KWSO Tuesday Morning News: Warm Springs Halloween Celebrations, Oregon Sanctions Girls Flag Football, Elwha River Land Transfer, and Regional Updates
The 2026 Warm Springs Halloween celebration begins tonight with a parade starting at 4:30 PM at the old elementary school, moving to the Community Center under the theme "Addams Family 2." The parade leads a full schedule of local festivities, including PreventionFest on October 14, a Halloween Dance on October 17, the ECE Pumpkin Costume Parade on October 30, and town-wide trick-or-treating on Halloween Day.
Oregon became the 25th state to officially sanction girls high school flag football yesterday. Supported by USA Football, Nike, and the NFL, the sport's rapid nationwide growth precedes its planned debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Girls high school flag football joins the official varsity lineup across Oregon with official competition beginning in the Spring of 2027.
Across Central Oregon, major cultural organizations are receiving a boost from over $1.3 million in Sustaining Arts Program grants awarded by the Oregon Arts Commission. Grant recipients in the region include BendFilm, the High Desert Museum, the Tower Theatre, and Tananáwit in Warm Springs.
In Indian Country, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is preparing to reclaim nearly 1,100 acres of federal land uncovered by the removal of two Elwha River dams. Congress passed legislation enabling the transfer, which now awaits the President's signature. Tribal Chair Melissa Gilman noted that regaining the land allows the tribe to steward sacred sites as their ancestors did and teach younger generations their history.
In state political developments, Democratic Governor Tina Kotek and Republican State Senator Christine Drazan met in Bend for the third and final debate of the Oregon governor’s race. The debate, co-hosted by KTVZ and The Source Weekly, comes ahead of the November election featuring major state and federal contests.
Across the Pacific Northwest, public health leaders in Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii released updated seasonal vaccine recommendations via the West Coast Health Alliance. Northwest Public Broadcasting’s Rachel Sun reports that health officials advise annual flu shots for everyone six months and older, alongside updated COVID-19 vaccinations for older adults, pregnant individuals, and high-risk populations.
Expect sunny skies and highs near 70°F today, dropping to a calm 38°F overnight. Wednesday brings even warmer weather with sunshine and highs reaching 74°F.
