WRESTLING: DAWGS TAKE
A BITE OUT OF WALLA WALLA
SPORTS, B1
E O
AST
143rd year, no. 72
REGONIAN
Friday, January 25, 2019
$1.50
WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Your Weekend
DECISION TO FARM HEMP BRINGS
AGRICULTURAL ADVENTURE
• Taizé Service,
First Presbyterian Church
• Watch ‘Smallfoot’
at the Adams Library
• Magic: The Gathering
tournament, Pendleton
FOR TIMES AND LOCATIONS
CHECK COMING EVENTS, A3
Weekend Weather
FRI
SAT
SUN
46/33
49/35
54/28
UMAPINE
Murder
suspect
tells police
shooting
was justified
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Murder defendant anto-
nio Vasquez-Vargas told police
he felt justified in killing his
co-worker in November at the
dairy near Umapine. According
to a search warrant affidavit,
he claimed the victim, Renee
Luiz-antonio of Milton-Free-
water, harassed and even tried
to kill him.
Vasquez-Vargas, 53, of Walla
Walla, faces charges of murder
and felon in possession of a fire-
arm for the deadly shooting. He
is in the Umatilla County Jail,
Pendleton. He appeared via
video Wednesday in the Pend-
leton courtroom of Circuit
Judge Christopher Brauer for a
status check. Defense attorney
Kara Davis told the court she
was meeting Vasquez-Vargas
on Friday and following up on a
mental health evaluation.
Relatives of Luiz-Antonio
sat in the galley and listened
to the brief hearing. Davis also
said she might not ask for a bail
hearing, which would entail the
court evaluating the strength of
See Shooting, Page A8
Rebecca Heger of Pendleton feeds her horse, Apple, a treat laced with CBD, or cannabidiol, oil from hemp she and her partner grew on their farm north
of Pendleton.
Local growers get
into CBD market
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
A
bout a year ago, Morrie McCormmach
and Rebecca Heger pondered what to
plant in one of their fields.
A friend suggested hemp, a crop that
was up and coming. Heger and McCormmach
took to their computers to research the plant.
The couple learned that this cousin of mari-
juana differs radically from weed, which has
a high percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) and is psychoactive. Hemp has canna-
bidiol (CBD), known for its medicinal effects
and not pot’s mind-altering highs.
Heger, an Alaskan with a holistic approach
to health, is a former glacier guide who loves
the outdoors. She was intrigued with the ther-
apeutic possibilities of CBDs. Her intrigue
slowly evolved into resolve. A month ago,
Heger launched Pendleton CBD, an online
business that offers CBDs for horses and
humans.
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
CBD, or cannabidiol, oil is renowned amongst
its advocates for its anti-inflammatory and an-
ti-anxiety properties.
Resolved for something new in 2019
Three people talk about
starting a new habit or
project in the new year
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
While the new year is a chance to
ditch old habits and start with a clean
slate, for others it’s a blank page wait-
ing to be filled with something new. For
three Eastern Oregon residents, new
Year’s resolutions involve picking up
new habits, hobbies and projects.
Nestor Chavez, a recent Umatilla
High School graduate, used the new year
as a chance to jump-start what he hopes
See 2019, Page A8
“It’s an incredible medicine,” she said.
“There’s no high. it’s no different than eating
an orange for vitamin C.”
She says the substance has anti-inflamma-
tory and anti-anxiety properties. Other possi-
ble uses include treating pain, nausea, arthri-
tis, addiction, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress
and seizures.
Heger liked the idea of producing hemp oil
— but first they had to grow the hemp.
Their first summer as hemp farmers proved
an edifying experience.
“This was a trial run with only 10 acres,”
Heger said. “We didn’t want to get in over our
heads.”
McCormmach, a sixth-generation farmer,
said they considered the risks carefully. Crop
insurance was unavailable. Additionally, the
harvest would have to be tested at the end of
the season for THC content. By law, hemp
must have less than 0.3 percent THC to be
used for CBDs.
“When we got a permit from the state, it
came with that requirement,” McCormmach
said. “An independent third-party laboratory
tests to make sure.”
See Hemp, Page A8
Burger King
shift man-
ager Nestor
Chavez of
Hermiston
made the
unlikely New
Year’s resolu-
tion to begin
trading in the
stock market.
Staff photo by
E.J. Harris
CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic is recognized
as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home.
What does that mean for you?
• Better-coordinated care.
• Healthcare providers who will help connect you
• Listening to your concerns and answering with the care you need in a safe and timely way.
questions.
• Healthcare providers who play an active role in
your health.
• After-hours nurse consultation.
844.724.8632
3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton
WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG
Mon through Thurs, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Sat and Sun, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.