KWSO News for Wed., Feb. 9, 2022

The Warm Springs community COVID-19 Update for Wednesday February 9th reports 5 new cases of COVID-19 from 37 tests conducted on Tuesday February 8th at the Health and Wellness Center. There were 4 positive tests reported from outside facilities and 1 presumptive positive. There are currently 70 people with active COVID-19 and 41 close contacts receiving daily monitoring by IHS staff. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. COVID-19 testing at the Health and Wellness Center is in the Orange tent in the Parking lot. You can drive through for a test weekdays 8:30am-11am and 1pm-3pm.

Repairs are ongoing on about one thousand feet of fiber optic cable along Hollywood Boulevard in Warm Springs. The cable was damaged on Saturday Morning with multiple bundles of fiber broken in this incident. Warm Springs Telecom reports that the initial focus of the repair is to remove the broken fiber and replace it with new cables then splice the new cable in to the line. They estimate repairs will be completed toward the end of the week. Warm Springs Telecom serves Warm Spring’s offices and Tribal Programs with fiber optic technology and fiber is also how data is delivered for other purposes like being relayed to sites that provide wireless connections to customers for internet service. In an unrelated matter, Telecom has determined the issues around recent service interruptions in which customers are experiencing frequent drops is attributed to an off reservation competitor’s signal interfering with Warm Springs Telecom Customers Service. They are in the process of identifying what steps need to be taken to resolve the situation.

Oregon’s statewide mask requirement for indoor public places will be lifted no later than the end of March. Authorities also said Monday that mask requirements for schools will be lifted on March 31st. The state medical officer and epidemiologist says that in the coming weeks, education and health officials will meet to revise guidance to ensure schools operate safely with students in class after the mask rule is lifted. The end of March deadline for lifting statewide mask rules was selected using local health scientist’s predictions that COVID-19 related hospitalizations will decrease to 400 or fewer by that time. 509J Superintendent Jay Matthiessen responded with a letter to the community, noting that the requirement will become a recommendation. It doesn’t apply when on a school bus as masks are required on public transportation which includes school buses until lifted by the federal government and cannot be waived by state or local authorities. In partnership with Warm Springs, 509J has deferred to Tribal Council and their COVID-19 task force for protocols to protect the community throughout the pandemic on tribal lands. They will continue to partner with those leaders going forward as decisions are made about the Warm Springs K-8 Academy.

The 2022 NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS voting is open now until the end of March. The awards cover all recordings released from 2019 through 2021. Warm Springs is represented in several categories. “I Will Always Fight” by Kalliah and BlackWater is up for Single of the Year, Kalliah is from Warm Springs. “Warrior” by Blue. Flamez of Warm Springs featuring Tanaya Winder is up for est Animation in a video. Blue Flamez is also in the Best Rap/Hip Hop Video for “Relentless Flow”. Big B of Warm Springs is also up for Best R&B Recording for the song ”Hometown”. You can go to NAMALive.com or NativeAmericanMusicAwards.com to cast your vote for your favorite artists and songs and can keep updated on when the results will be presented.

In Local Sports: Madras High School Buff Boys will be on the road to Estacada this Friday to take on the Rangers in League action, tip-off is at 7pm. The Lady Buffs will be hosting the Lady Rangers of Estacada this Friday night. The Lady Buffs are trying to remain undefeated in League action. In a late move, due to their last regular season match being canceled, it has been announced that during halftime of the Friday Night Varsity girls gam in the Buffalo Dome, there will be a ceremony honoring the Senior Buff Wrestlers. The Lady Buffs tip-off is set for 7pm and you can catch that LIVE here on KWSO.