KWSO News for 12/19/19

The WS Community Action Team is hosting the Spending Frenzy Game that focuses on Native Youth. Shawn Spruce gives us more information

the Spending Frenzy game, hosted by the Warm Springs Community Action team, takes place on Monday December 23rd at the WS Community Center Social Hall from 10am-Noon, registration starts at 9am.

The Blue Mountain National Forests, consisting of the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur National Forests, has long had conflicts regarding management plans for the three national forests in Eastern Oregon and SE Washington. The U.S. Forest Service is now working directly with state, county and tribal representatives as part of a newly formed intergovernmental council aimed resolving deep-rooted conflicts over these national forests. Each forest has its own individual resource and management plan, that establish broader guidelines for livestock grazing, timber harvest, wilderness and roads. Reported by the Bulletin, in addition to 13 Oregon and Washington counties, the Forest Service has invited six state government offices, four American Indian Tribes and six federal agencies to participate on the council. The council will meet once a month to discuss the plan revision. Their next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow in Pendleton.

For those Oregonians who drive an electric vehicle or a vehicle that gets more than 40 mpg can actually save money on the significant price increase on registration for your vehicle starting on January 1st 2020. Because of the typically less gas purchased for these vehicles, drivers of more efficient vehicles will pay more to register and renew their tags so they contribute more for use of the roads since they are contributing much less or nothing at all in fuels tax while driving as much. Lower registration costs can be achieved by Changing the way you pay, paying a lower fee and a monthly per-mile charge for miles driven in Oregon by Joining OReGO. If a driver of these vehicles is enrolled in OReGO, they pay just the base $43 per year registration fee plus a monthly road charge of 1.8 cents per mile. FMI you can go to MyOReGO.org

In Local Sports: The Madras High School Boys Buffs Basketball is at the Seaside tournament today with their 1st game in the tournament against Cottage Grove at 2:30pm. The Lady Buffs are also in Seaside with their 1st game against Washougal at 4pm. The Warm Springs K-8 Boys Basketball concluded their season yesterday against Crook County Middle School, the 7th Grade boys lost 35-26, led by Isaiah Florendo with 11 points and Brody Leonard with 9. The 8th Grade boys fell 57-51.