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In this issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia Wednesdays

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 What’s Up Central Oregon?

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

 🐾Elusive heeler roaming northeast Bend captured after weeklong effort

📋Commissioners to hold public hearing on curbside recycling in distant rural areas of Deschutes County

 🍺 Crux Fermentation Project Joins New Oregon Beverage Collective

🛏️ Sisters Community Builds 35 Beds & Quilts for Kids in Need

🚲 Prineville Moves Forward on Lynn Blvd Bike & Ped Path

 🚧 Expect 20-Minute Delays on Hwy 126 Near Powell Butte

❄️ Mt. Bachelor Local Ownership Proposal Draws Attention in County Race

🚒⛑Fire & Rescue News

 🚨 Elderly Woman Dies After Parking Lot Crash at West Bend Safeway

🚨Crime News

  🚔 Driver Arrested in Florida in Connection to 2024 Fatal Hwy. 97 Crash

🥰Community News

📰Regional News

📆City of Bend Calendar of Events

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

💖Sponsors

😆Today’s Meme

GOOD MORNING

 BEND

What’s Up Central Oregon? 

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Local News…

📋Commissioners to hold public hearing on curbside recycling in distant rural areas of Deschutes County

The Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing Wednesday, Feb. 11, on a proposal to allow Republic Services to provide curbside recycling in certain distant rural areas of the county.

The proposed areas for commingled recycling collection include:

• South of Sunriver

• Areas north and east of Bend, Redmond and Sisters

These areas currently have garbage collection from Wilderness Garbage and Recycling, Bend Garbage and Recycling, and High Country Disposal, but do not have curbside recycling service. Under the proposal, affected households would see a $6 monthly increase on their trash collection bill. If approved by the Board, the service would begin after July 1, 2026.

The public hearing will be held during the regular BOCC meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 9 a.m. in the Barnes Sawyer Room of the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St., Bend. The public is invited to attend in person or virtually. Virtual log-in information and the meeting agenda, including the specific hearing time, can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

Residents who are unable to attend the hearing can submit comments by  emailing [email protected] or by calling 541-317-3177.

 🍺 Crux Fermentation Project Joins New Oregon Beverage Collective

In a major shakeup for Central Oregon’s beer scene, Crux Fermentation Project has been sold to the Rhine family and will become a cornerstone of the newly formed Oregon Beverage Collective, a collaboration designed to help local breweries thrive in a challenging market. The move brings together five beloved regional beverage brands — Crux, Silver Moon Brewing, Cascade Lakes Brewing Co., GoodLife Brewing, and Tumalo Cider — with plans to centralize canning and brewing operations at Crux’s Bend facility while keeping each brand’s unique identity intact.

Crux co-founders Paul Evers and Larry Sidor are stepping back as the new coalition takes shape, but fans can expect the brewery’s name and recipes to remain familiar on taps and shelves. The collective is aimed at boosting efficiency through shared resources, bulk purchasing, and streamlined distribution — all moves intended to strengthen independent producers against rising costs.

Leadership roles in the collective will include Steve Augustyn of Silver Moon Brewing as CEO and Andy Rhine as president, reflecting the cooperative spirit behind this partnership. Organizers say they plan to retain most employees and keep neighborhood taprooms open, signaling that while the business structure is evolving, the vibrant craft beverage culture in Bend and throughout Central Oregon remains alive and well.

🛏️ Sisters Community Builds 35 Beds & Quilts for Kids in Need

Volunteers from the Sisters Rotary Club and Sisters Kiwanis Club teamed up with the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build 35 beds for local children in need on Valentine’s Day, turning a wood-filled workspace into a hive of sanding, drilling and teamwork. Roughly 75 community members showed up to assemble frames, smooth lumber and stain pieces, all in the spirit of making sure every child has a proper bed of their own. Local quilters also donated handmade quilts to go with the beds, adding a warm, personal touch to each one.

The event was more than just construction — it was a true community collaboration. Rotary and Kiwanis members helped secure funding, tools and supplies (with lumber at reduced cost from a local supplier), and organizers plan to deliver the finished beds throughout Sisters, Redmond and the Hoodoo area to families who need them most. The effort highlights how Central Oregon volunteers are stepping up to address basic needs for children in the region, one bed at a time.

🚲 Prineville Moves Forward on Lynn Blvd Bike & Ped Path

The City of Prineville is a step closer to adding a new half-mile shared-use path along the south side of Lynn Boulevard, stretching from the Crook County Fairgrounds to Combs Flat Road. The project will also include pedestrian safety upgrades at the busy intersection of Lynn Boulevard and Combs Flat Road, aimed at improving access and visibility for walkers and cyclists.

The city expects to receive a $2.7 million grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation to help fund the improvements, with final agreements between Prineville and ODOT still in the works. If everything stays on track, construction is anticipated to begin in 2028 or 2029.

 🚧 Expect 20-Minute Delays on Hwy 126 Near Powell Butte

Drivers traveling between Redmond and Prineville should plan ahead starting Monday, as roadwork along Highway 126 just east of Powell Butte is expected to cause significant delays for the next four weeks. Crews are widening a bridge in the area, reducing traffic to a single lane around the clock.

The Oregon Department of Transportation says temporary traffic signals will guide vehicles through the construction zone 24/7. Motorists should be prepared for delays of up to 20 minutes in both directions and are encouraged to allow extra travel time.

❄️ Mt. Bachelor Local Ownership Proposal Draws Attention in County Race

A Deschutes County Board of Commissioners candidate is reigniting discussion about bringing Mt. Bachelor under local control, suggesting the county could pursue strategic acquisition or partnership to shift ownership from its current corporate stewards to community-oriented stewardship. The idea aims to make the iconic ski area more affordable and focused on local priorities rather than primarily serving tourists and distant shareholders, a proposal that supporters say could benefit families and long-term community interests.

But the concept faces strong scrutiny from current officials and fellow candidates. Some argue the county’s finances are already stretched with major commitments like courthouse and jail projects, and that taking on a ski resort’s purchase price and operational costs could be risky for taxpayers. Critics suggest if local ownership is to happen, it might be better pursued through private partners or cooperative business models than direct government acquisition.

Fire & Rescue… 

🚨 Elderly Woman Dies After Parking Lot Crash at West Bend Safeway

An 85-year-old Bend woman has died after being struck by a vehicle Thursday afternoon in the Safeway West parking lot on SW Century Drive.

Bend Police say Melinda Ann Lyons was attempting to cross the lot around 1:10 p.m. to enter the store when she was hit by a silver Ford EcoSport traveling about 15 mph. Lyons suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to St. Charles, where she later died. The driver, 77-year-old Evelyn Ranae Olsen of Bend, remained at the scene and was cited for careless driving causing serious injury or death to a vulnerable user. Bend Police’s crash reconstruction team investigated the incident.

Crime News…

🚔 Driver Arrested in Florida in Connection to 2024 Fatal Hwy. 97 Crash

A Florida woman wanted in connection with a deadly 2024 crash south of La Pine has been arrested. Desiree Danielle Johnson, 35, was taken into custody Thursday in Pinellas Park, Florida, by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force on a nationwide felony warrant out of Klamath County. Oregon State Police had requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service after Johnson failed to appear in court. She faces charges of criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, and reckless driving and is being held in the Pinellas County Jail awaiting extradition to Oregon.

The charges stem from a February 29, 2024 crash on Highway 97 near milepost 174 in Klamath County. Investigators say Johnson was driving a southbound Peterbilt commercial truck when it lost control and jackknifed, crossing into the northbound lane and into the path of a Honda Pilot. The Honda’s driver, 37-year-old Elise Adair Farrens of La Pine, was killed at the scene. Passenger Daviana Marie Trussell, 23, also of La Pine, suffered critical injuries and tragically lost her unborn child due to injuries sustained in the crash. Johnson reportedly sustained minor injuries. The highway was closed for about three and a half hours during the investigation.

Community News…

 Regional News…

City of Bend Events Here

Road Construction

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