Good morning, Bend.

Les Schwab announced a new Les Schwab Foundation and committed $100,000 to support Silver Rail and district recovery, allocating $40,000 to Silver Rail Elementary's PTO, $30,000 to Bend La Pine Schools, and $30,000 to the Oregon Community Foundation; the foundation will also assist employees and accept aid requests.

This week in Bend: Marina Richie will discuss Feathered Forest at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Roundabout Books & Cafe; 5th Annual Comedy Con runs Friday at Silver Moon Brewing; Salomon's Quality Ski Time Film Tour screens Monday at the Tower Theatre.

Pacific Power earned a 2026 Achievement Award for using AI to find Oregon customers who may qualify for bill assistance and to improve application completion.

The outreach added about 9,000 Oregon customers to the low-income discount program (20%–80% off for households at or below 60% of median income), raising enrollments to roughly 78,000.

The Environmental Center is seeking applications now for its Garden for Every School grants to help preschool through 12th-grade schools and youth groups in Central Oregon build or improve learning gardens, continuing a program that has awarded over $140,000 since 2018 and will fund new projects this year.

Two young bobcats were filmed horsing around in October near the Central Library in east Bend, and the video was shared Oct.

27.

A Farm Bureau analysis released Tuesday, Oct.

27 says Oregon’s foreign-held agricultural land rose by 146,500 acres in 2024 to about 1.41 million acres, helping push Pacific Northwest foreign ag holdings to roughly 3.4 million acres.

Redmond Fire Rescue is proposing a Wildland Urban Interface Code to strengthen defensible space, improve emergency vehicle access and protect homes in fire-prone areas, and has opened a public comment period so residents can email admin@rdmfire-or.gov or attend upcoming department meetings.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Dante Moore will not return this season and opened the door for redshirt freshman Akili Smith Jr. to take over at quarterback, with playing time possible in the Ducks’ final five games that run through Nov.

28 (season end).