Heppner teacher arrested for
sex crimes involving students
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper l ibrar>
Universitv o f Oregon
Eugene, OR 9740.^
Wendy Cannin, 30,
a teacher at Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School was arrested
on Monday, August 31, for
alleged sex crimes involv
ing students.
On August 21, the
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Office received notifica-
HEPPNER
imes
VOL 128
NO. 35
8 Pages
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
2009-2010 school year off to a start
Heppner Elementary School students wait patiently to board the bus after their first day of
the new school year. -Photo hv Megan Futter
Health district approves payment
of state health insurance tax
Opts not to pass costs down to employees
By April Sykes
The Morrow Coun
ty Health District approved
an expenditure of $3,200 to
pay for a one percent tax on
employee health benefits
imposed by the state during
the last legislative session.
The board opted to pay the
tax, which was created by
the legislature to allow for
the inclusion of more un
insured people in the state
insurance plan, rather than
pass the additional cost on
to their employees. The
$3,200 MCHD payment
will cover the additional
state insurance costs from
October through May 31.
A ndrea F letcher
presented an overview of
a plan to apply for a fed
eral grant, working along
with the Morrow County
Health Department and Co
lumbia River Community
Health Services in Board-
man. Fletcher said that the
grant, which could be up
to $85,000 through the De
partment of Health and Hu
man Services, is extremely
competitive with only 20
grants to be awarded na
tion wide. She said that
the three Morrow County
entities will “move together
collectively with a similar
goal and perhaps competi
tively apply for funds.” The
deadline for application is
September 14.
Also at the meeting
CEO Michael Blauer said
that he had scheduled an
interview this Wednesday
w ith a potential candidate to
fill the nurse practitioner’s
position at the Irrigon Clin
ic. Blauer said the search
for a nurse practitioner
has been frustrating and
expensive for the district
as a search company has
been hired.
In other business:
the board:
-learned that the
trauma survey went well
with the surveyors very
complimentary.
-learned that the
audit was a “pleasant ex
perience" and the auditors
gave the district a “clean
audit”. Blauer said the au
ditors were complimentary
of Chief Financial Officer
Nicole Mahoney and her
staff.
-discussed the issue
of decals on district-ow ned
emergency vehicles at the
OHV park. The board ear
lier expressed concern that
decals had been placed on
the vehicles which are op
erated by volunteers at the
park and that those decals
had not been authorized by
the district. The volunteers
had also made improve-
tion from Heppner Jr./Sr. dents were: Count 1-Rape District Attorney Elizabeth
High School Principal Daye in the third degree; Count Ballard opposed release and
Stone that a female
2- Sex Abuse in the requested that bail be main
teacher may have
third degree; Count tained at $40,000. Judge
been involved in
3 - Sodomy in the Daniel Hill granted Bal
sexual activity w ith
third degree; Count lard's request.
a 17 year old male
Cannin was placed
4- Sex Abuse in the
student.
third degree; Count on adm inistrative leave
D e t e c -
5- Sex Abuse in the last week by the Morrow
five Karen Dike of
second degree; and County School D istrict
MCSO was assigned Wendy
C ount 6 -S ex u al when the allegations of
to the investigation. Cannin
Misconduct. These inappropriate contact w ith
D ike’s investiga
ch arg e s are not minors was brought to the
tion determined that illegal Measure 11 charges be district’s attention.
sexual activ ity had occurred cause the youngest student
C a n n in b e g a n
between Cannin and two involved was not under teaching at Heppner Jr./
male students ages 17 and the age of 14. Measure 11 Sr. High School in 2007,
15. The incidents reportedly crimes carry a mandatory her first teaching job. She
began before the end of the prison sentence. A grand received her degree in el
2009 school year and ended jury convened this week to ementary education from
in the middle of July, occur hear evidence.
Eastern Oregon Univer
ring both on and off school
A video arraign sity. She taught junior high
property.
ment was held at 1:15 on mathematics, business, and
Cannin w as lodged Tuesday afternoon at which a yearbook class. She was
at the Umatilla County Jail time Cannin requested a also the junior high track
on Monday. Charges en court appointed attorney. coach.
compassing both male stu
Boardman Motorsports Park awaits investor decision
Racetrack needs funding to move construction forward
By David Sykes
D e v e lo p e rs o f
a motorsports park near
B oardm an
are a w a it
ing word if a
major inves
tor is going
to move for
w ard w ith
funding, a
Billie Jean
spokesper Morris
son told the
Heppner
Chamber of Commerce last
week. Billie Jean Morris,
Director of Marketing for
Pacific Northwest Motor-
sports Park(PNWMP), said
one investor went bankrupt
when Bear Stearns col
lapsed several months ago,
so dev elopers are now look
ing for additional investors
in the $6.1 billion project.
Morris said she expected to
find out “soon” if a new in
vestor is in on the project.
“Securing project
funding remains PNWMP
management’s primary fo
cus,” the park’s summer
newsletter said. “To this,
we have already entered
into detailed discussion
with new investors and a
cadre of worldwide finan
cial institutions who are
impressed with the project
and are working through the
processes that will enable
them to invest/lend their
funds.” Morris did not say
what would happen if the
new investor did not come
through, but said last week
they were expecting a let
ter late last week or early
this week.
Tuesday she
told the Ga
zette the letter
had not been
received, but
that they still
ex p ec ted it
“soon”.
Mor
ris did say
th a t if the Pictured is a screenshot of the Racer simu
project moves lator program.
forward she
expects to see
1,000 construction jobs in IBM optical engineer Bob
Boardman by the end of Hojaboom o f Umatilla.
the year. “In 2006 we said The simulator is based on
we would be operational by the actual track that w ill be
2009," she told the cham built at Boardman.
According to the
ber. “Obviously that did
not happen, but we think by newsletter the simulation
late spring early summer of program will run on most
2011 we will be running.” com puters using ju st a
She added that at this point mouse and keyboard for
the only construction on the controls. It took Hojaboom
site has been an 8.5 mile two years to develop the
simulator.
service road built.
"PNW M P is the
Part of the motor-
sports park layout w ill con first racing venue in the
sist of a 6-mile course on world to use a simulation
which members w ill be able as part of a design project."
to drive private race cars. The newsletter says. “Most
The cost of a membership in venues have a simulation
the club for a single person created after the circuit is
will be an initial $30.000 physically built. We are
with a monthly fee of $350. using the simulation as a
A lifetime membership for a design tool to test and im
family will cost $100,000. prove the circuit and facil
If you don’t have ity concepts prior to final
that kind of change you can design.”
The sim ulator is
now still enjoy the track
as a computer simulator is free to the public and can
now available for download be downloaded at http://
from the PNWMP web site. pnwmotorsportspark.com
The simulation uses a pro and click on download track
gram called Racer which simulator.
was programmed by retired
Advantage Dental Services brings
new dentists to Heppner
In early August, Kansas City, graduating in originally from Memphis,
A dvantage D ental Ser- the spring of 2008 from its TN. He graduated in May
from the Univ ersity of Ten
vices o f Redm ond pur- School of Dentistry.
ch ased H ayden
nessee.
H e
He and his
Family Dentistry
has been mar
wife, Sheri, have a
Group. That pur
ried for almost
20 month old son.
chase brought in
10 years to his
F u lto n ’s
new dentists to the
w ife, Melanie.
schedule w ill bring
Heppner office.
T hey have
him to H eppner
th re e bo y s,
D r. G .
once a week, on
ages 7, 5, and
Adam Fulton and
Thursdays, while
Dr. Julian Petersen I)r. G. Adam tw o , and a l)r. .1 ulian
Peterson will also
daughter set Petersen
both worked for Fulton
be in H ep p n er
to be bom anv
Hayden Dental be
once a week on Wednes-
fore Advantage took over. day.
The doctors, who both live
“This has been a davs. When the doctors are
-Cc.'Mnuedon Page FOUR in Hermiston, now travel seamless transition for me," not in the Heppner office, a
between the Hermiston, said Fulton. His first day in hygienist w ill be in-office.
There has been no
Heppner and Boardman of Heppner was his first day
The Heppner Gazette-Times w ill be closed on Monday, September 7, in ob fices during the week.
in the Heppner office. “I changes to the insurance
servance of the Labor Day holiday.
F u lto n , 34 , is am excited to be here, I like plans that will be accepted
The deadline for news and advertisements for the September 9 edition of the originally from southwest the town."
through Advantage Dental
newspaper is Friday, September 4, at 5 p.m.
Serv ices.
P
eterson,
28,
is
Missouri. He attended the
University of Missouri in
Heppner Gazette-Times closed for Labor Day
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT
DEADLINE:
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FRIDAY AT 5:00 P.M.
GREEN FEED & SEED IN HEPPNER:
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2^ Q Q p p
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242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)