses look forward to receiving help, "Retailers are receptive. I've spoken to Loss Prevention about the issue and they're all over it. They really want to get on top of it, because when they see it happen, sometimes they see it happening in hindsight, when they're reviewing surveillance footage from inside their store. And once people get away, there sometimes isn't a lot that they or police can do about it."

He urges shoppers not to attempt to intervene, if they see a person or a group of people shoplifting, "Reach out to store employees, who can get in touch with their risk management or their loss prevention, and then contact the police."

Bend Fast-Tracking Urban Growth Boundary Expansion for Housing

Bend is moving to quickly expand its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to address housing shortages, including a focus on affordable options. Following a city council decision, notices for site applications will be released this month, leveraging Oregon Senate Bill 1537 which incentivizes rapid housing development.

The bill allows for a one-time UGB amendment to provide land for housing, requiring that 30% of new units be designated as affordable. This is part of Governor Tina Kotek’s initiative to meet the state's housing goal of 36,000 units annually for the next decade.

Bend's qualification hinges on current housing data reflecting rent burden levels. Applications for expansion must be submitted by property owners with plans that include adequate services and comply with affordability guidelines. A public input period and online open house are planned as part of the process.

Historically, UGB expansions have been lengthy; however, this expedited approach aims to meet urgent housing needs as Bend's population is projected to grow significantly by 2045. The state faces a critical housing shortage, and SB 1537 represents a strategic effort to increase housing production while maintaining Oregon's natural landscape.

Full Story Here

Updates of Oregon Fires

Link to: Air Quality Index map

Another AQI Map

Link to: Northwest Large Fire Interactive Web Map

Oregon legislative Democrats join governor, Republicans in opposing rebate ballot measure

Julia Shumway, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Democratic leaders in the Oregon House and Senate have come out swinging against a November ballot measure that would hike taxes on corporations to send checks to every Oregonian. 

Top Democrats in the House and Senate joined their Republican colleagues and Gov. Tina Kotek in opposing Measure 118, also referred to as the Oregon Rebate. The ballot measure, one of five statewide questions that will appear on the November ballot, would increase by 3% the corporate minimum tax on sales above $25 million and distribute proceeds to all Oregonians.

A recent legislative fiscal analysis estimated that the higher taxes would lead to a roughly $1,600 annual payout for all eligible Oregonians, from people scrounging up bottles and cans to earn 10 cents at a time to Oregon’s richest man, Nike co-founder Phil Knight. 

It would result in about $7 billion more in tax revenue each year, though fiscal analysts say the state would end up with less money to spend on basic government services – about $400 million less in the 2025-27 budget cycle. And they predicted costs for goods would increase more with the new tax and rebate then they would without.

That analysis prompted House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene; House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard; Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, and Senate Majority Leader Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland, to slam the proposed tax in a joint statement Tuesday. 

“As a matter of public policy, we believe this is a bad deal for Oregonians,” they said. “We ask Oregonians to take a closer look at Measure 118, and we ask you to join us in voting no.”

They said the initiative, funded by a California venture capitalist, has “concerning, potentially dire implications” for crucial government services including health care, roads and public safety. 

Kotek, also a Democrat, told Portland’s Willamette Week in late July that she opposed the measure. 

“It may look good on paper, but its flawed approach would punch a huge hole in the state budget and put essential services for low-wage and working families at risk,” she said. 

And legislative Republicans oppose it. Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, called it “another out-of-state and dangerous experiment that doesn’t align with the needs of Oregonians.”

“It threatens our economic stability by driving up costs for businesses and consumers, leading to widespread job losses and higher prices for goods and services,” Bonham said. “This measure will result in severe cuts to essential public services, including education, public safety, and infrastructure. We cannot afford to gamble with Oregon’s future on unproven and risky policies.” 

Oregon Business and Industry, the state’s leading business lobby organization, is leading opposition to the measure and has put more than $500,000 into a political action committee to oppose it, state campaign finance data show. Supporters led by Josh Jones, a California venture capitalist and outspoken proponent of universal basic income, raised nearly $900,000 to put the measure on the ballot. 

Homeowner and two dogs escape early morning house fire because of working smoke alarms

Bend Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to 1134 NE Penn Ave at approx 1:00am on the morning of August 14th. A woman and her two dogs were awoken by screaming smoke alarms in the home. She was the only resident home at the time of the incident. She awoke, heard the alarms and noticed smoke in the home, called 911 and grabbed her dogs. Crews were on scene in a matter of minutes and found the lower portion of the home, a walk-in basement, fully involved with flames coming out of the sliding glass door. The fire was knocked down in 15 minutes and crews were able to contain the fire to the basement only, with no extension into the main living quarters of the home. Unfortunately, the basement and all contents are a complete loss due to fire, smoke and water damage. Upon investigation, the woman stated she went to bed around 11:30pm and mistakenly left an unattended candle burning in the basement area. The candle was not sitting on a non-combustible plate or surface and was directly in contact with the wooden table. 

This incident could have been much worse, had the homeowners not had working smoke alarms. With the main living and sleeping quarters above the basement, she was sleeping directly above the fully involved basement. She is extremely lucky that she had smoke alarms in both the basement and the main area of the home. This was a home smoke alarm save. We encourage everyone to stop and check that their smoke alarms are working and installed correctly. Bend Fire & Rescue has a free smoke alarm program and will come to your home to assess your alarms. Please call 541-322-6300 or go on our website for more information. The estimated building loss is $75,000 and the estimated contents loss is estimated at $20,000.

Deschutes Public Library Events

Follow us on facebook