KWSO News Sep. 5, 2018

The Portland Trail Blazers and Moda will bring the sixth annual Rip City Rally to Madras next week. On Thursday, September 13 a team of Trail Blazers ambassadors and staff will engage with fans bringing the community together to showcase the Trail Blazers as “Oregon’s Team.” The visit will include a ceremonial flag raising with city officials, followed by the Rip City Rally – a free community fair from 4-6 p.m. – that features activities for all ages in front of City Hall located at 125 SW “E” Street. There will be basketball clinics, shooting contests and attendees will have opportunities to win tickets and cool prizes!  Folks can also take photos with the 1977 NBA Championship trophy.

VALIER, Mont. (AP) — Activists are working to bring new attention to an enduring problem: Missing and murdered indigenous women in the U.S. They say too many cases get little notice or remain unsolved. Several U.S. senators have called for action and justice for women who also face high rates of other violence. Heidi Heitkamp, a senator from North Dakota is pushing legislation that would compel better tracking of these cases and expand tribal access to federal criminal databases.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is hosting four workshops in Terrebonne next week to gather input from residents about ways to address traffic issues along the U.S. Highway 97 corridor. Last year, the Oregon Legislature approved $20 million for safer access through Terrebonne, including pedestrian crossings and intersection improvements at the Lower Bridge Way intersection. ODOT, which is partnering with officials in Deschutes and Jefferson counties, developed an advisory committee of local stakeholders and hosted public outreach events. The public feedback has centered around three proposed concepts: Widen the existing highway, split the highway into parallel roads, one northbound and one southbound, or create a bypass. The Bend Bulletin reports feedback for ODOT’s Terrebonne Refinement Plan so far has been diverse, but all focused on the same theme of improving safety and congestion through Terrebonne.

WASHINGTON – Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Tuesday more than $2.7 million for new Housing Choice Vouchers that will assist people with disabilities. The Vouchers, known as Mainstream Vouchers, enable people with disabilities to access both affordable housing and supportive services—provided though partnership agreements between public housing authorities and local agencies—in an effort to enable individuals to live independently in the community. · Housing Works of Redmond received over $273,000. It is the local housing authority for Deschutes , crook and Jefferson counties.