Association says national health care
law would be good for rural areas
11 1 1 • 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 . 1 111.....Il,In.II
Local administrator says complete effects not clear yet
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
By David Sykes
A federal judge
in Florida Monday ruled
President Barack Obama’s
entire health care over
haul was unconstitutional
because of the provision
H EPPN ER
imes
VOL. 130
NO. 5
10 Pages
Wednesday, February 2,2011
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Locals question ODOT on fixing
extreme curve at Horseshoe Bend
Trucks over 50-ft long not allowed
By David Sykes
Is it possible that
extreme comer on highway
74 West of lone known as
Horseshoe Bend will ever
get straightened out?
That question was
once again put to officials
of ODOT (Oregon Depart
ment of Transportation)
who were guest speakers
at the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce last week. “You
have heard this many times
before, but can something
ever be done about Horse
shoe B end?”, Heppner
resident John Edmundson
asked Tomas Strandberg,
Public Information Officer
for ODOT.
Strandberg said the
amount of traffic on that
portion of highway did not
justify the cost involved
in straightening it out, and
that is the main reason it
has not been fixed. Flash
ing lights and signs have
been added to warn drivers
about the comer. “We have
bottlenecks all over the
district, but we are hurting
because of a lack of funds,”
said Ken Patterson also of
ODOT who also attended
the meeting.
Daye Stone of Hep
pner said it is an economic
issue for the area especially
with the wind farm develop
ment that is coming. “Eco
nomically you can’t drive
a 50 foot truck down that
road,” he said. Strandberg
urged local people to stay
involved. “Stay engaged,”
he said.
Morrow County Health District Administrator Michael Blauer
says national health care law could help rural districts' bot
tom line with more insurance payments. The law was ruled
unconstitutional by a Florida judge Monday. Photo by David
Sykes
law unfolds.
If there are cuts in
Medicare coverage or pay
ment under the new law that
would “be a concern for us,”
Blauer said, as 56 percent of
the medical district’s rev
enue comes from Medicare.
In comparison, 12 percent
comes from Medicaid, 36
percent from commercial,
only nine percent from self
pay and one percent from
workman’s compensation.
He said if there is insurance
reform and more people
are covered, there would
be fewer times the district
would have to absorb the
cost of treating people who
do not pay their bills.
-See HEALTH CARE/Page
SEVEN
Les Schwab works on upgrades
Les Schwab employees (l-r) Richard Schmidt, Manager John
Gould and Ian Heard show work being done on new drive in
area at Les Schwab Tires in Heppner. The company is putting
in new lifts out front along with a new concrete drive in area.
Inside, the cement floor of the front work area was also com
pletely torn out and replaced, which will improve drainage and
also make for a more level work area, Gould says. The manager
also said a different style scissor lift will be installed out front
in place of the older tube style. Gould said the improvements
should be completed in about a week. Meanwhile they are
servicing customers behind the store. -Photo by David Sykes
Tom Shear resigns from lone Schools
Top photo: This picture of Horseshoe Bend on Hwy 74 West of
lone shows the extreme curve local people have been pressuring
Oregon Department of Transportation to fix for many years,
came up at Chamber of Commerce last week.
Bottom Photo: John Edmundson (right) looks on while Thomas
Strandberg of ODOT explains the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program. Edmundson later questioned Strand
berg about Horseshoe Bend west of lone.
Strandberg also
explained how highway
funding in Oregon works,
saying it all comes down
to the STIP, or Statewide
Transportation Improve
ment Program. “That is
how projects get funded.
get into the STIP,” he said.
“Someone may get pas
sionate about what needs
to be done and brings it to
out attention,” he told the
Chamber. He urged people
-See CHAMBER-ODOT/
PAGE SEVEN
Health district approves over $587 thousand for federally
mandated electronic records hardware and software purchase
By April Sykes
Morrow County
Health District Board ap
proved a proposal to pur
chase electronic medical
records hardware and soft
ware at a cost of around
$587,569 from a company
called Healthland. The dis
trict is complying with a
federal mandate to change
from paper patient records
to electronic.
Chief Financial Of
ficer Nicole Mahoney said
that she believes that the
purchase will be around 90
percent reimbursable with
federal funds, resulting in
a cash outlay of around
$125,000 for the district.
However, in the in
terim, the district must pay
for the equipment and soft
ware up front and sought a
mandating that Americans
get health insurance starting
in 2014.
The ruling puls the
future of the legislation in
doubt. However, prior to
the ruling the Heppner Ga
zette sat down with Morrow
County Health District Ad
ministrator Michael Blauer
to discuss the bill, officially
known as the Patient Pro
tection and Affordable Care
Act, but more commonly
called “Obamacare”, and
its effects on rural health
care.
To start with, Blau
er said it was too early to
tell the complete effect of
the legislation on rural hos
pitals and health care, but
he did lay out some of the
positive and negatives he
sees in the legislation.
“In a lot of ways
the reform would be good
for us because it would
cause more people to be
come insured,” Blauer said,
“and that would mean more
revenue for us.” He said
more people in rural ar
eas tend to be uninsured
than in urban areas, a fact
backed up by the National
Rural Health Association
(NRHA), which Blauer
cited as a resource he uses
to gauge the effect of the
health care legislation on
our local health district.
The NRHA says
in the smallest and most
remote rural areas the un
insured rate is 23 percent,
compared to an urban rate
of 19 percent. “A lot of
what is going on now (with
the new law) has to do with
insurance and the insur
ance companies. What we
have seen from health care
reform has dealt with the
insurance side of the busi
ness,” Blauer said. He said
he felt the direct effect of
medical care and other is
sues for rural health district
would come out later as the
loan to that end. Monday
night the board approved
a $500,000 24-month loan
proposal from the Bank of
Eastern Oregon. BEO Pres
ident Jeff Bailey said in a
letter to the district that the
bank would loan the funds
at a 4.25 percent interest
rate with a $2,500 loan
fee. Mahoney said that the
district inquired about ob
taining a loan from two lo
cal banks and two national
companies but commented,
“They couldn't come close
to the BEO offer.”
The district has to
obtain prior approval from
USDA, which is not antici
pated to be a problem, said
Mahoney.
D i s t r i c t C EO
Michael Blauer said that
Healthland has been good
to deal with. “We’ve got
a great deal on the table,”
he said.
Blauer also told
the board that Pioneer Me
morial Hospital’s new CT
scanner has been delivered
and is expected to be up and
running by February 8.
Also at the meet
ing the board appointed
David Bums from Irrigon
as the new board member,
replacing Linda LaRue.
Board Chair Larry Mills
told Burns that the board
welcomed him on board
and appreciated him “step
ping up and representing
Irrigon”, but reminded him
that although he is from Irri
gon, he represents the entire
county. Board positions are
-See HEALTH DISTRICT
Page SEVEN
By April Sykes
The lone School
Board accepted the resigna
tion of Tom Shear, art and
shop teacher, at the January
25 regular meeting.
ISD Principal Jerry
Archer commented that
Shear was a “great indi
vidual”, as a teacher and
a person. “I don’t know
where else you would find
an art/shop teacher. We’re
really going to miss him,”
added Archer.
Also at the meet
ing the board received in
formation on the diploma
requirements. To receive a
regular diploma, a student
must have four English/
language arts credits; three
mathematics (with the class
of 2014 required to take
algebra I and above); two
science classes (thrpe cred
its for the class of 2010
and above); one physi
cal education credit, one
health credit; one second
language, the arts or career
and technical ed credit; nine
electives (six starting with
the class of 2012) for a total
of 24 credits.
To receive a modi
fied diplom a, students
must have four English/
language arts credit, two
mathematics, two science,
two social sciences, one
PE, one health, one second
language, the arts, career or
technical; 12 electives-24
credits.
For an extended di
ploma, students must have
two English/language arts
credits; two mathematics;
two science; three social
science; one PE; one health;
one second language, the
arts, career and technical
ed-12 credits, not including
more than six credits earned
in a self-contained special
education classroom.
S u p erin ten d en t
Mark Mulvihill said that
all students receiving diplo-
mas may walk in graduation
exercises and no one would
necessarily know which di
ploma the students receive.
However, students receiv
ing modified diplomas and
below would probably not
get into a four-year col
lege.
In other business at
the meeting, the board:
-heard a presenta
tion from Mary Apple on a
possible agenda for the char
ter school summit planned
by the ESD on March 8
from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,
tentatively set at the Pend
leton Convention Center.
The draft agenda includes
sessions on charter school
law, board configuration,
policies, fiscal information.
Division 22 standards, spe
cial populations, licensure,
innovative charter schools,
virtual schools, transporta
tion, federal grants and a
-See IONE SCHOOLS/Page
SEVEN
Attorneys agree to no bail for Crum
During the p re
trial hearing at the Mor
row County Courthouse
on January 27 for Steven
Crum, Defense Attorney
Cara Davis and Department
of Justice Attorney Andrew
Campbell agreed to no bail
at this time. Crum, who
appeared via video, was
indicted by a grand jury on
October 12 on the counts
of Murder with a Firearm
- Pregnant Victim; Murder
with a Firearm; Unlawful
Use of a Weapon with a
Firearm; and Aggravated
Theft in the First Degree.
He is currently lodged in the
Northern Oregon Regional
Correctional Facilities in
The Dalles.
The body o f 30
year old Jessica Killian
was found on October 4 on
the Crum property off Ella
Road near lone.
Another pre-trial
date has been set for May
12 at 9 a.m. Trial readiness
is set for November 10 and
trial is set for December
5-16.
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Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
Open House Special - January 31 st-February 4th-
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