KWSO News Fri., Jul. 9, 2021

The Warm Springs Community COVID-19 Update from Thursday, July 8 reported 1 new case of COVID-19 from 12 tests conducted on Wednesday, July 7 at the Health & Wellness Center.   There was also 1 positive test from an outside facility.

The third summer season fishery has been set.  It is 6 am, Monday, July 12th to 6 pm, Thursday, July 15th and 6 am Monday, July 19th to 6 pm Thursday, July 22nd.  The open area is all of Zone 6.  Allowed gear is set and drift gillnets with no minimum mesh restriction.  Allowed sales are salmon, steelhead, shad, yellow perch, bass, walleye, catfish and carp.  Sturgeon may not be sold but may be kept for subsistence use.  Size limits are 38 to 54 inches fork length in the Bonneville Pool and 43 to 54 inches fork length in The Dalles and John Day pools.  River mouth and dam closed areas applicable to gillnets are in effect.  The Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery closed area is not in effect during the summer management period.

On June 25, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) announced their new Ready Schools Safe Learners Resiliency Framework for Full-Time, In-Person Instruction for the 2021-2022 school year.  In alignment with that framework, the Jefferson County 509-J School District has decided face coverings are now recommended for K-12 age children both inside and outside, but not required. Children younger than kindergarten age are not required to wear masks. All staff will continue wearing face coverings when working inside a room with children. When children are not around, staff will be able to remove their face coverings. The district encourages any student or staff member who wants to continue to wear a face covering to do so. 509-J will keep this mask requirement in place for staff because some children are not able to be vaccinated, may be medically compromised, and because of the impact on children from the Delta variant of COVID-19. Families will be notified of any changes prior to August summer programming, and then again prior to the fall start of school.

Oregon Community Foundation announced that it has selected the City of Bend to receive a nearly $3 million Project Turnkey grant to purchase and convert an area motel into transitional housing for community members in need. It will house community members in need, particularly those disproportionality impact by COVID-19, including tribal members, veterans, survivors of domestic violence and Latina/o/x community members. Located on NE Division Street in Bend, the City anticipates use of the 28-room property as early as this winter. Key benefits of Project-Turnkey-Bend – to be operated in partnership with NeighborImpact– include: Safe accommodation and support, a provision of essentials such as clothing, hygiene items, meals, and showers, help to move people experiencing homelessness from crisis to stability, and culturally specific, supportive services.

With dry conditions expected to continue in Central Oregon and fire suppression resources already limited due to numerous wildfires in Oregon and Washington, the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Deschutes National Forest and the Ochoco National Forest are implementing a total campfire restriction. Effective Monday, July 12, all open fires, including charcoal fires, will be prohibited on all lands administered by those agencies.

The Coquille Indian Tribe has completed and opened its new health center in Coos Bay. It’ll serve members of the Tribe and will be open to everyone in the community. The Ko-Kwel Wellness Center is a brand new, 22,000 square foot facility run by the Tribe. It is a one-stop shop for comprehensive care beyond just medical services. Their goal is to close the health care gap and make getting care easier. Most of their services are in full operation. The behavior health services are still in the works. The tribe also acquired a building in Eugene to create an all-inclusive health and wellness division in that area, too. They expect to have it fully operational in the fall.