Knapweed biological control program
shows success
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Alcohol not a factor in tragedy
Two Heppner youth die in auto
accident
A tragic automobile accident
around 10 p.m. Wednesday,
June 16, near Lexington left
two young people dead and
their families and the Heppner-
Lexington-Ione communities
grieving.
Elizabeth Sue "Beth" Baker,
16, Heppner, was thrown from a
vehicle driven by Caleb
McDaniel, 19, Heppner, and died
at the scene. John Roy Blake, 21,
also a passenger in McDaniel's
automobile, was removed from
the vehicle by Heppner Fire
Department
personnel
and
transported to Pioneer Memorial
Hospital in Heppner. Life flight
was activated, but he died at the
hospital. Blake was wearing a
seat belt.
According to Morrow County
Undersheriff Larry Sample,
alcohol was not a factor in the
accident.
Sample said that McDaniel
"had no measurable blood
alcohol." Sample said that
McDaniel blew a .00 on a
breathalyzer test taken after the
accident.
The sheriffs department
initially had said that alcohol was
involved. According to the
Morrow County Sheriffs log,
McDaniel was intitially charged
with two counts of Manslaughter
II and driving under the influence
of intoxicants.
McDaniel was also transported
to Pioneer Memorial where he
was admitted for observation, but
was released with minor injuries.
According to the sheriffs
report, the vehicle driven by
McDaniel and another vehicle,
driven by Victoria Odinet, 17,
lone, were driving on Clarks
Canyon Road about a mile from
Lexington, when McDaniel's
vehicle passed Odinet's car,
failed to negotiate a curve and
rolled several times. Odinet's
Elizabeth Sue "Beth" Baker
John Roy Blake
vehicle was not in the crash.
A third vehicle, driven by
Elizabeth Allen, 16, lone,
followed Odinet's car. The
vehicles were all headed back
toward Lexington when the
accident occurred.
Camille Sykes, 16, Heppner,
was a passenger in Odinet's
vehicle. Rosanne Baker, 18,
lone, was a passenger in Allen's
car. None of the teenagers was
determined to have been
drinking.
A graveside service for Beth
Baker was held at the Heppner
Masonic Cemetery on Monday,
June 21. A memorial service for
John Blake was held at the
Heppner City Park on Tuesday,
June 22.
Beth was the daughter of
Glorene Wright of Heppner and
Bill Baker of Tillamook. She had
attended Heppner High School
where she was a sophomore this
last year. John was the son of
James Blake of Heppner and the
late Pam Blake. He was a
graduate of Heppner High
School.
St. Pat's committee donates
$2,000 to scholarship trust
Health
district plans
meeting
The Morrow County Health
District board will hold a special
board meeting on Wednesday,
June 23 at 6:30 p.m. by telephone
conference call.
The public may participate in
the conference call at the Mor
row County Health District ad
ministrative offices, 564 E. Pio
neer Drive, Heppner.
A tiny visitor from Greece,
who has been living on the
range lands of south Morrow
County the past seven years, is
proving to be a welcome
immigrant in our fight against
knapweed.
Introduced to Morrow County
in 1992, the seedhead feeding
weevil has been doing its job
and reproducing so well
Morrow County Weed Control
Supervisor Dave Pranger is
planning to harvest the little
bugs.
Knapweed came to the United
States from the Mediterranean,
and quickly flourished because
it had no natural enemies here.
In an effort to control the weed
through means other than
spraying,
scientist
went
overseas to inspect the targeted
weeds for natural predators.
The weevil was brought to the
United States after extensive
study, making sure it would not
jump to other plants, and that it
would survive the weather and
other conditions here.
After testing and cleaning, so
no small parasites are attached
to the bugs, they were first
studied and then released in
South Morrow County on
property belonging to Claude
and Happy Graham in 1992.
After seven years on their
own, Pranger says the bugs are
doing well. Reaching down to
pull up a knapweed plant he
shows how the weevil's larvae
borrow into the plants seed
pods and virtually eat the weeds
seeds away leaving it with no
way to multiply.
The weevils, on the other
hand, have multiplied quite
well, and Pranger said anyone
in Morrow County who would
like to collect some of the
insects for distribution on their
knapweed invested land, can
contact him for instructions on
how to collect them. He says
other counties and states are
also coming to collect the
seedhead feeding weevils in the
next few months.
"Larinus Minutus (the
official name of the insect) is
just one of seven different
insects being used to battle
diffuse knapweed, but it seems
to be the one showing the most
promise as a long term solution
to the knapweed problem in
Morrow County," Pranger said.
He said the insect has
established itself well in the
Cecil and Rhea Creek areas of
the county.
"The damage caused by this
insect is very noticeable," he
says. "So much so that once
landowners affected by this
weed see the results of this
weevil they begin to collect and
distribute them as well."
He emphasized the safety of
using the tiny bugs. "These
insects have all gone through a
screening process by the
USDA-Ag Research Service
before receiving approval for
release. It may cost as much as
$500,000 to get an insect
cleared for distribution in the
states. Some of the insects we
have released have come from
as far away as Turkey, Greece
and Eurasia. All are checked
first to make sure they will not
cross over to other crops,
nursery stock or native plants,"
he says.
All in all it seems to be a
pretty
successful
project.
"Populations
have
finally
reached a level to which visible
damage to the knapweed plants
is obvious. There have been
more than 50 new releases from
this site to other areas around
the county to help aid them in
covering the entire county,"
Pranger said.
June, July and August are the
months
to
collect
and
redistribute these insects, so
anyone wishing to learn more
about biological controls or
help with collection and
distribution should contact the
Morrow county Weed Control
office at 989-9502, Pranger
said.
Morrow County Weed Control Supervisor Dave Pranger collects
insects with a net.
A couple of the small insects that have been helping to control
knapweed In Morrow County.
A knapweed damaged by seedhead feeding weevil
Sen. Gordon Smith to present
award to Nikki McEHigott
Oregon Senator Gordon
H. Smith will be in Pendleton
and Umatilla Friday and
Saturday, June 25 and 26, to
speak on salmon recovery and
present an award to Nikki
McEHigott of lone.
Smith will present
McEHigott with an American
Red Cross Certificate of Merit.
In 1997 McEHigott, who will
be a senior at lone High School
this fall, was working on her
father's farm when
she
witnessed Lee Ansotegui, an
employee of her father's, fall off
his horse into a pond.
Ansotegui had suffered a stroke
several months before and was
unable to swim. McEHigott was
aware of this fact and pulled
him from the water, saving his
life.
The Certificate of Merit is the
Red Cross's highest award for
lifesaving.
On Friday, Senator and Mrs.
Smith will host an open house
at the new field office location
in Pendleton from 4-5:30 p.m..
Smith’s new office is in suite #3
of the Jaeger Building, located
at 116 South Main Street,
Pendleton
Shrine game
tickets available
Tickets are still available for
the East-West Shrine Game
For tickets contact Gene Orwick.
Lexington.
Season Ending M OW Elt SALE
Snapper amt
L im ited to S to c k on H a n d ~ S a le through J u n e *IOth
St. Patrick'« Day Chairman Claudia Hughea (right) preaenta check for
$2,000 to South Morrow County Scholarahip truat fund treaaurer
Sharon Harriaon. The truat accepta money for acholarahipa for
Heppner and lone graduating aeniora.
M o rrow C ounty G rain G row ers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1 -8 0 0 -4 5 2 -7 3 9 6
For farm equipment, visit our web site at www mcgg net