Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2009)
i¡¿>u,ium U „n Bessie Wetze// \j„. ^"'versili o ,o re: „ r PCr Lil* ‘ EuS™e.OR <>7_,o. Change in plans bring couple to Heppner /Vevv’ youth pastor and nurse begin work dreams that changed, but God changing you. The same is true for Willow Creek Baptist Church’s new youth pastor Mike E hrsam and his w ife R ach el, a new nurse w ith the Morrow County Health District. Raised in Okla hom a, M ike grew up w anting to becom e a Mike and Rachel Ehrsam veterinarian. And, for many years, he w orked at a Grow ing up in Tri- veterinary clinic. But, when Cities, Rachel always had he began college at Okla an interest in and a heart homa Baptist University, he for foreign missions. At the found himself working on a age of 12 she committed to degree in family psychol follow G od’s call on her ogy. In 2008 he earned his life. When she began col bachelor’s degree in family lege at Oklahoma Baptist psychology with a minor in University, she decided that education. nursing would be a good In 2007 Mike con platform for missions. In tacted the director for the 2008 she earned her bach C olum bia B asin B aptist elor’s o f science degree in Association about a sum nursing. mer internship. The director After college, Ra suggested m issions work chel began w orking for as an intern with various Kadlec Regional Medical churches in M orrow and Center. In March of this U m atilla co u n ties. That year, she and Mike were su m m e r he ro ta te d b e married in Tri-Cities. tween churches in Heppner, During the summer Hermiston, Pilot Rock, and of 2009 Willow Creek Bap Pendleton. In 2008, he was tist Church began its search contacted by Keith Price for a youth pastor and one o f Willow Creek Baptist name kept com ing up... C h u rch ab o u t in tern in g Mike Ehrsam. In October, exclusively with the church the decision was made to that summer. hire Mike and he immedi It was during his ately began transitioning Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon time at Oklahoma Baptist into the job. But there w ere that he met Rachel. two problems remaining. By A utum n M organ As children we all have dream s o f what we will become when we grow up. A long the way those dream s can change. But as you look back on those childhood dreams you real ize that it really w asn’t the HEPPNER VOL. 128 NO. 51 8 Pages Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Sheriff’s deputies arrest Irrigon man on sex abuse charges The Morrow Coun ty Sheriff's Office has ar rested R eynaldo Vicente Mestizo, 19, on two counts o f Rape I, two counts of Sex Abuse I, two counts of Contributing to the Sexual Delinquency o f a Minor, two counts of Sexual Mis conduct, and Public Inde cency. Deputies respond ed to a report o f a suspi cious vehicle parked in the middle of a field in the Ir rigon area and made contact with Mestizo and a young female who stated her age was 16. According to the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, the female admitted to be having a sexual rela tionship with Mestizo and upon further investigation it was determined that the female was a 12 year old finding a nursing jo b for Rachel and a house to rent. But those prob lems turned out to be m inor because Rachel was quickly offered a job w ith Morrow County Health District and the couple found a house to rent. R achel began w orking as a nurse at Pioneer Memorial Hos p ital in N ovem ber. She currently w orks with in- hospital patients, outpatient serv ices, emergency room, and long-term care. “ I have always wanted to w ork w ith people in a close setting," said Rachel. “ I love the job and everyone has been helpful and kind." As a youth pastor, Mike's goals w ith the youth group include helping stu dents learn to develop a strong relatio n sh ip w ith Christ and how they can come to know Him if they don’t. He also wants the group to be more involved with the com m unity and becom e good exam ples to their peers. In addition to being the youth pastor at Willow Creek Baptist Church, Mike is also a bas ketball coach for Heppner’s junior high boys’ team. The couple is en joying Heppner and having fun meeting new people. Santa Claus is coming to town juvenile. Mestizo was lodged at the U m a tilla C ounty Jail. According to Mor row County District Attor ney Elizabeth Ballard, on Friday a grand jury returned a true bill, meaning enough evidence was found to go forw ard w ith charges o f Rape in the second degree and other charges. Two men arrested after vandalism spree The Morrow Coun ty Sheriff’s Office arrested Patrick M ichael Schiller and Jason William Wain- wright during the course of a vandalism investigation. On December 13, the sheriff’s office received a report o f vandalism to several gates on Little But ter Creek Road east of Hep pner. Properties owned by Lisa Irwin of Pendleton and David and Jennifer Jaca of Heppner had been damaged by someone ramming and tearing down locked gates onto their property with a vehicle. On December 17, Morrow County Sheriff’s O ffice deputies arrested Schiller, 23, o f Echo for tw o counts o f failure to perform duties of a driver, property damage, and two counts of criminal mischief in the second degree. He was lodged at the Umatilla County Jail with $24,000 bail. W ainw right, 20, o f H eppner was arrested at the sheriff’s office for two counts o f criminal mischief in the second degree. He was lodged at the Umatilla County Jail with $12,000 bail. Citizens with infor Faith Futter told Santa what she wanted for Christmas during the annual Celebrate Heppner mation regarding crimes are Christmas Event held last Thursday night, December 17, at the Elks Lodge. Photo hy David Sykes urged to call the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office at 676-5317. Gazette-Times closed Thursday and Friday Hickerson appears in court for attempted murder Russ Hickerson ap The Heppner Gazette-Times will be closed on Thursday and Friday, December peared in court on Thurs 24 and 25, in observance o f Christmas. We w ill re-open on Monday, December 28, day, December 17, where at 9 a.m. his lawyer, John Ballard requested more tim e be fore making a plea. During the p re-trial, Judge Ron Pahl granted a request by Morrow County D istrict Attorney Elizabeth Ballard, and ordered Hickerson to avoid firearms and ammu nition for the duration o f his case. The Morrow Coun Devin Oil holds drawing for giant gift-filled stocking ty Sheriff’s Office arrested Russ John Hickerson, 52. of Heppner for Attempted Ag gravated Murder, Attempt ed Assault 1, and Menacing on December 7. A ccording to the sheriff’s department, depu ties responded after receiv ing a report of a disturbance at a residence in Lexington and an investigation re vealed that Michael Stahl o f Lexington had been at tacked by a suspect who had throw n gasoline on him and threatened to light it. The sheriff’s office reported that the suspect had also threatened to kill the victim with a handgun. A scuffle ensued and Stahl was able to prevent the gun from being fired and called 9 11 for assistance and deputies responded to the scene. A trial date was set for February 4. New pre-trial date set for Cannin At a pretrial hear- ing for form er H eppner High School teacher Wen dy C annin on Thursday, December 17, defense at torney Kittee Custer and M orrow County D istrict Attorney Elizabeth Ballard exchanged more discovery. a . V v r . t f t « Custer also stated that she intended to file a motion for protective order. Custer also stated on the record, as she had in past pre-trial hearings, that she did not believe there would be a trial. Cannin was arrest W e w ill b e clo sin g a t 1 2 n o o n Thu rsday D e c e m b e r B 0 2 4 t h & O p e n in g ag ain M o n d a y D e c e m b e r 2 8 th W e will be closing a t 5 p m 9 m 0 rv Abby Arnspiger of Devin OH present* .Iordan and (a itly n n Bailey with a giant stocking stuffed with gifts. Devin Oil held a drawing for the stocking. Photo hv DavidSykes ed August 31 and charged with m ultiple sex crim es involving underage stu dents. A new pre-trial date has been set for January 14 at the Morrow County Courthouse. D ecem b er 3 1 s t an d opening again Monday, January 4th M o r r o w C o u n ty G r a in G r o w e r s L e xington 989-8221 * 1-800-452-7396 r« t in eqiipnmt. «Mt Hrwrtsittit ***««■«
