KWSO News for Tue., Sep. 14, 2021

Oregon, Connecticut and a handful of other states have recently decided to mandate students be taught about Native American culture and history. In North Dakota, a bill became law this year that requires all elementary and secondary school, public and private, to include Native American tribal history in their curriculum, with an emphasis on tribes within the state. Some advocates say the nation’s reckoning on race has given momentum to these new laws, albeit gradual. The push comes as some states have passed or are considering passing new laws that prohibit schools from teaching certain concepts of race and racism.  In Oregon – Senate Bill 13 has led to local curriculum being developed in the Jefferson County 509J school district.     Warm Springs K8 teacher Ardis Clark says it’s exciting to be developing this local curriculum and the opportunity to tap local resources in support of specific Warm Springs History and Curriculum.  Oregon Senate Bill 13 curriculum is being implemented this year in Jefferson County 509J schools

This year’s wildfire season for Oregon and Washington began early and will run long.  But so far, it’s not as bad as 2020’s.  Data from the Northwest Agency Intercoordination Center shows as of Monday, about 1 million and 451 thousand acres have burned across the two states.  That’s nearly one-quarter fewer acres than the same date last year.  Ed Hiatt [HY-eht] is Interagency Fire Staff Officer for Northwest Oregon.  He says: “It has been very busy this year, we were expecting it due to the environmental conditions across the region. The Northwest has been dry. We haven’t had a lot of lightning, but the fuels have been very receptive to lightning starts. And they cause us a lot of problems.”    Besides the destruction of communities like Blue River, Talent, and Phoenix, many parts of Oregon were shrouded in heavy smog last year. Data also shows fire crews tackling 15 large fires in Oregon and Washington, compared to nearly twice that number in 2020.

Over the weekend, Oregon surpassed 300,000 confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, the state health authority yesterday reported that although COVID-19 related hospitalizations have declined since Friday, 93% of Oregon’s hospital beds for adults are full with only 62 adult intensive care unit beds available in the state. Oregon is in the midst of its worst COVID-19 surge since the start of the pandemic — which health officials say is due in part to unvaccinated people and also the highly transmissible delta variant.

In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now flu season too. As always this time of year, medical professionals are reminding folks that you can help avoid getting the flu bug by being vaccinated.  Warm Springs IHS is offering the follow Flu Shot clinics in the next several weeks starting today:

• Tues 9/14             Agency Long House Parking Lot 10 am – 2 pm
• Thur 9/16             Agency Long House Parking Lot 10 am – 2 pm
• Thur 9/16             Warm Springs Clinic Orange Tent area 5 pm – 7 pm

Additional clinics are being planned, as staffing is availalbe, at those same locations plus in Simnasho, Sidwalter & Seekseequa.

In Madras High school Sports Boys and Girls Soccer play Caldera today.  The boys JV and Varsity play at home.  The girls are scheduled to play on the road.  Yesterday JV football played at LaPine