Local News
KWSO News for Mon., May 16, 2022
May
Tomorrow is Election Day in Oregon. It is a Primary Election with local non-partisan candidates as well. On the local ballot is the Jefferson County Sheriff, with Incumbent Marc Heckathorn facing Jason Pollock and Rick DuPont. The Jefferson County Commission Position 1 has three candidates with Incumbent Mae Huston facing Mark Wunsch and Laurie Danzuka, and Jefferson County Commission position 2 sees Incumbent Kelly Simmelink facing Sabria Rios. If you missed the Warm Springs Program about these candidates, you can go on to the KWSO website at KWSO dot org click on the programming tab, then podcasts to hear more about the candidates. Registered voters can return their ballot by mail, no stamp is needed. If mailed, your ballot must be postmarked on or before 8pm on May 17th, The Warm Springs Post Office will be post marking ballot mail until 4:30pm Sharp. In Warm Springs the official ballot drop box is located across the street from the Post Office and there is a Drop Box in Simnasho at Three Warriors Market.
A trial that was held at the end of April saw a Midwest City, Oklahoma man sentenced to a maximum of 78 months of prison without any reductions followed by 24 months of post-prison supervision. The Jefferson County Jury found the defendant, Alfred Lee Kaulaity, guilty of Coercion and Felony Assualt in the Fourth degree of an indigenous woman who Kaulaity tormented over the course of several hours while driving around in a van. The victim was eventually able to escape and ran in to the home of a person she did not know. Jefferson County resident Lyle Clark took the victim into his home, called the police and waited with her until the police arrived. After an investigation was started it was found that Mr. Kaulaity has had 7 other acts of Domestic Violence and he will be facing additional charges in Federal court.
This past Saturday May 14th at approximately 3am, detectives with the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team arrested Judith L. Carter of Prineville after a long term investigation. She was identified as a fentanyl and methamphetamine importer and distributor within Crook County from the Portland Metro area as stated in a Press Release from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team. Carter was stopped early Saturday morning and detained at a Madras truck stop after a multi-day surveillance operation throughout the Portland area. A subsequent search of Carter’s Hyundai SUV located a commercial quantity of Meth and counterfeit prescription pills made of fentanyl as well as additional evidence supporting the investigation. Several associates of Ms. Carter have been identified and more arrests are expected as the investigation continues. Ms. Carter was lodged in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Jail on criminal charges of Unlawful possession, manufacture and attempted distribution of methamphetamine and a Schedule II Controlled Substance.
With the Bureau of Reclamation announcing in April its plans to release approximately 50,000 acre-feet of water for irrigators from the Klamath Project, the Klamath Tribes “see no alternative” but to sue the Federal Government. As reported by the Bulletin, the Bureau of Reclamation operates the Klamath Project, delivering irrigation water from Upper Klamath Lake for 170,000 acres of farmland straddling Southern Oregon and Northern California, and are also providing $20 million in immediate drought assistance to farmers, paying them to fallow land in exchange for reducing water demand. The tribes are asking a district judge in Medford to suspend the Bureau of Reclamation’s 2022 operations plan for the Klamath Project until it complies with the Endangered Species Act. The Lawsuit seeks to protect two species of endangered sucker fish that are endemic in the Upper Klamath River drainage.
Pacific Power, who provides electric service to more than 770,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California is hosting two public workshops to gain input from customers on a company proposal to offer a 25 percent discount to low-income customers in Oregon. Customers whose income is at or below 60 percent of the state median income as adjusted for household size would qualify. The virtual workshops are scheduled for Tuesday May 17th from 6pm-8pm and Wednesday May 18th from 9am-11am. You can find details about the proposal and how to attend either workshop at pacificpower.net/discount Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States.
In Local Sports: The Warm Springs Nation Little League was in action Saturday, the Junior Baseball Springers traveled to Redmond and came back home with a loss. The Junior Softball team traveled to Redmond as well for a double header and won their first game 19-5 and then they ended their 2nd game with a tie 12-12. On the schedule today, the Major Softball team is on the road to Bend South for a game at 6pm and the Junior Baseball Springers are hosting Jefferson County Braves at 6pm. In Madras High School Sports, Lady Buffs softball was in action Friday as they hosted Corbett in a double header. In the first game they fell 9-3, in the coach’s report they battled offensively getting 11 hits, but left 7 runners on base. There were just too many defensive and base running errors to keep them in the game. In game 2 they failed to score and fell 13-0, in the coach’s report they struggled offensively getting only 3 hits and leaving 7 runners on base. On the schedule for today, the Lady Buffs are on the road to battle North Marion in a make up game, first pitch is at 1pm.
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