Woman dies in ATV accident near Ukiah

UKIAH — The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office reported a 33-year-old woman from Pendleton died Saturday, May, 8, in an all-terrain vehicle crash near Ukiah.

The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center at about 3 p.m. received a call reporting two people injured in an ATV accident in the area of Hideaway Springs Road east of Ukiah, according to the press release from the sheriff’s office.

Medics on scene confirmed that Jessica Whitney Ice, the driver of the ATV, had died. An ambulance took a woman passenger to Ukiah where an emergency helicopter flew her to Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington.

The sheriff’s office did not identify the victim but reported she was in good condition.

The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office also reported Oregon State Police are conducting a crash reconstruction and the investigation is ongoing.

Rolling slowdown in effect May 12 near Boardman

BOARDMAN — The Oregon Department of Transportation announced it is slowing traffic heading east on Interstate 84 on Wednesday, May 12, for the removal of an overhead variable message board.

The removal takes place near milepost 191. ODOT does not have a specific time for when the rolling slowdown will go into effect. A second rolling slowdown will take place that evening as workers erect the new sign.

ODOT also will close one lane at the work site to allow room for a crane, and the state road agency is closing eastbound exits at mileposts 171, 178, 179, 180, 182 and 188 for up to 20 minutes during the rolling slowdowns.

Umatilla dictionary now on the web

MISSION — The Umatilla language is now accessible to anyone in the world with an internet connection.

In a press release, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation announced that the Umatilla Language Dictionary is now online.

The collaboration between the CTUIR Language Program and Amazon Web Services intends to educate tribal members on their language and raise awareness about the tongue.

The prevalence of the Umatilla language has diminished over the years as many of its fluent speakers have died. The CTUIR established a language program in 1996 to preserve the language by recording elders and teaching the language to tribal youths and adults.

“This is a gift to the youth,” Noel Rude, the dictionary’s author and a former tribal linguist at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute near Pendleton, said in a statement. “No matter where they find themselves, they will have access to the beautiful words of their elders. May this kindle their curiosity! And may their elders’ legacy never fade.”

The dictionary can be accessed at dictionary.ctuir.org.

— EO Media Group

Oregon Water Resources Commission seeks members

SALEM — The Oregon Water Resources Commission seeks applicants to represent the northwest and eastern regions of the state.

The Commission is a seven-member citizen panel that sets statewide water resources policy and oversees the work of the Water Resources Department. Commission members are unpaid volunteers and serve four-year terms.

The governor appoints commissioners and the Oregon Senate confirms them.

Five commission members each represent one of the regional river basins, and two members represent a portion of the state in an “at-large” capacity. Current commissioners representing the northwest and eastern regions will be completing the maximum number of terms Oregon law allows.

Those interested in serving on the commission should submit their completed applications to the Governor’s Office as soon as possible. For more information, visit www.oregon.gov/OWRD.

— EO Media Group