KWSO News for 12/6/19

The Project Zero Challenge kicked off on Wednesday and some tips have been shared on how to attack the 1^st weekend during this holiday season. With it being typically easier for people to stay on track during the week because they are in a routine, and often do less socializing, the weekends are a little easier to add calories as people consume alcohol, eat out and have social events that involve food. Use these tips to stay on track throughout the weekend: Limit yourself to 1 drink/day for women or 2 drinks/day for men, skip the chips, bread, or appetizers when eating out, Avoid the three C’s  – crispy, crunchy, creamy, Take or provide healthy items at gatherings and Focus on the Fun! The Project Zero Challenge continues until January 2^nd with 8 weekend days during the challenge.

The City of Bend wants to pass a bond for transportation projects. But the crushing defeat of a gas tax in 2016 still looms, and as Emily Cureton reports, officials are approaching voters with caution. “A failed gas tax left street maintenance backlogged since the Great Recession. Now, the city is developing a 20 year plan for Bend’s transportation needs.  Which projects to put forward, and exactly how much to ask local voters to pay — is still up for debate. A committee has already spent sixty hours working up options, according to City Councilor Bill Moseley  MOSELEY: The average voter is going to give us about 15 seconds of attention and there may be a big backstory but I do worry about the ability to sabotage a bond request. And the big question is who will benefit most from the transportation package. Addressing the council this week, Moseley worried priority projects for bikes, pedestrians and bus riders could alienate motorists. Emily Cureton, reporting”

A man shot by a Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputy last week is expected to recover. That’s according to a statement yesterday from the Deschutes District Attorney. Emily Cureton reports… “Deschutes DA John Hummel is investigating why a deputy shot the 28 year old man. The DA’s statement describes Adam Gilliam as houseless, and raised in John Day.  The day after Thanksgiving, Gilliam allegedly stole a car belonging to a homeless shelter in Bend. Sheriff’s deputies pursued him.  One deputy struck the fleeing car to force it off the road. Another deputy shot Gilliam under circumstances that remain unclear. DA Hummel says he expects to release findings in a matter of weeks. Earlier this year, law enforcement reported helping Gilliam. According to a January statement from the sheriff’s office, deputies found him hypothermic after he reportedly walked ten miles naked in sub-freezing temperatures. Emily Cureton reporting.”

A late start to spring planting this year, and an early fall cold storm froze thousands of acres of potatoes in the ground in Alberta, Manitoba and North Dakota this fall. That means french-fry makers are drastically short of spuds. And it’s the Northwest to the rescue, as Correspondent Anna King reports. “This is the second year of poor weather for potato growers. And that means in some regions they’re — gasp — short of potatoes to make into French fries. Dale Lathim is president of the Potato Marketing Association of North America. Dale Lathim: “This is a situation that we’ve been feeling for five years now. The only difference this year is we’ve got the new plants come on, so we have the processing capacity — but this is the first time in a number of years — that it’s the potatoes that are the limiting factor.” Now, thousands of Northwest spuds will be shipped on hundreds of trucks to keep multiple plants’ lines operating efficiently and non-stop. I’m Anna King in Richland.”

In Local Sports: The Warm Springs K-8 Boys Basketball hosted Elton Gregory yesterday, the 7^th Grade boys fell 49-28 and the 8^th Grade boys lost 58-57 at the buzzer. Madras High School Girls Basketball is hosting the White Buffalo Classic this weekend, starting with Hood River Valley and Astoria at 5:30 tonight, followed by Toledo and Madras at 7. Games continue tomorrow starting at 3:30. Madras High School Wrestling kicks off their season at a tournament in Bend tomorrow beginning at 10am. The Madras High School Swim team starts their season hosting the Madras Relay’s with the first race beginning at 11:45am tomorrow.