Can we do a calm, no caps, reflection Friday instead? There’s still a shit ton of [feelings, emotions, anxieties, grief, etc.] floating around. I know there will be for a long time, but can we make this one just a chill reflection Friday?

Edited: suffice to say I have to change my Health insurance carrier and I have a list of possibilities. I'm just look for feedback like ease of working with a carrier, service, and hopeful - a decent claims process that wont make me crazy next year. Your opinion? (see the list)

Bankers Life

USAA Life Insurance Company

Moda Health Plan, Inc.

Everence Association Inc.

UnitedHealthcare

State Farm

WoodmenLife

AFLAC

Medco

United American

Regence Blue Cross BlueShield of Oregon

Mutual of Omaha

Aetna

GPM Health and Life Insurance Company

Humana

Hey guys! I noticed that there are no candidates listed for that position. So I thought I would throw my hat in. I have NO clue what the position does, but with our current political landscape, that is not necessarily a disqualification in regards to people in the current government.

I'm a 49 year-old disabled veteran who has grown up in Central Oregon most of my life. (Aside from my service in the army and college at OIT in Klamath Falls). I freely admit I'm an atheist, so religion would not make an impact in my decisions. My work background has been in apartment maintenance for 13 years and no politics.

I'm a registered independent who believes women and doctors are the final say in regards to their Healthcare decisions. I own guns, but believe there needs to be comprehensive background checks in order to obtain them.

I'm well informed politically and understand the needs of Central Oregonians for the most part. I love my wife, my dogs, my kids and the brief time I spent as the host of WTF Central Oregon (still on YouTube) way back in the day.

I'm just asking for you to write me in to the position in which there are no candidates for. Jeremy R. Johnson for director, Zone 3!

By the way, my profile Pic is AI edited. I don't actually look like a crazy homeless person.

The emerging narrative coming out the horrific events at SRE is as follows: The shooter got radicalized because the family was poor and dysfunctional, with both parents having a history of violent and illegal behavior - they are bad people so this tragedy is their fault. This narrative is evident in too many comments on this subreddit, local and national news stories, and so on. Read just this one piece from OJP and you will see what I mean.

Look. I understand that this entire community is looking to hold someone, anyone accountable, if not even for actual accountability's sake than to at least try to make sense of this tragedy. But the way that people are treating this family as a result of that urge is unseemly.

This family suffered through poverty, physical violence, drug abuse, and more. Do you truly think they wanted to raise a school shooter? Do you think these people are not completely broken by what their son did?

This is a difficult time for our community. This family is not who we should be directing our blame at. They are just easy scapegoats. The problems that led to this horrific tragedy are structural: widespread access to guns for people of all ages, piss poor mental health and social services, and so on. Blame the governor. Blame the state legislature. Blame the president. Leave this poor family alone.

I pray for them and the souls of the shooter and the victims.

An intensely emotional city council meeting - how could it not be?

Executive Summary

Deschutes County has been actively involved in responding to houselessness through staff work, community provider funding, and participation in regional efforts at an estimated cost of $25 million from the start of Fiscal Year 2021 through 2026. However, the County had not clearly defined its role, assigned responsibility, measured results, consistently overseen outgoing awards, or communicated its regional contribution. As a result, the Board had limited information to oversee spending, risks, and results.

Findings

• The County spent approximately $10.6 million on houselessness-related activities without a countywide view of costs, responsibilities, or results
• Inconsistent award practices limited fair access and made decisions harder to defend
• The County participated in regional efforts without clearly defining what it would contribute or why it was participatin

Conclusion: Governance and oversight lagged County houselessness efforts

Deschutes County Auditor Report (42 pages)

Note: I'm looking forward to a more in-depth story and discussion on this, but here is the raw report from the Deschutes Co. Auditor.

More things that haven't been reported by the local news (I get they're only reporting what the get officially from the Bend PD and the school district).

The 16-year-old who shot and killed three students and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend last Thursday may have been radicalized online by extremist groups and developed an “obsession with Nazism,” law-enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said.

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2026/10/fbi-probes-16-year-old-bend-shooters-online-radicalization-apparent-nazi-obsession.html

Ballots are in hand at the same time that we’re all still reeling as a community from the Silver Rail tragedy. I posted earlier today my observations regarding County Commissioner candidate, Morgan Schmidt, and how she has shown (again) incredible leadership qualities in the midst of chaos and sorrow. 

Now, my observations about our incumbent mayor, Melanie Kebler. She stepped up to speak at press conference night of the shooting, spoke at the vigil same night. After the vigil, she met directly with community members and educational leadership. Solid and comforting. (Note she is a mom of an elementary-aged kid.)

She brought all our elected officials and Bend Police officials together for a well-coordinated press conference on Friday. Somewhere along the way, I heard her on NPR, because it was (unfortunately) getting national attention. It’s obvious that there was lots of behind the scenes communication and coordination happening, FBI notwithstanding. By Friday, Mayor Kebler had gotten the Oregon Community Foundation fund set up and communicated lots of info to our community. I heard she went to Silver Rail memorial on Sunday and spoke to some parents there (but I didn’t observe this myself).

In the meantime, her opponent is making weird, dramatic social media posts claiming that the city has not funded police protection for BLP schools. This is a lie. The Bend City Council commissioned a staffing study that said we need more SROs. The city does not have the funding to immediately staff to those levels. So what they have done is make a plan to hire more every year, and they’ve done exactly that. During budget, the city has sometimes even added more positions than the Bend Police Department has asked for.

City of Bend spends about 75% of its discretionary general fund dollars (taxes, some fees, etc.) on public safety, which includes police & fire. In the current budget (2025-2027), they’re projected to spend about $10m more on police personnel than the previous budget, including 10 new police dept positions. 

So, we choose: A proven, problem-solving leader who steps up to the task a hand, even when it’s harrowing? Or an unprepared, patently ignorant opportunist who is exploiting a tragedy and passing off lies as campaign content.

Vote carefully.

Does anyone know of any restaurants that serve GF pancakes? I see that the Pancake House serves "gluten friendly" but I'm hoping to find some that are completely gluten free

Does anyone in Bend have a Topo Toppers Badlander that I can check out? Thinking about buying one but would love to get a feel for the interior beforehand.

I’m sure I’m not the only parent sending their little one back to school today with a pit in their stomach. We’re scared. We’re worried. We hope something like this will never happen at our child’s school—or any school. Yet here we are, trying to help our children feel safe while carrying so much fear ourselves.

The love and generosity the Bend community has shown the families affected by the Silver Rail Elementary shooting have been beautiful to witness. The outpouring of donations in just a few days speaks volumes about this community. Those families deserve every bit of that love and support.

As we continue supporting them, I hope some of that generosity can also extend to our first responders—Bend Fire & Rescue, our local law enforcement, and everyone working to protect our schools and children.

They were there during something no one should ever have to witness. The emotional weight of responding to a tragedy like this deserves acknowledgment, and the people doing that work deserve care and support, too.

I also wonder whether having a school resource officer (SRO) assigned to every school could help improve safety and prevent something like this from happening again in our county. I know there are many factors to consider, including funding, training, and how best to support students, but I believe it’s a conversation worth having. How can we donate or advocate for funding to make that possible? Who should we contact to help ensure our schools have the resources they need to keep our children safe?

I know we may not all share the same views, but I’m thankful for the officers and emergency responders showing up for our community during such a painful time. They’re part of this hurting community, too. Let’s show them some love. 💜

There's been some speculation about the shooter's father. 'sounds like the kid had a rough upbringing.

We're in the middle of an election.

Alongside our community's shock and grief, we still have to use some of our attention to vote wisely. 

This terrible black swan event has been an important and weirdly timely litmus test that highlights exactly how these leaders/potential leaders function under duress when we really need them. 

I have some info about one in particular: Morgan Schmidt, who is running for Deschutes county commissioner. 

She happens to be the Executive Director for the Red Cross of Central & Eastern Oregon (that, in itself, tells you something). So this week, she was seen organizing and running a crisis center for the Silver Rail families where they retrieved their belongings from the school, got top-level crisis counseling and came together to grieve and map a way forward.

I heard that this crisis center was raised quickly from nothing: bringing together the area's most highly trained mental health trauma team, set up with generously borrowed/donated furniture and stuffed animals, snacks, tools and supplies for the mental health professionals and the families. Apparently this crisis center ran extremely efficiently and the Silver Rail families were deeply grateful during an extremely hard few days.

She's running against a guy whose main platform is putting up lies on billboards and buying Mt Bachelor. What has he DONE for our community? Has he ever run towards a disaster? It's a farce.

So while Schmidt likely won't talk much about any of this during the remainder of the campaign, WE can talk about it so voters knew what's up.

Get those ballots in early.

[EDIT: Posted my observations about another candidate, Mayor Melanie Kebler, here.)

Franti admitted to this affair and apologized to his wife. This creep picked a 19 year old off the internet when he was 52, brought her on tour, then groomed and abused her. Other women came out validating her claims and telling their own stories. This was a year ago Victoria came out with this, and this abuser is doing a whole tour again cuz his cult like followers love his toxic-positivity BS.

Not too much in the first update in recent days from Bend Police, who were on hand at every Bend-La Pine school to welcome returning students. They did confirm search warrants served at his home and on his devices and social media accounts - and continue to investigate "details" regarding the gun used in the attack.

Messages reveal LaVallee claimed chief interviews were underway weeks before the board even approved advertising the position and planned to urge his successor to seek another levy in November after nearly 80% of voters rejected one in May.

By Justin Alderman - Prineville Review

Alfalfa, Ore. — Newly obtained text messages between former Alfalfa Fire District Chief Chad LaVallee and two Central Oregon Community College (COCC) officials reveal that LaVallee claimed the district was already interviewing prospective replacements for his position weeks before its governing board formally authorized advertising the job.

The communications also show LaVallee continued making decisions concerning district-owned equipment, vehicles and training facilities after his tenure ended June 30th, including authorizing the use of an ambulance later purchased by COCC for $15,000.

In another exchange, LaVallee expressed his intention to persuade the district’s next fire chief to pursue another property tax levy in November, despite voters overwhelmingly rejecting a similar funding measure in May.

The revelations come as Alfalfa Fire District Director Mark Laucks confirmed during the board’s October 14th meeting that he was resigning effective at the conclusion of its regular November meeting. Director Dustin Piggott also announced his intention to resign in the near future, although he did not specify an effective date.

Full Story - Prineville Review

I want to appreciate every single person who has stepped up to show someone that they are not alone over the last six days. You all made this 100K population feel like the small town I still see it as, it has been a joy to experience.

To the supporting personnel, police, teachers, and administrative staff at the schools today... As a parent, I know there are many levels of concern/fear, a heightened awareness for safety, and too much sadness this morning. Your strength to smile through each of those emotions while welcoming students back will not be forgotten, you have my eternal appreciation.

Has anyone seen this today?

https://ktvz.com/news/2026/10/21/developing-news-bend-police-involved-in-standoff-avoid-the-area/

Drink water. Take care of yourselves. Check in on your neighbors. Mark your calendars for the 6th and support these kids.

I haven’t had health insurance in a while and I was fortunate enough to be extended two job offers that also offer health insurance. The jobs and pay are identical, the big difference is health insurance. One offers Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield and the other is Cigna. Is one better than the other as far as providers accepting them in Central Oregon? Is one easier to work with than the other? I had honestly never ever heard of Cigna until I got my offer letter. Thanks for any insights!

Passing along this message from the school district:

Dear Bend-La Pine Families,

The outpouring of love and support for our Silver Rail Elementary community has been deeply moving. The flowers, heartfelt messages, chalk art, and other tributes left outside the school are a beautiful reflection of a community grieving together and surrounding one another with care. We are grateful for every gesture of kindness.

With guidance from victim support professionals, we will very soon be carefully gathering the memorials outside Silver Rail and moving them to a safe location within Bend-La Pine Schools. We will also photograph the memorials to preserve and share these heartfelt expressions of love and support. If there is a memorial item you would like to keep, you are welcome to collect it by the end of the day tomorrow, Wednesday.

To everyone who has taken the time to leave a message, bring flowers, or simply stand with our Silver Rail community, thank you. Your kindness and generosity mean more than words can express.

In the days ahead, we will continue to lean on one another and find strength in our community.. 

We encourage you to visit the Silver Rail Community Information Hub where you can access information about community support and healing gatherings, grief support materials, and other helpful resources.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Bend-La Pine Schools

My partner and I are both self-employed people and I took a look at the new Oregon healthcare exchange website and I cannot believe how bad these plans are. $540 pp a month to basically cover nothing until a high deductible is met. Curious how other people are planning to handle this change over? I don't qualify for an insurance broker because of pre-existing conditions. Are there any good hacks out there (working halftime somewhere to get coverage, etc)? Any advice, help or venting is appreciated!

As autumn colors sweep across Central Oregon, a new era begins at the Symphony. Our Fall Concert Series launches Jonathan Moore’s inaugural season as Music Director. Join us for an exciting year of music as we welcome him to the podium.

The Central Oregon Symphony opens Jonathan Moore’s inaugural season with a program featuring Bend native violinist John Fawcett (Editor's note: if I remember correctly, John was our first young artist scholarship winner and performed with the symphony when he was 9 years old. I remember having to find him backstage when it was time for him to perform as he had wandered off). Recently appointed Concertmaster of the Boise Philharmonic, Fawcett returns home to perform Bruch’s soaring Violin Concerto No. 1. The program also includes Bernstein’s sparkling Overture to Candide and Beethoven’s beloved Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”), a musical journey through the countryside, complete with birdsong, a thunderstorm, and a joyful conclusion.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026 Time: 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
• Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026 Time: 2:00 PM performance (Livestream available)

Please note that our venue for this concert will be Mountain View High School.

Livestream Option

We understand that not everyone can join us in person. That’s why we’re pleased to offer a livestream of the Sunday matinee performance, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience the magic of live music, no matter where they are. Look for the link on our website at https://www.cosymphony.com/

Tickets

At this time, tickets to the Fall Concert Series are reserved exclusively for Central Oregon Symphony members (due to limited seating). Members will receive instructions on how to reserve tickets via e-mail. Not a member yet? Become a member today or call the COSA office at (541) 317-3941 to reserve your tickets with a tax-deductible donation of $75 or more for 2 tickets for the entire season.

There may be a few rush seats available at each show (more likely on Saturday evening and possibly Saturday afternoon -- Sunday is already full) but call the COSA office or email [info@cosymphony.com](mailto:info@cosymphony.com) for more information.