Monday Morning News: Sidwalter Under Boil Water Notice, JCMS Leadership Transition, and Election Day Eve
Public Utilities issued a precautionary Boil Water Notice for Sidwalter residents on the local distribution system after an electrical power surge damaged controls for the submersible well pump at the booster station. While a replacement pump was installed over the weekend, residents must boil tap water for three minutes prior to consumption until test samples are cleared with the EPA. Bottled water remains available at the Emergency Water Distribution Center at the old Elementary School.
In Madras, Jefferson County Middle School leadership is shifting immediately as Principal Brent Walsh steps into a new role as Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Jefferson County 509J School District. Superintendent Jay Matheson noted the appointment bolsters school safety initiatives, explaining, “In order to build on those, we need to resource that with more of our leadership team and time.” Assistant Principal Shannon Richards has been elevated to lead the school as its new principal, with Matheson praising her as a “keen, sharp instructional leader.”
Three regional school projects are competing for the SELCO Regional Classroom Makeover grant, which awards $15,000 each to three winning programs. Warm Springs K-8 Academy physical education teacher McKenna Devine is a finalist for a proposal to build an inclusive gym with a climbing wall and interactive projection system. Community members can vote once daily through November 7 at selco.org/vote to support local finalists, including Jefferson County Middle School’s community garden in Madras and Cascades Academy’s performance space in Bend.
The Warm Springs Tribal Council reconvened in Chambers today for agency reports from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, alongside realty reviews, legislative updates, and legal briefings. Officials also rescheduled the General Council meeting regarding the 2027 Budget for tomorrow evening at the Agency Longhouse, beginning with a community dinner at 6 p.m. followed by the session at 7 p.m.
Voters face tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ballot deadline for the midterm election, with drop boxes open on the Reservation at Three Warriors Market in Simnasho and adjacent to Fire & Safety on campus. According to KLCC's Zac Ziegler, public health agencies are also monitoring statewide preventative care, as Oregon Health Authority data reveals employee flu vaccination rates among medical workers plummeted from 85% six years ago to 52%. State health official Dr. Dat Tran cautioned that declining immunization “raises the risk of transmission to vulnerable patients” and urged facilities to provide on-site clinics.
High-stakes races across the Pacific Northwest are drawing heavy turnout, OPB’s Bryce Dole reports. Regional ballots feature competitive contests including Oregon’s gubernatorial race between incumbent Governor Tina Kotek and challenger Christine Drazan, alongside Southwest Washington’s battle for the 3rd Congressional District between Democratic U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican state Senator John Braun. Key legislative margins and local county commissions also hinge on tomorrow’s results.
Nationwide, healthcare affordability remains a dominant voter concern, with Pew Research finding nearly three-quarters of respondents citing medical coverage costs alongside inflation as critical priorities. Advocates warn that federal proposals in H.R. 1 could strip Medicaid access from millions through tightened administrative hurdles. Northwest Health Law Advocates representative Emily Brice warned that rising expenses force families to “resort to emergency rooms and clinics,” while Adam Hoyer of Protect Our Care noted escalating rate hikes threaten older and lower-income households.
Increasing cloudiness today will bring highs near 57 degrees before temperatures drop to 37 overnight. Tuesday will start overcast before clearing to mostly sunny skies with an afternoon high near 56.
