KWSO News for Thu., Dec. 5, 2024

Water was flowing through the Warm Springs Early Childhood parking lot for most of yesterday (12/4/24) in order to drain flooding from under the ECE office that was due to a broken pipe.  The ECE boiler, which got a temporary repair on Monday – was turned off late Tuesday – to help slow the flow of water so classrooms were again relying on space heaters to provide warmth.   Yesterday afternoon (12/4/24) Public Utilities were able to get under the building to assess the broken pipe with replacement of the broken section of pipe to be completed today.

A public scoping meeting was held yesterday on the proposed Salmon Fly Solar and Battery Energy Storage System project that would be located near Lake Billy Chinook on Reservation Land.   Andrew Fernandez a developer for BrightNight, says this would be a Utility Scale solar and battery storage project.  The site they are evaluating right now is about 15 miles up Jackston Trail Road, on the Plateau overlooking Lake Billy Chinook.  The project would be up to 2000 acres of solar panels and battery storage with utility lines crossing to the hydroelectric dam which will then go over to the power grid for PGE.   The project would mean revenue for the Tribes with Warm Springs Power and Water being the lead in partnership with BrightNight. Yesterday was the first public scoping meeting as this solar project moves forward.  The Branch of Natural Resources, IRMP process is guiding consideration of the proposed project.

On November 18, Tribal Council approved a Distribution to Tribal Members for December.  Each enrolled Tribal Member will receive $500.00. If you need to update your address, please contact Vital Statistics at 541-553-3252 right away. All payments will be sent out by mail. Those Tribal Members who receive mail in Warm Springs should have checks available in your mailbox by December 11. The checks for Tribal Members who have mailing addresses outside of Warm Springs, will be mailed on December 6 – and depending on USPS delivery – should also be available to Tribal Members on December 11.

Warm Springs Credit Enterprise posting check cashing information yesterday specifying that the Drive Through Window will be available to only Elders and Tribal Members with Disabilities.  All other business will need to be conduced in the Credit Lobby.

A Native Opera is in the works.  “Little Ones,” is a comedic opera telling the story of Indigenous youth at Intermountain Indian School.  The show is in its beginning stages of development but gave a glimpse of what’s to come with the launch of its community listening tour at the Center for Native Arts and Cultures in Portland, recently.  Rhiana Yazzie, Navajo, is co-director and wrote the libretto for the opera.  “Little Ones” tells the story of four Native teenagers at Intermountain Indian School, following the announcement that the school would be closing in 1984. The students begin to stress as they wonder where they will go next and feel the weight of time ticking down. Yazzie was approached by Danielle Jagelski, citizen of the Oneida Nation/Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe, to write the libretto. They worked together on a piece called “Missing” at the Anchorage Opera.   Funding to kick off the project came from an Oregon Community Foundation grant. The ultimate goal is that, once fully finished, “Little Ones” will be picked up on the big stage.  For now, the next stop will be a community reading and talk-back in New York.  The original article about is posted at underscore news HERE

In Prep Sports – in preseason play Caldera came to Madras and beat the Lady White Buffalo 82 to 55 last night.  The Madras Girls all played well but Caldera – a 5A school – just proved too relentless.  They will host Hood River Valley next Tuesday at the Buffalo Dome.  Midweek they travel to LaPine and then both the girls and boys hit the road next weekend to play at Klamath Union and Mazama before their annual trips to the Seaside Tournament and Sisters tourney.   The Madras Boys kick off their preseason tomorrow and Saturday with play at Hood River Valley High School at their Mid-Columbia Classic.  Next Wednesday they host LaPine.

KWSO will be broadcasting all the Madras Basketball home contests for both the Boys and Girls.  You can listen on your radio at 91.9FM, online at KWSO dot org or with the KWSO App.  If you don’t have the app – it makes it super easy to listen to KWSO if you’re away from a radio.  Search KWSO in your app store and download the free app today.

KWSO Weather for Central Oregon – Freezing Fog again this morning and tomorrow morning with cloudy skies and temperatures today remaining in the 30s.  We might see some clearing tomorrow afternoon, with rain in Saturday’s forecast.