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, Oct. 1. On Friday at 8 a.m., the Tribe officially took over all fire and ambulance service for Tribal property currently served by contract with the West Valley Fire District. (Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez) By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer On the morning of Friday, Oct. 1, Grand Ronde officially became one of only a handful of Tribes in the United States to operate its own fire and emergency services department. That’s when operations were formally handed off from the West …

period that began in mid-March 2020. “Whether they’re one of our dedicated clinic staff working on the frontlines, someone interacting with Tribal members to provide services, processing emergency or COVID-19 relief payments for Tribal members or a temperature check station employee, this service has been invaluable and the Tribe wanted to recognize that effort,” the statement said. The premium pay sparked debate on social media by Tribal members who primarily criticized Tribal Council members …

should not have stopped.” Veteran Susan Hale, left, takes a hat from Little Miss Grand Ronde Desirae Hernandez during the Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow held at Uyxat Powwow Grounds on Saturday, July 8. Each veteran was gifted a hat representing their branch of service. (Photo by Michelle Alaimo/Smoke Signals) Saturday attracted a larger number of people, with the arbor at the powwow grounds filling up as 1 p.m. grand entry began. Women’s northern traditional dancer Darcy Jimenez (Siletz …

King Jr. Day so offices were already closed. The National Weather Service issued several flash freeze warnings ahead of the storm, predicting temperatures plummeting to below freezing and dangerous black ice for Yamhill County and most of Oregon. With this advance notice, Tribal leadership made the decision to dismiss staff two hours early on Friday, Jan. 12, so they could get home safely. By Saturday, a blanket of snow enveloped the hills and valley, soon followed by freezing rain that created …

release noted that the drawdowns “are a critical element of the 2024 National Marine Fisheries Service’s biological opinion, which aims to help endangered salmon exit the reservoirs through the dams to migrate downriver.” It quoted Kathryn Tackley, a program manager at the Portland district who is working to implement the measure, saying that the drawdowns should be considered “‘the new normal’ for these reservoirs until USACE constructs physical fish-passage structures.” The Tribe and Native Fish …

) By Nicole Montesano Smoke Signals staff writer The Tribe’s Public Health department is embarking on a new project, as part of its expansion of new programs and services – this one offering health aids and information from a “smart” vending machine that went into service in early December. Users may obtain dental kits for both adults and children, pulse oximeters, smoking cessation kits, naloxone kits, condoms and lubricant, firearm safety locks, first-aid kits and feminine hygiene kits, for free, from …

tourist value and reduce irrigation water, especially if next winter is dry. Many of those arguments were taken from Army Corps documents. The National Marine Fisheries Service instructed that drawdowns begin in 2008, but the Army Corps resisted until a federal judge ordered it to comply in 2021. In an environmental impact statement filed in May, the Army Corps wrote that, “The deep drawdown at Detroit Reservoir would adversely affect water supply, water quality, drinking water (facility …

Montano cited an example of how the Tribe was recently given objects from the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. “It took two years, and that was because no other Tribe had a claim on these items,” she said. “Museums are hindered from actions through processes (they must go through).” Edwards said that convincing a private collector or museum to return an item sometimes involves what he calls a “gut check” question. “I ask them, ‘Are you feeling right about keeping that belonging?’ If the answer …

standpoint, we absolutely do quite a bit toward health and wellness and we would like to do even more,” said Dempsey. “We offer things like biometric screenings to employees. It’s just a simple blood draw, but it gives you all your numbers and we can do that on site. It saves the employee money and it saves us a lot of money, and we get a much higher participation rate. These screenings tell people if they have an issue, what it is and what they can do about it.” Dempsey said the casino offers …

second phase of the apartment complex that will add eight more units in two separate buildings. In addition, the southwest corner at the intersection of Grand Ronde and Hebo roads will be the location of more Elder housing. The site will house 24 more units and may be open for occupation by late 2021 or early 2022. The new apartments and additional Elder housing will increase the number of Tribal housing options to 257. Housing Department Administrative Program Manager Joan Dugger says …