• First Interstate Bank, NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market and High Desert Food and Farm Alliance are combining efforts to help fight hunger and improve regional food insecurity. Until Sept. 14, children 17 and younger who open a minor savings account at any First Interstate Bank in Bend will receive $10 in donation bucks to present to the staff at the High Desert Food & Farm Alliance Grow & Give program booth at the NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market. High Desert Food & Farm staff will use these donation bucks to buy fresh produce, delivering food items weekly to the NeighborImpact Food Bank.

• Central Oregon Pediatric Associates has been awarded the state’s 5 STAR — Tier 5 designation in the patient-centered primary care home program. The Tier 5 rating is the highest available for medical clinics.

• Energy Trust of Oregon has announced in its annual results that it has cut $3.2 billion from customers’ utility bills since 2002. In 2017, the nonprofit maintained record natural gas savings, supported the installation of a record 1,800 solar systems and saved more electricity to more than 56,500 locations than the previous year.

• Central Oregon LandWatch received the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee’s 2018 Big Chainring award for an advocacy group. The organization successfully advocated for the creation of the Bend Central District. The plans for the district incorporate safer walking and biking routes, which will help encourage alternative forms of transportation.

• Cascade Tel, managed technology services provider, will now be serving as a virtual chief information officer for small to mid-sized businesses.

• www.friendometry.com is a Bend-based internet business created by pediatric neuropsychologist Daniel J. Kriz and businessman Tucker Lemm that aims to decrease childhood loneliness, depression and anxiety and increase childhood happiness. Parents can locate other parents in their geographical area who are looking to find friends for their children. Friendometry is strictly for parental use and is simple, safe and secure.

• Alfalfa Store, 26161 Willard Road, Bend, filed an application June 8 with the OLCC for an additional privilege, a limited on-premises sales license, which allows the sale of malt beverages, wine and cider for consumption on the licensed premises and the sale of kegs of malt beverages for off-premises consumption.

• Portobello Wine Cafe, 2754 NW Crossing Drive, Unit 104, Bend, filed two applications June 11 with the OLCC for a change of ownership and a limited on-premises sales license, which allows the sale of malt beverages, wine and cider for consumption on the licensed premises; and change of ownership and an off-premises sales license, which allows the sale of malt beverages, wine and cider in factory-sealed containers for consumption off the licensed premises.

• Dry Fields Cider, 611 NE Jackpine Court, Unit 3, Redmond, filed an application June 15 with the OLCC as a second-location winery, which allows the licensee to import, bottle, produce, blend, store, transport and export wine and cider, and allows wholesale to OLCC and licensees, and retail sales of wine and cider for consumption off the licensed premises only.

• Soorah Korean Cuisine, 3105 O.B. Riley Road, Bend, filed an application June 15 with the OLCC for changes of ownership and tradename, and for a full on-premises commercial sales license, which allows the sale and service of distilled spirits, malt beverages, wine and cider for consumption on the licensed premises.