Wednesday News Update: Warm Springs Art Camp Finale, Bull Run Cultural Study, and Regional News

The Warm Springs Summer Art Camp for Youth wraps up today at the Community Center Social Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., concluding with a community dinner and art showcase at 5:30 p.m. Carol Sahme, Activity, Crafts & Arts Coordinator at the Community Wellness Center, noted that the camp has run for nearly 15 years, offering youth hands-on experience with painting, tie-dyeing, clay, and jewelry making. Konoway Nika Tillicum Director Brent Florendo highlighted their partnership with Southern Oregon University, which brings new art experiences to local youth while helping them learn to navigate the education system and advocate for Native culture. Tribal youth who participate in the annual Konoway Nika Tillicum program are building leadership skills and educational resilience to navigate schools and challenge cultural misrepresentations. Now in its 32nd year, the program has welcomed second-generation students to help Native youth address inaccuracies about Indigenous people in the classroom and hold educational systems accountable.

Warm Springs community members are invited to a dinner and meeting on Monday, August 24, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Warm Springs Community Center regarding a cultural study for Portland’s Bull Run hydroelectric project. Hosted by GeoVisions and the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department, the gathering aims to identify historical and religious properties in traditional homelands and ceded lands in Multnomah County. GeoVisions is seeking recommendations for confidential oral history interviews focused on Tribal history, plant uses, travel routes, and family connections.

The Warm Springs Tribal Court reminds current jurors of an orientation scheduled for today at 4 p.m., ahead of a jury trial set for Thursday, August 20, at 8:30 a.m.

Families looking to support loved ones facing behavioral health challenges can attend a free “Respite Ready: Central Oregon” workshop on Thursday, September 24, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The two-hour community training gives trusted adults practical tools to safely support youth, de-escalate stress, and prevent unnecessary emergency room visits. While attendance is free, advance registration through the NAMI Central Oregon website is required.

A former Bend childcare center will reopen on September 8 under a new plan announced by OSU-Cascades and nonprofit provider NeighborImpact. NeighborImpact will lease three classrooms in the former Little Kits building at below-market rent to house over two dozen children. Executive Director Scott Cooper emphasized that Head Start serves as a critical community solution to regional childcare shortages, noting that six spots will be dedicated to children two and younger.

Oregon’s highway system is receiving a $150,000 federal grant to boost habitat for native bees and monarch butterflies, Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced. The maximum award from the Federal Highway Administration’s Roadside Pollinator Program will allow the Oregon Department of Transportation to plant native seed mixes and adjust mowing schedules along rights-of-way. Officials say these changes will improve drought and fire resilience while reducing chemical weed reliance.

The Trump administration is advancing a proposal to roll back the 2001 “roadless rule,” potentially opening 30 percent of national forest lands to logging and development. The plan impacts 2 million acres in Oregon, 2 million acres in Washington, and over 9 million acres in Idaho. A public comment period is now open for one month as officials outline proposed land management changes.

Warm Springs and the surrounding region will see smoky conditions clearing to sunshine with a high of 98 today, followed by a low of 59 tonight. Patchy smoke will persist into Thursday as high temperatures reach 100 degrees.