News Stories Thu., Mar. 29, 2018

New Medicare cards will be coming out starting in April 2018. The new Medicare cards will have your name, effective dates of part A and B, and a random letter/number sequence. This letter/number will be unique to you only. There will be NO piggy backing off a spouse’s identification. The only thing changing is your Medicare number. You should start using your new card as soon as you get it. Destroy your old Medicare card. Do not just throw it away.  If you receive a call and the person on the other end says they are from Social Security and need to update your information, because the new cards are coming out, do not give them any information. Nothing. It is a scam. Just hang up.

Dr. Dean Pesnell, a project scientist of the Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, will return to central Oregon on April 18^th to host a public event titled “That was a Marvelous Eclipse! And Madras was the Best Place to Watch. Dr. Pesnell was in our area during the 2017 solar eclipse events last August. Eclipse photo sharing will be aa part of his program. He’s also having a contest for the public to share their photos. Winners will be chosen for adult and kid categories and prizes awarded. To submit photos, email them to eclipsephotos@whitebuffalos.net. Include your name, contact info, age of the photographer and where it was taken. The free event will start at 7pm April 18^th at the Performing Arts Center in Madras.

The Columbia River Inter Tribal Fish Commission has begun accepting applications for its annual Salmon Camp for youth. This year, it will be hosted by the Yakama Nation at Camp Chapparal. It focuses on providing culturally relevant science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiences to foster an interest in natural resources careers and close the academic achievement gap for Native American youth. Only twenty incoming 6th-8th grade students from the four tribes are selected to attend the free camp. Meals and lodging are provided and, after the program is successfully completed, a stipend is offered. The 6-day, overnight camp exposes the students to a blend of Western science and traditional ecological and cultural knowledge. You can learn more and download applications on the CRITFC website. There is a deadline of June 1^st to apply.