▶️ Redmond church seeks property owners interested in safe parking sites

Deschutes County commissioners voted 2-1 this week to approve allowing safe parking sites on county land between Bend and Redmond. 

Commissioners Phil Chang and Patti Adair voted in approval.

Commissioner Tony DeBone did not.

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RELATED: Quilters raise $23,000 for food insecurity through Bend Food Project

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Safe parking allows houseless people living out of their vehicles a place to park overnight without the worry of being towed. 

Those living in the sites are provided with a case manager who helps them find stable housing.

Executive Director of Mountain View Community Development and pastor Rick Russell says safe parking lots also make the surrounding area safer.

“Before safe parking, a lot of our locations had people coming in late at night. Maybe drinking on site, you know, they weren’t supposed to be there. But once you get the presence of people and security, that activity disappears.”

Russell says the county’s decision will help open new safe parking locations for those in need. Still, the challenge of finding willing property owners interested in providing those locations will remain. 

“One of the bottlenecks for us is finding locations. So we’re gonna try to reach out to property owners who might be interested in safe parking, and I would encourage property owners to reach out to us as well and open this program to more participants,” Russell said.

For Teresa Sherman, safe parking helped her navigate a life-changing experience.  

“There’s a lot of people who are homeless because of the choices they’ve made. And there’s people who don’t have a choice,” Sherman said.

Sherman was diagnosed with cancer 6 years ago.

Soon after, she was left with nothing, she even lost her children.

“I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have money for means. I didn’t have housing. I lost everything. With being in this program, I was able to move from the dirt, go from not having my children, to being able to move into a house with my kids and make dinner for them every night. It’s amazing what these people have done for my family,” Sherman said.

Russell says half of their safe parking residents are employed, while the other half are primarily elderly or disabled.

▶️ Prineville posts new Bend billboard, but makes fun of its ‘Prinevelle’ typo

Remember that sign along Highway 97 in Bend to promote tourism in Prineville, but it misspelled the name of the city? A corrected ad is now up, but the city is still poking fun at itself for the error.

The new sign reads “Prinevelle,” but with that word scribbled out. Then it says “Prineville: Eat, shop & play just 35 miles away.”

About a month ago, the billboard read “Explore Prinevelle” before people realized that the letter “i” was replaced with an “e.” If you didn’t take a close look, it was pretty easy to miss.

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RELATED: ‘Explore Prinevelle’ billboard typo may be tourism blessing in disguise

The City of Prineville partnered with businesses to buy the original ad. A lot of people had to approve it before it was placed along the busy highway.

“It was approved and moved forward, but I think what happened when the company moved it forward to the printer they sent the wrong file that was of a previous one that had not been accepted. Therefore, the spelling mishap was overlooked completely,” Prineville Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Jeff Fox told Central Oregon Daily News on Nov. 13.

Fox said then that the typo may be a blessing in disguise because of the attention it was getting online.

“I wish we could take credit for it being on purpose because sometimes, these are favorable mistakes to have,” Fox said.

The ad was replaced with a Smokey Bear ad later that day. But it appears the city decided it wanted to keep having fun with the typo.

▶️ Lawsuit calls for Oregon secretary of state to kick Trump off primary ballot

An advocacy group is suing Oregon’s secretary of state after her announcement that former President Donald Trump will remain on the 2024 primary ballot.

Free Speech For People filed the lawsuit Wednesday, on behalf of voters, against Secretary of State of Oregon LaVonne Griffin-Valade. They are asking her to issue a temporary rule that Trump is ineligible to appear on the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“Enacted in the wake of the Civil War, Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment disqualifies from public office, regardless of a prior criminal conviction, any individual who has taken an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and then engages in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or gives aid or comfort to its enemies,” the group said in a statement.

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RELATED: Trump won’t be removed from Oregon primary ballot, secretary of state says

Free Speech For People says Trump’s actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which aimed to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden’s election, disqualifies Trump under that definition. They want him removed from any future ballot for federal office.

Griffin-Valade announced on Nov. 30 that she does not have the legal authority to remove Trump from the primary ballot. Citing the Oregon Department of Justice, Griffin-Valade said a presidential primary is not a case of someone being elected. Instead, it’s a chance for voters to tell their party who they prefer to be the nominee. Delegates at the national convention ultimately decide who that nominee will be.

She also said her decision affects the primary election, not the general election next November. She said, “When the general election comes, we’ll follow the law and be completely transparent with our reasoning.”

Similar challenges have been filed in Michigan, Minnesota and Colorado. So far, none have barred Trump from the ballot.

$2.4 million in credits going to Central Electric Cooperative members

More than 12,000 current and former Central Electric Cooperative members will be sharing nearly $2.5 million in capital credit payments, the not-for-profit utility announced Friday.

CEC will mail checks to 12,113 members totaling $2,481,482, The average check will be $204.

The cooperative said it has returned more than $46 million in capital credits to its members since 1981. CEC says it has sent credits to members in 40 of the last 43 years.

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Here is the full announcement from CEC, including an explanation of how members receive credits: 

REDMOND, Ore. – Central Electric Cooperative announced today that 12,113 current and former members will receive capital credit payments totaling $2,481,482. CEC will mail members their checks next week.  

Individual checks to current and former CEC members who purchased power in 1999 will average $204. The difference between the $3.5 million capital credits retirement and the $2.5 million paid to members is for members for whom CEC does not have a current address. Members can inquire regarding unclaimed capital credit payments by checking the list on the coop’s website, which is updated frequently.

Since 1981, Central Electric has returned more than $46 million in Capital Credits to its members.

As a not-for-profit utility, Central Electric has two options for raising capital, borrowing, or raising capital from its members. The cooperative lowers its capital costs by melding member capital credits funding with borrowed money on which CEC must pay interest.

Cooperative members share in the benefits of margins annually earned. CEC’s bylaws authorize its board of directors to pay capital credits to members when the utility’s financial condition permits. CEC has issued Capital Credits to members in 40 out of the last 43 years.  

2 weeks of pile burning begins near Skyliners Road

The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District firefighters began pile burning west of Bend on the north and south sides of Skyliners Road Friday. That work may continue for another two weeks as conditions allow.

“Smoke and flames may be visible from Skyliners Road and trails within the Phil’s Trailhead network. Residents in communities near Skyliners Road are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to help decrease smoke impacts,” the Deschutes National Forest said.

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Here are more details from the Forest Service.

Firefighters select pile burning units for ignition based on moisture levels, forecasted weather and conditions predicted to move smoke away from communities where possible. Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. Once ignited, firefighters monitor piles until they are declared out. Please do not report ignitions.

While smoke may linger in the area, removing these large accumulations of woody debris during the winter months minimizes fire danger. The landing piles are concentrations of leftover materials associated with vegetation management activities being done to reduce hazardous fuels loading adjacent to communities.

High Desert Happenings: Dec. 8 – Dec. 10

It’s Friday! Which means we have another set of events going around the High Desert this weekend. 

Friday

Holiday Open House at Revival Vintage from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Boujee Bingo at the High Desert Music Hall from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Sno’d In Winter Party at Bend Brewing Company from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Saturday

Local Makers Holiday Market at Cascade Lakes Brewing Pub on Century from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Locavore Holiday Gift Faire at Unitarian Universalist Church from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Christmas in Powell Butte from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Also on Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) 

Sunday 

Sounds of the Season Concert performed by Redmond Community Choir at Redmond High School starting at 4:00 p.m.

Craft-O-Holiday Bazaar at The Workhouse in Bend 9:00 a.m. to  5:00 p.m. (Also on Saturday starting at 9:00 a.m.)

Bend awarding $1.2 million in block grants for affordable housing

$1.2 million from the City of Bend is going to block grants for developers who plan to create affordable housing.

The city says this year’s applicants are proposing a large number of affordable housing units

“We received six applications totaling 333 proposed units. So that’s really exciting,” said Mellissa Kamanya, City of Bend Affordable Housing Coordinator.

The applicants have to present their plans before the city’s affordable housing advisory committee, which will decide how the money is distributed.

The decision likely won’t be official until January.

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▶️ BPRD hosting annual Hollinshead Homestead open house Saturday

Saturday, the Hollinshead Homestead is hosting a holiday open house. You can learn what living in Bend back in the early 1900s was like.

The small museum will be all decorated for the season and ready for guests to walk through.

A woman who grew up on the homestead is giving the tours, and you will hear how different life in Bend was during that time.

>>> Have you checked out Central Oregon Daily News on YouTube? Click here to subscribe and share our videos.

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“A lot of folks who live in Bend today don’t know the history of our area, and that agriculture was a big part of Bend in the first part of the 1800s and early 1900s,” said Kim Johnson, community engagement supervisor, Bend Park and Rec. “We’ve evolved away from that now.”

The open house is from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Saturday. This free opportunity only happens once a year.

If you can’t make it, you can schedule a tour for another day through Bend Park and Recreation.

▶️ Quilters raise $23,000 for food insecurity through Bend Food Project

The Bend Food Project is giving $23,000 to The Giving Plate to address food insecurity for kids.

They raised the money by partnering with local quilters across Central Oregon, who donated more than 250 quilts for the cause.

Many who donated are already looking ahead.

>>> Have you checked out Central Oregon Daily News on YouTube? Click here to subscribe and share our videos.

RELATED: COCC students donate refurbished SUV to Meals on Wheels

RELATED: Bend’s St. Francis Catholic Church renovation makes significant progress

“The quilters are pretty excited about making more quilts, as that is what quilters like to do,” Quilter Sandra Henderson said. “Having it go to such an incredible cause makes it only that much better.”

Henderson says the partnership between Bend Food Project, The Giving Plate and quilters helps spread the word and feed kids, so that no one goes hungry.

 

Oregon launches app for people to manage state benefits

The Oregon Department of Human Services on Friday announced the launch of a new app for people to manage medical, food, cash and child care benefits they receive from the state.

ODHS says the Oregon ONE Mobile app is available for free in the Apple and Android app stores. Before using the app, people will first need to apply for benefits online, in person or by phone.

The app’s development was partially funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, ODHS said.

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Here are details from ODHS about how to use the app and manage benefits.

People in Oregon can use the free app to: 

  • Create a ONE Online account.
  • Access their existing ONE Online account.
  • Report changes to household information including address, contact information and income.
  • Upload requested documents using a smartphone camera.
  • Get updates on application status and check if it is approved, denied, or pending, and what actions might need to be taken.
  • See and download notices that were mailed.
  • Find the next renewal date for their benefits.
  • Get important, time-sensitive alerts and notifications about benefits on mobile devices.
  • View benefit issuance history for food and cash payments.

People who serve as Authorized Representatives for people with benefits are also able to use the app.

How to manage your medical, food, cash and child care benefits: 

  • By phone at: 1-800-699-9075. All relay calls accepted.
  • Online at: benefits.oregon.gov
  • Through the free Oregon ONE Mobile app available on Apple and Android app stores
  • In person at an office near you: Find an office.
  • In your language: Help in Your Language
  • By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309
  • By fax at: 503-378-5628

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