KWSO Calendar for Fri., Nov. 8, 2024

St. Charles Madras hosting Native Market; Presenting new land acknowledgment

Community members throughout Central Oregon are invited to a day of celebration in recognition of Native American, American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage month at St. Charles Madras on Thursday, Nov. 14. The celebration will include a Native Market with 10 artisan vendors from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, complimentary food and a presentation of the new land acknowledgment and artwork in the hospital’s Galleria. The Native Market is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the land acknowledgment presentation will take place at 1:15 p.m.

During the event, St. Charles President and CEO Dr. Steve Gordon will share why a land acknowledgement, which was developed in partnership with members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring, is important to St. Charles and surrounding communities.

Gordon said in the news release that the hope is “by sharing this acknowledgment we can aid in emotional healing, invite personal inquiry and reflection, and help set a positive tone for future generations.”

The presentation will also include Kiksht language speakers from Madras High School and Warm Springs K8 Academy.

 

Holiday trash pick-up routes

Monday, November 11th is Veterans Day and it’s a holiday. In Warm Springs, the Monday garbage routes will be picked up on Tuesday along with the Tuesday routes. The Sanitation Department asks that totes be set out at the end of the driveways for pickup and for folks to check on elderly or handicapped neighbors, friends and family who may need some assistance.

 

Record numbers of steelhead return to the Deschutes River, heralding progress in long-term fish reintroduction effort

Biologists from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Portland General Electric have collected more than 250 returning adult steelhead at the Pelton Round Butte hydroelectric project – the largest steelhead return since dams were completed on the Deschutes River in the 1960s. Scientists say these notable early returns bode well for the year ahead, as Deschutes River steelhead runs typically span from July/August until the following March.

Megan Hill, manager of environmental science at PGE’s hydropower projects says they have already surpassed the entire run from last year, which was the previous record.  Hill adds the “While there is still a long way to go toward our long-term goals for fish reintroduction, these returns demonstrate important progress and point to the efficacy of our science-based strategies for fish recovery.”

From the 1950s to 2010, dams on the Deschutes River blocked the migration of ocean-going salmon and steelhead, also known as anadromous fish. In 2005, when the Pelton Round Butte hydropower project was relicensed, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and PGE – co-owners of the hydropower project – began an ambitious effort to change that, alongside many agencies and environmental organizations. The reintroduction program is a long-term, collaborative project to restore anadromous fish runs to a fully reconnected Deschutes River Basin. Restoring these runs includes aiding the downstream migration of juvenile fish as well as the upstream return of adults, which spawn in the Metolius, Upper Deschutes, and Crooked Rivers above Lake Billy Chinook.

Environmental scientists from PGE and the Tribes attribute this year’s return to a number of factors, including beneficial ocean conditions, which can vary from year to year, and improvements to fish management practices.

 

Blue Flamez & Kaos nominated for Native American Music Award

The Native American Music Awards announced its 21st Annual Awards nominees. Commemorating National Native American Heritage month, the Awards proudly recognize Indigenous artists from all communities across North America.

Brothers Scott and Levi Kalama of Warm Springs are nominated in the Best Rap Recording category. The song is from Scott’s – who goes by Blue Flamez – new album Rolling Stone.

Public voting is open now online at https://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/. You can check out the Blue Flamez & Kaos song Rolling Stone, and all tracks on the album –available for streaming on all music platforms.

 

Madras man gets prison time for drug charges on Warm Springs Reservation

A Madras man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.

Wyatt Franklin Powell, 61, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in October last year, a Warm Springs Police Department officer responded to a report of erratic driving. During the traffic stop, the officer smelled a strong chemical odor consistent with narcotics. A second WSPD officer with drug detection dog came to assist and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Officers located methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, a BB gun, drug paraphernalia and a digital scale in Powell’s vehicle.

On February 22, 2024, Powell was charged by criminal information with one-count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. He pleaded guilty on July 2, 2024.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Warm Springs Police Department. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.