Local News
KWSO News for 4/8/20
Apr
In a March 19th release, Warm Springs Ventures announced that the USDA has approved the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs hemp plan for cultivation of an outdoor hemp crop on the reservation. This approval allows the enterprise to move forward with operations, with the goal to get a crop planted for the 2020 grow season. The Hemp project is continuing to work on the necessary steps to make this happen and are doing what they can to work with the current challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues, experts are looking to find ways to help people slow the spread of the virus as stay at home orders are in effect. In Oregon there have been more than 23 thousand tests administered with 1181 returning positive and the total number of deaths rising to 33. There have been no confirmed cases in Jefferson County, and in Warm Springs there have been 15 tests given with 12 returning negative and 3 pending results. Health Officials continue to urge people to practice social distancing, use face masks when you are out in public, wash your hands continuously and if you are having any symptoms of COVID-19 or are sick, stay home and you can contact the I.H.S. COVID-19 Nurse Triage Hotline for advice and questions at 541-553-5512.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has extended an order prohibiting dine-in service at restaurants and bars as state officials reported four more deaths from the coronavirus. Brown’s original order banning dine-in service was set to expire next week but now aligns with her Stay Home, Save Lives order. Both will remain in effect until lifted by Brown. Brown also said her COVID-19 Medical Advisory Panel met for the first time Tuesday. The panel of doctors, infectious disease experts and medical professionals are reviewing the status of COVID-19 in the state and will make recommendations on future response efforts.
Predictions show fire season could hit much of the Northwest hard this summer – east of the Cascades in Washington and throughout most of Oregon. New research says people need to prepare now for worsening wildfire seasons … especially as the climate changes. Northwest Public Broadcasting’s Courtney Flatt has more. “As the climate warms, fire seasons will get worse – that’s especially true for low elevation ponderosa pine forests east of the Cascades. According to the University of Washington study, wildfires there will be larger and more frequent. In areas like Washington’s Olympic Peninsula or high altitude forests, fires will happen more often but not be much larger than they are now. That’s why people should prepare now, says study co-author Dave Peterson. He hopes this synthesis of climate change’s effects on wildfires throughout the Northwest will better explain that to land managers and people living in fire-prone areas. PETERSON: “This is not like a virus sneaking up on us in a few months. We’ve had 30 years warning, here, from our data on climate change projections. Those projections continue to be confirmed year after year with record warm temperatures.” But, Peterson says, there’s still time. He says there’s still a few decades to continue to thin ponderosa pine forests and help communities become more fire adapted. I’m Courtney Flatt Reporting”
With the NFL Draft coming up in just over two weeks, the rumors keep swirling on what teams are going to do. As reported by the Bulletin, for former Oregon Ducks Quarterback Justin Herbert, there could be moves made by teams that end up with him becoming a Cincinnati Bengal. The Bengals have the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft and many draft analysts believe that they will use it to take Heisman Trophy winner and former LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow, however, rumors have swirled that Cincinnati is considering trading out of their #1 pick and selecting Herbert while adding more draft picks through a trade. With the COVID-19 pandemic hindering teams abilities to work out prospects, teams are scrambling to find ways to gather information. Former Alabama Quarterback Tua Tagavailoa is one such prospect whose injury last season has teams wondering how well he has recovered, given the inability to have team doctors assess him. The 1st Round of the NFL Draft Starts on April 23rd.
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