KWSO News: Thursday, September 10, 2026
Warm Springs Recreation announced a new youth flag football program at the Pi-Ume-Sha field during Tuesday’s Native Aspirations Community Prevention Meeting. Games take place Thursdays, with youth ages 8 to 10 playing from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and participants ages 10 and up playing from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., featuring two 30-minute halves and a program potluck dinner at the end of the month.
Also announced at Tuesday’s meeting, local veterans service staff are offering comprehensive assistance across Warm Springs, Madras, and the Tri-County area. Resources include support for housing, transportation, food, healthcare, and additional benefits, alongside the HUD-VASH program designed to help veterans experiencing or facing homelessness secure stable housing.
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service and Warm Springs Fire Management adjusted Industrial Fire Precaution Levels this week, moving Zone 1 to Level 3 and Zones 2 and 3 to Level 2. The reservation remains under a “high” fire danger rating with a reservation-wide burn ban in effect until weather conditions improve.
The 12th annual Rip City Rally will travel nearly 350 miles across Central Oregon starting Monday, September 14. The tour includes stops in Bend on September 14, Prineville on September 15, Madras and Warm Springs on September 16, and Sandy on September 18, featuring morning school visits followed by late-afternoon public community fairs. The Rip City Rally will visit Madras City Hall on Wednesday, September 16, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Hosted by the Portland Trail Blazers and Moda Health, the free community fair features team personalities, games, prizes, health resources, and a local donation presentation to the Kids Club of Jefferson County.
Seventy Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) college students risk losing funding from the Oregon Tribal Student Grant (OTSG) due to incomplete applications ahead of the September 30 deadline. While students who applied directly for the local CTWS Tribal Scholarship are fully compliant, CTWS Higher Education Coordinator Gerald Smith urges all other applicants to log into OregonStudentAid.gov or call OSAC at (541) 687-7400 to submit missing FAFSA or Tribal Verification paperwork.
Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced nearly $10 million in HUD Indian Housing Block Grant funding awarded to Oregon tribal nations. The Warm Springs Housing Authority will receive $5 million to build seven three-bedroom homes for low-income families, while the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe will receive $4.9 million for single-family housing and infrastructure. CTWS CEO Edward R. Henderson expressed gratitude for the federal investment, while Senator Merkley noted the funds keep members connected to their land, and Senator Wyden emphasized housing as a basic human right.
The Bureau of Land Management is reviewing public comments regarding proposed federal rules that would overhaul livestock grazing on 14 million acres of public land in Oregon and across the West. Reporting by OPB’s Alejandro Figueroa highlights that while cattle lobbying groups applaud the changes for reducing regulatory burdens, opposing groups warn the plan increases livestock limits, narrows public participation, and harms public lands.
Expect sunny conditions today with a high near 89 and northwest wind gusts reaching 28 mph, alongside patchy blowing dust through this evening. Cloud cover increases tonight with a low of 49, followed by cooler, cloudy weather on Friday with a high of 78.