KWSO News Wed., Nov. 14, 2018

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs was notified late Tuesday by the EPA that the Boil Water Order for the Agency Water System has been lifted.  This is welcome news for residents who had been directed to boil water before use as a precaution since November 5th due to a loss of pressure in the water system. The Early Childhood Education Center will re-open to children today.

The Bureau of Land Management’s Oregon/Washington office says that the Lakeview Veterans Fire Crew has achieved certification as the Lakeview Veterans Interagency Hotshot Crew.  Of the 112 IHCs throughout the nation, Lakeview Veterans is the tenth BLM-funded hotshot crew, and the only one focused on recruiting and developing veterans. Interagency Hotshot Crews are the most highly trained and experienced type of hand crews and they must meet and maintain stringent requirements to achieve the IHC status. The Lakeview Veterans Crew has been working for two years to meet the IHC requirements to be formally certified at the national level. The Lakeview Veterans IHC will provide an opportunity for veterans to work in a team environment and build skills and experience. Team members will also learn about opportunities to work for and become competitive for employment with the Federal Government in other natural resource arenas. The Lakeview Veterans IHC also has four drone pilots, who flew more than 100 missions on fires this year.

The United States Department of Justice is hosting a Rural and Tribal Elder Justice Summit today and tomorrow in Des Moines, Iowa. This Summit brings together a diverse group of experts and elder justice professionals to identify the challenges rural and tribal communities face in responding to elder abuse; identify promising practices, resources, and tools available to rural and tribal communities; and explore what more can be done to foster greater collaboration at the tribal, local, state, and federal levels. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker spoke at the Summit this morning about financial schemes targeting elders – what the DOJ will do and what we can all do:

Although more than 20 percent of older adults live in rural America, rural and tribal communities face unique challenges in their efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.