News Stories for Fri., Oct. 6, 2017

The city of Coos Bay has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the National Marine Fisheries Service over its recommendation for more restrictive floodplain regulations, which would restrict development in most of downtown. The World reports (https://goo.gl/9UukKs ) the suit was filed Thursday objecting to land-use restrictions recommended by the fisheries service to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood insurance program in an opinion issued last year. Damien Schiff, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation which is representing the city, said the biological opinion from the fisheries service is an improper expansion of both FEMA and the agency’s authority. Fisheries is asking FEMA to place high-risk floodplains off-limits to development because it says it will better protect endangered species such as salmon and steelhead.

Madras White Buffalos Boys Soccer moved into first place in the Tri-Valley Conference with a 3-0 win over Molalla yesterday. Going into the game, Madras was ranked number 8 in Class 4A and 2^nd in the Tri-Valley, Molalla was number 9 in $A and on top of the league.

Madras girls soccer lost to Molalla 2-0.

Madras Volleyball claimed a 3-1 win over Gladstone yesterday.

The Jamie “Chili Guy” Tohet Wild Horse Race memorial is happening tomorrow at the Simnasho Rodeo Grounds. Events in addition to the Wild Horse Race are a 2 plus 1 Wild Horse Race, Ranch Bronc Riding, Team Roping, Jr. & Sr. Wild Colt Races, Mini Buckers, Jr. & Sr. Broncs. Plus several other extra kid events. It starts at noon at the Simnasho Rodeo Grounds.

Federal legislation aimed at protecting Native American women and girls from violence, abduction and human trafficking is named for Savanna Greywind. She was the pregnant Fargo, North Dakota woman who was killed and whose baby was taken. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp introduced Savanna’s Act in Washington, D.C. The legislation would improve tribal access to certain federal crime information databases. Heitkamp says that access will help solve crimes and develop prevention strategies. The bill would also create standardized protocols for responding to cases of missing and murdered Native Americans.

Bend Airport has joined the Warm Springs Unmanned Aerial Systems Test Range, which gives drone developers expanded options for long-term projects, the Bend Bulletin reports. Liz Stalford, Warm Springs test range manager told the paper, “Bend provides upscale living, and I don’t know of another test range that does that.” The test range, created at the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in 2013, also includes the Madras and Prineville airports. The test range encompasses all of the Warm Springs reservation, including four specific launch and recovery sites and a dirt airstrip. The Warm Springs range is part of the Pan-Pacific Unmanned Aerial System Test Range Complex, which encompasses sites in Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii. In Oregon, ranges are also at Tillamook and Pendleton. The University of Alaska, Fairbanks, manages the Pan-Pacific complex.