HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 134
NO. 34 8 Pages
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
More of the same expected
on the weather front
September expected to be warm, dry
More of the same is the
forecast expected by the
National Weather Service
as we move into September,
as temperatures look to be
near- to above-normal. De-
spite rain over Labor Day
weekend, precipitation is
also expected to remain
below normal.
That continued the
trend from most of the
spring and summer. Ac-
cording to preliminary data
received by the NWS in
Pendleton, temperatures at
Heppner averaged warmer
than normal during the
month of August.
The average temper-
ature was 71.4 degrees,
which was two degrees
above normal. High tem-
peratures averaged 86.5
degrees, which was one
degree above normal. The
highest was 99 degrees on
Aug. 1. Low temperatures
averaged 56.3 degrees,
which was 2.9 degrees
above normal. The lowest
was 47 degrees, on the 16 th .
On seven days, the
temperature exceeded 90
draws him to
running, the
busy doctor
says, “It’s just
of pride if we
a good relax-
manage to
ation, clears
jog a mile or
my mind. No
two—or, let’s
one’s bother-
face it, even
ing me. And I
half a mile
just like stay-
for some of
ing in shape.”
us. However,
And any-
one local man
one who tack-
has put his
les a race like
endurance to
the Leadville
the test in the
100 has to
field of long-
be in shape.
distance rac-
As the name
ing, finishing Local doctor Russ Nichols heads for the finish line in the Leadville Trail 100, accompanied implies, the
the Leadville by children Madelyn, Trevor, Hunter and Lily, who also served as crew members during the L e a d v i l l e
Trail 100 Run grueling race. –Contributed photo
race is 100
in Colorado last month.
Oregon Health and Sci- ning continues not only in miles long, a grueling,
Russ Nichols, MD has ence University, Nichols his own racing, but also as nonstop out-and-back trek
been a runner much of his says he has been involved head coach of the Mustang through the Colorado Rock-
life. From his growing up in running. Cross country, cross-country team this ies. Like all endurance rac-
years in Gresham, through track and field, “All of the year. Two of his children, ers, the Leadville 100 had
earning his Bachelor of above,” he says.
Hunter and Madelyn, also a time cap, with runners
Science degree in biology
“I’ve always been a carry on the family tradition
-See TEST OF
ENDURANCE/PAGE
at Oregon State University runner.”
as members of the team.
THREE
and his medical degree at
His involvement in run-
When asked what
Heppner coach, player participate in
Shrine all-star game
Heppner was well-rep- of Cascade and Bill Wort-
resented at the 2015 East man of Adrian.
West Shrine All-Star foot-
John Propheter, son
ball game, played
of Gary and Nancy
in Baker City on
Propheter of Hep-
Saturday, Aug. 1. It
pner, was one of
was Oregon’s 63 rd
30 players selected
annual all-star foot-
to participate in
ball game, which
this year’s game.
benefits the Portland
Players are selected
Shriners Hospital Greg Grant
from leading senior
for Children.
players in 4A, 3A,
Heppner Athletic Di- 2A and 1A high schools.
rector and head football
“John did a great job
coach Greg Grant was se- all week in practices pre-
lected as co-head coach, paring for the game,” said
along with Jon Gettman of Grant, adding that Proph-
Cascade Christian. Other eter played on both offense
coaches were Steve Turner and defense and made sev-
eral plays.
ners hospital in Portland.
The G-T was
They were given a
unable to reach John
three-hour tour of
Propheter for com-
the facility and met
ment, but his father,
several patients.
Gary was on hand to
“The purpose of
watch his son play
this game becomes
in the game.
crystal clear when
“ I t w a s j u s t John
you see the hospital
amazing to see him Propheter
and patients,” said
out there with all
Grant. “We were
those high-hitting kids and fortunate to have two pa-
talented athletes” said Gary tients and their families
Propheter. “It was wonder- give testimony about their
ful.”
experience and how the
The players spent nine hospital has changed their
days preparing for the lives.
game. Their experience be-
-See LOCALS IN SHRINE
GAME/PAGE THREE
gan with a visit to the Shri-
Fatal crash takes lives of Boardman man
and Washington toddler
on I-84 near milepost 165
(Boardman). Preliminary
information indicates a
2005 Subaru Impreza was
traveling westbound on
I-84 when it crossed the
median for an unknown
reason. The Subaru struck
an eastbound 2015 Chrysler
200 head-on.
The driver of the Suba-
ru, Fernando Javier Cas-
taneda, 23, of Boardman,
was pronounced dead at
the scene.
The driver of the
Chrysler, Tami R. Graves,
44, of Burbank, WA, was
taken by ground ambulance
to Good Shepard Hospital
in Hermiston for non-life
threatening injuries. How-
ever, Graves’ passenger and
niece, Emmalee Kitchen,
age 3, was pronounced dead
on scene.
The eastbound lanes
of I-84 were closed for
approximately five hours
while the investigation was
Luanne Brownfield holds a Chinook salmon she caught while
conducted and the wreckage
fishing out of Hammond, OR on Aug. 18. The Brownfields said
they didn’t measure the fish, but it weighed about 27 pounds. removed. OSP was assisted
by the Morrow County
It was taken on plug cut herring. –Contributed photo
A head-on collision on
I-84 near Boardman has
claimed the life a young
Boardman man and a three-
year-old child.
Last Thursday around
9:30 p.m., Oregon State Po-
lice troopers and emergency
-See WEST NILE/PAGE personnel responded to the
FOUR report of a head-on collision
G-T Trophy Corner
-See WEATHER/PAGE TWO
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Mosquitoes Long-distance running tests local
with West man’s endurance
Andrea
Nile found By
Di Salvo
of
in county us feel Many
a sense
West Nile virus, a mild
flu-like disease spread by
mosquitoes, has been re-
ported to have been found
in one testing site in Mor-
row County, according to
Oregon Public Health offi-
cials. The mosquitoes were
collected on the night of
Aug. 24 near Irrigon. This is
the second mosquito pool to
test positive for West Nile
virus in the area, with the
first being detected on Aug.
10 on the Umatilla National
Wildlife Refuge.
Health officials are ad-
vising people in Morrow
County to take precautions
against mosquitoes in order
to avoid the risk of infec-
tion. They say they want
people in that area to be
especially careful to avoid
getting mosquito bites over
the Labor Day weekend.
“The risk of contracting
West Nile virus may be low,
but we do encourage people
to take appropriate precau-
tions to protect themselves
against 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 Vol-
ume (ULV) truck-mounted
sprayers and possibly some
spraying by helicopter to re-
duce adult mosquito popu-
lations,” Barron added.
Dr. Emilio DeBess,
public health veterinarian,
says simple precautions can
prevent the spread of West
Nile virus:
-Eliminate sources of
standing water that are a
breeding ground for mos-
quitoes, including water-
ing troughs, bird baths,
ornamental ponds, buck-
ets, wading and swimming
pools not in use and old
tires.
-When engaged in out-
door activities at dusk and
dawn, when mosquitoes are
most active, protect your-
self by using mosquito re-
pellants containing DEET,
oil of lemon eucalyptus
or Picardin and follow the
directions on the container.
degrees.
No rainfall was mea-
sured during August, which
was 0.39 inches below nor-
mal.
Precipitation this year
has reached 4.73 inches,
which is 4.65 inches below
normal. Since October, the
water-year precipitation
at Heppner has been 8.77
inches, which is 4.67 inches
below normal.
And, the outlook for
September from NOAA’s
Climate Prediction Center
A crash on I-84 last week took the life of a 23-year-old Board-
man man and a Washington toddler. -Photo courtesy of Or-
egon State Police
Sheriff’s Office, Boardman the Oregon Department of
Police Department, Board- Transportation.
man Fire Department, Ir-
The cause of the crash
rigon Fire Department, and is still under investigation.
Morrow County
Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221
1-800-452-7396
For farm equipment,
visit our web site at
www.mcgg.net
Open
house
planned
for Ione
clinic
An open house for
the new Ione Community
Clinic will take place this
Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6
p.m. The clinic is located at
325 E. 3rd St., across from
the Ione school.
This school-based clin-
ic will be open to the whole
community and staffed 20
hours a week through a
partnership of Ione School
District, Morrow County
Health District, Morrow
County Public Health,
Community Counseling
Solutions and Advantage
Dental.
Grants for the building
and remodel were received,
among others, from the
Ione Education Foundation
and ICABO.
Input sought
for Business
Retention &
Expansion
Project
Willow Creek Valley
Economic Development
Group (WCVEDG) has
contracted with Bruce
Sorte, OSU Extension
Economist, to complete
a Business Retention and
Expansion Project to de-
velop three initiatives to
strengthen the South Mor-
row County economy. Sorte
has completed two rounds
of visits with people in Hep-
pner, Lexington and Ione.
He will do one or two more
rounds.
In addition, WCVEDG
will sponsor a commu-
nity meeting on Wednesday,
Sept. 16, from 6:30-8 p.m.
in the Heppner City Hall
Conference Room to get
ideas from the public.
Sorte will briefly dis-
cuss some trends in the
discussions to date and then
it will be the public’s turn
to offer ideas or ask ques-
tions. There will also be an
opportunity to write down
thoughts or concerns and
leave them at the end of the
meeting. Sorte will submit
a final report to WCVEDG
in early October.
Anyone with questions
about the meeting or proj-
ect, contact Sheryll Bates
at the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce, 541-676-5536,
or Sorte at OSU, 541-737-
1403.