Good morning, Bend.

Today, the Bend Connection's West Coast Swing Convention and Competition is offering a free beginner class from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Riverhouse (participants also get free entry to the evening show and social dancing with around 400 dancers expected).

Bend Privacy Alliance hosted a free discussion Wednesday at the Central Library on surveillance technology that uses automated license plate readers and data brokers to track daily routines.

The meeting followed the city council’s January ban on one camera system while new red light cameras are operating.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon invites community members to mentor 78 local youth as school begins, offering matches where volunteers can meet with kids a couple of days each month (program director Jenn Davis emphasizes support during back-to-school).

Transportation crews in Bend-La Pine are preparing 150 drivers on 90 routes to move about 6,000 students before school resumes in three weeks, and Executive Director Kim Crabtree urged motorists to watch for walkers and bikers (warm weather means extra risk) as families check ParentVUE for updates.

City workers and 60 volunteers have counted 25,000 city-owned trees by hand since May to record species, sizes and health—data that will guide future maintenance and planting strategies.

Urban forester Ian Gray leads the effort, which will continue into next year.

The Akawa Butte Fire burned 27,000 acres near Sisters in summer, leaving most trees damaged but the forest floor with healthy soil for regrowth with fall rains.

Local officials plan to remove hazard trees and salvage logs — recovery efforts continue.

Central Oregon residents face irrigation shutoffs amid the driest winter on record as state rules cut water for junior rights, leaving some like Tumalo’s longtime farmer without access — the Deschutes flows 25–30% below normal — while a pilot water bank program launched in January lets seniors lease extra water.

Fire restrictions remain on all BLM public lands across Oregon and Washington today due to a record-setting wildfire season.

Officials say rules vary by location — some areas ban campfires and limit equipment — and urge visitors to follow guidelines closely to prevent human-caused fires.

Paid Leave Oregon is highlighting paid family leave options for new parents during National Breastfeeding Month this August to help families bond and recover.

Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks—and up to two extra weeks for pregnancy-related limitations—in flexible increments.

Bend nonprofit First Light begins offering daily case management at Redmond’s managed camp, A Healing Village, as move-ins start this week.

The county has set a two-year budget of $592,788 to help unsanctioned campers transition toward recovery and housing.

A free health and wellness fair offering preventative screenings, dental checks, HIV/STI testing, and immunizations will be held at Ponderosa Park on Sept.

19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event, hosted by Mosaic, Deschutes County Health Services and Volunteers in Medicine, welcomes all residents — especially Latino and Spanish-speaking families.

Owner CB Foss of Cinder Butte Rock Products received approval on Aug.

19 to rezone 34 acres of his 110-acre Tetherow Butte property to rural industrial use. He said the change may allow selling or leasing land for options like a truck stop (his preferred idea) as nearby housing develops.

Central Oregon high school football fans await the season opener on Sept.

18 at Mountain View, as five preseason questions set the stage for Summit, Mountain View, Ridgeview and Culver to prove themselves in the IMC + their prospects for playoff bids. The Bulletin will track each local team’s progress.