Local News
KWSO News 5/19/25
May
Oregon Special District Election Tuesday
Tomorrow is Election Day in Oregon. It is a Special District Election. As of May 16th, just over 17% of ballots had been returned to the Jefferson County Clerk’s office for registered voters in the county. If you didn’t get a ballot or it is damaged, you can get a replacement at your county election office. On Jefferson County ballots are: School Board Candidates, Educational Service District Board candidates, Library District Board Positions, a Rural Fire Protection District position; MACRD disillusion and reformation questions, as well as board elections and the Jefferson County Library District has a general obligation bond question. Ballots should be at the county clerk’s office or a ballot drop box by 8pm tomorrow. If your ballot is being sent by mail – it must be postmarked by May 20th.
WS Senior Program upcoming trips
The Warm Springs Senior Wellness Program has upcoming events that local senior citizens can sign up to attend. Wilson Wewa Jr., Director of Senior Services in Warm Springs shares more about three trips they have planned:
For more information or to sign up to go on any of these trips, call the Senior Program at 541-553-3313.
COCC rural youth camps get emergency funding
A recently canceled $10,000 federal grant awarded to Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) rural youth camps from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), eliminated due to federal program cuts, is being fulfilled by emergency funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. COCC’s program was one of just 80 nationwide to receive this stand-in support.
Replacing the “Challenge America” award from the NEA — announced by the college in January as the first-ever grant from that agency — the aid will be used to develop and expand art-focused summer youth camps at COCC’s branch campuses, including offering camps for free or at reduced cost for rural families. The grant will allow students from Jefferson and Crook counties, age 10-15, to attend a multiday nature journaling and sketching “Field Notes” camp held in August.
The grant compliments a three-year, $30,000 grant from the Roundhouse Foundation of Sisters that was awarded in 2024 to support rural students and develop camp programming in those communities.
This funding keeps rural camps low cost to families in Jefferson and Crook counties. Families can view all camps and register at cocc.edu/youth; space is limited for all camps.
Museum at Warm Springs looking for ranching and rodeo photos, stories for exhibit
The Museum at Warm Springs is gearing up for their exhibit next month about Warm Springs Ranching and Rodeo. They are seeking photos and stories from the past that they might utilize in the show that will be held in the Museum’s Changing Art Gallery. If you have something you might be willing to share – email angela@museumatwarmsprings.org.
Fish giveaways next 2 Thursdays
The next two Thursdays – May 22nd and May 29th Warm Springs Fisheries staff will be going to the Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery for surplus spring chinook and bringing them back to Warm Springs to distribute. They will arrive at the Community Center parking lot around 2:00 to 2:30 pm. There will be a limit of 4 fish per family. Please bring your own cooler or bag. According to Fisheries, these fish are usually larger than a typical Deschutes River Spring chinook and will be in great shape.
KWSO weather for central OR
Today – A 50 percent chance of showers before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight – Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. West wind 12 to 17 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
