KWSO News for Thu., Jan. 28, 2021

The Branch of Public Utilities Water and Wastewater department is narrowing down the location of a water leak that caused the loss of system pressure to the Kah-Nee-Ta Hamlets and Wolfe Point homes about a week.   They have determined that 1 of the 2 Warm Springs River crossings has not been compromised.  Kah-Nee-Ta water tanks are being filled to restore water service as they continue to work on identifying a plan for repairs.  Residents should be aware that there may be additional water outages as a result of the investigation.   Kah-Nee-Ta and Wolfe Point still have a boil water notice in effect and should boil water for 3 minutes prior to consumption as a precautionary measure, or use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and doing dishes.

At the Warm Springs K thru 8 Academy all grade levels will be attending Limited In Person Instruction today.  The 509J school district has been planning for a return to on-site, in-person school next Monday, although that has yet to be confirmed.  At the K8 – school administrators have created a video going over COVID safe measures that will be in place for when students return.   You can check out that video HERE

At Madras High School a new “Buff Athletic Briefing” newsletter has posted for student athletes.  With the tentative return to on-site school next week, interim athletic director and MHS Vice Principal, Mark Stewart, announced a tentative schedule for Tri Valley League play for football, volleyball and soccer.  The Fall Sports season tentatively starts February 22^nd although football will begin February 8^th.  All sport practice guidelines and competition schedules are subject to change by OSAA and the State of Oregon.  You can read the newsletter HERE

Oregon State University is taking its program that tests for the prevalence of the coronavirus to Redmond this weekend. KLCC’s Chris Lehman reports that the TRACE program model has field workers going door-to-door in selected neighborhoods and inviting people to take part. It’s voluntary and free, and those who accept the offer will self-administer the test. Researchers use the results to calculate the overall prevalence of the virus in a given community. OSU spokesman Steve Clark says it’s a valuable tool for public health officials.  “Even while we’re preparing for Oregonians to be vaccinated, and many are being vaccinated already, it is still very essential to have a sense of the prevalence of the virus.” Clark says the goal is to test at least 600 people across Redmond this weekend. This is the sixth Oregon city to host the TRACE program since it began last spring.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that strengthens the federal government’s nation-to-nation relationships with tribes.  The action requires all federal agencies and executive departments to have a “strong process in place for tribal consultation,”   An article posted by Indian Country Today says “the move represents the new president “committing to regular, meaningful robust consultation with tribal leaders” and it requires all federal agencies and executive departments to have a “strong process in place for tribal consultation,”   READ THE FULL ARTICLE