KWSO Friday Morning News: Tribal Tech Recovery, ‘These Sacred Hills’ Screening, Wind Advisory, and Regional Updates
Core Microsoft 365 and Outlook services are back online today after a massive global outage disrupted work for hundreds of thousands of users, including employees of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Microsoft reports that internal server health-check failures—rather than staffing cuts or a cyberattack—caused Thursday's disruption. Tribal IT says systems are stabilizing, though staff should expect minor email delays, restart Outlook if errors persist, and check their Outbox for stuck messages.
Warm Springs GeoVisions is hosting a free community screening of the documentary These Sacred Hills next Friday, November 20th, at the Madras Performing Arts Center. Created by filmmakers Jacob Bailey and Christopher Ward alongside the Rock Creek Band of the Yakama Nation, the film follows the tribe’s three-year fight to protect Pushpum—a sacred mountain in southern Washington—from a proposed pumped-storage energy project threatening cultural and archaeological sites. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. with an Indian Taco dinner provided by the Lincoln’s Birthday Powwow Committee, followed by the film at 5:30 p.m. and a community Q-and-A. Admission is free, though advance seat reservations are encouraged via the Warm Springs GeoVisions Facebook page.
A Wind Advisory is in effect until 4:00 p.m. today across Central and North Central Oregon, with south winds gusting up to 50 mph alongside an 80 percent chance of showers and a high near 64, dropping to a low around 37 tonight. Saturday will be partly sunny and breezy with a high near 59 before more rain returns on Sunday.
Pacific Power is monitoring the approaching storm system as strong winds could cause power outages across parts of Oregon and California through this afternoon. State and local emergency management agencies recommend having a household emergency plan and supplies for up to 72 hours. Pacific Power urges residents to keep mobile phones charged, update contact details for emergency alerts, and gather flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit, and a battery-powered radio. Officials remind everyone to stay away from downed power lines, call 911 immediately, and report outages to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
Parts of Oregon are facing rainy weather and earlier sunsets over the next few days, creating limited roadway visibility during the months when federal data shows a majority of fatal pedestrian crashes occur. Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Noble emphasizes slowing down, noting that a pedestrian struck at 20 mph faces an 18% chance of serious injury or death, while at 35 mph "that pedestrian's chance jumps to 67%." Noble advises pedestrians to use sidewalks, crosswalks, and reflective clothing at night, while cyclists should use front and rear lights and check road conditions before heading out.
Bird flu has been detected for the first time on a commercial dairy farm in Oregon, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Alejandro Figueroa. On Tuesday, the Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed that cows at a Morrow County dairy tested positive for the virus, which was first detected in U.S. dairy cattle in 2024 and has affected more than one million commercial and backyard chickens in Oregon since 2022. Health officials state the nation’s milk remains safe to drink because pasteurization inactivates the virus, and state officials have quarantined the Morrow County farm with no indication of spread to other farms.
Columbia River advocates are meeting online this week to reassess their strategy amid strained U.S.-Canada relations, as co-organizer John Osborn noted that the annual “One River, Ethics Matter” conference went virtual because "many Canadians will not come south of the border, given the toxic relationship that we find ourselves in today." A primary focus is updating the 1960s-era Columbia River Treaty, which saw progress during the Biden administration before the Trump administration paused talks in March 2025. Advocates believe negotiations likely will not resume until after the current president leaves office.
