In Deschutes County, 79 races for elected positions are being decided today. Only 11 of those races are contested. 13 have no candidate filed at all. Turnout at the first ballot drop is 13%. Unlikely to break 20% in final count.

Starting a thread on the impacts to Bend and Central Oregon resulting from Trump administration actions. Buckle up, this will be a long one.... Local food pantries rely on community donations as impact of federal food cuts hovers bendbulletin.com/2025/04/24/l...

National politics are beyond worrisome right now, but most of us can't do much. Local politics? That's where we can often make a real difference. This looks like a great series of events here in Bend

The downtown core spans ~936,000 sq ft, with 37% (346,000 sq ft) dedicated solely to cars. Meanwhile, Old Mill covers ~2,612,000 sq ft, with 43% (1,117,000 sq ft) used for cars—enough to fit all of downtown. Imagine the homes, shops, and public spaces we could have instead.

There's an appetite for local engagement right now. In Oregon, the state legislature - #orleg - begins a six month session Tuesday. How can you follow and engage your state legislators? It's not easy. Only four out of 89 are on Bluesky. A work in progress: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... #orleg