KWSO News for Tue., Sep. 29, 2020

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross says the 2020 Census will end Oct. 5, despite a federal judge’s ruling last week allowing the head count of every U.S. resident to continue through the end of October, according to a tweet posted by the Census Bureau on Monday.  The tweet said the ability for people to self-respond to the census questionnaire and the door-knocking phase when census takers go to homes that haven’t yet responded are targeted to end Oct. 5.  The announcement came as a virtual hearing was being held in San Jose, California, as a follow-up to U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh’s preliminary injunction. The injunction issued last week suspended the Census Bureau’s deadline for ending the head count on Sept. 30, which automatically reverted back to an older Census Bureau plan in which the timeline for ending field operations was Oct. 31.

Today and tomorrow in Warm Springs folks who have not yet participated in the census can do so with assistance.  Today from 11am – 1pm at the Community Center and again from 5 til 7 at the Simnasho Longhouse and Seekseequa Fire hall – there are drive through events.  Tomorrow from 7:30am – 5pm, a Census table will be set up outside of the Tribal Admin building.  You can get help doing your census and pick up some snacks.

The second round of Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal CARES act funding opens this week.  Applications will be available starting tomorrow at the 2020 Census table that will be set up at the Tribal Administration office from 7:30am – 5pm.  The applications will also be available for download on the Tribal Website tomorrow.  Paper copies will also be available at the Family Resource Center starting tomorrow.  For details about the application process you can email cares@wstribes.org.

Warm Springs Ceremonial Hunters and Meat Cutters were being sought by the On and Off Reservation Fish and Wildlife Committees.  If you have questions about the requirements or process to apply, you can contact Angie Blackwolf at the Tribal Council office.  Hunters will be tasked with hunting deer for the tribal freezer which will be used for ceremonial and traditional gatherings.

The Jefferson County 509J school district remains in Comprehensive Distance Learning Mode.  This week – the 21^st Century Community Learning Center has begun free virtual tutoring services for K thru 12 students.  The tutoring is being offered Monday thru Thursday 3:30-7pm.  The 21^st Century Learning program had offered afterschool programming for the past 2 years at the Warm Springs K8 and also in Madras.  With the Covid-19 pandemic, the program is shifting to tutoring online as they continue to recruit community partners to help with enrichment programming as well.  For tutoring, student’s need to register by calling 541-475-0388 or use this LINK to sign up. Tutoring is for all grades and also for CASA home school students.