KWSO News for Mon., Sep. 20, 2021

Around two dozen people have contacted the poison center in Oregon after self-medicating against COVID-19 with a drug used to treat parasites, with five becoming hospitalized and two of them winding up in intensive care units. The drug they used was Ivermectin, which has no proven use against the coronavirus and is instead approved to treat some parasites in people and some animals. Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 14, the Oregon Poison Center at OHSU managed a total of 25 cases. The medical director of the Oregon Poison Center said people shouldn’t use unproven and potentially dangerous drugs to fight COVID-19.

At Oregon’s Capitol hundreds gathered to protest Gov. Kate Brown’s COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. The Statesman Journal reports that on Saturday people at the rally lined both sides of Court Street in front of the Capitol building, and filled the first block of the mall during about two hours of speeches, then marched through downtown Salem during the peaceful event. Protesters identified themselves as health care workers, teachers, emergency services workers and state employees. Gov. Kate Brown has ordered those groups to be vaccinated by Oct. 18. She ordered a statewide outdoor mask mandate on Aug. 24.

The Warm Springs Health & Wellness Center continues to have some phone system connection problems that they have been experiencing since the power outage on September 10^th.  Some callers are not getting through when they call.  The clinic continues to work on diagnosing the cause and getting it resolved.

Flu shots are now available to help protect communities from vaccine-preventable illnesses such as influenza.   The Warm Springs Health & Wellness Center has 2 upcoming flu shot clinics this week.  Tomorrow between 9 and noon you can get a flu shot, drive through style, in the parking lot between the Agency Longhouse and ECE.  On Thursday – shots will be given from 5-7 at the Orange Tent in the Clinic Parking Lot.

The Museum at Warm Springs has announced their Tribal Member Art Exhibit will be on display in their Changing Art Exhibit area October 21^st thru January 8^th.  Enrolled Members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs can enter art work in a variety of mediums.  The deadline to turn in artwork is Thursday October 7^th.

A Columbia river fall season fishery started this morning and will go through 6pm this Friday.  The open area is all of Zone 6.  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.

The Madras White Buffalo football team lost a close contest Friday Night at home to Sweet Home 13 – 14.  Up next for the Buffs – they travel to Klamath Union this Friday.