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In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia Wednesdays

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

🎉New Event Calendar! Central Oregon Local Live!

📅Save The Date Section

🎉🎊Unforgettable New Year’s Eve at The Belfry

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

📰Senators announce nearly $450K in FAA funding for new 10-unit hangar at Prineville Airport

🧑‍🚒Redmond house fire gives firefighters training, saves property owner on demo costs 🎦

📰Koi illegally dumped into McKenzie River prompts ODFW response

📰Regional / National News

🚨3 dead in double homicide-suicide in Klamath County, sheriff says

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🔥⛑️Fire & Rescue News

💥🍩Car crashes into Richards Donuts and Pastries in Bend, early Sunday morning

💥Fatal Crash - Highway 97 - Deschutes County

🚨Crime News

🚨Bend Man Arrested After Shots Fired in Domestic Dispute

🚨Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Suspicious Death Near Masten Road

📰 Community News

🪀🧸Toys For Tots Drop off Locations

🐕‍🦺Hiking Hounds of Bend - Peace of Mind Walks

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📲Sponsors & Partners

😁 MEME of the Day

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

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Coming up - Save the Date

Unforgettable New Year’s Eve at The Belfry

Ring in the New Year with Company Grand, a nine-piece powerhouse band known for their dynamic originals and high-energy covers, headlining at The Belfry on December 31–January 1. Sharing the stage is the eclectic and funky Kota Dosa, bringing their signature New Orleans sound to Sisters.

This special night features unique connections to Sisters, with Tyler Cranor, a former Sisters High School jazz teacher, performing with Company Grand and jazz alum Simon Rhett joining Kota Dosa.

Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets available at BendTicket.com. Don’t miss this high-energy celebration!

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Senators announce nearly $450K in FAA funding for new 10-unit hangar at Prineville Airport

Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Wednesday that the Prineville Airport and Pendleton’s Eastern Oregon Regional Airport received a combined $1,329,000 in federal funds from the Federal Aviation Administration for infrastructure and safety improvements.

“Oregon’s regional airports serve as vital hubs for our communities – supporting local businesses, connecting travelers to world-class recreational opportunities, and providing essential lifelines during natural disasters,” Merkley said. “This federal funding ensures that our airport infrastructure and equipment are up to date and safe. I’ll keep pushing for infrastructure investments like these to further support the economic prosperity of the Prineville and Pendleton communities for years to come.” 

“The Pendleton and Prineville airports play essential roles for rural Oregonians counting on them for their safe and efficient travel from Point A to Point B as well as the reliable transport of business goods and emergency resources,” Wyden said. “Infrastructure like these airports requires strong investments just like these. I’m glad these federal funds are heading to Pendleton and Prineville, and committed to securing similar federal investments for regional airports across Oregon.” 

  Funding and project descriptions can be found below: 

       $881,000 for Pendleton’s Eastern Oregon Regional Airport for a snowplow and snow removal broom to protect travelers during adverse weather conditions.  

  $448,000 for Prineville Airport to construct a new sponsor-owned hangar for aircraft storage and expand an existing taxi lane.  

 “Crook County and the City of Prineville community are grateful for the FAA grant funds which will support the construction of a 10-unit aircraft storage facility that is in high demand. This type of project is essential for the safe and efficient operation of our fast-growing airport. We are thankful for the support from Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden, the FAA and for the ongoing assistance from the Oregon Department of Aviation to make this happen,” said Kelly Coffelt, Prineville Airport Manager. 

“The Eastern Oregon Regional Airport at Pendleton has been struggling with undersized snowplows for almost three decades.  These FAA AIP grant funds will allow the Airport to acquire critically important state-of-the-art snow removal equipment.  In addition to alleviating a long-standing problem that posed a public safety risk, these new tools will accelerate snow removal, lessen weather delays and cancellations, decrease staff overtime, and increase staff productivity, which all represent benefits to the flying public.  The City of Pendleton is immensely appreciative of the enduring support we receive from Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley,” said Steve Chrisman, City of Pendleton Economic Development & Airport Director. 

Redmond house fire gives firefighters training, saves property owner on demo costs

Redmond residents may have seen a huge plume of smoke on Friday, but it was nothing to worry about. Firefighters were burning down an old house, getting key training along the way.

The "Burn to Learn" training happened at 732 NW Maple Ave. near Pappy's Pizzeria. During training, firefighters enter the building with smoke pouring out.

“Experience the heat, see how it is to move around the building, what happens when you close the door on the fire room and how the cools off the room instantly,” Captain Garrett Robertson said.

It's key experiences these cadets don't learn in the classroom.

“I guess they are doing three months of training today, all in one day,” property owner Carolyn Stewart said. “Right now I’m trying to clean up the property for future development options.”

An old house on Stewart's property was slated for demolition. This training becomes a win-win for her and Redmond Fire.

“Some developers around the area call us and say, 'We're putting in this development. Can you burn this house for us?'" Robertson said. "It saves the property owner quite a bit of money in demo costs.”

Fire cadets work through three training goals:

• Experiencing live heat and fire.

• Flowing and moving through a burning structure.

• Window based searches.

“They have to enter a window to the bedroom where most victims are located. About 45% of victims are located in bedrooms,” Robertson said.

Like all classrooms, training finishes with mistakes and lessons to review, and practice makes perfect.

Redmond Fire said it never knows when the next opportunity like this is going to come up. If you have a building you need to demolish, they are happy to take a look and see if it can be used for training.

Koi illegally dumped into McKenzie River prompts ODFW response

EUGENE, Ore. – ODFW staff responded to a report made to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline on Wednesday, Dec. 18, that a koi (fish) was spotted near the Armitage Boat Landing on the McKenzie River near Eugene.

District fish biologists removed the large koi which was most likely intentionally released into the McKenzie River. Koi can live up to 25 years, reproduce rapidly, and can survive very cold winters. Mature koi can produce 5,000 to 10,000 eggs and the largest koi can lay 500,000 eggs.

“Introduced, non-native fish can spread deadly diseases to wild fish populations,” said Jeff Ziller, ODFW District Fish Biologist. “There are plenty of examples in other states and countries where koi have damaged or changed aquatic ecosystems so extensively that vast amounts of public resources have been allocated to eradicate them, largely unsuccessfully,” added Ziller.

Koi are omnivores with a voracious appetite, consuming fish and amphibian eggs, aquatic insects, and competing with native fish for food. They also stir up sediments while uprooting and consuming aquatic plants which can reduce forage and cover for waterfowl and other animals.

Once non-native species are introduced to a waterbody, they are nearly impossible to remove. Help spread the word to never dump unwanted fish or aquarium contents in or near waterways, streams, ponds, lakes, or stormwater drains. It can have serious ecological consequences and can ruin recreational opportunities for future generations of Oregonians. 

ODFW staff appreciate the report to the Invasive Species Hotline. Non-native, invasive species, such as koi, can be reported to the hotline at 1-866-INVADER.

3 dead in double homicide-suicide in Klamath County, sheriff says

(This article contains information about suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, open 24-7. The Oregon YouthLine can also be reached at 877-968-8491. You can also call or text "HOPE" at the Oregon Hopeline, open 24-7. The Oregon Hopeline can be reached at 833-975-0505.) 

Three people died of gunshot wounds in an apparent double homicide-suicide across three different crime scenes, the Klamath County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.

In a release from Sheriff Chris Kaber, the investigation began around noon Friday as deputies responded to a suspicious incident regarding two adult brothers in the Bonzanza/Bly Mountain area. Family members reported being concerned about the "erratic behavior" of the older brother.

The vehicle they were in was spotted a short time later on Keno Springs Road. As deputies tried to make contact, the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. Kaber said deputies heard a single gunshot as they approached the vehicle. It was determined the driver, 24-year-old Bradley Anderson of Klamath Falls, took his own life.

Oregon State Police also responded. As the investigation of the scene continued, Bradley's younger brother, 21-year-old Joseph Anderson, was found under blankets in the rear cargo area, dead of an apparent gunshot wound, Kaber said.

Their family was contacted and told of what happened as they were organizing a search party, Kaber said.

The sheriff's office then checked on the welfare of the registered owner of the vehicle, 74-year-old Robert Russell Langley of Beatty. He was found at his home, also dead of an apparent gunshot wound, Kaber said.

It's believed all three deaths are connected, Kaber said. The investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to call

OSP Detective Collahan at (541) 883-5711 or Klamath County Sheriff's Office Detective Pena at (541) 883-5130.

 City of Bend Events

Car crashes into Richards Donuts and Pastries in Bend, early Sunday morning

Richards Donuts and Pastries in Bend, received a shock Sunday morning when a loud crash came thundering through the front door of their shop.

At around 9:50 a.m., a gentlemen and his wife were beginning to park in front of the shop, before the male driver mistook his gas pedal for the break. 

The couple's 2008 Toyota RAV4, lurched forward, hitting a support beam and a portion of the front door. Glass flew into the business, striking a customer inside.

That customer suffered minor cuts, but was treated by Bend Fire & Rescue, and was able to leave the scene. 

Witnesses describe the gentlemen and his wife as "elderly." They were not injured, and was not cited for the incident. 

Fatal Crash - Highway 97 - Deschutes County

Deschutes County, Ore 20 Dec 2024- On Friday, December 20, 2024, at 4:12 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Hwy-97, near milepost 128, in Deschutes County, approximately 5 miles south of Redmond, OR.

The preliminary investigation indicated a northbound Ford Town & Country, operated by Steven Thomas Lakey (54) of Bend, struck a pedestrian, Glenn Curtis Watkins (28) of Bend, who was on the roadway for unknown reasons.

The pedestrian (Watkins) was declared deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Ford (Lakey) was not injured.

The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Redmond Police Department, and ODOT.

Bend Man Arrested After Shots Fired in Domestic Dispute

BEND, Ore. – A Bend man was arrested Friday morning following a domestic dispute that escalated with gunfire the previous evening.

Bend Police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance involving a firearm at a home on the 61000 block of SE Manhae Loop around 9:07 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19. Upon arrival, officers found a woman and three children outside the residence. The family members told police that the suspect, identified as 37-year-old Jacob Tyler Franke, had fired two rounds from a handgun and remained inside the house.

Police secured a search warrant, and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team (CERT) was deployed to clear the residence. While no one was found inside, investigators discovered evidence that shots had been fired. Officers conducted an overnight search of the surrounding area but were initially unable to locate Franke.

The following morning, at approximately 8:10 a.m., police received information that Franke was at a friend's home on NE Desert Juniper Lane. Officers established a perimeter around the property. Shortly after, the friend drove away in a black Tesla with Franke as a passenger. Police stopped the vehicle on Hamby Road near Paloma Drive at 8:25 a.m.

Franke cooperated with authorities and was taken into custody without incident at 8:28 a.m. He was transported to the Deschutes County Jail and faces charges of unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, coercion, pointing a firearm at another person, fourth-degree assault, and reckless endangerment.

No injuries were reported during the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Suspicious Death Near Masten Road

BEND, Ore. – The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a suspicious death after a deceased individual was discovered at a campsite north of Masten Road and east of Jackpine Road on Friday morning, Dec. 20.

Deputies were dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:30 a.m. and immediately began an investigation. Authorities are working closely with the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office, the Oregon State Police Crime Lab, and the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.

The Sheriff’s Office stated that the investigation is active and ongoing. Further details will be released as they become available. Investigators believe the incident is isolated but are urging the public to remain alert. Anyone observing suspicious persons or vehicles in the area is encouraged to contact Deschutes County 911.

For now, the investigation into the suspicious death remains a priority for local law enforcement.

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