The Madras Pioneer
Only one quarter of Oregon’s 197 school districts will get summer school money from state
Most Oregon school districts and the hundreds of thousands of students that they serve, once again, will not benefit from any additional summer school funding from the state this year. The Oregon Department of Education recently released the list of 48 school districts and 24 charter schools that will have access to a portion of $30 million allocated for summer school during the short legislative session in February. The selected districts have until Friday, May 3, to submit their plans to receive their allocated money...
Candidates speak on top issues at forum
All seven candidates for Jefferson County Commissioner Position 3 met at the Madras Performing Arts Center Monday, April 29 to respond to questions submitted by the public in a forum put on by the Madras Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. The candidates began with opening statements. They each were able to respond to one group question, then each was given a randomly assigned question to respond to. After all candidates responded to a question, each was allowed to respond to one question asked of another...
Our TV picks for Wednesday, May 1: Chicago Med, The Masked Singer, Walker
Chicago Med KGW 8 p.m. There’s always someone to save in the Windy City. In each new episode of this procedural series, doctors, nurses and staff balance their intertwined personal lives while working a demanding profession, in which the patient always comes first. The Masked Singer ...
North Unit Irrigation District: a dizzying number of projects
Aging infrastructure has provided the impetus for the North Unit Irrigation District modernization projects over the past several years. Along with modernization, the goal of the work is simple: save as much precious water as possible. Overall, district canals lose about 37 percent of their flow to seepage. To capture what little water is available and deliver it to irrigators, NUID has undertaken numerous projects. But it is difficult to...
State fire marshal wants Oregonians to do more to protect their homes from wildfires
Climate change is expected to increase both the frequency and intensity of wildfires, according to the U.S. Forest Service. So now, in addition to more dry eastern Oregon wildfires, Oregonians are likely to experience more wildfires in the wetter western part of the state. “Wildfire is not an ‘if,’ but a ‘when,’ living in Oregon,” said Alison Green, a spokeswoman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal. That office wants Oregonians to create more defensible space around their homes. That is: More area between the house and potential wildfire, where vegetation has been modified to reduce the threat and help firefighters defend the house. And the fire marshal has set up a number of new programs to help. Oregon Public Broadcasting is a news partner of the Pamplin Media Group. Find the original story here.
Wednesday track meet is senior night for MHS
Madras will host Tri-Valley Conference rivals Crook County and Estacada, along with La Pine, in a track and field meet Wednesday, May 1, and it will be senior night. League power Crook County is not expected to send its top athletes, though, according to MHS coach Mike Dove. With district nearing — Friday and Saturday, May 10-11 — many programs are lightening their competition loads. Madras was scheduled to be...
My opinion: In Oregon, homes don’t come from the hardware store
It’s rare to see Democrats and Republicans come together as productively as they recently did with the passage of a $376 million package aimed at addressing Oregon’s chronic undersupply of housing. Despite divisive national rhetoric, Oregon legislators of all stripes are realizing the only reliable way out of our housing crisis is through building needed housing. But Oregonians must recognize the critical resources that make this possible. We can’t add...
Local firewood cutting opens May 1
Beginning Wednesday, May 1, personal and commercial use firewood collection season will resume on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland. Firewood season runs through November 30, 2024. The public should note this is only for the National Forest system lands and does not include permits for firewood cutting on land managed by the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management. While personal use firewood permits are free, a permit is still required. The public can obtain up to eight cords of...
DMV Administrator: Air travel ID deadline is only a year away, but you may have less time than that
For air travel within the U.S., most people use their state driver license or ID card to get through airport security. They also can use a passport as they would for an international flight. But starting May 7, 2025, your standard Oregon driver license or ID card will no longer get you on a domestic flight. You will need to show a Real ID-compliant state license or ID card, or a passport or passport card. With just one year left to prepare, Oregon’s DMV is...
Bulldog softball nearly gets first league win
The Culver Bulldog softball team came ever-so-close to picking up its first win versus a varsity opponent this season but fell 19-18 to Central Linn April 23. The Bulldogs, playing with heavy hearts after the death of their teammate Jorja Nelson April 8, were to play a doubleheader against Santiam on the road April 26, but the games were canceled. The Bulldogs will play six of their final eight at home, beginning with a doubleheader against East Linn Christian Wednesday, April 30, with game one starting at 3 p.m. East Linn Christian is 1-5 in league and Culver 0-6. East Linn beat the Dawgs on April 4 20-12.
Madras girl tennis hosts Steve Rankin Invitational
The Madras High School girls tennis team hosted the Steve Rankin Invitational on Saturday, April 27. The eight-team tournament is played in a round robin format with each of the eight schools’ No. 1 singles playing seven games against each other, with No. 2 singles players facing each other and No. 1 and No. 2 doubles doing the same. Players earn a point for each game they win, with the...
Warm Springs parade celebrates service
The Warm Springs Community held a parade and luncheon to honor veterans on Saturday, April 27. Numerous veterans, mostly from the Vietnam era were in attendance, although all were invited to attend. Some may recall that Vietnam veterans were scorned upon their return from service. Susan Guerin, event organizer, said this event with the parade and luncheon is their way “to celebrate veterans the way they were not celebrated when they first returned. It’s a huge hug of support and love.” The parade featured floats from veterans, as well as other community organizations. Afterwards, a lunchoeon and salmon bake brought veterans together.
Ballot measures host open houses
The two entities with measures on the May ballot are holding open houses in the coming days to answer community questions about the measures they hope to pass. The Jefferson County Fire & EMS District is holding open houses Wednesday, May 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Culver Fire Station and Wednesday, May 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Madras Fire Station. JCF&EMS has a $14.5...
Warm Springs mural welcomes visitors
A new mural now graces the side of the Warm Springs Commissary building. The mural is part of a Visit Central Oregon project that has funded murals in towns across Central Oregon, including the ‘Welcome to Madras’ sign on Fifth Street. The mural features art by local Warm Springs artists Charlene Dimmick, Alyssa Scott and Winona Garrison. The design was created by the artists and project coordinator Starla Green. “We wanted it to show who Warm Springs is and what we are,” said Green. ...
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The Pioneer has served Jefferson County since 1904. It is a member publication of Pamplin Media Group and is published weekly, distributed locally Wednesday mornings. The Pioneer, with a circulation of 3,600, reaches homes every Wednesday.
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