KWSO News Aug. 17, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) — With the Pacific Northwest’s killer whales struggling, an environmental group is suing to force President Donald Trump’s administration to expand protected habitat. The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. It says the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to act on its petition to expand habitat protections to the orcas’ foraging and migration areas off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California.

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — A state board upheld the denial of a key water quality permit for the Millennium Bulk Terminals project _ a proposed $680 million facility in Longview, Washington, that would be the largest coal shipping terminal in North America. The Daily News reported that Senior Vice President of External Affairs Wendy Hutchinson said Wednesday that Millennium plans to appeal the decision.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is pledging to work more closely with state and local officials to prevent wildfires and fight those choking California and other Western states. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says the Forest Service and other agencies will step up efforts to cut down small trees and underbrush and set controlled fires to remove trees that serve as fuel for catastrophic blazes. Perdue spoke Thursday after touring the California fires earlier this week.

Jefferson County residents will be voting on a new, larger jail operations levy, as the current levy is set to expire next June 30, and a neighboring county’s new jail will mean less revenue. Sheriff Jim Adkins told KTVZ on Thursday that because Crook County is building its own jail, his office will lose the rental income that was paid into their budget for operational costs. Adkins is asking voters to support a new five-year jail operating levy. Adkins said the levy will generate a total of $14.8 million over five years. He said the new levy will maintain jail operations for that timeframe.

There’s a 4-person golf scramble this Saturday at Kahneeta Golf Course. It is a fundraiser benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Warm Springs. It starts at 10am.

Football season is upon us. Madras High Football has a scrimmage next Friday at Sisters High School and then they will have a home showdown the following Friday, August 31^st versus McLoughlin High School. That’s at 7pm at White Buffalo Stadium.