News Stories for Mon., Oct. 30, 2017

As of Friday, the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office reported that it had received just 21.8% of the ballots they had sent out for the November 7^th Special Election.  That means there are still a good number of ballots that have not been dropped off or sent in. Voters will decide on the renewal of the Madras Aquatic Center and Recreation District Levy. The initial levy was approved in 2013 to fund the MAC. This renewal would be for five years. The initial levy, over the past four years, has helped to expand the Recreation District’s in and out of water programs for youth and adults. The operating hours were expanded and the MAC stays open year round. Ballots were mailed out in October 18th. If you have not received your ballot, contact the Jefferson County Clerk’s office. Ballots are due by 8pm on November 7^th.  In Warm Springs, ballots can be returned at the official drop box – in front of the old Fire & Safety House on Campus.

Madras girls’ soccer hosted Yamhill-Carlton on Friday. The White Buffaloes lost on a miss on the fifth penalty kick in a Class 4A play-in match. Tied at 1-1, the match went through 2 scoreless overtime periods. The match went to a penalty-kick tiebreaker, which Yamhill-Carlton won 3-2. The Buffs’ ended their season with an overall record to 4-6-3.

On the boys side, fifth-ranked Madras will host No. 12 Hidden Valley of Grants Pass on Wednesday in Round 1 of the OSAA/US Bank/Les Schwab Tires 4A Boys Soccer State Championship. Game time is 3:00. OSAA playoff ticket prices will apply – $6 for adults, $4 for students.

Gov. Kate Brown has asked a state agency to cancel plans for a water swap that would have allowed Nestle to access the valuable spring water it wants. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the water transfer is a key part of Nestle’s plans to build a $50 million water bottling plant in Cascade Locks. Hood River County voted in May 2016 to ban commercial water bottling. Most voters in the city of Cascade Locks, however, favored letting Nestle in and city leaders have been pursuing a water rights transfer with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife that would allow it to sell water from Oxbow Springs to Nestle. Brown on Friday asked the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to withdraw its application for the water exchange.

The PDXC State Middle School Cross Country Championship was held yesterday at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. Warm Springs K8 Academy placed 10^th for the Men’s 3000 Meters Champs. Runners were Isaiah Wapsheli, Keith Charley, Moses Gilbert, Nate Jensen, Taylor Arthur, Rupert Bellanger and Sebastian Bisland. For the girls, Talise Wapsheli, Jazell Allen, Sally Medina and Carlicia Dixon.

The Warm Springs Early Childhood Education Center will continue to be closed this week as work is being taken to trace the source of E. coli bacteria found in standing water underneath the G-pod portion of the building. The water sample was from under G Pod not from inside the building.  Drinking water is not affected. The entire facility is being professionally cleaned as a precaution, and so the building will be closed all of this week. A Public Meeting to update the Community is planned for Wednesday at 6pm at the Agency Longhouse.