Local News
KWSO News for Fri., Nov. 5, 2021
Nov
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November is National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage month. The Museum at Warm Springs has opened the 28th Annual Warm Springs Tribal Member art exhibit, where twenty seven Warm Springs artists are included in this year’s exhibit, which has more than 50 exquisite examples of paintings, drawings, mixed-media, beadwork, weavings, video, photography and more in two categories of Traditional and Contemporary Art. Judge’s Choice Awards were given to Jaycelene Brisbois (traditional category), Anthony Littleleaf (Contemporary Category) and Brutis Baez (Video Category). Honorable mention awards went to Clarissa Picard, Scott Kalama, Aurolyn Stwyer, Rain Circle and Sandra Danzuka. Those interested in viewing the local art can visit the museum Tuesday through Saturday 9am-5pm. COCC is hosting events for Native American Heritage month, their next event is on Monday Nov. 8th at the Madras COCC campus as Gabriann Hall from the Klamath Tribes presents “Truth, reckoning and healing: a Story of Indian Boarding Schools” beginning at 11:45 am. That will be followed by a Native Flute performance from Warm Springs Tribal Member James Greeley as he will be performing on Wednesday Nov. 10th at the Bend Campus at 5:30pm.
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is leading a bicameral letter, along with Senator Ron Wyden, urging President Biden to rescind the Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers involved in the Wounded Knee Massacre that occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation on December 29th, 1890. The massacre saw hundreds of unarmed men, women and children slaughtered and twenty soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor for helping carry out the massacre. The lawmakers believe that President Biden has the power to use his executive authority to rescind the country’s highest military honor from the perpetrators of the event and are urging him to do so. Prior to the letter, Merkley along with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) reintroduced the “Remove the Stain Act”, which would revoke the Medals of Honor from the soldiers responsible for the Wounded Knee Massacre. The bill has received widespread support from tribal nations, direct descendants of the Wounded Knee Massacre, tribal organizations and veterans’ associations.
Oregon is on track for 16 percent job growth over the next nine years, according to economists with the state’s Employment Department. KLCC’s Chris Lehman reports: “The sharp drop in employment at the start of the pandemic last year means Oregon is now poised for record-setting job growth between now and the end of the decade. The Employment Department is expecting more than 317,000 new jobs in the state by 2030, with gains across all sectors. Projections economist Felicia Bechtold says the growth won’t be spread evenly around the state, however. Felicia Bechtold: “The two regions projected to grow the fastest rates are central Oregon with 18 percent, and the Portland area with 17 percent.” The parts of the state expected to see the slowest job growth are southwestern Oregon and six rural eastern Oregon counties. I’m Chris Lehman reporting.”
The Jefferson County School District continues to face a hardship in finding applicants for select classified positions. In response to better serve our students and their families, the district is increasing pay for some transportation positions, which include Bus Driver, Driver Trainer, Type 10/20 Driver, Transportation Coordinator and Bus Aide. The increase in pay took effect on Monday November 1st. Director of Operations and Safety Simon White says they are facing a critical shortage of Bus Drivers who are often the first employee students’ contact when coming to school and the last person they see at the end of the day. With that, they are offering a $500 Bonus for those select staff hired between August 1st and December 1st following 90 days of employment with the district. Interested applicants can apply on the 509-J website.
In Local Sports: Madras White Buffalo Football is on the road today for the first round of the 4A state playoffs. The Buffs come in to today’s game as the 16th seed and are facing the #1 seed Marshfield Pirates. Madras is trying to pull the upset over the Pirates even though they just came off of a hard fought loss to the Gladiators of Gladstone last week. Kickoff is going to be at 7 pm and you can listen to that here on KWSO.
Madras High School Cross Country is sending two runners to the 2021 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union Cross Country State Championships tomorrow at Lane Community College in Eugene. Junior Isaiah Wapsheli is going to be representing the boys and Junior Hannah Macduffee will be representing the girls.
In College Football, Saturday action has the 4th ranked Oregon Ducks traveling up to Washington to take on the Huskies as they are pushing to win out and take the PAC-12 championship. The Ducks are currently #4 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Oregon State Beavers are traveling to Colorado to take on the Buffaloes, trying to get back on the winning side of things as they currently sit in 3rd place in the PAC-12 North behind Oregon and Washington State.
