KWSO News for Fri., Apr. 30, 2021

Please wear a facemask and use hand sanitizer as you shop or travel this weekend as COVID-19 cases are on the rise.  Effective today: Deschutes County, Crook County, and Wasco County all move into the Extreme Risk category for COVID-19.  That means indoor dining is prohibited in eating & drinking establishments in those counties.  Long-Term Care facilities can only allow outside visitation.  Stores must operate at 50% capacity.  Jefferson County remains in the High Risk category for COVID-19. (You can find detailed guidance for all levels at: https://coronavirus.oregon.gov/Pages/guidance.aspx)

 On Tuesday this week – Culver School District Superintendent Stefanie Garber notified parents that the high school would be closed to on-campus learning for a 14 day period due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.  Students are doing distance learning through May 11^th.

Yesterday – Sisters High School and Middle School announced they would pause in-person learning for 2 days and return to distance learning due to COVID-19 cases.  They do plan to resume on site school next Monday

Walk-up COVID vaccine appointments are being offered tomorrow at the Mass Vaccination Clinic at the Deschutes Fair & Expo Center in Redmond.  First-dose appointments will only be offered at the Mass Vaccination Clinic through the end of next week. Operations will continue through the end of May to complete second-dose appointments.

The US Senate yesterday passed a $35 billion measure to clean up the nations water systems in an 89 to 2 vote.  The legislation included provisions from Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley includes $250 million for tribal water infrastructure projects and will make sure that Native American Tribes most in need will be prioritized.    Native American tribes in Oregon and across the West are suffering from inadequate water infrastructure, with aging drinking water treatment and distribution systems subjecting these communities to serious problems such as failed pressure relief valves, burst pipes and unsafe drinking water. Wyden and Merkley’s Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act – which was first introduced in 2019 and passed the U.S. Senate yesterday as part of the Drinking Water and Waste Water Infrastructure Act of 2021.

National Wildfire Preparedness Day is tomorrow and the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation encourages Oregonians to be ready.  Three things you can do to save time, money and stress if a disaster strikes is to Build a home inventory.  Take photos of each room in your home and write a brief description of items within each room.  Include make, model and price for valuable things.  Build a financial backpack.  Gather important documents together – like birth certificates, social security cards, loan documents, insurance certificates, car titles.  Copy or scan them all so you have back up copies that can be kept somewhere safe.  And review your insurance coverage at least once a year.  Discuss an upgrades or changes made to your home and confirm your deductibles and policy limits with your insurance agent.  https://dfr.oregon.gov/preparenow/Pages/index.aspx