Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
Hospital admin explains coming
health care changes for county
By David Sykes
Dan Grigg, Morrow
County Health District
Administrator, explained
the coming changes under
the Patient Protection
& Affordable Care Act,
5(K
or “Obamacare,” to the
H eppner Cham ber of
Commerce last week.
Grigg said provisions
already implemented in the
law included having young
adults stay on parent’s
insurance until age 26,
no lifetime dollar limits
from insurance companies,
people with Medicare get
free preventive services,
and no more pre-existing
condition for kids under the
age of 19.
Griggs said what is
coming next is no more
pre-existing conditions
for anyone, and that most
Americans will be required
to have minimum insurance.
In a deal struck between
Oregon Governor John
Ktizhaber and the Federal
Government, Oregon will
start health insurance
exchanges beginning Oct.
1,2013.
Also com ing, says
Grigg, is the expansion
of Medicaid eligibility
to incomes of 133% of
the federal poverty level.
Currently there are 2,434
Morrow County residents
eligible for M edicaid
with an additional 1,000
anticipated by the year
2016.
Also by 2015, says
Grigg, is the requirement
Morrow County Health District Administrator Dan Grigg
explains the new health care law to the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce last week. Photo by David Sykes
that employers with 50 or
more full time (30 hours
per week) em ployees
provide them with health
insurance or pay a steep
penalty. Businesses with
fewer than 25 employees
may purchase insurance
and would be eligible for
tax credits.
With some exceptions,
in 2014 there will be
p enalties for anyone
who does not buy health
insurance, or have it
provided at work, of $95
per adult and $47.50 per
child (up to $285 for a
family). In 2015 the penalty
goes to $325 per adult and
$162.50 per child (up to
$975 for a family). In 2016
the penalty goes to $695
per adult and $347.50 per
child (up to $2085 for a
family). Undocumented
immigrants, people opposed
on religious grounds, Indian
tribes, and low income
families will be exempt.
Also those on Medicare,
Medicaid, veterans plans,
employer plans and certain
self-purchased health plans
are also exempt from the
penalties. The IRS will be
in charge of enforcing the
new Obamacare law and
penalties.
Watch out, this baby’s
in
a
rush
Second baby born at Pioneer Memorial since Downed power lines caused
obstetrics discontinued in 80s
VOL. 132
N 0 . 38
10 Pages
By April Sykes
Pioneer M em orial
Hospital does not do births
anymore and hasn’t for
some tim e. However,
little Walker McCoy Haak
apparently did not get that
memo.
He was born on
Thursday, Sept. 12, at 3:41
p.m. at Pioneer Memorial
to Amy and Aaron Haak
of Heppner, weighing in
at 7 lbs. and measuring 21
inches long.
The last baby born at
PMH was an emergency
birth on Thanksgiving Day,
2010; the last scheduled
birth was in the mid-1980s.
W alker’s mom and
dad had planned to deliver
at Kennewick General
Hospital; however, things
progressed a little faster
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
-See COMING HEALTH
CARE CHANGES/PAGE
FIVE
blackout, road closures
Aaron, Amy and Walker Haak. -Photo by April Sykes
than anticipated. Amy,
whose due date was Sept.
29, had planned on being
induced on Sept. 25.
Amy, who operates
B lo n d e e ’s S alon in
downtown Heppner, went
to work that morning as
usual.
“1 colored one head,”
said Amy, “but I was not
feeling well and decided to
go home. 1 couldn’t get a
hold of Aaron, so I called
The p o w e rfu l
windstorm that gusted
through Morrow County
Sunday evening also
whipped through the Butter
Creek Valley and into the
Hermiston area. Gusting
winds from 50 to 70 mph
flattened trees and power
poles and knocked out
power from Boardman to
Despain Gulch.
According to Brian
Kollman at Columbia
Basin Electric Co-Op, the
power lines did not belong
to Columbia Basin. Rather,
it was Umatilla Electric
Co-op in Hermiston that
began receiving emergency
calls around 5:30 Sunday
e v e n in g . A d o z e n
transmission poles and 16
distribution poles were
reported down on the Butter
Creek Highway several
miles south of the freeway,
the co-op said in a news
release. More poles had
fallen on Lindsay Canyon
Road near the Bombing
Range, on Saylor Road
on Butter Creek, at Baxter
and Edwards roads near
Hermiston. on Old River
Road near Umatilla and
multiple other locations.
Numerous downed wires
were reported at Irrigon.
An estimated one mile
of transmission lines and
one mile of distribution
lines had blown down in the
storm at various locations.
Bv David Sykes
R e tire d M orrow
County Assessor Greg
Sweek will remain on the
Columbia River Enterprise
Zone (CREZ) board of
directors at least to the
end of this year, the board
learned at its last meeting
Monday in Boardman.
Sweek has served
as one of two county
representatives on the six-
member board since its
inception, and there was
some question if he had to
resign since he no longer
is either an elected official
or employee of the county.
However, the Morrow
County Court recently
revised its rules so former
county employees can serve
on the board, thus allowing
Sweek to stay on.
“I would like to stay
involved in CREZ,” said
Sweek, who has many years
experience with enterprise
zones, having previously
been responsible for
applying for and setting up
a since-expired enterprise fiscal agent, which is now
zone in South Morrow the city of Boardman,
County some years ago. funds collected from
The CREZ board is businesses were sent to
responsible in negotiating Morrow County. Last fiscal
fees in lieu of taxes year the county collected
agreements with
a p p ro x im a te ly
$ 4 2 ,0 0 0 from
companies wishing
businesses locating
to locate in the
current enterprise
at the enterprise
zone at the Port of
zone, and the CREZ
board was waiting
Morrow, and then
to see how much of
deciding where
those collected Greg Sweek that money would
be transferred to
funds will be spent.
them. An ongoing
So far the zone has
been successful in attracting discussion has been held on
businesses and the board how much the CREZ needs
will be responsible for to reimburse the county
collecting and spending for use of employee Carla
millions of dollars in fees McLane as Enterprise Zone
over the coming years. The Manager. McLane’s main
board is made up of two job is county planner and
people from the county, two the exact amount of time she
from the Port of Morrow has spent working for the
and two from the city of CREZ has so far not been
completely documented.
Boardman.
In other business the Some board members
board discussed $11,250 wished to ask the county
recently received from for a detailed explanation of
Morrow County. Before -See CREZ BOARD/PAGE
SIX
CREZ had set up its own
“We have a whole
bunch of poles on the
ground,” a UEC lineman
reported. “We’re looking
at working all night long to
put it back together.”
Fallen trees were
reported throughout the
region, as well as many
trees leaning into power
lines, tripping protective
breakers at substations
throughout the area. A
protective breaker also
opened at the McNary
substation at Umatilla, the
gateway for some of UEC’s
wholesale power supply.
By 9 p.m. Sunday,
thousands of customers
-See STORM DAMA GES
POWER LINES/PAGE SIX
Sweek
to
remain
on
CREZ
First mosquitoes with West board
Nile detected in county
West Nile virus, a mild
flu-like disease spread
by mosquitoes, has been
reported to have been found
in one testing site in Morrow
County, Oregon Public
Health officials announced
Monday. One site was
found in rural Irrigon.
Health officials are
advising people in Morrow
County to take precautions
Oops!
against m osquitoes in
order to avoid the risk of
infection. People in that
area are warned to be
especially careful to avoid
getting mosquito bites.
“The risk of contracting
West Nile virus may be
low, but we do encourage
people to take appropriate
precautions to protect
th e m s e lv e s a g a in st
-See BABY AT PMH/PA GE
S/X
mosquito bites,” said Greg
Barron, Manager of North
Morrow Vector Control
District. “We will continue
to increase our mosquito
control operations utilizing
our Ultra Low Volume
(ULV) truck-m ounted
sprayers to reduce adult
mosquito populations.”
-See WEST NILE IN MOR-
ROW/PAGE FIVE
ALL COLORS
This 18 -wheeler somehow slipped ofTthe road in Boardman Monday, causing some consternation
for emergency crews surveying the accident. The truck ran off the road on Marine Drive some
time during the morning. Photo by David Sykes
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