News Stories for Mon., Jun. 26, 2017

Warm Springs Fire Crews quickly responded to a wildfire that began Sunday evening on the hill behind Indian Head Casino. Dry grass and winds helped the fire to spread.  It burned along the hillside to just past the mill.  And, it also came up the hill burning past KWSO and this morning was reported to have been stopped at Lower Dry Creek. Highway 26 was closed for a period last night. Back burn operations were conducted, and early estimates this morning put the fire at 2500 acres burned with zero containment. No structures were lost. And, Warm Springs Fire Management and Fire & Safety crews worked overnight. Additional crews and resources were ordered for today. Crews will be doing mop up work and they will also be patrolling as lightening hits were recorded yesterday. Roads are open, and you should remember that there are extra fire personnel out there, getting to and from the fire and patrolling.

The Warm Springs water system is experiencing taste and odor issues in the drinking water. The plant says its activated carbon feed went down and so they have not been able to feed the chemical that removes the taste and odor from the drinking water. What the treatment plant is doing now is feeding powder activated carbon into the drinking water to remove any taste and odor and “shock treating” the reservoirs with heavy doses of chlorine to neutralize the taste and odor. They say this you may notice a heavy bleach smell in your drinking water.  They say the water is safe to drink and use and drinking water is tested every 2 hours daily. In addition, they send weekly water samples to a water quality testing laboratory for verification that the water meets quality standards.

The Warm Springs Fish and Wildlife Committee has adopted some restrictive regulations for tribal subsistence fishing in the Columbia River downstream of Bonneville Dam: Warm Springs Tribal Members may harvest salmon, steelhead, shad, walleye, carp, catfish, yellow perch and bass in the 4 miles downstream of Bonneville Dam for subsistence purposes only.   This is a subsistence fishery only.  Sale of fish is prohibited.  Repeat violators may forfeit treaty reserved rights for the remainder of 2017, including hunting and fishing, along with the spring season of 2018. Retention of any sturgeon that may be caught incidentally while fishing for allowed species within the prescribed area shall be prohibited. The fishery will be open Sunday through Wednesday and fishing times may be limited by the location fished. Only one pole may be actively fished and one pole holder allowed per person.  A person is defined as anyone 12 years and older.  Saving or holding spots for others is not allowed.  And, Fishing poles must be continuously attended. Fishers must yield the spot to elders 55 and older and handicapped individuals if it is requested.  And, Any Warm Springs tribal members fishing below Bonneville Dam must carry tribal enrollment cards.

The Heart of Oregon Corps Thrift Store in Madras is seeking donations to help replace its HVAC system. It’s old, outdated system stopped working, and they have been operating without heating or cooling since early May. The HOC Thrift Store program provides an opportunity for youth who experience disabilities from Madras High School to gain retail job experience and training. They are asking for people’s help in reaching its $8,000 fundraising goal to purchase a new HVAC unit by June 30th.  Central Oregon Heating and Cooling has donated $4,000 and HOC’s Board of Directors has pledged $8,000 from very limited reserves—so $8,000 remains to be raised. Even the smallest amount matters they say. Any donation is fully tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation, you can contact Linda Graham by email, linda.graham@heartoforegon.org.

The Supreme Court is letting a limited version of the Trump administration ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries to take effect, a victory for President Donald Trump in the biggest legal controversy of his young presidency. The court said today the ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen could be enforced as long as they lack a “credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” The justices will hear arguments in the case in October.

Coal mining in the U.S. and the world’s two other biggest coal users has gone up 6 percent following last year’s record global decline. Mining data reviewed by The Associated Press show that 2017 production through May in the U.S., China and India, is up by at least 121 million tons, compared to the same period last year. U.S. Department of Energy data show that the change is most dramatic in the U.S., where coal mining rose 19 percent in the first five months of the year.

Jacoby Ellsbury has been out a month because of a concussion, and could come off the disabled list to play vs. the White Sox in Chicago tonight. New York needs another outfielder after Aaron Hicks injured his ribcage on a check swing Sunday, sidelining him at least three weeks.