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Local News
Local News
Plan Ahead: 20-Minute Delays on Highway 26 Between Warm Springs and Mount Hood Through June 15
ODOT and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are removing hundreds of hazardous dead and dying trees along U.S. Highway 26 between mileposts 71 and 87. Drivers should expect delays of 20 minutes or more Monday through Thursday through mid-June.
Local News
Rafael Queahpama Sworn In as Warm Springs Chief; Traditional Ceremony Scheduled for May 30
Rafael Queahpama was sworn in as the new Warm Springs Chief on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation, taking a lifetime seat on the Tribal Council. A traditional installation ceremony will be held May 30 at the Simnasho Longhouse.
Local News
Airshow of the Cascades Watching Navy Investigation After Idaho Growler Collision
Organizers of Madras' annual Airshow of the Cascades are closely monitoring the U.S. Navy's investigation into a midair collision between two EA-18G Growler jets at an Idaho air show — the same type of demonstration planned for Madras.
Local News
New Data: 80 People Unsheltered in Jefferson County Despite Local Shelter Access
The 2026 Point-in-Time Count shows Jefferson County's homeless population remains largely unsheltered — 80 people reported living outside versus 23 in the Madras shelter. Regionwide, Central Oregon saw a 19% drop in homelessness.
Local News
Voters Say No: Jefferson County Library Bond Fails 63% to 37%
A $15 million bond measure that would have funded a new library in Madras and a branch in Culver was soundly defeated in the May 19 election. Library district leaders must now reconsider how to address aging facilities.
Local News
Nine Deer Ridge Inmates Set to Receive First-Ever College Degrees from COCC Program
Nine people incarcerated at Deer Ridge Correctional Institute in Madras will receive associate degrees from Central Oregon Community College in June — the first graduating class from a program launched to give incarcerated people a path to higher education.
Local News
Jefferson County Leads Central Oregon in Slashing Homelessness — But Work Remains
New point-in-time data shows Madras reduced its homeless count by more than 50 percent in one year. A regional nonprofit credited local coordination — and singled out Jefferson County's community-driven approach as a model.
Local News
Expect Major Delays on US 26 Near Warm Springs Through Mid-June
ODOT and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are removing roughly 1,000 dead or dying trees along Highway 26 between the OR 216 junction and Warm Springs. Traffic in both directions will be stopped while crews work.
Local News
Kah-Nee-Ta Gets a Makeover: New TeePee Welcome Center, Salmon Bakes, and Renovated Rooms Coming for Summer 2026
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs resort is rolling out its biggest set of improvements in years, including a Travel Oregon-supported welcome center, revived salmon bake events, and 30 renovated hotel rooms.
Local News
Warm Springs Solar Project Clears Key Hurdle, Tribal Community Meeting Held Saturday
The Salmonfly Solar and Energy Storage Project — a 250-megawatt partnership between BrightNight and Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises — received project assessment approval from the Tribe's Branch of Natural Resources.
Local News
New Bus Route Connects Remote Parts of Warm Springs Reservation for the First Time
Cascades East Transit launched Route 21 earlier this month, bringing scheduled bus service across 50 miles of the Warm Springs Reservation — a long-awaited connection for communities that have historically had little to no public transportation.
Local News
COCC Madras Campus Brings Nursing, Healthcare Degrees to Jefferson County — And a New Bachelor’s Program Is Next
After a $22 million expansion on donated land, the COCC Madras campus now offers nursing, medical assistant, and early childhood education programs — and will begin accepting applications for its first-ever Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on June 1.