Local News
KWSO News for Mon., Apr. 18, 2022
Apr
In Warm Springs, at the Easter drive through event held at the Warm Springs Community center on Friday, around 700 Easter egg coloring kits and over 220 food boxes were given out to local community members. The event is the start to event happenings without the strict COVID protocols in place as we start our journey into normalcy moving forward. People are still urged to be cautious with any COVID symptoms.
In Warm Springs, fishery regulations have been established by Tribal Council for 2022. Sherars falls for the 2022 fishing season is open 7 days per week, 24 hours per day. Marked Spring Chinook, fall chinook and coho salmon as well as marked steelhead may be kept. Unmarked fall chinook and coho salmon may be kept. Unmarked spring chinoon, unmarked steelhead and Sockeye must be released all year. New this year is a resolution regulating eel harvest at Sherars falls. Harvest is allowed when lamprey arrive in June through the end of August using hands or hand-powered tools such as dip nets or gaffs. Harvest is open 24 hours per day Friday, Saturday and Sunday for general subsistence harvest. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for research tagging operations and Thursday is gathering for the freezer. Freezer harvest will end after 750 eels are caught and Thursday will become a general harvest day. Fishers must share the falls with fellow tribal members, this is a subsistence fishery, no sales are allowed, enrollment cards must be on your person and you must allow the Branch of Natural Resources staff to examine your eels if asked. The Hood River sub-basin including all forks and tributaries are open 7 days per week from dawn until dusk April 15th through July 15th for spring chinook salmon, with the exception of the following areas that are closed year round: 100 feet up or downstream from the Dee Mill fish trap in the East fork of the Hood River, in the west fork of Hood River upstream of Green Point Creek and In the entire length of Rogers Creek, a Tributary to the Middle Fork of Hood River. The entire John Day River is open from April 1st through July 15th for Spring chinook salmon, with the exception of the John Day River upstream of the Sheep Rock National Monument and all tributaries. Both Marked hatchery and unmarked spring chinook may be retained, other salmon species may be retained during the spring chinook season.
It’s just April, but protests over access to water have already started taking place in the Klamath Basin. On Friday, around 30 members of the Klamath Tribal community gathered at the site where water is released from Upper Klamath Lake for farming and threatened fish species downriver. Jefferson Public Radio’s Alex Schwartz explains, the rally was a gathering for tribal members to focus on the importance of water to protect fish that are endangered and sacred to the tribes. “They were also trying to spread awareness about the issues with water in the Basin more generally and the need for restoration and collaboration among communities.” The Bureau of Reclamation is releasing reduced amounts of water for both agriculture in the Klamath Basin and threatened coho salmon down the Klamath River. The 2022 summer is projected to be the second-lowest water allocation for agriculture in the area’s history.
Former WNBA player Shoni Schimmel has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a former partner on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in northeastern Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Schimmel has been charged with assault by strangulation of an intimate dating partner and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. The incident allegedly happened June 13, 2021. Schimmel was first arrested on June 14 last year and was held in the Umatilla County jail on charges including felony assault and criminal mischief. Schimmel was arrested by federal authorities Friday and pleaded not guilty at an initial appearance in federal court. Schimmel was released pending a two-day jury trial scheduled to begin in June.
In Local Sports: Madras High School Buff boys baseball is in action today as they host North Marion with action starting at 4:30pm. Lady Buffs Softball is in action today as they host a double header with North Marion, the 1st game begins at 3:30pm with the 2nd Game beginning at 5:15pm. In Warm Springs Nation Little League action, the Junior Boys traveled to Madras Friday to take on the Jefferson County Braves. It was mostly a close game of 2-1 before a breakout inning by Jefferson County and the Juniors fell in the contest 7-2. Next up in Warm Springs Nation Little League action, the Minor Boys will be at Sisters tomorrow, game starting at 6pm. Minor girls softball will be at Jefferson County with game time at 6pm.
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