▶️ Redmond 13-year-old has budding baking business after Bluey birthday cake

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
May 30, 2023

She’s a 7th grader at Redmond Proficiency Academy. Already, Hannah Allbee has a budding cake baking business.

And it was a simple social media post that started her baking career.

“Normally, just pretty fun. Unless it’s like a really big cake,” Hannah said of her passion. “I did this wedding cake once, and I was, like, freaking out. I was like, ‘What if I mess it up? What if it’s, like, going too far because there’s a two-tiered cake?’ But it was fun. They loved it.”

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Hannah’s been hard at work baking for friends, family and clients for the past six months. All since mom — Cindy — posted on Facebook that her daughter was taking orders.

“My brother was turning five, and we didn’t have a cake. So my mom was like, ‘Hey, Hannah. Can you make a cake for your brother?'” Hannah said. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, sure. Hey, what do you want for your cake?’ And he’s like, ‘I want a Bluey cake.’ So I decided, OK, I can try making a Bluey cake. So then I made a Bluey cake and mom posted it on Facebook.”

“So I posted it on Facebook group and I just said, Hey, I have a 13 year old. She really likes to bake. She wants to learn to decorate. If you are willing to give her give her a chance and just be willing to take a chance on a 13-year-old decorating your cake, please hit me up and my messenger blew up,” Cindy said.

The post was liked and shared countless times and the positive power of social media quickly took over. Orders were rolling in and Hannah’s calendar filled up quickly.

RELATED: Taste This! Sisters Bakery

Lucky for her, she had her trusty assistant —mom — to keep everything in order.

“My mom does a lot of the orders, so like she’s like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to order this day’ or ‘Hey, remember, you’ve got a cake this week, you might want to get it done soon. So you don’t stress out about it,’” Hannah said.

“It had definitely good days and bad days. She will stress herself out and then, in the process, stress me out,” Cindy said.

Hannah said Cindy is the the planner and the one who gets everything.

Cindy said she expected this to turn into one or two cakes. Hannah’s now up to 15 and climbing.

It wasn’t long before the cakes were flying out the door. Birthday cakes with custom designs, cupcakes and even a wedding cake.

And Hannah left a trail of happy customers.

“A lot of the time they’re just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s so cute. Thank you so much.’ They’re usually really happy about their cake,” Hannah said.

So where’d Hannah learn how to bake?

“My grandma and YouTube,” Hannah said.

It’s worth noting that all the success, the cakes and the cash in the wallet haven’t changed this middle schooler. At least not too much.

“I had almost $100 in my pocket at one point, but I spent it because I went to Dutch Bros,” said Hannah.

Other than what sounds like a pesky caffeine addiction, she still got her head on straight and the future is bright. Hannah thinks baking and cooking may end up being a passion for years to come.

“There’s this COCC program which there’s a culinary program where I got to go do a like a baking thing for like an entire week at the COCC. And I really liked it there. I think I might want to do it for college and stuff,” Hannah said.

“I can’t actually put into words how proud of her I am because of this. She’s just taken it and been so successful for her level of comfort,” Cindy said. “It’s just great.”

Hannah already has cake orders booked out as far as November this year.

▶️ Street Dog Hero welcomes 32 dogs on cross-country flight to find new homes

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
May 16, 2023

Thirty-two VIPs arrived at Bend Municipal Airport Tuesday. Four-legged passengers on a private flight, looking for a new home.

Bend-based nonprofit Street Dog Hero partnered with Dog Is My Copilot to bring dogs, via plane, halfway across the country.

“We are getting 30-plus dogs from Oklahoma were just rescued from an overcrowded shelter. And many of them were at risk of euthanasia, so we’re very excited to be able to help them today,” said Street Dog Hero CEO and founder Marianne Cox.

The plane was greeted by volunteers, foster parents and the media.

“They usually come in smaller groupings. This is the first time we’ve done a huge flight transport of this size,” said Cox.

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The dogs arrived in style. And for the vast majority of the K-9 flyers they already had new homes in Central Oregon waiting for them.

After a vet check at Street Dog Hero, the dogs will head to their foster homes until they find their forever home.

This was the first of many flights planned by Street dog hero this summer, and the organization is asking for your help.

“Fostering saves lives. It’s a very true statement. And if anyone can open their home to help, we would be forever grateful as would these dogs,” said Cox.

▶️ Redmond boxer, 18, at national Golden Gloves; Olympic trials berth at stake

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
May 8, 2023

He’s a boxing phenom that already won a Silver Gloves National title at the age of 13. Now, Kevin Ochoa-Limbeck is 18 and has moved up to the Golden Gloves division where he recently won the Oregon state title and the western regional title and, in doing so, punched a ticket to Philadelphia for the national tournament.

The tournament gets underway Monday and runs through Saturday. The top two finishers in each weight division qualify for the Olympic trials.

“I don’t know what to expect because this is my first time going to National golden gloves. But I know that the level’s going to be high, so I expect that much. I expect that there’s going to be a lot of tough opponents over there and I expect that I’, going to have to fight,” said Kevin when we caught up with him recently for training.

“He’s in really good shape physically, mentally. I don’t think I’ve seen him this excited to go to a tournament, ever. So, yeah. I expect good things from him,” said Richard Miller, Kevin’s coach and trainer.

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The tournament is single-elimination. If you lose, you’re out.

“One and done. But we don’t plan on that. I think he plans on being the eliminator,” said Richard.

“Preparation has been good. I’ve been training, running, eating clean and on a diet. And I’ve been training up to four times a day, so preparation has been good.” said Kevin.

“He’s fast. He’s strong. He’s hungry. He’s in great, great shape and, I mean, he’s on,” said Richard.

Kevin is fighting in the 156 pound weight class. His first fight is Tuesday. Kevin will face Aaron Waldon, who won the Indiana regional tournament.

“It’s the best of the best. I know that much. So I’m just going to go in there prepared to fight anybody. Whether they’re good or not, I expect them to be good. So, I’m ready,” said Kevin.

Richard says Kevin hasn’t coasted to this point.

“Certain people have to have a dream, but they lose focus of it. And some people want the dream but they don’t want to have to work for it. He works for it. And it’s here. And he’s realizing the hard work and effort that he’s put in,” said Richard.

“The good Lord puts us in this place and blesses us with the opportunity to achieve his dream,” Richard adds.

And, of course, there’s something every boxer must do when they go to the City of Brotherly Love.

“I’ve never been to Philadelphia, but I’m excited to run the stairs,” Kevin said, referencing the iconic scene in “Rocky.”

“That’s just a reminder where we’re going. We’re going to be right there, right in that big city,” said Richard.

The coach says he’s gratified to watch how much work Kevin has consistently put in for the past dozen years since walking into a gym at age six.

“This is a game that takes a lot out of you. He goes to school every day. Got to do his homework. Gotta run in the morning. We train in the evening. We’re gone on the weekends to compete. Sometimes we’re gone a week at a time. And to do that for 12 straight years, and now he’s in the men’s division. He’s not done yet. To me, his hunger is just now starting because this is something he can progress into his adult life and realize a dream,” said Richard.

If he wins Tuesday, Kevin’s quarterfinal bout would be Thursday. The semifinal is Friday and the title match is Saturday.

▶️ Crook County HS trap shooting team sees interest grow in second season

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
May 2, 2023

It’s the fastest-growing extracurricular high school sport in America. Trap shooting has gone from a sport with just a few kids participating back in 2008 to over 30,000 kids participating today.

Crook County High School students are among them, preparing for their second season.

“The kids are dedicated,” said head coach Wayne Hilderbrand. “It’s not a cheap sport to be in with range fees and shells. But we want to keep the club rolling.”

On a beautiful, windy evening at the Rod and Gun Club in Madras, the newly-formed Crook County High School Trap Club team was at the range for practice.

Hildebrand said the team has gone from eight members in its first year to 22 this year.

“It’s been really fun,” said freshman McKenna Fox. “At first, it was really intimidating because I’m the only girl. And I felt like I constantly had to prove myself. But I’m a lot more comfortable now and the coaches are great.”

These guys and gals are the real deal. They finished second in their conference last year in their first year of existence and even sent one shooter to nationals in Michigan.

“I ended up finishing 80-something in state and I got to go to nationals,” said junior Mason Yancey.

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To join the team, individuals must first complete extensive safety training and gun handling classes and there is always adult supervision during practice and competitions.

The Crook County School District has emphasized increasing the options for after-school sports and activities over the past few years. The trap club is another example of the district meeting students where their interests are.

“My thought’s always been you keep the kids busy, and they’ll stay out of trouble. And this is a good way to keep them out of trouble,” said Hilderbrand.

As the sport continues to grow nationwide, Hildebrand expects his Crook County team to grow alongside it.

“I’m looking forward to 30-plus kids next year,” said Hilderbrand.

Talk to the kids and they’ll tell you what makes a great competitor in this sport isn’t necessarily the physical tools one has on the trap range. It’s all about that space between your ears.

“It’s a mental game. So we try to focus on doing the same thing every time with our set up and not to get into our heads,” said McKenna. “But there’s good days and there’s bad days. So even the best shooter can go out there and shoot terribly. It depends on the day and the weather. Everything goes into it.”

“Being able to stay out of your own head and just stay focused on what you’re doing. And practice, making sure your mechanics are where they’re supposed to be and you’re doing what you’re supposed to be every time,” said Mason.

He sums it up this way.

“Being able to get a varsity letter in a sport where we get to use guns and come out and have fun. That’s pretty awesome,” said Mason.

▶️Bend man paralyzed in ice climbing fall keeps adapting, living — and dancing

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
April 26, 2023

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From backcountry skiing to white water rafting, climbing, surfing, mountain biking. You name it and Josh Hancock was doing it.

But in 2014 an ice climbing accident left Josh paralyzed. Now nine years later, he’s being featured in a documentary called “Adapted” and is continuing to push boundaries for adaptive sports, adaptive living and beyond.

Get busy living, or get busy dying. We all have a choice.

Josh Hancock skis faster than me and probably faster than 90% of the people on the slopes.

“I started skiing when I was about four years old,” Josh says.

And he does without the use of his legs.

“I love coming out here. I mean, I love being outdoors and the mountains are beautiful and it just feels so good to get out, move my body and challenge myself. Go fast.”

It happened on Dec. 3, 2014.

“I was out ice climbing with a friend. And it was just a practice day. We weren’t doing anything very difficult. And I was resting on the rope, taking a break and, while I was resting, the anchor that my partner built failed.”

He fell about 35 feet.

“Broke my back and became paralyzed from the waist down.”

It’s been nine years now since that fateful day climbing that left Josh paralyzed from the waist down.

“Five weeks in the hospital and then about a month of living in an apartment with my parents and nurses and OTs coming and going. And then about ten more months of learning how to drive and learning how to ride a tricycle like a hand cycle and just kind of figuring out how to move in my body again. And about a year after my injuries, when I felt comfortable starting to learn how to ski again.”

Josh had to rebuild his life, learn how to function independently and relearn how to do the activities he loved.

“It’s really humbling becoming a beginner again. You know, I was doing a lot of ski mountaineering before my injury. And, you know, that was awesome and it was magical. And then to be back on the bunny slopes and wiping out all the time, it was hard. It’s a process, you know, and it’s hard to imagine, like, OK, where is this going to go some day?”

Today, he’s back to doing most of the sports and outdoor activities he was passionate about before the accident.

“I try to give myself as many options as possible. When people invite me to go do something, I want to be able to say ‘yes’ as much as I can. So I go mountain biking. I have an off road hand cycle. I have a couple of surfboards. I love to go surfing, I have a whitewater raft.”

It goes beyond outdoor pursuits. He works as an environmental engineer in his day job, still travels the world and he recently agreed to step outside his comfort zone and perform a rehearsed dance on stage with his girlfriend in front of an audience.

“I have kind of a saying that anything that makes me feel scared and excited, I have to do it.”

His girlfriend Abby says that’s why Josh dates her, with a chuckle and twinkle in her eye.

That pursuit to live life to the fullest and push the boundaries of what some may think is possible. That attitude caught the eye of filmmakers.

In 2019, Josh became one of the main subjects of a documentary film, which is now in post production. The working title is “Adapted.”

“We’re really trying to tell this story about how how healing the outdoors and sport can be after people have experienced traumatic accidents and injuries.”

Josh hopes the film will inspire people in similar situations and far beyond.

“You have to face the sadness of what’s happened and the loss. That’s real and that grief is real. But I also told myself early on that, you know, I think I only get to live once and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Get busy living or get busy dying.

“You got a saying: If you want to be the (expletive), you got to ski the (expletive).”

Josh and the filmmakers of “Adapted” are still working on raising funds to complete the documentary. If you’d like to learn more, watch the trailer or donate, head to adaptedthefilm.com.

▶️ Former Olympic boxing hopeful from Bend pivots to teaching next generation

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
April 11, 2023

Three short years ago, she was one of the top boxers in the nation vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. Now, Whitney “Hollywood” Gomez is back in a Bend gym. But she has hung up the gloves and is training the next generation of local boxers.

“You’re coming in. You’re landing a few, but then you’re just taking a bunch,” Whitney told one of her boxers at a recent training session we attended. “So you’ve got to ‘bop, bop, bop’ and then move and then ‘bop, bop, bop.”

It was just over three years ago that Whitney had her Olympic dreams come oh so close — barely missing out on the U.S. team. Then life as she knew it changed completely.

“Lost at Olympic trials. Heartbreaking. Almost made me feel lost for a while. And then COVID. And then I ended up having another baby who’s two now and ended up having two hip surgeries,” said Whitney.

A fourth child and two hip replacements during the pandemic caused Whitney to head back to the drawing board. But when she was finally able to come up for air, that board still showed a ring, two gloves and a whole lot of passion.

“Boxing changed my life. It saved m en one of the darkest parts of my life. The darkest times in my life, I found boxing and it saved my life,” said Whitney.

The hip replacements may have ended her fighting career, for now but the passion for boxing still burned bright and Whitney found herself ready for a new challenge. She traded in her gloves for a stop watch and whistle and is now the new head coach of Deschutes County Rocks Boxing.

Her longtime coach and Deschutes Rocks founder Richard Miller was looking to step back at the same time Whitney was stepping forward, making for a seamless transition.

“He’ll always be coach to me, right? I still call him. I say ‘Hey, coach,” Whitney said. “He’ll always be coach to me. But the help he gives me is very crucial.”

She’s might be the only female in the gym, but Whitney is used to it and the boxers young and old, new and experienced, give her the respect she deserves and the respect she’s earned.

“Being a female coach in any sport, especially if you’re coaching boys and men, can be intimidating. But these guys, I feel like they show me the respect that they should show a coach. And they come and they work and they listen to me and they are super respectful.”

Gomez says she’s leaving the door cracked for a possible return to the ring herself. But for the time being, her focus is on training others. If you’re interested in taking up boxing, head to boxitfit.com and look under the Rocks Boxing tab.

▶️ Redmond High School wrestling team attributes success to academic coach

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
March 31, 2023

Last month the Redmond High School boys wrestling team won their first state title since 1959.

Their success on the mat is being chalked up, at least partially, to a new member of their coaching staff.

A person that never stepped foot in the mat room, never blew a whistle, but rather spent one hundred percent of their time in the classroom.

Eric Lindstrom has the story.

▶️ Redmond boxing phenom, 18, triumphant at Western Regional Golden Gloves

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
March 14, 2023

An 18-year-old boxing phenom from Redmond has a new title: Western Regional Golden Gloves Champion.

Kevin Ochoa-Limbeck, who Central Oregon Daily News introduced you to two weeks ago, was competing in Las Vegas over the weekend.

Kevin shared with us a photo of himself in the ring, with his hand being held up by the referee. Ochoa is pumping his fist while his opponent is on one knee, looking dejected.

Behind Kevin is his coach, with fists up in the air in victory.

“This is this has to be my favorite photo. You know, you got coach in the background,” said Kevin. “His hands are up. More excited than I am, it looks like.

“You got me looking up, thanking God for the opportunity. I’m so thankful to have everyone been there,” Kevin added.

“He was on. Just speed in and out, side to side and the kid couldn’t hit him. Kevin, he tore him up,” said Richard Miller, who has coached Kevin for 12 years.

Kevin won back-to-back fights in Las Vegas and punched his ticket to the National Golden Gloves tournament in Philadelphia.

“I’m looking forward to the new experience. I’ve never been to Philadelphia. I’ve never fought the National Golden Gloves. I’ll probably most likely be the youngest person there fighting at the tournament, so it will be an honor,” said Kevin.

There’s some symmetry building. When Kevin was 13, he won the National Silver Gloves in their 50th year of existence. As fate would have it, this year happens to be the Golden Gloves 100-year anniversary. So, it just might be destiny at this point.

Also, there’s an added incentive to do well at nationals as the top two finishers automatically qualify for the Olympic trials, which has been a lifelong dream of Kevin’s.

A GoFundMe has been created to help get Kevin to the national Golden Gloves. You can donate at this link.

▶️ Meet the 18-year-old Redmond boxing phenom who’s taking on the Golden Gloves

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
March 2, 2023

He’s been in the gym since he was six years old, and he’s won pretty much everything you can as a young boxer. State titles, regional titles, and even a Silver Gloves National title at the age of 13.

But now the boxing phenom from Redmond, Kevin Ochoa-Limbeck, is 18, and there are new challenges ahead.

Last month, he entered his first Golden Gloves tournament in Eugene, competing for an Oregon state title.

“To get into the Golden Gloves, you have to be 18 years old. It’s 18 to 40. So, he got in. And the tournament was on his 18th birthday. He was by far the youngest in the tournament,” said his coach and trainer, Richard Miller.

Kevin won both fights, punching a ticket to the Western Regionals in Las Vegas, and was named the most outstanding boxer for the tournament.

For Miller, it’s hard to believe that the tiny kid who walked into his gym 12 years ago isn’t so little anymore.

A GoFundMe has been created to help get Kevin to the national Golden Gloves. You can donate at this link.

▶️ Central Oregon author heads to Hollywood for movie, TV series pitch

by Eric Lindstrom | Central Oregon Daily News
February 21, 2023

It’s every author’s dream: Write a novel, have it published and then have Hollywood come knocking to turn it into a blockbuster movie or television series.

For local author Tina Palecki, the first two dreams have been realized. Now she’s been invited to Los Angeles to pitch her book to Hollywood insiders.

“I feel fantastic that that, you know, that they think I should even go down there and do this,” said Tina.

“It is a two minute pitch and in the packet it says they adhere to that very strictly. So my pitch is exactly one minute and 47 seconds long.”

Two minutes to convince producers, directors and Hollywood execs that they should turn her book, “The Night Child,” into the next blockbuster movie or hit Netflix series.

“When you get down there, you walk into your pitch not knowing who’s in front of you. So it could be a screenwriter. It could be a producer,. It could be somebody from Lionsgate or Paramount. It could be Netflix. It could be Amazon.”

It could be any of the big boys. But she won’t know until she shakes their hands. And then that two minute clock starts ticking.

Tina isn’t used to doing things fast. She writes her novels the old school way — with pen and paper in hand and ink close by.

“I write with a calligraphy pen and try and really dig into that and feel that time period.”

The time period is medieval, and the genre is what Tina describes as medieval magical realism.

“There’s a little bit of magic that doesn’t go as far as like dragons and fairies and those kind of things but there’s magical elements and the realism is that the rest of the story is very based in fact.”

“The Night Child” was published a year ago. But it wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that Tina received a call from her publisher that they wanted her to head to the moviemaking capital of the world and pitch her novel to Hollywood decision makers.

“They think that the genre is doing really well right now on TV, so they wanted to send me down there.”

Since that time, the pitch has seen more than a couple revisions.

“I think I’m on draft like 110 right now. But we’re getting there.”

And the excitement has been building.

“I keep telling people I am so excited and extremely terrified all at the same time.”

But Tina continues to do what she’s done for years. Teach at High Desert Middle School. Run the drama program at Three Rivers and continue to write and do book signings in her free time.

“I’ve got a lot of stories in me and I’m hoping that there’ll be a lot of Palecki books in the ‘P’ section soon.”

Last Saturday, she was at another book signing and sendoff of sorts at Barnes and Noble in Bend. She chatted with fans, worked on perfecting her pitch and signed a bunch of books.

“All of them are asking me now if they can be in the movie. I’m like, ‘You guys don’t understand how this works.'”

And who knows? The next thing she signs could very well be a Hollywood movie deal. A fitting Hollywood ending to this Hollywood tale.

“I think the realness of my book is is going to be is going to be a good thing because it it would be beautiful filmed on site, you know, on the islands off Scotland, Land’s End area.”

It could be a few weeks before Tina knows if she’ll get that perfect Hollywood ending.