KWSO News for Thu., June 2, 2022

An IHS news release announced Tuesday that funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will send the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs more than $13 million for the Dry Creek Water Treatment Plant replacement. The funding announced allocates $700 million to provide American Indian and Alaska Native homes with critical services like water wells and onsite wastewater disposal systems and connections to community water supply and wastewater disposal systems. The allocations are for Fiscal year 2022 through Fiscal Year 2026 for a total of $3.5 Billion for the IHS sanitation facilities construction program. Although Warm Springs was awarded the $13 Million for the Dry Creek Water Treatment Plant, altogether, more than $25 million was allocated to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs that also includes Rehabilitation in the Simnasho Lagoon, The Schoolie Flat Water System among several other projects.

In Warm Springs, the COVID team has continually monitored the local wastewater and it has indicated that there is a rise of the COVID virus being detected in the community. This has also been confirmed with reported cases received at the Health and Wellness Center. The COVID team urges people to wear masks, especially if you are in a large group, do not know the people you are around and sanitize and wash hands on a regular basis. With graduations, mini pow-wows and other celebrations it is important to be cautious. Home test kits are available at Emergency Management or at Fire and Safety. They encourage you to report a positive test to the Health and Wellness Center and that it is required for COVID administrative leave.

Child welfare officials in Oregon will stop using an algorithm to help decide which families are investigated by social workers, opting instead for a new process that officials say will make better, more racially equitable decisions. The move comes weeks after an Associated Press review of a separate algorithmic tool in Pennsylvania that originally inspired Oregon officials to use the technology, and was found to have initially flagged a disproportionate number of Black children for “mandatory” neglect investigations. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said he had long been concerned about the algorithms used by his state’s child welfare system and reached out to the department again following the AP story.

Four members of U-S Congress got a close look at Washington’s Snake River dams. Correspondent Courtney Flatt has more. “The four members of the Congressional Western Caucus, which Washington Representative Dan Newhouse chairs, watched fish travel through various passage routes at Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. A boat tour also led them through the lock system near the Tri-Cities. Newhouse is an ardent supporter of the region’s hydropower system. He says taking other Congressional Republicans to the dam is part of his strategy to promote Washington. Newhouse says Congress eventually could decide whether to approve a decision to remove or alter the four controversial Snake River dams. Newhouse: “The dams are under attack. I think the more members of Congress that can come and see first-hand exactly what’s involved when we talk about hydroelectric dams and the benefits that we derive from them – I think the better off that we are.” Environmental groups and tribes continue to push to remove the four dams in an effort to protect endangered salmon.”

In Local Sports: The Warm Springs Nation Little League had the Major Softball team hosting sisters yesterday and Sisters won that game 9-3. In today’s action, the Major Baseball Lil Bucks are on the road to Bend South to take on the Guardians, game time is 6pm. In the NCAA Tournament news: Both Oregon and Oregon State are in the Regional tournaments to have a chance to get to the College World Series in double elimination play. Unranked Oregon is in the Louisville Regional and will have their 1^st game tomorrow as they take on Michigan at 4pm, broadcast on ESPN+. The other two teams in the Louisville regional are No. 12 Louisville and Southeast Missouri. No. 3 Oregon State is hosting the Corvallis Regional and they will face New Mexico State tomorrow at 7pm on ESPNU.  The other two teams in the Corvallis Regional are San Diego and Vanderbilt. In College Softball, the Women’s College World Series is set and Oregon State has made it after they swept Stanford in 2 games. Their first game is this afternoon against No. 14 Florida at 4pm on ESPN. The Women’s College World Series could go all the way through June 10^th. In NBA Action: Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Boston Celtics is Tonight in San Francisco, where Golden State is 9-0 this postseason. The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins will again be tasked with a tough defensive matchup, this time to slow down Jayson Tatum. Wiggins has been a key part of the Warriors’ latest playoff run. He defended Luka Doncic full-court in the last series. Wiggins is also knocking down big shots and securing rebounds at the right times. Tip-off is at 6pm tonight.