Business

CPA firms merge: Effective Redmond CPA firm of Dahlen & Associates has merged its practice into the firm of Capstone CPAs LLC from Bend and Sisters. According to a news release, the merger will create the only three-city certified public accounting firm in Central Oregon. The newly combined firm will have a team of over 16 professionals including six CPAs. No layoffs are expected due to the merger and the firm’s plan includes expansion for all offices in 2017. The new firm alignment and expertise will include CEO and managing CPA for Redmond, Sisters and Bend Lance Brant, new lead Redmond and Bend partner CPA Jonsi Wangler, lead audit CPA Zachary Harmon, lead Sisters tax CPA Connor Bates and lead Redmond tax CPA Stacie Phillips.

Events

safe Streets meeting: A meeting on making it safer for youth to walk, bike and access transit to school is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. today at Redmond City Hall. State Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, and Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, are scheduled to take part in the Safe Routes to School Town Hall. The program intends to find safe ways for kids to reach school, while reducing the number of cars on the road at peak times. It is the second in a series of meetings across Oregon.

Proposed Bikeway meeting in Maupin: The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will hold a public meeting for a proposed Oregon Scenic Bikeway from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m Feb. 8 at the Imperial River Company, 304 Bakeoven Road, in Maupin. The proposed 33-mile loop starts in Maupin and travels on existing roads through a high desert landscape carved with rivers. The bikeway passes through rural Tygh Valley, then continues along the White River and Deschutes River, with views of scenic Sherars Falls. The meeting will consist of a presentation on the Oregon Scenic Bikeway Program and information on the proposed Sherars Falls Scenic Bikeway, followed by questions from attendees. Public comment on the proposed bikeway will be taken at the meeting. Written public comment will be accepted both before and after the meeting until the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department Commission acts on the proposed designation. Comments will be presented to the commission before it votes on designation.

Red Cross needs donors after winter weather adds to severe blood shortage: Following several rounds of severe winter weather, the American Red Cross urges eligible blood and platelet donors to help restock its shelves to overcome a shortage. Since Dec. 1, about 300 blood drives across 27 states have been forced to cancel due to inclement winter weather, resulting in more than 10,500 blood and platelet donations going uncollected. Since the beginning of the year, snow and icy roads forced nearly 50 blood drives to cancel in the Pacific Northwest, causing more than 1,400 donations to go uncollected. Despite the weather, hospital patients still rely on transfusions.

Upcoming events to donate in Redmond include from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Redmond Police Department, 777 SW Deschutes Ave.; from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday at M.A. Lynch Elementary School, 1314 SW Kalama Ave.; Feb. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Latter-day Saints — Redmond, 450 SW Rimrock Drive; and Feb. 14 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., St. Charles Medical Center Redmond, 1253 N. Canal Blvd. Upcoming events in Terrebonne include noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday at Fire & Rescue, 6971 Shad Road. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800- RED CROSS (1-800- 733-2767). Donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to save time when donating.

Kudos

Local Students make George Fox dean’s list: The following students from Redmond have made the dean’s list for George Fox University: Samantha Biever, senior, organizational communication; Tianna Brown, freshman, management; Gatlin Cyrus, sophomore, information systems and management; Sommer Kirk, senior, elementary education; Raeann Morelli, senior, engineering; Caleb Reynolds, sophomore, economics; Kati Viscaino, freshman, communication arts. Additionally Lexie Merrill, junior, philosophy, of Terrebonne, made the dean’s list.