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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 ***««■«