Mustangs take district
championship
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 135
NO. 8 8 Pages
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Lady Cardinals place second
in districts, headed for state
The Heppner High School boys’ basketball team with the district championship trophy. Back
Row (L-R): Coach Ken Grieb, Coach Mike Ehrsam, Coach Jeremy Rosenbalm and players
Kevin Murray, Weston Putman, Patrick Collins, Logan Grieb, CJ Kindle, Caden Hedman and
Wyatt Steagall. Front Row (L-R): Players Tommy Bredield, Kaden Clark, Jake Lindsay and
Kevin Smith. Not pictured: Kolby Currin and Saul Erickson. -Contributed photo
See full story PAGE SIX
Math students discover the
human equation in Doernbecher
fundraiser
Ione Lady Cardinals played last Friday and Saturday in the Big Sky District tournament
and came out in second place. The Ione varsity girls won against Arlington 47-33 on Friday
but then lost Saturday to Condon/Wheeler by 37-47. They next hosted Helix Tuesday in Ione
for their irst-round state playoff game; results were unavailable at press time. Pictured back
(L-R): Asst. Coach Kimmery Burright, players Ivy Sandford, Katelyn Bass, Morgan Orem,
Hannah Padberg, Katie Gilbert, Ashley Medina, Sydney Qualls, Maggie Flynn, Coach Nathan
Heideman, Manager Breawna Teeman and Coach Dawn Eynetich. Front (L-R): Lady Cardi-
nals Emily Taylor, Rachel Holland, Jessie Flynn and Susie Teeman. -Photo by Sylvia Sandford
By Andrea Di Salvo
Heppner High School
math students don’t do
things by halves—espe-
cially not when it comes to
helping sick children.
The students in HHS
teacher Troy Morgan’s
classes recently took on the
task of collecting donations
for Doernbecher Children’s
Hospital in Portland. About
60 students participated in
the collection of new school
supplies, books, toys and
games for patients at the
Pam Norton helps HHS student Gibson McCurry during one
See DOERNBECHER/PAGE of the blanket sewing workshops held to beneit Doernbecher
THREE Children’s Hospital earlier this month. -Contributed photo
Riverside High School ed assistant, sports
Local 5k offers a
springtime challenge coach arrested
During the course of was transported to Clatsop
An education assistant group of Riverside male
athletes.
the
investigation, MCSO County and lodged at Clat-
and
sports
coach
at
Riv-
for a good cause
The Morrow
discovered Sum- sop County Jail on the pro-
erside Jr./Sr. High School
By Andrea Di Salvo
Many locals are famil-
iar with the Friends Help-
ing Friends Remembrance
Walk that takes place every
year during the annual St.
Patrick’s celebration. Some
may not be so familiar with
the run that offers runners
an early-spring challenge
for a good cause.
Janelle Ellis of Hep-
pner, who heads up the run,
says the committee started
the 5k run seven years ago,
a year after the Remem-
brance Walk began.
“We had such a good
turnout the first year in
F ind
the
support of Donna Schon-
bachler,” Ellis explains,
“and there were enough
young people involved who
are very active in the com-
munity who were starting to
run, doing 5ks and 10ks in
the area, that Susie (Hisler)
thought we could appeal to
both walkers and runners.”
It turned out to be a
good idea; participation
in the run has grown each
year, Ellis says.
“Each year we’ve
gained more runners, more
from out of town. I think
See REMEMBRANCE RUN/
PAGE TWO
S hamrock !
in Boardman has been ar-
rested as part of an ongoing
investigation by the Board-
man Police Department and
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Ofice.
According to a state-
ment by Morrow County
Sheriff Ken Matlack, on
Feb. 9, law enforcement
began investigating a com-
plaint that Matthew Ryan
Summers-Johnson, 27, of
Boardman was supplying
alcoholic beverages to a
Boardman man faces
kidnapping, assault charges
A Boardman man is
facing charges of kidnap-
Win $50 Gift Card ping and strangulation,
among others, after an ap-
parent assault on a female
The Shamrock Hunt is
in Boardman.
back! The first person to
On the morning of
find the hidden shamrock
Feb. 20, Morrow County
will win a $50 Visa Gift
Sheriff’s Ofice that it re-
Card donated by the Bank
ceived a report of a female
of Eastern Oregon.
outside a residence on Hill
Top Road in Boardman.
According to an MCSO
-RULES- 1. A new set of clues to guide you to the press release, the caller
hidden shamrock will appear in each edition of the Heppner informed law enforcement
Gazette-Times.
that the female had been
2. A total of five clues beginning with the Feb. 17 edition will assaulted, was covered in
be published each week on the front page.
blood and was only wear-
3. The hidden shamrock is not on private property and no
digging or moving of objects, dirt or other materials is neces-
sary to find the shamrock.
4. The first person to find the shamrock and bring it to the
Heppner Gazette-Times office will claim their prize.
CLUE #2
So here we are, from last week’s leads,
ready for more, and here you will read
Ahead lies a fork, right there in the street
Do I Court with straight, or May I go right with my feet?
On the corner a little ethnic pie shop, with a hint for you
to pick the next stop.
Number five on the food list tells you what to cross
If you want to continue and find the shamrock.
Now you are pointed and ready to move
And number 19 keeps you right in the groove.
See you next week, even you shamrock beginners,
Cuz maybe you’ll be known as this year’s big winner.
Sponsored by Bank of Eastern Oregon and
The Heppner Gazette-Times
County School
mers-Johnson also
District also placed
had a warrant for his
Summers-Johnson
arrest out of Clatsop
on administrative
County for a proba-
leave at that time
tion violation from
pending the in-
a 2014 charge of
vestigation. Sum- Matthew
driving under the
mers-Johnson, who Ryan
inluence of intoxi-
coaches football and Summers-
cants (DUII). On
junior varsity boys’ Johnson
Feb. 16, MCSO
basketball at River-
arrested Summers-
side, was hired by Morrow Johnson on the outstanding
County School District in Clatsop County warrant.
July 2015.
Thursday Summer-Johnson
City council
plans special
meeting
The Heppner City
Council will hold a special
meeting Tuesday, March
1, at 7 p.m. to discuss the
contractor for the Heppner
Fire Hall Project and an ap-
plication for a liquor license
for the Mustang Diner.
The meeting is open to
the public and will be held
at city hall. For more infor-
mation, call Heppner City
Hall, 541-676-9618.
ing coat.
Boardman Police De-
partment Oficer Matt
Clinard and MCSO Dep-
uty Matt Crowell were the
irst to arrive at the scene.
Boardman Ambulance also
responded and transported
the female to Good Shep-
herd Hospital in Hermis-
ton. She was then trans-
ported to Kadlec Regional
Medical Center for a seri-
ous head injury.
However, before be-
ing transported, the fe-
male told oficers that Tra-
vis Lane Thomas, 44, of
Boardman had kidnapped
her and forced her into his
motor home. While inside
Thomas’s motor home, she
said he bound her feet and
hands and assaulted and
strangled her for several
hours before she was able
bation violation charges; he
remained in custody there
as of Monday.
Summers-Johnson may
still face multiple counts
of furnishing alcohol to
minors in Morrow County.
Morrow County District
Attorney Justin Nelson told
the Gazette Tuesday that he
had not yet reviewed the
charges and so had not de-
termined whether to pursue
prosecution.
On the Inside...
Obituaries...
PAGE TWO
to escape.
Boardman PD and
MCSO attempted to con-
tact Thomas in his mo-
tor home on Kunze Road
in Boardman, but no one
would come to the door.
The MCSO detective then
applied for and obtained
a search warrant for the
motor home. When of-
icers served the warrant,
they report that they found
Thomas sitting on the loor
of the motor home. They
then arrested Thomas
without incident, as well as
seizing multiple items for
evidence.
Thomas was arrested
and lodged at the Umatilla
County Jail on charges of
assault I, strangulation,
kidnapping I, menacing
and restraining order vio-
lation.
Hazmat responds to
garbage truck...
PAGE THREE
His Little Feet in
concert...PAGE
THREE
Real Estate...
PAGE FOUR
St. Pat’s boxing
cancelled...
PAGE FIVE
Letters...PAGE FIVE
Mustang Sports...
PAGE SIX
Smith appointed to
advisory cabinet...
PAGE SEVEN
- - POLARIS SPECIAL - -
$2,500 OFF
600PRO155 W/ELEC. START
0% FINANCING ON OAC
ONLY 2 LEFT
ENDS FEBRUARY 29TH
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
For farm equipment, visit our web site at www.mcgg.net