KWSO News 6/14/19

Gelco Construction has been hired for the emergency repairs for the Shitike Creek water main line crossing. They have started mobilization efforts and work will began on Monday, June 17th. It is expected that water will be shut off on Tuesday, June 18th, starting at 5:00 am for a minimum of 36 hours. Project updates will be provided to the community as the work progresses. Public Utilities staff completed work Thursday to minimize water outages to the community and it is anticipated that these outages will be contained to the Campus area only, not everything south of Highway 26 as previously projected. Additional updates will be provided should anything change with water outage impacts.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde plan to purchase the shuttered Blue Heron paper mill and more than one mile of land along the Willamette River upstream. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports purchasing the lands would give the tribes easy access to the river for ceremonial fishing and room for potential commercial development. Grand Ronde Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy says they were not far enough in the process to say if the land would be used for commercial development, but have aspirations to develop the land. Kennedy told Willamette Week Grand Ronde has no plans to build a casino in Oregon City if the land purchase is completed. Kennedy said the tribes are midway through the purchase process but did not specify when the actual purchase would be made.

Pacific Power says it will take steps to protect communities from the increasing threat of wildfire. Pacific Power is are working with emergency services agencies, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and community leaders across Oregon to expand and enhance existing emergency response plans. It will enhance vegetation inspections and clearance around power lines or poles, increase facilities inspections, make investments to improve equipment resiliency and fire-proofing, install local weather stations, and train and equip field crews for wildfire suppression. Pacific Power is also launching a public wildfire education and outreach campaign to share wildfire safety and prevention tips and to inform customers of the company’s Public Safety Power Shutoff measure.