KWSO News for 12/30/19

The Warm Springs Tribal Administration Building closed Friday Morning due to lack of heat.  The facility continues to be without heat today – however Tribal Government will operate with relocated programs, as Public Utilities continues to work on the issue.  Space heaters in conference rooms will be utilized for much of the staffing in addition to some employees moving to other buildings.  There will be limited access to the Administration Building for the public. Further details and phone numbers will be provided later this morning.  Administration staff are encouraged to dress warm and to contact your supervisor if you have any questions.

The day is approaching that single use checkout bags will be no longer available at retail stores and restaurants. House Bill 2509 passed in the legislative session and places restrictions on other checkout bags they may provide. By encouraging the switch to reusable or recycled paper bags, Oregon can reduce the amounts of single-use bags that are used and thrown out, while addressing a significant problem for Oregon’s recycling programs. As a consumer, if you do not bring reusable bags you can expect to pay a small fee at the register. After January 1^st, 2020, businesses can no longer provide single-use bags and must charge a fee for certain types of reusable bags. KWSO has reusable bags on our website, exclusively created from Warm Springs, go to KWSO.org and click on Shop KWSO For More Information Click HERE

A hydroponic garden, which creates a controlled environment to grow vegetables indoors without soil, is planned to be built at The Giving Plate, a food pantry in Bend. The Bulletin reports that a new organization, Around the Bend Farms, that focuses on urban gardening is partnering with The Giving Plate to build the garden, which would allow growing vegetables directly in the food pantry. Ben Marsh, founder of Around the Bend Farms, said the goals of his organization are to find alternative ways to grow food in the High Desert and make that food more accessible for people. Plants grown in hydroponic gardens grow in water, not soil. Nutrients are dissolved in the water, which allows the plants to grow much faster.

In Local Sports: The Madras High School Buff Boys basketball was at the Oregon Holiday Hoopfest over the weekend in Bend. On Friday they faced La Pine and won 45-40, led by Donnie Bagley with 17 points and Dapri Miller with 16. On Saturday they fell to Pendleton, 78-37, leading scorers were Donnie Bagley with 9 points, Jordan Mitchell and Dapri Miller with 8. Yesterday the boys faced off against Camas (WA) and fell 72-35, led by Dapri Miller with 9 points.