First marijuana theft case in
county gets prison sentence
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 134
NO. 40
8 Pages
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
In the first marijuana
theft case in Morrow Coun-
ty since the legalization
of the drug, David Lynn
Bailey, 52, was sen-
tenced to 18 months
in prison last week
for stealing four
mature marijuana
plants from outside
a residence in Ir-
rigon.
David
According to Bailey.
Morrow county Dis-
trict Attorney Justin Nel-
son, the plants were being
grown for a medical mari-
juana patient in Morrow
County. The producer of the
marijuana plants informed
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Deputy Scott Carter that the
four mature plants would
produce two pounds
of marijuana, with a
replacement value
of around $6,400
(based upon a $200
per ounce replace-
ment value). At the
Lynn time of the theft,
around Sept. 18,
the plants were all
nearly six feet tall.
In the process of the
investigation, Carter inter-
viewed Bailey, who admit-
ted to stealing the plants.
developments in town, it
could not do a better job
than with its current utility
rate structure.
Heppner has long
wrestled with a shortage
of rental units, and Perry
says when the city charges
him a $53 base charge per
month for every one of his
11 units in the Baltimore
Apartments, even though
there is only one water me-
ter, it not only discourages
more rental investment, but
is unfair compared to other
water users in town.
At the Oct. 12 city
council meeting Perry said
the RV parks, Pioneer Me-
morial Hospital, Lakeview
Heights Secure Residential
Treatment Facility and the
Willow Creek Terrace As-
sisted Living Center are
G-T Trophy Corner
Joe Perry in front of his 11-unit Baltimore Apartment building, which he says is being over-
charged for utilities. –Photo by David Sykes
only charged a single fee
for water and sewer, even
though they have multiple
users on one meter.
Both the Willow Creek
Park and the Northwestern
RV Park do start getting
charged the single user fee
of $53 per month once a
resident stays more than
30 days.
And when asked later
about Lakeview Heights
and the assisted living re-
ceiving only one meter
charge, Heppner City Man-
ager Kim Cutsforth said,
“Yes, this is correct as these
are medical facilities and
you have to be admitted to
both,” as the reason they
are not charged the higher
multiple fees.
When Perry asked
Cutsforth what the justifi-
cation was for the higher fee
A reminder
to insulate
water
meters
The City of Heppner
would like to remind every-
one to insulate their water
meters this winter to protect
meters from freezing before
the temperatures drop. The
city will charge $75 plus
materials for the repair of
any uninsulated meter that
becomes frozen.
Building supply and
hardware stores, including
Pettyjohns, carry the need-
ed insulation. Anyone who
has a difficult time access-
ing their meter to insulate it
is encouraged to contact the
city for assistance.
Please contact the city
or stop by city hall with
questions or concerns.
Top: This buck was taken by Allen Osmin on the Osmin Ranch.
Allen is the 11-year-old grandson of Frank and Cara Osmin.
He shot the buck from 250-plus yards. Middle: Clare Osmin,
granddaughter of Frank and Cara Osmin, with the three-point
buck she took on the Osmin Ranch. This was the first buck
taken by Clare, who is in the mentored youth hunter program.
She shot the buck at 170 yards. Bottom: Colton Evans took
this 5x5 buck in the Fossil Unit on the opening weekend of
rifle season while hunting with his family. Colton is the son
of Mary Evans, Heppner, and the grandson of Ken and Jan
Evans, Irrigon. –Contributed photos
-See MARIJUANA CONVIC-
TION/PAGE FIVE
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Heppner, Former mayor says city utility rates
Lexington discourage rental development in Heppner
drop boxes Landlord Joe Perry tells council all he wants is fairness
Sykes
open for By David
Former Heppner May-
or Joe Perry says, if the
city of Heppner set out to
ballots
discourage more rental unit
The ballots are out for
the Nov. 3 general election.
All ballots are due by 8
p.m. that day and must be
received, not simply post-
marked, on that day.
Voters are reminded
that only the Heppner and
Lexington 24-hour drop
boxes will be used for this
election. Drop locations are
as follows:
Heppner: Courthouse
parking lot (24 hours) or
the Morrow County Clerk’s
Office, Room 102 inside the
courthouse. Open 8 a.m. to
noon and 1-5 p.m., M-F and
Election Day (Nov. 3) from
7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Lexington: 365 West
Hwy 74 (Public Works
Parking lot). Turn off Hwy.
74 onto Tom Street and left
into the public works park-
ing lot. Open 24 hours.
Bailey faced charges of
Theft I and Criminal Tres-
pass II. Deputy Carter was
able to retrieve half of the
stolen marijuana plants.
The charge of Criminal
Trespass II was later dis-
missed by the court.
Because Bailey had
several prior property crime
convictions in Oregon, the
court considered him a re-
peat property offender, with
a presumptive repeat prop-
erty sentence of 18 months
with the Oregon Dept. of
Corrections.
Have a trophy to show
off? We want to help. Stop
by to have your picture
taken, drop off photos,
mail them to PO Box 337
i n H e p p n e r,
email them to
editor@rap-
idserve.net or
text cell phone
photos to 541-
980-6674.
for his apartments, he says
she told him the city needed
the money.
“They shouldn’t be
balancing their budget on
the back of my apartment
renters,” Perry says. He also
points out he gets billed $53
per month per apartment
even if there is no one liv-
ing there. “The RV parks
don’t get charged for empty
spaces,” he says.
In addition Perry says
he waters the lawn around
the apartments and that puts
his usage over the base rate
gallons. He says the city
distributes that usage across
all the apartments instead of
just the one meter, result-
ing in even more higher
discriminatory pricing. He
says because of this he con-
sidering tearing up the lawn
and putting in something
that does not need water.
“All I want is fairness,”
Perry emphasizes, and he
provided a spread sheet of
his 2015 water and sewer
charges, which he says
shows an overcharge of
$4,748.85 so far this year.
He also says neither Board-
man nor Irrigon bills their
apartments this way, and
that Heppner is discourag-
ing new rental development
by doing so.
“If the city of Hep-
pner set out to discourage
new development of multi-
family rental units in town,
it couldn’t do a better job
than the billing system it
currently has,” Perry says.
After hearing Perry’s
concerns city attorney Bill
Kuhn said when the new
-See UTILITIES BATTLE/
PAGE TWO
Infant death ruled
accidental
The death of a six-
week-old boy in Irrigon
last week has been ruled
accidental according to
Morrow County Sheriff
Kenneth Matlack.
On Oct. 12, the Mor-
row County Sheriff s Office
dispatch was contacted by
a mother who reported that
her six-week old-infant son
was not breathing and was
unresponsive. Deputies
arrived at the Irrigon resi-
dence within three minutes
and began immediate CPR
on the infant. The baby
was then transported to the
emergency room at Good
Shepherd Hospital, where
emergency room staff re-
ported that the infant had
died.
Morrow County De-
tective Brian Snyder was
assigned to investigate the
circumstances of the baby’s
death. On Oct. 13 he at-
tended the autopsy at the
Oregon State Medical Ex-
aminer’s Office in Clacka-
mas, OR.
Dr. Larry I,ewman ad-
vised that the death was
ruled as accidental and was
consistent with and caused
by co-sleeping.
After a consultation
with Morrow County Dis-
trict Attorney Justin Nelson,
it was determined that, with
no evidence of foul play or
suspicious activity, the case
will be ruled as accidental.
Cardinal
volleyball,
Mustang
cross
country
headed to
districts
Both Heppner and Ione
will send teams to their
respective district tourna-
ments this weekend.
The Ione volleyball
team will be at the Big Sky
District Tournament this
Saturday, Oct. 24, at The
Dalles High School. The
tournament starts at 10
a.m. Playing for Ione are
Ivy Sanford, Katelyn Bass,
Morgan Orem, Hannah
Jo Padberg, Tristan Esta-
brook, Maggie Flynn, Susie
Teeman, Renee Peterson,
Tatum Clark, Jessie Flynn,
Rachel Holland and Ann
Rietmann.
The Heppner High
School boys cross country
team enjoyed a successful
first year as a team and will
compete at the 3A/2A/1A-
SD5 District 5 Champion-
ships Friday in Pendleton.
Races will begin at 1:45
p.m. at Pendleton’s McKay
Park. Running for Hep-
pner are Hunter Nichols,
Trent Smith, Skyler Palmer,
Hayden Qualls, Gibson
McCurry, Reno Ferguson,
Mitchell VonGunten and
Jimmy Adams.
Heppner Middle
School girls cross coun-
try participants Madelyn
Nichols and Hannah Palmer
will be participating in the
PDXC State Middle School
Championships in West
Linn this weekend, as well.
Haunted
Heppner
a day early
Because Halloween
falls on a Saturday this
year, the annual Haunted
Heppner trick or treat event
will be held on Friday,
Oct. 30, from 2 to 5 p.m.
to allow local businesses
to participate. These busi-
nesses will offer treats to
costumed children who
come by the stores, banks
and offices. The partici-
pating store fronts will
display an orange sign that
says “Welcome to Trick or
Treat.”
Stop by Heppner City
Hall or call 541-676-9618
to request a sign or with any
questions.
BE READY FOR
COLD WEATHER
20% OFF
All Electric Heaters
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)