News Stories for Wed., Aug. 16, 2017

Management of the Nena Springs Fire returns to Warm Springs Fire Management today. Northwest Team 12 managed the fire for the past several days. Although the Incident Management teams will be leaving, a number of resources will remain assigned to the fire. The Fire Management Division is putting together a local Incident Management Team that will be taking over responsibility for the further management of the Nena Springs Fire.

Gas prices are climbing in locations along the path of totality of next Monday’s total solar eclipse. Demand for gasoline has already been very robust, due to a healthy summer travel season. Add about a million eclipse viewers in Oregon and 500,000 in Idaho, and that creates even more demand for fuel. For the week, the national average for regular unleaded remains at $2.35 a gallon. Oregon’s average climbs three cents to $2.72 and Idaho’s average leaps eight cents to $2.66, which is the biggest weekly jump in the nation, says AAA Oregon/Idaho Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds. “The eclipse on August 21 and the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend will likely lead to some of the highest prices at the pump this year.”

Oregon Senate Bill 1057 which recently passed, “…allows tribal identification to be used as an acceptable form of ID for purchase of cannabis or alcohol.” Tribal ID’s are now listed as an OLCC Acceptable Identification, as long as it is an unexpired and unaltered ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe with photo, name, and date of birth.

It was standing room only at the Greeley Heights Community Building for the Solar Eclipse community meeting.  Chief Operations officer for the Warm Springs Tribes, Alyssa Macy, provided handouts and led the group through a discussion about what events are going on… public safety plans, traffic control, road and parking restrictions on campus, the bus schedule between the casino and Madras, and Eclipse viewing safety details. There are contingency plans in place for emergency shelters – should they be needed during the solar eclipse time period.  The identified locations are the Warm Springs Community Center, Agency Longhouse and Simnasho Longhouse. Overflow parking for the Casino and Museum will be at the Agency Longhouse. For visitors to the reservation – there is camping and RV space being offered at Quinn Park and the Community Center baseball fields.  The fee is for a 4 day stay.  Day parking is also available for a fee at the Community Center and the Tribal Administration building.  That space will be staffed.  You can learn more about all this at www.warmsprings.com.  Click on Events. Camped out at Quinn park will be 85 Boy Scouts from Linwood Washington who are coming to view the eclipse and in return they are helping with maintain the camping spaces at Quinn Park and the Community Center. There will be no parking at all allowed around the campus area.  Signs will be posted.  Also the roads adjacent to the Agency Fire Hall will be closed to traffic.  Roads to get to the Native Sol event on the west campus will be one way in on Wasco Street and one way out on Warm Springs Street.   Road Closed Signs will be posted along highway 26 at all roads into the Reservation to restrict access.