KWSO Monday Morning News: Seasonal Immunizations, Jacoby Ellsbury Hall of Fame Induction, Quinault Relocation, and Regional Updates

As cold and flu season approaches, local health experts are urging community members to stay current on all childhood and seasonal immunizations. Warm Springs Community Health Nurse Marc Mason stresses that establishing a strong foundation begins in infancy, following a set schedule after birth through 18 months. “After that, it’s 2, 4, 6, 12 months, and then 18 months,” Mason explained regarding core vaccines, noting that seasonal shots for flu, COVID, and RSV bring infants up-to-date until their fourth birthday. Local clinics also advise elders aged 65 and older to receive high-dose flu and COVID-19 vaccines, while American Indian and Alaska Native individuals aged 50 and older are eligible for the RSV vaccine alongside daily protective habits like handwashing.

Oregon baseball legend Jacoby Ellsbury is heading to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Sport Oregon named the Madras native to its Class of 2026, honoring the two-time World Series champion who made history as the first Major League Baseball player of Navajo descent. Ellsbury, a citizen of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, will be inducted on November 10 at the Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton.

State fire officials are raising awareness about the fire hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries found in devices ranging from e-bikes to household toys. Data from the Oregon State Fire Marshal reveals that local departments responded to nearly 650 battery-related fires between 2020 and 2025, with annual incidents more than doubling over that timeframe. Partnering with the National Fire Protection Association for October’s “Charge into Fire Safety” initiative, State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple recommends charging items on hard surfaces, unplugging devices once full, and charging larger gear like e-bikes outdoors.

The Quinault Indian Nation has broken ground on a new neighborhood to relocate residents away from the flood-prone coastal village of Taholah, as reported by KUOW’s John Ryan. Rising sea levels and tsunami risks have prompted the move upland on the Olympic Peninsula before the arrival of annual king tides. Quinault Youth Council member Zavier Davis emphasized the urgency of the move, calling the relocation an essential step to “protect our people now”.

Oregon lawmakers led by Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Andrea Salinas have introduced the Grand Ronde Land Transfer Act to place over 18,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land into trust for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.

Oregon Democrats plan to introduce 2027 legislation banning “surveillance pricing,” a practice where retailers use personal data to vary costs by individual. Representative Willy Chotzen criticized the strategy as taking advantage of consumers, while Amaury Vogel of the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center noted that nearly 80 percent of polled Oregonians view person-to-person price variation as unacceptable.

Canadian efforts to fast-track a crude oil pipeline from Alberta to a deepwater port south of Vancouver, British Columbia, are drawing opposition from Washington state leadership. As reported by KNKX’s Bellamy Pailthorp, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller warned that the project would double Canadian crude transit through the Salish Sea and introduce supertankers to shared waters. While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the expansion as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a global energy superpower,” Washington officials are requesting joint safeguards against potential oil spills.

Warm temperatures will remain widespread under mostly clear conditions. Expect blue skies with high temperatures around 90 degrees before dropping to an overnight low near 49, setting up continued sunshine and high temperatures near 87 tomorrow.