Published 8:05 am Thursday, October 22, 2026

We are neighbors. None of us should carry this alone.

Three children and a teacher were killed at Silver Rail Elementary on Oct. 15. Two others were critically wounded. A week later, Deschutes County is still holding the shock and grief.

The tragedy struck a community already living in survival mode. Parents are exhausted. Families struggle with housing, groceries, insurance and child care. Educators and first responders are stretched thin. Small businesses are hanging on. Rural families worry about wildfire, water and whether their children can afford to stay. Silver Rail added a devastating layer to what we were already carrying.

I see that burden in my own life and in the lives of those I serve. For more than a year, I’ve campaigned for county commissioner while working full time, raising two teenagers and serving veterans and first responders.…