A lot happened in Central Oregon in 2023. A housing crisis, construction delays, e-bike issues, union negotiations and a killer brought to justice even as other slayings went unsolved. It was a year of change and upheaval but also a year of strength and perseverance.

Amid the turmoil, reporters at The Bulletin felt it important to also highlight a few heartwarming stories readers connected with, including friends who saved each other during the Safeway shooting, Craig Coyner’s death and Shiloh Binder’s journey after losing his arm.

With 2024 on the horizon, The Bulletin revisited the top news of this year.

Mass shooting plans foiled

The climbing community of Bend was struck hard this year when a Multnomah County man was arrested in October on allegations he intended to commit a mass shooting at the Smith Rock Craggin Classic.

Central Oregon photos of 2023

The Bulletin’s photographers pick the top pictures of the year

After Samson Zebturiah Garner’s arrest, more disturbing details emerged. According to a court document obtained by The Bulletin, Garner disclosed to friends and acquaintances that he fantasized about violence after his life deteriorated and even dreamed of attacking Mt. Hood Meadows.

Garner is currently held on 27 felony counts for his alleged plans to kill spectators and climbers at Smith Rock on Oct. 19.

Several homicides went unsolved, but many faced justice

Bend is a small city with only 100,000 people, but in 2023 two murders went unsolved. Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels said that, in his three decades of working as a prosecutor, this is the first time he’s seen this happen.

While authorities have not arrested anyone for the deaths of Leonard Peverieri, 70, who was killed in the driveway of his home on Los Serranos Drive on Oct. 9, 2022, or Evelyn Weather, 28, who was found dead in her home on NW Hill Street on July 18, other high profile cases moved forward in 2023.

Caleb and Dahnte Cegers were arrested in Cleveland, Tennessee after a nationwide manhunt on Aug. 18. The pair were caught a week after a fatal shooting outside Duda’s Billiards Bar in Bend that killed 33-year-old Taylor Wyss. Caleb Cegers, 21 faces charges of second degree murder while his older brother Dahnte, 26, faces charges of assisting his brother avoid apprehension.

Sports 2023 top stories

The Bulletin Sports team rounds up its top stories of the year.

Randall Kilby also faced justice in 2023 for murdering his two roommates with a hatchet in 2021. In a public trial, Kilby was found guilty of killing both Jeffrey Taylor, 66, and Benjamin Taylor, 69 largely based on a confession obtained by Bend Police after the incident.

Housing affordability still a problem

In February, The Bulletin published a series of articles about the ongoing housing crisis in Central Oregon.

In one article, it became apparent that part of the problem in Central Oregon is not how much housing is available, but what types of affordable housing is available. Right now, over 70% of Bend’s housing units are single-family homes that have become increasingly expensive. However, the city projects 40% of Bend’s housing will need to be affordable to families making 80% of the median income.

The Bulletin also found that renters require extended periods of time to find available housing — even while several new 6-story apartment buildings being built with some set to replace older developments. Many of the new apartment complexes are luxury housing. For example, a $100 million dollar project called The Ridge would bring Bend luxury condos and two hotels, with another luxury condo being built at Upper Terrace.

Housing and homelessness: solutions and problems

Central Oregon also saw a lot of coverage about housing and homelessness — from Habitat for Humanity’s net-zero homes to a new homeless shelter in Redmond.

In March, a new camping code passed by the city of Bend went into effect that said people can camp on city rights of way for only 24 hours. The code attracted the ire of activists, service providers and the chronically homeless and resulted in the city clearing a longtime homeless encampment at Hunnell Road. After eight months, the city distributed 351 notices to clean up or move but had not cited anyone or sent them to municipal court for noncompliance.

The year 2023 also saw the introduction of Central Oregon Villages to Bend, a high-barrier homeless shelter seeking to provide residents with more autonomy along their housing journey. Throughout the year, residents at Central Oregon Villages made the shelter’s tiny houses, which are about the size of a garden shed, into a home where they could concentrate on overcoming their barrier to permanent housing. The Bulletin followed one woman, Jacque Lee, through her journey in and out of Central Oregon Villages as she finally found permanent housing for her and her dog Lacie Baby.

This year, Bend also saw progress on multiple affordable housing complexes, including one pilot project by local developer Hadyen Homes with more than 100 units and another by Kôr Community Land Trust, an affordable homeownership nonprofit, and Housing Works, the Central Oregon housing authority.

Death of Bend teen riding e-bike

Bend had one of it’s most impactful tragedies to date when 15-year-old Trenton Burger died in an e-bike crash on June 17. Trenton’s death sparked urgency to create an updated law addressing the current technology and risks of e-bikes, called Trenton’s Law, that is being orchestrated by State Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend and Bend City Councilor Megan Perkins.

Instead of taking the conventional route in trying to regulate e-bikes by class, the pair targeted throttle-assisted bikes versus pedal-assisted bikes. Trenton’s Law has yet to move its way though the state legislature.

Police accountability

This year a satire website called “DCSO Follies” caught the eye of Bend. Its creators claim to have received information from Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office employees about reckless spending. Despite the website’s lack of evidence, The Bulletin was independently investigating DCSO spending through public records and could confirm some of the website’s allegations.

The sheriff’s office also faced public scrutiny this year when a former homelessness consultant, Kevin Dahlgren,was indicted on charges of theft and misconduct while working on homelessness issues in the city of Gresham. Dahlgren had been hired by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a point in time homelessness count in a contract of over $18,000.

St. Charles averts nurses strike

In May, nurses from the Oregon Nurses Union at St. Charles Health System voted to authorize a strike after negotiations dragged on with the hospital for five months. However, soon after, St. Charles hammered out a tentative agreement with the union that would protect their employment should there ever be a change in hospital ownership.

Nurses felt positive about the tentative agreement that averted a scheduled walkout, which was reached after 40 hours of nonstop negotiations. The contract was ratified in June with nearly 100% in favor of the agreement with St. Charles, which granted nurses higher wages and better job security.