News Stories Jun. 8, 2018

More than 1,600 people arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border, including parents who have been separated from their children, are being transferred to federal prisons. U.S. immigration authorities confirmed the transfer Thursday. They said they’re running out of room at their own facilities amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Detainees are being sent to prisons in California, Texas, Oregon, Arizona and Washington state.

Jim Soules, a former Chief of the Warm Springs Police Department, is now serving as the general manager of the Warm Springs Branch of Public Safety.  The Spilyay Tymoo reports that Tribal Council took action regarding the Public Safety general manager – placing Soules in the position on an interim basis until a permanent general manager is hired.    Soules served as the Prineville police chief for 22 years, before retiring in 2003. He later served 15 months as police chief in Warm Springs.

One of the hottest and driest months of May on record may have contributed to the toxic algae bloom wreaking havoc in Salem’s drinking water. The algae bloom was originally spotted in Detroit Lake on May 8 and reached highly toxic levels around May 21. The record heat and dry conditions apparently kept the bloom strong, allowing the toxins to spread from the reservoir, into the North Santiam River and finally into Salem’s drinking water for the first time at dangerous levels.

An Idaho utility has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contending the agency failed to act on a request by the state of Idaho to modify water temperature standards below a hydroelectric project where federally protected chinook salmon reproduce. The lawsuit filed Wednesday by Idaho Power Company seeks to force the agency to take action on a 2012 request by Idaho allowing warmer water temperatures in the Snake River below the Hells Canyon Complex.