NEWS
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
IN BRIEF
Blizzard
Joseph City
Council meeting
postponed
JOSEPH — The usual
monthly Joseph City
Council meeting sched-
uled for Thursday, Jan. 6,
has been postponed until
Jan. 20, according to a
press release.
The release stated the
postponement was “due
to several unforeseen
circumstances.”
Class on
mountain
dulcimer planned
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
High winds blow snow across Farmers Lane near Hurricane Creek Road just south of Enterprise early Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
The wind event had some schools and government offi ces closed as power was disrupted and snowdrifts covered roads.
County signs on to opioid settlement
chian mountains. It’s easy
to learn, even for people
with no musical experi-
ence, the release stated.
Muller will teach all the
basics and students can
typically play one or two
simple songs in the fi rst
lesson. Music will include
traditional tunes and famil-
iar songs, as students prog-
ress from one-fi nger melo-
dies to using chords. There
will be a three-student
minimum to run the class.
Face masks and proof
of COVID vaccination are
required. No exceptions.
Rental dulcimers are
available. For rentals or
questions about the class,
email Muller at heidi.
muller.music@gmail.com.
Muller, from Joseph, is
a nationally-known moun-
tain dulcimer instructor
and performer as well as
a songwriter and guitarist.
She has taught dulcimer
for over 30 years and been
an instructor at dozens of
dulcimer festivals across
the country. She hosts Dul-
cimer Week in the Wal-
lowas every July, and has
produced numerous CDs
and tune books. For more
information, please visit
www.heidimuller.com.
To register, visit https://
tinyurl.com/dulcimerclass.
— Chieftain staff
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT:
Action came
in emergency
session Dec. 30
www.Wallowa.com
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — Wal-
lowa County took steps
Thursday, Dec. 30, that will
possibly result in getting a
portion of Oregon’s $329
million share of the National
Opioid Settlement Agree-
ment, as the county commis-
sioners authorized signing
onto the settlement.
During an emergency
meeting to address the mat-
ter before the year ended,
county counsel Paige Sully
said the reason for the emer-
gency was to not hinder
going forward with the state-
wide and federal settlement.
“The reason that we
needed to do this on less than
standard notice is because all
of the entities that are going
to sign this agreement have
to have it signed by the sec-
ond (of January),” Sully told
the commissioners.
The national settlement
is to resolve all opioids lit-
igation brought by states
and local political subdivi-
sions against the three larg-
est pharmaceutical distrib-
utors: McKesson, Cardinal
Health and AmerisourceBer-
gen, and manufacturer Jans-
sen Pharmaceuticals Inc. and
its parent company Johnson
& Johnson. The settlements
will provide substantial
funds to states and their sub-
divisions for abatement of
the opioids epidemic across
the country and will impose
transformative changes in
the way the settling defen-
dants conduct their business.
Sully emphasized that
although Wallowa County
is not a litigant in the settle-
ment, the county could be a
benefi ciary of funds the state
receives. Litigating entities
— be they cities or counties
— must have populations
of at least 10,000. Wallowa
County’s population is a bit
more than 7,300.
“The agreement is such
that 45% of the settlement
funds shall be allocated to
the state of Oregon and 55%
of the settlement funds shall
be allocated to the Oregon
JOSEPH — Heidi
Muller will teach a class
on playing the mountain
dulcimer each Sunday
from Jan. 9 through Feb.
13 at the Josephy Center
for Arts and Culture.
The class runs from
2-3 p.m. and costs $150,
according to a press
release.
The mountain dulci-
mer is a sweet-sounding,
three-stringed instrument
with roots in the Appala-
A3
This week’s featured book.
True Tails:
The Human-Animal Partnerships
of Wallowa County, Oregon
by Ellen Morris Bishop
107 E. Main St. Enterprise OR
541-426-3351
bookloftoregon.com • manager@bookloft.org
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain, File
County Commissioners, from left, John Hillock, Todd Nash and Susan Roberts are shown during
a meeting in early December 2021. Wallowa County took steps Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, that
will possibly result in getting a portion of Oregon’s $329 million share of the National Opioid
Settlement Agreement.
participating subdivisions.
The state will deposit its
funds in a prevention, treat-
ment and recovery fund that
will be used for abatement
uses,” Sully told the com-
missioners. “We will not
take a direct distribution.
We will, however, have the
opportunity to benefi t from
funds from the state. There’s
also a provision that subdivi-
sions can act in concert.”
For example, she said,
the neighboring counties that
will be direct recipients could
band together with Wallowa
County to set up some type
of regional program.
“I haven’t seen the fi nal
paperwork, but frankly, it
doesn’t make any diff erence
because we’re not litigat-
ing,” she said. “This will cost
us nothing; we’re not going
to be paying any of the attor-
neys’ fees.”
She said another rea-
son for the rush to approve
it is to not hamper the state-
wide eff orts to reach the
settlement.
“It will work a hardship
on the litigating entities if
we do not agree to sign the
settlement agreement,” she
said. “It’s my recommenda-
tion that you authorize me to
do so when it comes through
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so that they can complete
this settlement and move
forward on collecting those
funds.”
The commissioners voted
to approve such authoriza-
tion. But they had a couple
of questions.
Commissioner John Hill-
ock wondered about how
any money the county
should receive under the set-
tlement could be used, such
as for mental health or parole
and probation.
“It will depend on what
their grant application looks
like,” Sully said. “But only if
it’s related to abatement ser-
vices or related to treatment.”
Births
A son, Asa Phillip
Nebel, was born December
9, 2021 in Enterprise to
Chase and Lauren Nebel
of Enterprise. Grand-
parents are Jan & Brien
Guthridge, and Melody &
Curt Nebel.
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January 15, 2022
Enterprise Elks Lodge
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