Keeping up to date on current events is important, but the daily stories on rising homelessness, murderers being sentenced and new city policies can be exhausting. While breaking news informs readers about what’s going on, they say little about the people of Central Oregon.

Amidst the day-to-day news of 2023, The Bulletin also reported on stories of survival, triumph and perseverance that resonated with our readers. Below is merely a small selection of articles that show the strength of Central Oregonians.

Safeway survival stories

In 2022, a shooter opened fire on the east Bend Safeway, killing two and shattering the sense of security many residents felt in the cozy Central Oregon city. On the first anniversary of the Safeway shooting, The Bulletin reflected on how the events of that day still impact the survivors and how so many members of the community came together in an effort to rebuild.

Before the shooting, Travis Conner and Ray Shields didn’t have much in common. Conner, 32, was a solar technician who grew up at the dawn of video games. Shields was a 63-year-old retired construction worker with osteoarthritis who walked with crutches. But the moment those first shots were fired, their lives collided together.

Since the shooting, the pair have become close friends. Shields, who has no children of his own, said he views Travis as a son. Travis is thankful to Shields for broadening his horizons and teaching him things he never knew, like how to change the alternator on his wife’s car.

From her truck to permanent housingThroughout 2023, The Bulletin followed one woman in her journey from homelessness to permanent housing. Jacque Lee’s story resonated with many Bulletin readers, several of whom reached out to financially support Lee as she moved into her permanent housing at the end of November.

In the past year, Lee has lived out of her truck, gotten into a car accident, battled cancer, made a tiny house her home and made it through the waiting list for subsidized housing. Today, Lee is living happily in her new apartment in east Bend with her active and playful dog, Lacey Baby, who has been her constant companion throughout the entire ordeal.

Shiloh Binder’s journey to recoveryShiloh Binder wasn’t a stranger to being in the news. When he was 15, he and his sister helped rescue an injured hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail. A year earlier, he made Bulletin headlines when he solo-hiked the Oregon section of the PCT at 14. But he never expected to make headlines because of a tragic accident that left his arm trapped in a meat grinder for three hours.

The events of that day on Jan. 11, 2023 left Binder without part of his right arm, but he emerged stronger than ever. The past year for Binder has been about discovering what he still can do. An avid adventurer, slowing down after his accident wasn’t an option, but as it turns out, hiking, kayaking, driving cross-country and mountaineering are doable with just one hand. Instead, it’s the little things that remind Binder of his accident — zipping up a jacket or brushing his teeth. Today, Binder is determined to live his life to the fullest.

‘Teaching in a war zone’In the complicated world of the 2020s, it’s no wonder teachers are seeing changes to the way children behave. But for teachers in the Bend-La Pine Schools district, they say it’s like ”teaching in a war zone.” Students throwing chairs, escaping over fences and stabbing teachers with pencils are just a few examples teachers gave in a 2023 survey put together by the Bend Education Association. Teachers want help with situations they were never prepared how to deal with, but a lack of resources have many reconsidering their career in education.

Disrupted learning and student behavior have been a driving topic behind ongoing negotiations this year between Bend-La Pine Schools and their two main unions: the Bend Education Association and the Oregon School Employees Association. As the schools move into 2024, district officials say negotiations are nearly finished. Parents have been following these union developments closely over the past year.

New Costco

In 2023, the city of Bend approved plans for a new Costco — complete with a gas station and car wash — as part of the Gateway North development. The new wholesale store will be a 185,000-square-foot store and sit on 52 acres bordering U.S. Highway 20, Robal Lane and Cooley Road. The new store, gas station and car wash will replace the existing Bend warehouse near Highway 20 and NE 27th Street. Costco.

Former Bend mayor dies homelessFor more than 30 years, Craig Coyner III served the city of Bend, first as a prosecutor, then as a city councillor and finally as Mayor. But in his later years, Coyner fell into homelessness. Coyner spent his last days in the hospital suffering from frozen feet and severe alcohol withdrawal. After his death, his friends and family were left with one question: How could a man who gave so much to this city have fallen so far?

His family attributed Coyner’s decline to the death of his wife in 2008, mental illness and financial troubles. They told The Bulletin they deeply regretted never stepping in to help Coyner, but friends also acknowledged he was no saint. In 2006, Coyner’s had his license revoked by the Oregon Supreme Court and he later admitted he was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and had been self-medicating with alcohol.

Coyner’s story is one of toil, heartbreak and missed opportunities. Read the full story here.