News Stories Mon., Mar. 12, 2018

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and health professionals are stressing that people should get screened. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Doctors suggest people 50 and older get screened, but nearly a third of Americans who should get screened aren’t up to date. There are two options. One is a colonoscopy every 10 years. The other is known as a FIT test, taken at home once a year. Specialists analyze tests for blood in the stool, a possible sign of the cancer. Health officials say a lot of people prefer the FIT test. People with a family history of colorectal cancer should talk to their doctors because they are at higher risk of the disease. African-Americans, Native Americans and Alaska Natives also are at higher risk and should begin screenings at age 45.  Doctors say people can lower their risk of colorectal cancer by getting active, eating healthy, not smoking and losing weight.

The Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) has two new positions opening this month.  They are: Small Business Incubator Project Manager and Small Business Bookkeeper. Both positions are paid for through an Administration for Native Americans (ANA) grant that lasts through September 2020. The small business incubator manager will be integral in helping us turn the Old Commissary Building into a functioning small business incubator serving the Warm Springs business community. The bookkeeper will be responsible for designing bookkeeping systems for Old Commissary businesses and other small businesses participating in WSCAT’s ANA-funded Warm Springs Small Business Promotion Project, and for assisting business owners in becoming more skilled at financial management. Call Chris Watson at 541-553-3148 if you have questions. Resumes may be sent to chris@wscat.org, by April 3.

Warm Springs Police Department on Sunday morning, responded to the Simnasho area for a report of a male subject acting confused inside a vehicle. When Warm Springs Police Officers arrived on scene and attempted contact with the adult male subject, he refused to cooperate and sped away from the Police Officers at a high rate of speed. Warm Springs Police Officers pursued the vehicle southbound on Highway 3, from Simnasho towards Warm Springs, reaching speeds in excess of 90 miles an hour.  Near the intersection of Highways 3 and 8, a second Warm Springs Police Officer positioned himself and his patrol vehicle in a strategic position, in an attempt to stop the eluding vehicle. According to the news release, the suspect driver intentionally struck the unoccupied and parked Chevy Tahoe Police vehicle head on while traveling at a high rate of speed.   The driver of the suspect vehicle was extricated from the Toyota pickup and was transported by Air Ambulance to St. Charles Hospital in Bend, where he remains in stable condition. Warm Springs PD, FBI and Oregon State Police are investigating.

Oregon 4A, 5A and 6A State Basketball Tournaments were played over the weekend. In the boys tournaments – 6A Grant stunned Jefferson in the Championship; Thurston defeated Wilsonville in the class 5A final and in the 4A it was Seaside over Valley Catholic. And, in the girls tournaments, for the 6A Southridge beat Benson; Marist defeated La Salle to take the 5A Title and in Class 4A it was Marshfield over Cascade. With winter sports over, Spring sports are up. For Madras High School sports tomorrow, varsity baseball hosts Eagle Point at 4:00 and Girls tennis has home matches starting at 4:00. Boys’ tennis will be at The Dalles.