Local News
KWSO News 5/21/25
May
WSCAT Youth Center coming together, volunteers welcome
The Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) and volunteers are working on walls and floors at their new Youth Center. Reina Estimo is the Education and Workforce Program Manager for the Community Action Team:
The Youth Center is located in the former site of the Re-Use It Store next to Warm Springs Market.
Sen. Wyden letter to DOI regarding voting challenges in Native communities
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said this week he has written the Trump administration about the challenges Native communities will face under Trump’s “election integrity” executive order and the SAVE Act, including requirements documenting proof of citizenship and restricting mail-in voting. The SAVE Act passed by the Republican-controlled House and Trump’s executive order would require Native Americans to use a government issued state ID to register to vote instead of their Tribal IDs which are currently accepted in nearly every state and have been for decades. The SAVE Act also has an in-person requirement for voter-registration that would force Tribal voters in rural areas to travel significant distances to prove their citizenship and register to vote.
“Enactment of new voter registration policies under the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would lead to mass disenfranchisement of eligible Native voters and further depress the Native vote,” Wyden and colleagues wrote Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. Wyden and his colleagues also highlighted that the vote-by-mail restrictions would disproportionately hurt Native Americans who rely on mail-in voting because of their lack of transportation and rural locations. Trump’s executive order penalizes states that accept absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day, harming Native voters in Oregon, especially as the State processes ballots for days as long as they were postmarked by Election Day.
WorkSource Oregon brings employment resources to Warm Springs
The COIC/WorkSource Mobile Employment Resource Van (MERV) provides job search opportunities to rural communities and underserved populations throughout Central Oregon. Matt Olsen is a Mobile Employment Counselor who started coming to Warm Springs last month:
The WorkSource Oregon Mobile Employment Resource Van will be here this Thursday. In Warm Springs it parks at the Community Center. In Madras, it is at the Jefferson County Library.
May 20th Election results
Two different measures for the Madras Aquatic Center Recreation District were on the ballot for yesterday’s election. Preliminary results show Measure 16-112 to dissolve the current district passed 53.80% to 46.20%, but Measure 16-115 to form a new district failed 52.12% to 47.88%. Both measures needed to pass to move forward.
The Jefferson County Library District: General Obligations Bonds for Public Library Facilities did not pass according to preliminary results, with 53.14% no votes to 46.86% votes in favor.
In the race for the Jefferson County School District 509J Board, Jacob Struck was re-elected for Position #3 with 64.20% of the votes to 35.29% for Demus Martinez. Laurie Danzuka and Regina Mitchell ran uncontested for the other two school board positions.
Election results are posted on the Oregon Secretary of State website.
April 22nd Tribal Council meeting summary
The Tribal Council of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs provides us with summaries of its meetings. We share them in an effort to help keep the membership informed. This is from a summary of a meeting held on April 22, 2025.
There was a Pre-Meeting with Tribal Attorneys Josh Newton and Ellen Grover, Federal Lobbyist Matthew Hill, and Tribal Attorney Brent Hall.
The Council met with staff members of Senator Wyden’s office – Nicole van Eikeren & Jacob Egler – who were present to hear the Tribes’ questions, concerns, priorities or issues regarding the changes in Washington, D.C.
There was discussion with officials from the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the Cascade Renewable Transmission Line 404 and 408 permit application process. Others present for this discussion were Brandon Gilliland – Warm Springs GeoVisions; Brad Houslet – Department Manager; Myra Johnson – Culture & Heritage Committee Chair; Roberta Kirk – Culture & Heritage Committee member/NAGPRA Specialist; Lyman Jim – Warm Springs Fisheries; Austin Smith, Jr. – BNR General Manager; Brent Hall – Tribal Attorney; and Ellen Grover – Tribal Attorney.
