In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia Wednesdays

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

🦀Powell Butte Community Center Crab Feed! Yum

📅Save The Date Section

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

🎀✂️Sunriver Unveils New Public Safety Building with Ribbon-Cutting & Open House

🍽️Dogwood at the Pine Shed Marks a New Chapter for Bend Central District

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🔥⛑️Fire & Rescue News

🔥⛑️Smoke Alarms Alert Homeowners Of Flue Fire

💥🎦Bodycam shows truck nearly hitting Jefferson County deputy on snowy Highway 97

🚨Crime News

📰Community News

🏫💝Waldorf keeps the tradition with hearts in Downtown Bend

🎦Father Luke: The priest who brought Bend a church, school and hospital and fought The Klan

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😁 MEME of the Day

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SANTIAM PASS WEATHER

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WILLAMETTE PASS WEATHER

What’s Up Central Oregon 

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Local News…

Sunriver Unveils New Public Safety Building with Ribbon-Cutting & Open House

The Sunriver Service District says it's pleased to announce the official ribbon-cutting of the new Police and Fire Public Safety Building, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20 beginning at 11 am.

The event is open to all residents, community members, visitors and the media.  The event will begin with the official ribbon cutting followed by tours of the facility until 1 pm and additional open tours from 3 pm to 5 pm, this week's announcement said

Guests will have the opportunity to view and tour the new state-of-the-art facility and learn about the services delivered by the Fire and Police Departments.

Sunriver Service District Board Chair, Jim Fister, commented, "This public safety building is an asset to the community and to the area at large. The county taxpayers and visitors to the region contributed significantly to its construction due to the support of the county and its $8 million investment in the District. The District itself also used reserves and smart investments to limit additional costs.

"We thank the taxpayers for their support, and we're thrilled that they can see how their dollars are being invested in Sunriver."

Dogwood at the Pine Shed Marks a New Chapter for Bend Central District

Following its grand opening, the new food cart pod Dogwood at the Pine Shed is a significant step in revitalizing the Bend Central District. Located at 2nd Street and Hawthorne Avenue, across from the BottleDrop, the area has been seen as unsafe, but Dogwood’s General Manager Sean Lawrence believes that perception is changing.

“The community has been really welcoming. I think people are just happy Dogwood is back in Bend,” Lawrence said. He added that while concerns exist, he has met many kind and welcoming people in the neighborhood.

Despite initial hesitations, businesses like Kook'i, which had to relocate from the Podski food cart lot, are finding success in the new space. Owner Heather Ward admitted she was unsure about the location at first but now feels safe and optimistic.

With the city focusing on making the area more pedestrian and bike-friendly, future improvements include a single-tower, cable-stayed pedestrian bridge over Highway 97 at Hawthorne Avenue—part of a broader effort to enhance Greenwood, Franklin, and Hawthorne corridors. Customers, like Brad Pepper, believe these changes will transform the area into a thriving community hub.

 City of Bend Events

Fire & Rescue News…

Smoke Alarms Alert Homeowners Of Flue Fire

Bend, OR - Two residents were awaken by smoke alarms in their home, at 295 NW Linster Place, Saturday evening. The fire broke out around 9:50pm and the couple had only been asleep for about one hour. They heard the smoke alarms and discovered heavy smoke coming from their flue's wood burning stove. They had made a fire in the woodstove a few hours previously before going to bed, like they often have done in the past. Fire crews arrived on scene within minutes and were able to contain the fire to the flue and prevent further spread. The cause of the fire appears to have originated inside the closed flue, directly above the woodstove, where the radiant heat ignited surrounding insulation.  

Because of the home's working smoke alarms, the couple was alerted, given ample time to grab thier pets and a few belongings and escape unharmed. Bend Fire would like to remind everyone that smoke alarms safe lives, as we have seen tonight. With extremely cold temperatures latey, woodstoves and fireplaces have been running nonstop in homes. Take the time to check your smoke alarms and ensure they are working properly. If you need assistance with your alarms, please contact Bend Fire & Rescue at 541-322-6300, or go to our website and submit a request. The damage is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. 

Bodycam shows truck nearly hitting Jefferson County deputy on snowy Highway 97

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has released bodycam video showing a vehicle nearly hitting a deputy who was responding to a crash on snowy Highway 97 on Thursday.

In a post on Facebook, JCSO said, “Road conditions were terrible from the snow, causing an array of accidents.”

As deputies responded to one crash Thursday afternoon, “a speeding truck had issues slowing down and they slid sideways” while a deputy was standing next to a car from the previous crash, JCSO said. 

The bodycam footage shows the deputy standing next to a car when the pickup comes sliding in, hitting another car. Another person was standing nearby when it happened but was not hit.

A second video, taken from a distance, shows the crash as it happened.

JCSO did not indicate if anyone was injured as a result. It also did not say exactly where along Highway 97 this happened.

The sheriff’s office reminds drivers to slow down in the snow and move over when they see emergency lights on the side of the road.

“Drive as if your loved ones are standing there on the road… safely and with extreme caution,” the sheriff’s office said.

Crime News…

Community News…

A fun, sweet Valentine's Day tradition of over a decade continued Friday in downtown Bend, as Waldorf School of Oregon students crafted handmade hearts to decorate the trees across the area. The public is encouraged to take a heart and share it with someone they love.

This is an interesting story ⬇️

 😎 Just sayin

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