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 T&TH

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

🖼️Fall & Art Show Sale - Dry Canyon Arts Association - Nov. 16th

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

 💓🧘‍♀️Meditation & Educational Event -November 16th

🎉New Event Calendar! Central Oregon Local Live!

📅Save The Date Section

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

📰Bend-La Pine Schools sells land to develop affordable housing for teachers

📰Bend-La Pine School Board appoints La Pine resident, retired community college president to fill board vacancy

📰Regional News

🌪️Confirmed tornado on the Oregon Coast

⚖️Family of security guard shot, killed at Portland hospital sues facility for $35M

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🔥⛑️Fire & Rescue News

💥Redmond motorcyclist dies in head-on crash on Highway 20 east of Bend

🚨Crime News

📰 Community News

🫴Family Access Network receives $15,000 grant from TMS

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

🐶😸Pet of the Week

💖😺Meet Leopold!

📲Sponsors & Partners

😁 MEME of the Day

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

Approximately how many inches of snowfall does Mount Bachelor receive each year, making it one of the snowiest places in Oregon?

• A) 300 inches

• B) 400 inches

• C) 450 inches

• D) 500 inches

Answer: C) 450 inches

Expanded Answer: Mount Bachelor averages around 450 inches of snowfall each year, providing consistent and high-quality powder that attracts skiers and snowboarders from all over. This abundant snowfall, coupled with cool temperatures that help maintain snow conditions, makes it a premier ski destination in the Pacific Northwest with one of the longest ski seasons in the United States.

 BEND

SANTIAM PASS WEATHER

BLUE BOX PASS WEATHER

Events Sponsored By

Enjoy Bend Life Real Estate

What’s Up Central Oregon 

November 16th

 Dry Canyon Arts Association Aims to Jumpstart Art Education...

On November 16-17, Dry Canyon Arts Association (DCAA) will host an art show and raffle at Redmond High School, aiming to fund their Jumpstart Art program, which seeks to bring art education to all elementary school children in Redmond. This initiative responds to local budget cuts that have left schools without art programs. DCAA has set a fundraising target of $80,000, with support sought from grants, local sponsors, and the art raffle. Raffle items include donated artwork, with all proceeds supporting art classes coordinated with school curriculums.

November 16th

November 16th

Coming up - Save the Date

Got an upcoming event you want us to FEATURE?

Click here to let us know about your upcoming Event!

Bend-La Pine Schools sells land to develop affordable housing for teachers

The Bend-La Pine School District board voted Tuesday to move forward on a project to develop a neighborhood of affordable homes for its staff.

A one-acre parcel next to Silver Rail Elementary School was sold to Habitat for Humanity for 18 townhomes.

“Median sale price is now well over $750,000," said Scott Maben, director of communications, Bend-La Pine Schools. "It became obvious that we could do something with this fragment of land that we really had no other appropriate use for.”

The district hopes this model will help alleviate cost of living struggles for teachers across the community.

“We have had people that we want to hire who have turned us down because they can't find affordable housing in Bend," Maben said. "We want our employees to be able to live, afford to live and work in the same community.”

The project, scheduled to break ground next year, will sell the homes in 2026.

“The district is not in the business of developing housing, but we can team up with a great community partner like Habitat for Humanity and do something to benefit our employees,” he said.

Once built, tenured school staff meeting certain income requirements will be preferred.

“It's only 18 dwelling units, but it's a start. And we want to start with something, and this is a great project to begin with," Maben said.

Bend-La Pine Schools says it is researching other areas of district-owned property that could be used for similar development in the future.

Bend-La Pine School Board appoints La Pine resident, retired community college president to fill board vacancy

Ross Tomlin, a retired community college president who lives in La Pine, was appointed Tuesday night to fill a vacancy on the Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors. Board members interviewed three finalists for the appointment and voted 5-0 for Tomlin to fill the Zone 6 at-large seat.

Tomlin will take the new board member oath of office at the beginning of the regular board meeting on Tuesday, December 10. His appointment will run through June 30, 2025. The Zone 6 seat will be on the ballot in the May 20, 202 election for a two-year term.

Tomlin recently retired as president of Tillamook Bay Community College after 42 years in roles with several community colleges. He recently taught forestry at Central Oregon Community College and helped the La Pine High School forestry program prepare for state competition.

“My passion has always been education,” Tomlin wrote in his application cover letter. “I truly believe it is one of the main keys to the success of our country. I would like to continue contributing to a successful educational system in Central Oregon that gets kids excited about learning and helps them find their passion in life to be a contributor to society.”

He added, “One of the big challenges I see school districts facing today is providing a safe and inclusive atmosphere for students to learn. It is critical to their success.”

Tomlin was a full-time instructor for over 20 years, then served as a college administrator for almost 23 years. He said much of his community college experience overlapped with K-12 school issues, including the transition of high school students to college.

The board selected the three finalists from seven applicants on October 8. The other finalists were Brandy Berlin, who has a background in teaching in public, private and charter schools, and as a business owner; and Jenn Lynch, who has served on nonprofit boards, works in finance, and previously was a substitute teacher in the district.

On Tuesday evening, the board asked the three finalists to answer the same set of questions, including:

How do your own personal and professional values align with public education?

What are the particular issues regarding Bend-La Pine Schools that you would like this Board to address and what is your proposed solution?

How do you view the board’s role versus the administration’s role in running the school district, leveraging assets, and addressing challenges?

A controversial matter surfaces at a school and you begin to get questions and opinions from friends, fellow parents, and/or community members about the issue. How will you handle these interactions?

As a Board Member you will serve a diverse group of constituents. Share with us an experience you have had working with people who have different backgrounds, identities, or beliefs than your own? How did you approach this? What did you learn?

The interviews and board vote are available on YouTube at this link.

Family of security guard shot, killed at Portland hospital sues facility for $35M

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The family of a security guard who was shot and killed at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, sued the facility for $35 million on Tuesday, accusing it of negligence and failing to respond to the dangers that the gunman posed to hospital staff over multiple days.

In a wrongful death complaint filed Tuesday, the estate of Bobby Smallwood argued that Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center failed to enforce its policies against violence and weapons in the workplace by not barring the shooter from the facility, despite staff reporting threats and aggression toward them in the days before the shooting.

“The repeated failures of Legacy Good Samaritan to follow their own safety protocols directly led to the tragically preventable death of Bobby Smallwood,” Tom D’Amore, the attorney representing the family, said in a statement. “Despite documented threats and abusive behavior that required immediate removal under hospital policy, Legacy allowed a dangerous individual to remain on the premises for three days until those threats escalated to violence.”

In an email, Legacy Health said it was unable to comment on pending litigation.

The shooting at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Portland was part of a wave of gun violence sweeping through U.S. hospitals and medical centers, which have struggled to adapt to the growing threats. Such attacks have helped make health care one of the nation’s most violent fields. Health care workers racked up 73% of all nonfatal workplace violence injuries in 2018, the most recent year for which figures are available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The gunman at the Portland hospital, PoniaX Calles, first visited the facility on July 19, 2023, as his partner was about to give birth. On July 20 and July 21, nursing staff and security guards filed multiple incident reports describing outbursts, violent behavior and threats, but they weren't accessible or provided to workers who were interacting with him, according to the complaint.

On July 22, nurse supervisors decided to remove Calles from his partner's room, and Smallwood accompanied him to the waiting room area outside the maternity ward. Other security guards searching the room found two loaded firearms in a duffel bag, and his partner told them he likely had a third gun on his person, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, over 40 minutes passed between the discovery of the duffel bag and Smallwood's death. Two minutes before he was shot, a security guard used hand gestures through glass doors to notify him that Calles was armed. Smallwood then told Calles he would pat him down, but Calles said he would leave instead. Smallwood began escorting him out of the hospital, and as other staff members approached them, Calles shot Smallwood in the neck.

The hospital did not call a “code silver,” the emergency code for an active shooter, until after Smallwood had been shot, the complaint said.

Smallwood's family said his death has profoundly impacted them.

“Every day we grieve the loss of our son and all the years ahead that should have been his to live,” his parents, Walter “Bob” and Tammy Smallwood, said in the statement released by their attorney. “Nothing can bring Bobby back, but we will not stop fighting until Legacy is held fully responsible for what they took from our family.”

After the shooting, Legacy said it planned to install additional metal detectors; require bag searches at every hospital; equip more security officers with stun guns; and apply bullet-slowing film to some interior glass and at main entrances.

Around 40 states have passed laws creating or increasing penalties for violence against health care workers, according to the American Nurses Association. Hospitals have armed security officers with batons, stun guns or handguns, while some states allow hospitals to create their own police forces.

Deschutes National Forest

Due to this week’s winter weather forecast, the Deschutes County Road Department will close Cascade Lakes Highway and Paulina Lake Road at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Nov.14, which is earlier than previously announced. The department had planned on a Nov.19 winter closure of the high-elevation forest roadways.

PORTLAND AVENUE ROAD CLOSURE BEGINS TUESDAY, NOV. 12

Starting Nov. 12, Stage 2 of the Awbrey Butte Waterline Improvement Project will bring rolling two-block closures to Portland Avenue, from NW 1st to NW 8th Street. Work will begin at NW 1st Street and move westward.

Traffic will be detoured to Newport Avenue (see map below). Local and emergency vehicle access will be maintained. Essential services such as EMS, garbage collection and mail delivery will continue uninterrupted. Please avoid parking in “No Parking Areas.”

Redmond motorcyclist dies in head-on crash on Highway 20 east of Bend

A Redmond man died last week after his motorcycle collided head-on with a pickup on Highway 20 east of Bend, Oregon State Police said Tuesday.

It happened last Thursday around 1:00 p.m. about 20 miles east of Bend.

Stephen Paul Tranhaile, 67, was in the westbound lane on his Husqvarna motorcycle and attempted to merge into the eastbound lane when he collided with a Ford-F-350, driven by a Bend man, OSP said.

OSP Capt. Kyle Kennedy said it’s believed Tranhaile was stopped at a pullout on the highway and was merging into eastbound traffic, but used the westbound lane to do so and didn’t clear westbound traffic.

Tranhaile was declared dead at the scene. The pickup driver was not hurt.

Traffic was impacted for three hours for the investigation.

Family Access Network receives $15,000 grant from TMS

The Family Access Network has received $15,000 from TMS for FAN’s work to support children and families in need in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties.

The grant will provide client funds to help FAN advocates connect families who are low income, living in poverty, or experiencing homelessness to critical support such as eviction prevention, heating, and other necessities like food, hygiene items, and clothing. 

As colder months approach Central Oregon, this generous support ensures FAN advocates are ready to help struggling families remain warm, safely sheltered, and properly clothed.

FAN’s Project Manager, Robyn Ridolphi, said, “We are so appreciative! Client funds are invaluable to our advocates and the families we serve. They allow our advocates to provide essential support tailored to each family’s unique needs, ensuring we can make a real difference in their lives.”

Founded in 1993, Braemar Charitable Trust is contracted by TMS to evaluate grant requests by Oregon nonprofits. TMS and Braemar Charitable Trust prioritize education, community services, arts and culture, youth activities, and historical preservation in their funding decisions, with special emphasis given to projects with a focus on education.

Unique to Central Oregon, FAN began in 1993 and currently employs 28 advocates at 65 sites in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties. These advocates work tirelessly to help families break the cycle of poverty. The direct placement of FAN advocates within schools allows FAN to effectively reach and connect children and families in need to essential resources to thrive.

To learn more about the Family Access Network, please visit familyaccessnetwork.org or call (541) 693-5675.

Family Access Network’s mission is to offer assistance, possibility and hope to Central Oregon families in need by connecting them with crucial resources that will help children flourish in school and in life. Every year, FAN advocates improve the lives of over 7,500 children and family members in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.

Meet Leopold!

Leopold is a sweet, one-year-old cuddle enthusiast with a big heart for snuggles. He absolutely adores head kisses and is happiest when getting his fill of belly rubs! This affectionate guy would thrive in a home where he can be the only cat, and while we’re still learning how he feels about dogs, he’s eager to find his perfect match.

Leopold still has a few vet appointments ahead, so he’s available as a foster-to-adopt companion, giving you the chance to bond with him while he awaits his final check-up. Stop by anytime before 4 pm to meet Leopold and see if he’s the one for you! 💙

 😎Just Sayin

Fun N Games in Central Oregon

Please feel free to add Events. Please let your favorite places know about us too to help us keep this calendar Updated!

Deschutes Public Library Events

Follow us on facebook