News Stories Fri., Feb. 9, 2018

Madras COCC will show a film about Native American boarding schools next week. The public is invited to watch the documentary on Monday at noon. It is called “Our Spirits Don’t Speak English: Indian Boarding School. Told from a Native American perspective, it uncovers the dark history of Indian boarding schools and explores the countless Native children who were taken from their families, homes and culture and what they experienced. Elders from Warm springs will attend and a discussion will follow. The film will also be shown in Bend on Wednesday. Another cultural event COCC is sponsoring is “Boys with Braids” next Saturday at the Coats Campus Center on the Bend campus. It is a community event to bring awareness to cultural importance of why Native men and boys wear their hair long. A variety of guest speakers will share their personal experiences. It is free and open to the public.

More than five years after Washington state legalized marijuana, Seattle officials said Thursday they’re moving to automatically clear past misdemeanor convictions for pot possession — a step similarly announced by San Francisco last week. Eight states have now legalized marijuana for recreational use, and some, including Oregon, California and Colorado, have made it easier for people to petition to have their pot convictions vacated or sealed. But Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego appear to be the only major jurisdictions erasing convictions without even requiring the defendants to request it.

NEW YORK (AP) — The flu has further tightened its grip on the U.S. This season is now as bad as the swine flu epidemic nine years ago. A government report out today shows 1 of every 13 visits to the doctor last week was for fever, cough and other symptoms of the flu. That ties the highest level seen in the U.S. during swine flu in 2009. And it surpasses every winter flu season since 2003, when the government changed the way it measures flu. This season started early and has been driven by a nasty type of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths than other more common flu bugs. But its long-lasting intensity has surprised experts, who are still sorting out why it’s been so bad. Flu usually peaks in February. Some doctors say this is the worst flu season they’ve seen in decades.

It is the final home game for Madras Girls Varsity tonight and so seniors on the team will be honored. There are four seniors on the team – Kaliyah Iverson, Lynden Harry, Alesha Freeman and Ellise David. The girls, who are so far undefeated in Tri Valley League play, will take on Estacada. It is just JV and Varsity tonight – 5:30 and 7:00 are the game times. The boys play at Estacada High School.