KWSO News 7/5/19

The Warm Springs Early Childhood Education Center will not be reopening next Monday as hoped with the Boil Water Order continuing in Warm Springs.  The Head Start, Preschool & School age care programs are bringing in portable hand washing stations for classrooms.  They anticipate reopening on July 17th for those age groups.  Because ECE is a state licensed child care facility they must follow protocols when a Boil Water Order is issued.   Infant and Toddler Care will remain closed until the Boil Water Order is lifted.   A letter was sent to ECE families yesterday

The Jefferson County Relay for Life is next Saturday at the Fairgrounds in Madras.  The opening ceremony will be at 10am.  The Silent Auction – with more than 400 items, opens at 11am and closes at 7pm.  Teams of Walkers will participate in a relay walk for a 24 hour period with special games and activities.  All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to help with cancer research, education & advocacy.  This year, cancer survivor Becky Picard of Warm Springs will be recognized.

With Pi-Ume-Sha 2019 in the books and the 4th of July holiday in our rear view mirror – up next for Warm Springs in the way of community activities is the 17th annual Hot Summer Nights Powwow next Tuesday and Wednesday at the Simnasho rodeo grounds.  The weenie roast kicks off activities Tuesday at 6 with the social powwow at 7.  Wednesday morning is the annual fun run-walk.  Hot Summer Nights is home to the Simnasho Derby, the Drummers Relay Race and the Sweep Your Teepee World Championships.  Everyone is welcome to attend and participate.

The strongest earthquake in 20 years shook a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on the July 4th holiday, rattling nerves and causing injuries and damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of ongoing aftershocks.

The 6.4 magnitude quake struck at 10:33 a.m. Thursday in the Mojave Desert, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, near the town of Ridgecrest, California.

Multiple injuries and two house fires were reported in the town of 28,000. Emergency crews dealt with small vegetation fires, gas leaks and reports of cracked roads, said Kern County Fire Chief David Witt.  He said 15 patients were evacuated from the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital as a precaution.  Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breeden said that utility workers were assessing broken gas lines and turning off gas where necessary. A widely felt magnitude 5.4 quake before dawn Friday was the strongest aftershock thus far.