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?

 😔 Funeral procession through Madras honors 8-year-old from Culver

 😠 Easton Development Shift Sparks Concern Over Loss of Promised Shops

🏗️ Giant construction crane at Deschutes County Courthouse coming down this weekend

 🚤 Water levels dropping at Lake Billy Chinook for dam work

🏌️💰Central Oregon golf championship raises $80K for local charities

🚒⛑Fire & Rescue News

🚨Crime News

📰Scam Targeting Local Businesses requesting donations for Bend Fire Department

📰🐾Deschutes County Woman Arrested In Suspected Puppy Mill Case; 49 Animals Seized Or Surrendered

📰Regional News

🥰Community News

 🤝Class Prepares Volunteers To Mentor Children Of Incarcerated Parents

📰Think Wild animal rehab needs donations of towels, sheets

📆City of Bend Calendar of Events

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🔥Central Oregon Fire Info

🐾Pet of the Week -

🐾🪩Brightside showcases rescued puppies, announces Brighter Futures Benefit Night

💖Sponsors

😆Today’s Meme

🧠 Test your Central Oregon knowledge!

GOOD MORNING

 BEND

SISTERS

What’s Up Central Oregon? 

Featured Events

TBD

Bend

Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts (Love Earth Tour)
🎵 Music
📍 Hayden Homes Amphitheater, 344 SW Shevlin-Hixon Dr, Bend, OR
🗓️ Wed, Sept 10 • Doors 6:00pm | Show 7:30pm
📝 Neil Young with Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir. Mobile-only tickets; chair rental available.
🔗 Official Event & Tickets (bendconcerts.com)

Bend Roots Revival 2025 (multi-venue)
🎪 Festival • Music
📍 Multiple venues across Bend (see schedule)
🗓️ Fri–Sun, Sept 12–14 • Set times vary
📝 Free, family-friendly celebration of local music & arts across dozens of stages.
🔗 Schedule/Map

Bend Roots Late Night Party – Midtown Ballroom / Domino Room
🎵 Music
📍 51 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend, OR
🗓️ Fri, Sept 12 & Sat, Sept 13 • Late-night sets
📝 Official Roots after-hours shows in the Midtown complex; check the Roots schedule for exact set times.
🔗 Venue details

Bend PorchFest
🎪 Community • Music
📍 Old Bend & Westside porches (neighborhood-wide)
🗓️ Sat, Sept 13 • 2:00–6:00pm
📝 Stroll porch-to-porch for free mini-concerts by local musicians.
🔗 

Garcia Birthday Band – “Cascade Equinox Summer Jam”
🎵 Music
📍 Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr #180, Bend, OR
🗓️ Sat, Sept 13 • Evening
📝 Portland’s beloved Grateful Dead tribute brings a dancey night to Volcanic.
🔗 https://www.volcanictheatre.com/events

Rafe Pearlman: Rumbo Tumba at the Tower
🎵 Music / World
📍 Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St, Bend, OR
🗓️ Sun, Sept 14 • Evening
📝 Vocalist/composer Rafe Pearlman blends world, folk and cinematic sounds.
🔗 Event (towertheatre.org)

Bingo for a Cause – Silver Moon Brewing
🎲 Games • Fundraiser
📍 Silver Moon Brewing, 24 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend, OR
🗓️ Sun, Sept 14 • Morning
📝 Weekly community bingo benefitting rotating local nonprofits.
🔗 Tickets

Redmond (incl. Terrebonne)

Live at the Vineyard: The Blackline Band
🎵 Music
📍 Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyards, 70450 NW Lower Valley Dr, Terrebonne, OR
🗓️ Fri, Sept 12 • 6:00–9:00pm
📝 Outdoor concert with wine, wood-fired pizza, and sunset views; advance tickets recommended.
🔗 Tickets/Info (Visit Central Oregon)

R’Oktoberfest at Wild Ride Brewing
🎪 Community • 🍺 Food & Drink • 🎵 Music
📍 Wild Ride Brewing, 332 SW 5th St, Redmond, OR
🗓️ Sat, Sept 13 • 2:00–9:00pm
📝 Family-friendly Oktoberfest with games (stein-holding, grain toss) and live bands: Derek Michael Marc (2–4pm) and Sleepless Truckers (6–8:30pm). Free entry.
🔗 Event details (wild-ride-brewing)

Sisters

Sisters Festival of Books
📚 Books/Literary • Community
📍 Venues around downtown Sisters
🗓️ Fri–Sun, Sept 12–14 • Sessions vary
📝 Author talks, readings, and community literary events all weekend.
🔗 Festival overview (Sisters Oregon)

Glory Daze Car Show
🚗 Car Show • Community
📍 Downtown Sisters (Hood Ave corridor)
🗓️ Sat, Sept 13 • 10:00am–2:00pm
📝 Classic cars, music, awards, and family-friendly fun in the heart of Sisters.
🔗 Event page (Sisters Oregon)

Sisters Farmers Market
🛍️ Market • Food & Drink
📍 Fir St Park, 170 N Fir St, Sisters, OR
🗓️ Sun, Sept 14 • 10:00am–2:00pm
📝 Local produce, makers, and music every Sunday through September.
🔗 Market info

Prineville

Central Oregon Acoustic Music Gathering (Old-Time Fiddlers)
🎵 Music • Dance • Community
📍 Crook County Fairgrounds, Carey Foster Hall, 1280 Main St, Prineville, OR
🗓️ Thu–Sat, Sept 11–13 • Jamming all day & night; Gospel show Sat 1:00pm
📝 Free (donations welcome). Workshops, dancing, stage shows, RV/dry camping available.
🔗 Official poster (PDF) (centraloregonfiddlers.com)

Madras

Madras Saturday Market
🛍️ Market • Food & Drink • Community
📍 Sahalee Park (7th St between B & C), Madras, OR
🗓️ Sat, Sept 13 • 9:00am–2:00pm
📝 Final weeks of the open-air market with local produce, crafts, and music.
🔗 Listing • Chamber calendar (AARP Local, madraschamber.com)

Sunriver / La Pine

Artists’ Gallery Sunriver – Second Saturday Reception
🎨 Art • Community
📍 The Village at Sunriver, 57100 Beaver Dr, Sunriver, OR
🗓️ Sat, Sept 13 • 4:00–6:00pm
📝 Meet the artists, browse new works, and enjoy light refreshments.
🔗 Event page (The Village at Sunriver)

Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory – In-Depth Nighttime Visit
🌌 Stargazing • Science
📍 SNCO Campus, 57245 River Rd, Sunriver, OR
🗓️ Sat, Sept 13 • 9:00–11:00pm
📝 Small-group telescope session with educators at the nation’s largest public observatory.
🔗 Book/Info • SNCO overview (SNCO, SNCO)

Monday Night BINGO – La Pine Senior Activity Center
🎲 Games
📍 16450 Victory Way, La Pine, OR
🗓️ Mon, Sept 8 • Doors 4:30pm | Bingo 5:30pm
📝 Affordable dinner before the games; prizes and community fun.
🔗 Details (La Pine Senior Activity Center)

Quarter BINGO – La Pine Senior Activity Center
🎲 Games
📍 16450 Victory Way, La Pine, OR
🗓️ Tue, Sept 9 • 1:00–3:00pm
📝 Play for quarters; family-friendly afternoon session.
🔗 Details (La Pine Senior Activity Center)

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Deschutes Public Library Events

Other Event Sources:

Local News…

Funeral procession through Madras honors 8-year-old from Culver

BEND, Ore. -- A large procession stopped traffic through Madras Tuesday afternoon to honor the life of a 8-year-old from Culver who recently died. Police estimated some 600 people were taking part in the memorial and procession.

Some across Central Oregon heard about the child’s death on the Central Oregon Scanner Chatter Facebook page with the post mentioning he died due to farming equipment rolling over him. The family of the child and the police haven’t made public how he died.

Mourners waived to police officers and firefighters, who lined the streets along with others in Madras who know the family.

“It was sad, but it just goes to show how the community can all come together,” said Point S Tire manager David Reece, who watched the procession.

Due to the sensitive nature of the funeral, some families in attendance preferred to not speak about the procession. The Madras Police Chief was unavailable to comment on the assistance by the police during the procession, but officers and other responders said they were happy to help and support the family.

Easton Development Shift Sparks Concern Over Loss of Promised Shops

Residents near Caldera High School in Bend are voicing frustration after learning that a portion of the Easton development—originally promised as commercial space for shops and restaurants—may instead be converted into affordable housing. The change came as a surprise to many, especially those in the Old Farm Neighborhood District who were not notified due to being just outside the official notice boundary. Critics say the shift undermines the vision of a walkable, self-contained community, forcing residents and students to travel farther for basic amenities. While supportive of affordable housing in general, local leaders are concerned about the broader trend of losing designated commercial space, especially since a similar switch happened last year in another Palisch development. The developer has not responded to inquiries about future commercial plans.

Giant construction crane at Deschutes County Courthouse coming down this weekend

BEND, Ore. -- The crane that has towered high above the Deschutes County Courthouse near downtown Bend is coming down this weekend. Deschutes County said Bond Street between Greenwood Avenue and Wall Street will be closed Friday through Monday to remove the crane.

Here are the full details from Deschutes County:

"The Deschutes County Courthouse Expansion project will reach a pivotal phase this week with the scheduled removal of its tower crane, a prominent fixture in downtown Bend. The removal of the crane will require the temporary closure of Bond Street between Greenwood Avenue and Wall Street, starting early morning on Friday, Sept. 12, until the evening of Monday, Sept. 15.

Crews will dismantle the crane piece by piece, from the top down, with assistance from two auxiliary cranes. Drivers and pedestrians are encouraged to use caution while work is underway.

• Traffic Control Measures: Traffic control signs will be placed on Bond Street to give drivers advance notice off the closure and facilitate smooth redirection. Closure barricades will be placed at the north intersection of Bond Street and Greenwood Avenue.

• Detour Route: To bypass the closure, drivers traveling north on Bond Street will need to turn left at Greenwood Avenue and then right at Wall Street, to continue heading north.

• Pedestrian Access: The western sidewalk on Bond Street will remain open for pedestrian use.

When complete, the Deschutes County Courthouse Expansion will nearly double the size of the existing courthouse. The $46.8 million project includes a new three-story, 50,933 -square-foot facility featuring new courtrooms, judges’ chambers, a jury deliberation room, security offices and updated security screening and sallyport facilities. Construction is anticipated to be complete in the summer of 2026."

Water levels dropping at Lake Billy Chinook for dam work

MADRAS, Ore. -- Water levels at Lake Billy Chinook will be lower than usual this fall and winter. Portland General Electric is working with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to lower water levels for winter dam maintenance.

PGE says Lake Billy Chinook will be about two-to-three feet lower than usual later this fall. Extra water will be released downstream starting on September 16. The refilling process will begin in the new year.

The day use ramp at Cove Palisades State Park will remain open, but officials warn water levels may be too low for other boat ramps, including Perry South.

Central Oregon golf championship raises $80K for local charities

The second annual Hayden Homes Central Oregon Charity Golf Championship took place Monday and the big winner is the charities. The event is held at Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve and more than 30 charities are represented by the various golf teams. Those teams compete for $80,000 in prize money, and a big winner this year was the Bend-La Pine Education Foundation. The main sponsors include Hayden Homes, Les Schwab and Parr Lumber.

Fire & Rescue…

Crime News…

Scam Targeting Local Businesses requesting donations for Bend Fire Department

Bend Fire & Rescue is alerting the community to a scam involving individuals who claim to be members of the Bend Fire Department and attempt to collect donations from businesses in exchange for promotion at an upcoming event.

Local businesses should be weary of callers requesting monetary donations on behalf of Bend Fire & Rescue. The scammer may reference an open house, and use phrases such as, “fire safety awareness program,” and “community fire stoppers.”

Scammers use many tactics to sound credible. Sometimes they will provide information like names of actual Department staff. They may also spoof their phone number to appear on caller ID as if they are calling from Bend Fire & Rescue. Additionally, they may even provide a professional looking invoice and payment portal to steal your information.

Things to remember about scams:

• Bend Fire & Rescue will never call to ask you for credit/debit/gift card numbers, wire transfers or bank routing numbers, or to make bitcoin deposits for any purpose.

• Never divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers.

• Authenticate any call you suspect to be a scam by checking its validity with Bend Fire & Rescue directly at 541-322-6300.

• Beware of the urgency to act quickly or threats – scammers want you to make your decision fast.

If you believe you were a victim of this scam, please report the incident to non-emergency dispatch by calling 541-693-6911. If you have not been victimized but have information related to this scam, please call the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Hotline at 877-877-9392, or report online at doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection.

To learn more about scams and how to report them, please refer to the Federal Trade Commission website at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Deschutes County Woman Arrested In Suspected Puppy Mill Case; 49 Animals Seized Or Surrendered

Bend, OR – On Friday, September 5, 2025, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence on Elk Lane in Alfalfa, leading to the arrest of Lorinda Maxwell, 62, on 49 felony counts of Animal Neglect in the Second Degree.

The case began earlier this month when a woman who purchased a dog through the website rescueme.org contacted the Sheriff’s Office with concerns about the animal’s health. Maxwell uses the business name Kameo Poodles. Deputies and Animal Control Technicians responded and discovered what they suspect to be a puppy mill. After Maxwell refused to surrender the dogs voluntarily, the Sheriff’s Office sought and was granted a search warrant.

DCSO Animal Control seized 44 dogs from the home. Maxwell also voluntarily surrendered two additional dogs and three cats. The dogs, a mix of standard, miniature, and toy poodles—including two litters of puppies—were found in filthy, unhealthy conditions inside the residence. Animal Control Technician Maryia Leufven noted a strong odor of urine and ammonia, with many animals living in dirty crates and on soiled blankets. 

Many dogs were observed to need medical care and treatment based on their physical condition and lack of grooming. Poodles need regular grooming every 6–8 weeks because if neglected, their coats can develop heavy, painful curls that pull on their skin. They are also prone to dental issues and ear infections without proper care.

“Our Animal Control Technicians are committed to protecting animals in our community and are highly trained to notice signs of neglect,” said Jason Carr, Public Information Officer for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

“In this case, we believe Maxwell prioritized quantity over quality with profit as the main goal. And given how long she’s been breeding and the unhealthy conditions in the home, we’re considering this a puppy mill.”

Maxwell was arrested on Friday and transported to the Deschutes County Adult Jail without incident. The animals were taken to the Humane Society of Central Oregon, where they are receiving medical care and will remain pending the outcome of this case. Unfortunately, they are not available for adoption at this time.

Because of the scale of this investigation, the Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to come forward. If you have knowledge about this case or have purchased animals from Kameo Poodles or Lorinda Maxwell, please call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911. Even small details could be valuable to investigators. 

Humane Society of Central Oregon Asks for Resources & Donations 

The dog kennels at the Humane Society of Central Oregon (HSCO) are at 200% capacity. The newly arrived animals are on a court hold, and HSCO cannot share details or a timeline for adoption. Caring for animals from neglect cases requires significant resources. Community members who want to help can make the greatest impact by adopting or fostering an available dog, or by making a donation to support the ongoing care of these dogs and others in need at www.hsco.org. To allow staff to focus on animal care, we ask the public to direct any questions about the case to DCSO.  

Regional News…

Community News…

Class Prepares Volunteers To Mentor Children Of Incarcerated Parents

Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth (COPY), a program of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, is offering a class to prepare volunteers to become mentors for children with an incarcerated parent.

After initial training and background checks, volunteers are matched with a child that shares similar interests and commits to spending a few hours a week together for a minimum of one year. This time is often spent on outside activities, exploring the community, doing art or craft projects, or simply hanging out and talking.

On Saturday, September 27, COPY will offer an orientation/training class. This 3½ -hour class covers program policies, how to establish a mentor relationship, the impact incarceration has on families, and communication skills. There is no cost to attend, but advanced registration is required.

For additional details please call 541-388-6651 or email [email protected] Additional program information is available at the Sheriff’s Office web site at www.sheriff.deschutes.org/copy https://sheriff.deschutes.org/COPY_Mentor_Brochure.pdf

Think Wild animal rehab needs donations of towels, sheets

Think Wild Central Oregon is in need of sheets and towel donations that are used to restrain injured wildlife during treatment. The wildlife hospital is asking for extra, gently used towels, pillowcases, or flat sheets without any rips. Donations can be dropped off at Think Wild headquarters at 62410 Erickson Road in Bend. https://www.thinkwildco.org/

 City of Bend Events

Current updates for the Flat Fire can be found in CO Fire Info above⬆️

Brightside showcases rescued puppies, announces Brighter Futures Benefit Night

Brightside Animal Center invites the community out to see some puppies who are in need of a forever home. 

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office says they saved the puppies from a neglect case last month. They are now ready for adoption. 

Brightside Animal Shelter also announced they will be hosting a Brighter Futures Benefit Night on Friday, September 19th at Juniper Golf Course. Tickets are on sale now for $40. Buy tickets here.

 😎 Just sayin

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