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In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia T&TH

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

🥕🥔🫘Fill Your Pantry - November 9th

📅Save The Date Section

🍲Think Wild Hosting a Wild Chili Cook-Off -November 16th

 💓🧘‍♀️Meditation & Educational Event -November 16th

🎉New Event Calendar! Central Oregon Local Live!

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

❎Vander Kamp wins Deschutes County sheriff's race

❎Local Candidate Races

❎Local City Councils

❎Local Measures

📰Deschutes Co. Denies Request To Allow Mini-Storage On Ag Land

🍄More than a dozen Oregon communities, including Redmond, vote to ban psilocybin businesses

📰Regional News

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🔥⛑️Fire & Rescue News

🚨Crime News

📰 Community News

📅Resource fair helps those dealing with dementia

👩‍🏫Bend-La Pine Schools honors Cascade Middle School’s Lauren Miller as Educator of the Year

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

📲Sponsors & Partners

😁 MEME of the Day

🌆 On going Events Fun N Games in Central Oregon has LAUNCHED 🚀

Name this Street. Bonus for Year it was taken.

👉Find the Answer in Tomorrow’s Newsletter👉

 BEND

Events Sponsored By

Enjoy Bend Life Real Estate

What’s Up Central Oregon 

The 9th Annual Central Oregon ​​​Fill Your Pantry is a community bulk-buying farmers market created so YOU can fill up your pantry, freezer, and root cellar with great local products for the winter. Say bye-bye to busy holiday lines and produce that has traveled farther than you during holiday vacations, and say hello to a kitchen full of local meats, grains, vegetables, ferments, and more.

The Central Oregon Fill Your Pantry will allow you to stock up on items like potatoes, onions, leeks, beets, winter squash, garlic, honey, flours, apples, pears, dried beans, krauts, baked goods, and more.

This is a bulk-focused farmers market, so bring your muscles! Farmers, ranchers, orchardists, and producers will be selling large quantities of items. For example, 20lb bags of onions, 50lb bags of potatoes, 25lb boxes of ground beef, etc. This is a great opportunity for vendors to move product before the harsh Central Oregon winter and a great opportunity for you to save money and eat well all winter long.

Saturday 
November 9th

11am to 3pm

OSU Extension parking lot Deschutes County Fairgrounds

Coming up - Save the Date

November 16th

November 16th

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Vander Kamp wins Deschutes County sheriff's race

Kent Vander Kamp wins Deschutes County Sheriff election with 60% of the vote, defeating William Bailey. This marks the first non-incumbent race since 1996. Vander Kamp, a sergeant on a drug enforcement team, expressed gratitude to supporters, promising "positive change" for the community. Bailey, endorsed by outgoing Sheriff Shane Nelson, conceded and pledged to continue his public safety work. Both candidates, with similar platforms on public safety, faced a heated campaign, including controversies within the sheriff’s office over workplace issues and accusations of misconduct.

Local Candidate Races

Posted Yesterday At 10:03am by KBND News

In perhaps the most contentious local campaign of the season, Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp (59%) has won the race for Deschutes County Sheriff, against his coworker Capt. William Bailey (40%)

State Rep. Emerson Levy (D) has won the race for House District 53, which includes the north end of Bend, the southern half of Redmond and all of Sisters against challenger Keri Lopez (R) by a margin of 54% to 45% of the vote.

With 59% of the vote, Bend City Councilor Anthony Broadman (D) wins the race for Senate District 27 vs Redmond School Board Member Michael Summers (R) (40%) to replace outgoing Bend Senator Tim Knopp.

Local City Councils

Posted Yesterday At 10:02am by KBND News

The Bend City Council had four open positions on the November ballot. Megan Norris, Gina Franzosa, Megan Perkins, and Steve Platt appear to be winning those seats.

In Redmond, Ed Fitch will remain Mayor, with 57% of the vote to Cat Zwicker’s 36%.

It looks like newcomer Jay Patrick, will join incumbents Shannon Wedding and Clifford Evelyn on the Redmond City Council, where three seats were up for grabs.

And, in Crook County, the race for County Commissioner is currently in incumbent Seth Crawford’s favor with 52%,  versus former Commissioner Ken Fahlgren‘s 47%.

Local Measures

Posted Yesterday At 10:00am by KBND News

Voters in Deschutes County have decided to expand the board of County Commissioners to five members.

That measure is up by a margin of 64% to 35%.  [M9-173]

Redmond voters have approved a measure to allow marijuana dispensaries in the city, 53% to 46%. [M9-177].

At the same time, voters are approving the two-year moratorium on psilocybin service centers in Redmond.

The Redmond School bond is passing 53% to 46%. [M9-174].

The Redmond Area Park and Rec levy is failing, 67% voting no to 32% yes. [M9-175].

And the levy for the Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District is barely passing with 50% Yes and 49% No.  [M9-176]

Deschutes Co. Denies Request To Allow Mini-Storage On Ag Land

Posted by Heather Roberts

Deschutes County Commissioners blocked requests Monday to allow mini-storage businesses to open on land zoned as Multi-Use Agricultural. Two companies wanted the county to allow mini-storage facilities on any land zoned MUA-10. Commissioner Phil Chang says the decision doesn’t stop those applicants from requesting exceptions for their individual properties on Highway 97 and Highway 20, but he didn’t want a blanket change for the zoning designation. 

More than a dozen Oregon communities, including Redmond, vote to ban psilocybin businesses

By Ben Botkin and Lynne Terry, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Voters in more than a dozen Oregon cities, including Redmond and in the Portland area, have voted to ban the regulated sales and use of psilocybin mushrooms. 

Anti-psilocybin measures were on the ballots in 16 cities and unincorporated Clackamas County, and are passing in coastal communities to urban Portland and central and southern Oregon by 55% to 70% of the vote. 

Bans against psilocybin businesses are passing in  Brookings, Rogue River, Sutherlin, Redmond, Lebanon, Jefferson, Sheridan, Amity, Hubbard, Mount Angel, Estacada, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, Seaside and Warrenton.

Redmond’s voters extended a two-year moratorium on psilocybin businesses, previously approved by voters, which would have expired at the end of this year. 

There was one notable outlier. The measure to ban psilocybin could fail in Nehalem, a small community in Tillamook County, according to initial returns. But it is failing by only three votes. The unofficial results on Wednesday were close: 80 voters oppose the ban and 77 voters support. 

Comment was not immediately available from psilocybin opponents. Supporters of the drug expressed disappointment with the results Wednesday.

“I think it’s really unfortunate that local communities, often rural communities continue to prevent access to psilocybin services, especially given that we’ve seen over 7,000 people go through the Oregon program, and there’s been so many stories of healing and benefit for those who have done it,” said Sam Chapman, a longtime psilocybin advocate who is policy and development director for the Microdosing Collective, a nonprofit supporting use of the drug in small doses.  

Chapman played a big role in getting Oregonians to approve licensed psilocybin treatment centers, facilitators and manufacturers with the passage of Measure 109 four years ago by 56% of the vote. The measure required the Oregon Health Authority to start a program to allow providers to administer psilocybin mushrooms and fungi products to people 21 or older. 

To date, the health authority has licensed about 1,000 staff, including 350 facilitators who work directly with clinics while they’re on the hallucinogen. The agency has also licensed 30 psilocybin centers – from the Portland area to Eugene to Ashland and beyond – along with a dozen manufacturers and one lab. 

Chapman said these centers give the state another “tool in the toolbox” to treat mental illness, especially depression, anxiety and PTSD, especially for veterans.

“We’re actually seeing the proof of concept for the people who are going through Oregon’s service centers now,” Chapman said. “I think the mental health crisis in rural communities is especially unique in that these rural communities are struggling not just for mental health but economically as well.” 

The economy of the psilocybin industry has been soft, caused mainly by the cost of a single session, which can range from hundreds to several thousand dollars, with many customers flocking to Oregon from out of state. 

Chapman said rejection of psilocybin is linked to a lack of education about the drug and how the industry works in Oregon. Consumers cannot buy the drug in stores, as they can for marijuana, and treatments are regulated.

“They don’t understand psilocybin. They don’t understand the research and they don’t understand the Oregon program. And so in addition to the lack of that understanding, they make some assumptions. The biggest assumption is that this is just the same thing as cannabis. They assume this is for retail sales, which is not true,” Chapman said. 

Healing Advocacy Fund, a nonprofit in Oregon and Colorado, will continue to push for the programs to grow, with state-regulated access to psychedelic healing.  Heidi Pendergast, the group’s Oregon director, said the rollout in Oregon has been safe, with only four people needing emergency services out of thousands served.

“So while there may be some concerns, we haven’t seen that play out right now whatsoever in the program,” Pendergast said.

Oregon was the first state to decriminalize psilocybin in licensed settings and Colorado has followed suit. Massachusetts voters rejected a proposal to legalize the mushrooms and allow people to grow small quantities at their homes, National Public Radio reported. 

Deschutes County Road Department plans to close Cascade Lakes Highway, Paulina Lake Road for the winter on Nov. 19

Resource fair helps those dealing with dementia

Living Well with Dementia Sisters will host the Care and Connect Resource Fair on Thursday, November 14, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Sisters Community Church, 1300 McKenzie Hwy. This free event is designed to connect all care partners with local organizations and resources to help them navigate the challenges of supporting loved ones living with dementia.

The Care and Connect Resource Fair will feature more than 20 local service providers and community organizations, each offering valuable information and tools for caregivers. The fair aims to foster a supportive environment where care partners can learn more about resources available to them, meet representatives from various support organizations, and find guidance on managing the unique needs of dementia care and other illnesses.

“We understand the challenges faced by families and friends who provide care for loved ones with dementia,” said Debbi McCune, Living Well with Dementia Sisters. “This fair is our way of empowering caregivers, regardless of the type of disease, with knowledge, support, and resources right here in our community. It’s an opportunity to connect and find the support they need.”

Living Well with Dementia Sisters encourages all local care partners, families, and community members interested in learning more about dementia care resources to attend.

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Bend-La Pine Schools honors Cascade Middle School’s Lauren Miller as Educator of the Year

Bend-La Pine Schools presented its Educator of the Year award Wednesday to Lauren Miller, a Learning Specialist at Cascade Middle School. She is one of three employees being honored this fall in the district’s Excellence in Education recognition program.

Superintendent Steven Cook and other district administrators, along with School Board directors and members of Miller’s family, celebrated her during a surprise morning visit to Cascade. Representatives of Mid Oregon Credit Union presented the school with a $500 check in honor of the recognition.

“Lauren is a standout leader and advocate for students who is full of creativity, compassion, and a commitment to inclusive education,” Dr. Cook said. “What makes Lauren truly exceptional is her unwavering dedication to full inclusion for special education students. She’s a leader in implementing innovative models that ensure students receive individualized instruction within the general education setting.”

Miller’s collaborative spirit is evident in her partnerships with teachers across disciplines, as she works to align math, reading, and writing goals to meet each student's unique needs. Her colleagues describe her as kind, hardworking and relentless in her commitment to helping every student reach their potential.

Miller started in Bend-La Pine Schools as an educational assistant, where she discovered her passion for helping students with diverse learning needs. Encouraged by her mentors, she earned her teaching license and worked at Rosland Elementary School and La Pine Middle School before joining the team at Cascade Middle School.

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