KWSO News for Thu., Jan. 13, 2022

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Offices have been closed this week to slow the spread of COVID-19.  Offices ae scheduled to reopen next Monday January 17th.  Tribal Council will be meeting with the local COVID-19 Response Team tomorrow, to review data and determine if the Tribal Closure should be extended or if offices will reopen on Monday.

COVID-19 is impacting youth sports locally.  On Tuesday the Madras Aquatic Center and Recreation District announced they are pausing their youth basketball season for 2 weeks.   Youth and volunteers with illness in their housholds are not able to practice or play and so – there is a hold on practice until January 26th.   This will ensure that kids have a chance to play in as many games as possible.  The first games will be Saturday January 26th.

Madras High School Wrestling cancelled their dual meet that was scheduled for today at the Buffalo Dome.

The Jefferson County School District has announced changes to indoor spectator guidance for all athletic and activity events to address rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19.  Beginning next week – temporary changes will include reduced capacity for spectators at events.  The goal is to make sure  extra curricular activities are not disrupted.

  • For athletic contests between two schools, spectators will be limited to four spots per participant. For specific such events, decisions will be made prior to the event based on number of students participating and size of the venue.
  • There will be Limited Seating for Clubs and Activities based on number of students participating and size of the venue.
  • Many events will be streamed via the NFHS streaming service with 509J covering costs while capacity is reduced. The link to watch will be provided to all families prior to the implementation of the reduced capacity limits.

You can find all the details HERE

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will be doing a virtual town hall for Jefferson County residents, next Wednesday afternoon January 19th at 2:30.  People’s Town Hall will be collecting questions in advance of the town hall.  If you want to submit a question, we have a LINK to do that, in today’s news on our website  We also have the  link to watch next Wednesday’s Jefferson County Town Hall.

The 496-citizen Modoc Tribe, based in Miami, Okla., includes the descendants of 155 Modocs who the U.S. government transported on cattle cars from Fort Klamath in Oregon to Oklahoma after the Modoc War in 1873.  Recently, the tribe has purchased several properties in the Tulelake area near the Oregon and California border, intending to develop a presence on lands they were forcibly removed from.  Most recently the Tribe purchased an overgrazed ranch near Sheepy Ridge. During the last three years, the tribe purchased two adjacent properties at the foot of Barntop Mountain, in the sagebrush uplands that separate Lower Klamath Lake from Tule Lake. The tribe intends to restore these ecosystems, which have been overgrazed for decades. READ MORE.

KWSO weather for Central Oregon –

  • Patchy Freezing Fog this morning with a 50% chance of rain today. Temperatures in the 40.
  • More freezing fog possible tomorrow followed by partly sunny skies and a high in the mid 40s.
  • Partly Sunny Saturday and mostly sunny Sunday