Good morning, Bend.

The Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend is offering 50% off adoption fees for all available dogs through Oct.

10 as part of its Barktober promotion (each adoption includes spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchip, collar, and leash). Kennels remain full amid high demand.

A project to replace a crumbling staircase along Pilot Butte's Base Trail nears completion with new interlocking steps built like Legos.

The section will reopen Oct. 10 while the summit road remains closed for the season.

The Deschutes National Forest and nonprofit Discover Your Northwest will host Batacular on Saturday, Oct.

24 at the Forest headquarters (63095 Deschutes Market Road) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; the free event features bat-focused crafts, games and activities while inviting Halloween costumes to mark Bat Week.

Deschutes River High, which opened last month on the former Bend Tech Academy campus on NE 5th St., now serves as the district's magnet school for career technical education.

Students from across the district can request enrollment as administrators plan to add remodeled modular spaces.

Trinity Lutheran in northeast Bend announced Thursday morning that football and baseball will launch in 2027, with former NFL tight end Kevin Boss coaching football.

The school also plans a new athletic facility, and its baseball team, led by former collegiate player Nic Othart, will begin play in spring 2028.

Mt. Bachelor Ski Area is hopeful that a super El Niño will bring above-average snowfall to local mountains this winter as climate models predict heavier storms.

Climate scientists warn that although similar past events increased ski snowfall by about two feet, warming trends might affect the season’s snowpack.

Deschutes County Solid Waste is hosting three free hazardous waste collection events in La Pine, Sisters and Redmond during October.

The one-day events run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, and Oct. 18 (check acceptable items before dropping off materials).

Gov. Tina Kotek led a coalition of five governors requesting federal officials delay Medicaid regulations scheduled for Jan.

1, citing coverage risks for one-third of Oregon families + state agencies are training workers and alerting providers to prevent coverage loss.

In Bend, state fire officials have launched the Charge into Fire Safety campaign, partnering with Fire Marshal + National Fire Protection Association after data showed a 19% annual rise in lithium-ion battery fires.

The campaign urges residents to use manufacturer-approved charging methods for devices and larger equipment to reduce fire risks.

Local family doctor Will Speed, who was hit by a red light runner at the Third Street (Powers Road) intersection in January and spent weeks in the hospital before months of rehabilitation, finished the 50-mile Ring of Fire bike race this past weekend and is enjoying biking around Bend again.

The University of Oregon and University of Washington will face off in the inaugural Northwest Elite Collegiate Classic tomorrow at Vince Genna Stadium starting at 12:05 p.m. The Oregon State Beavers will host a doubleheader against Lewis-Clark State College on Oct.

18 (gates open at 11:30 a.m.).