KWSO News 9/18/19

The Columbia River Zone Six – current Tribal commercial salmon season has been extended one day through 6 pm, tomorrow.  In addition another fishery has been authorized starting 6 am, Monday, September 23^rd and ending 6 pm, Wednesday, September 25^th.  The open area is all of Zone 6.

For the eighth round of discussions about the future of the Columbia River Treaty, Canadian and U.S. negotiators returned to British Columbia for two days of meetings with representation from 3 first nations as official observers. This session’s U.S. delegation also included expert advisers from the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the commissioner of the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, who is also vice-chair of the board of trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.  The Canadian and U.S. delegations discussed issues related to ecosystem co-operation, flood-risk management and hydro power. The next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in the United States on Nov. 19 and 20, 2019.

30 year old Tyler Wayne Fuller of Madras was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for his role in a Central Oregon methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and for robbing US Bank in Madras in August 2017, during Solar Eclipse Festivities.  He made off with $517 in cash.  Fuller is the son of career criminal and known drug dealer Ronald Wayne Thrasher, also of Madras. And is the first of 11 defendants to be sentenced for their involvement in his father’s drug trafficking conspiracy for distribution and sale of methamphetamine throughout Central Oregon..

For many college students – in addition to tuition and books, there are living expenses that may lead to loan applications through either the federal government or private lenders.  When you get to the point where you have to start paying off those loans, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have a warning about fraudsters who may claim that you have to pay an upfront or monthly fee that will go towards your debt. To avoid student loan repayment scams:

• There is nothing that a company can offer that you cannot do for yourself for free.
• Avoid any offer that promises quick loan forgiveness, especially if the person contacting you really has no idea as to the specifics of your debt situation. Many scammers will promise to get rid of your debt fast, but in reality, they can’t help you.
• Never pay an upfront fee. In this situation, it is illegal for companies to charge you a fee for a service in advance.
• Neither a logo nor an official-looking website means that the company is real or trustworthy. Many scammers will use lookalike logos or even use a real Department of Education seal to make their companies look more legitimate.