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Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
White Buffalos sports update
The Oregon Health Au-
thority last week updated its
mask guidance for non-con-
tact sports. Outdoor sports
include cross country, track
and field, tennis, swimming,
cheer and dance. The cur-
rent guidance allows non-con-
tact sports to remove masks
during competition.
“We are revising the cur-
rent guidance on the use of
masks outdoor during com-
petition,” the Health Author-
ity said in a statement.
“The guidance will allow
people to take off face cov-
ering when competing in
non-contact sports outdoors,
and maintaining at least six
feet of distance from oth-
ers, and the other virus pro-
tective protocols.”
Although the masking ex-
ception allows athletes to
take off face covering dur-
Despite drought, good
water supply predicted
for Columbia River
Drought plagues much
of the West, but officials
predict abundant water sup-
plies this year for the Colum-
bia River System.
Nick Bond, climatologist,
said the Columbia system is
in much better shape than,
for instance, the Klamath
Basin at the Oregon-Califor-
nia border.
According to an April re-
port, snowpack in the Up-
per Columbia River Basin is
108-percent of normal for
this time of year.
The water level at The
Dalles Dam also looks good,
according to Joye Redfield-
Wilder, of the Washington
State Department of Ecol-
ogy. That’s an important in-
dicator for water allocations.
Bond said while it might
seem strange that the Co-
lumbia River is getting more
water while other areas are
getting less, it makes sense
according to current climate
change models, which pre-
dict lower latitudes will ex-
perience increasing drought
while higher latitudes will ex-
perience more extreme win-
ter snowfalls.
He expects this trend to
continue. “If anything, while
other places are getting drier,
the Columbia River overall
may be getting more water
in the future than in histori-
cal times,” he said.
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission is
recruiting for a Fishery Technician III, Temporary, Full-
time. There are three positions available. Location is
Portland, The Dalles or Hood River. Starting salary range:
$41,893.00. Closing date: May 19. Employment appli-
cation and full job announcement located critfc.org
ing competition, the OHA
says athletes will still be re-
quired to wear masks dur-
ing practice. “The exception
will not apply while training
and conditioning for these
sports. The exception will
not apply before and after
competing.”
At Madras High School
Just a reminder to spec-
tators, while Jefferson
County remains in the High
covid risk category, home
competitions or traveling
competitions will not be al-
lowing traveling spectators.
For home competitions, the
high-risk spectator capacity
for outdoor facilities is 15
percent.
For track, baseball and
softball, staff will continue
to monitor the number of
spectators that show up to
watch competitions. If the
number of spectators begins
to creep upwards toward the
maximum capacity at 15
percent, then staff will be-
May 5, 2021
gin to administer passes to
future competitions.
Staff are continuing to ask
home competition spectators
to be responsible about their
social distancing and wearing
masks when on school prop-
erty. So long as our county
stays in high risk, concession
stands are closed.
As the high risk level
changes, staff will continue
to reevaluate how spectators
are able to participate in
MHS athletic events. Regard-
less of the risk level, staff
intends to continue live
streaming each of our home
competitions throughout the
rest of the athletic seasons.
Madras High School has
completed its opt-in paper-
work to begin indoor athletic
events the week of May
10—this will be a week of
practice; competitions start
the week of May 16.
Season 4 sports include
basketball, swimming and
wrestling. These indoor
sports require heavy guide-
lines and required waiver
forms similar to those re-
quired of football.