KWSO News for Thu., Dec. 16, 2021

Madras High School Music and Theater Director Jared McFarlin is busy getting his students ready for their winter concert, which takes place today at 7pm. McFarlin is currently in his 7^th year leading the Madras High School music department as the school’s band director, choir teacher and theater teacher. This winter concert performance will be the first one since the winter concert in 2019. The band and choir will perform songs then they will also take a scene from the play “It’s a Wonderful Life, a Live Radio Play” that was performed at the Performing arts center earlier this month. McFarlin became the Band director at Madras high school in 2015 and this upcoming New Year will be the lone Oregon music director representing the state in the upcoming 2022 Rose Parade. The parade entry will convey the theme “America’s Band Directors: We Teach Music. We Teach Life.” McFarlin will be one of about 280 band directors from across the country to march in the parade.

A Bend Police officer charged with assaulting a man while on duty has pleaded not guilty. The Bulletin reports Kevin Uballez appeared by video Tuesday in Deschutes County Circuit Court, pleading not guilty to misdemeanor assault and harassment. Uballez has been on paid leave since October, when he was charged. A call and email to Uballez’s attorney, Steven L. Myers, were not returned. Prosecutors say that in June, while attempting to take Caleb Hamlin into custody, Uballez slammed him into the ground. Before police contacted Hamlin, he was beaten by high school students who filmed their attack, said Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel on Tuesday. Hamlin, of Colville has filed a notice of intent to sue the city of Bend.

U.S. officials say the development of commercial advanced nuclear reactors intended to help combat global warming and enhance national security will need a better supply of the right type of nuclear fuel. The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday asked companies that might be interested in participating to send ideas concerning the agency’s plans to establish a program to ensure the availability of high-assay low-enriched uranium. The agency will use that information in preparing a report to Congress. The Energy Department wants to find a path to producing enough high-assay low-enriched uranium for civilian domestic research and commercial use.

With the COVID-19 pandemic now into its second year, many yuletide activities remain limited. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports on one Eugene group that’s keeping outreach virtual. “Poolie’s Angels” has superhero cosplayers who’ve normally done charity and civic events across Oregon. Founder Cory Cailteux [KEL-toh] headlines as the Marvel Comics anti-hero, Deadpool. He says his group’s scaled back to keep themselves and audiences safe. Corydon Cailteux: “We are at this point still only doing online events, Zoom calls, videos for people, by request.” Cailteaux says they keep assessing the situation, eager to resume appearances at the Greenhill Humane Society, Radar Toys, and hospitals. Corydon Cailteux: “Obviously we haven’t been walking those halls getting to go in and say hello and help kids in a really rough spot have at least a moment of joy in the midst of all that. And now 800,000 Americans that have died. That’s not a number that we want to add to in any way.” Such caution is warranted. A New York anime convention has become a case study in the new omicron variant after several attendees tested positive for it. [I’m Brian Bull reporting in Eugene.”

Fred Meyer and Q-F-C are eliminating some COVID-19 benefits for workers who are NOT vaccinated against the virus. Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Kate Davidson reports. “The changes come from the top … in this case parent company Kroger. The grocery giant is pushing more workers to get vaccinated – without mandating the shots. So now, unvaccinated workers at Fred Meyer and QFC stores will no longer get two weeks of paid emergency leave if they get sick with COVID-19. They’ll have to use regular paid time off or unpaid leave.  Vaccinated workers with breakthrough cases will still get the special leave. The companies also plan to charge some non-union employees $50 dollars more for health care every month if they are unvaccinated.  While the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for employers remains stuck in federal court, more companies are trying to make it harder to remain unvaccinated.  Fred Meyer and QFC will continue paying workers $100 dollars to get the shots. I’m  Kate Davidson reporting.”

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee is highlighting big budget priorities this week — one is salmon recovery. He went to La Conner on Tuesday for a ceremony with the Swinomish [SWIN-uh-mish] Tribe. Surrounded by tribal officials, he unveiled a 187-million dollar proposal. At its heart: an effort to recover and protect habitat alongside some waterways. “We have to protect our streams by providing them cover, trees along the shoreline to shade the  water. Otherwise, it gets too hot in salmon die. So this is the biggest step forward, I think, in state history, perhaps in the riparian issue of giving, giving salmon what they need, which is cold water.” Inslee is proposing the Lorraine Loomis Act – a bill named for a Swinomish elder, who died this summer and fought hard for these protections. If it passes, Inslee says, the bill will carry her work forward. “it’s hard because we have thousands of miles of stream, and every time a tree comes down, we lose shade in the water.” Still, he says, it’s possible and necessary to do this work. The legislation would include money to compensate landowners who face new restrictions.

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