Council votes to ban all marijuana sales
Large crowd turns out to voice opinions in public forum
HEPPNER
By David Sykes
A large crowd turned
out at City Hall Monday
night to let their voices be
heard about marijuana sales
in the city of Heppner, and
the opinions ranged from
allowing all types of sales,
recreational and medical, to
no sales at all, but in the end
the council voted 4-2 to ban
all types of sales.
Heppner resident
Sheryll Bates started off
the discussion at the public
hearing saying: “We don’t
need it in our community.
I am in favor of banning
it.” Long-time resident Joe
Miller agreed saying he was
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon totally against marijuana
sales medical or otherwise.
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 136 NO. 33 8 Pages
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Lost boys found
Three teenage boys
who were reported miss-
ing in the mountains south
of Heppner were located
safe and sound, Morrow
County Sheriff Undersher-
iff/Emergency Manager
John Bowles has reported.
Bowles said that the re-
port that the boys were lost
was received second and
third hand, so the sheriff’s
department had to gather
additional
information
and details to be able to
respond. “After contact-
ing schools, family and
friends, we had a possible
location to respond to. The
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Search and Rescue was ac-
tivated and started work-
ing on the incident.”
According to Bowles,
on the evening of Septem-
ber 10, Jordan Spaulding
and Jasen Lester, both 16,
and Bryan Collins, 14, all
Heppner, were separated
from their hunting party
near Sunflower Flat Rd.
and the 17 Rd. south of
Heppner. The next day,
they were reported miss-
ing.
Around 10:30 a.m. the
next day, Spaulding was
located on the 17 Rd.
heading south and Les-
ter and Collins were lo-
cated near the camp, says
Bowles. According to a
sheriff’s department news
release, “Jordan said they
were lost, but were able
to stay warm through the
night, and could hear coy-
otes nearby. The boys said
“There is no dividing line,”
he said. Local pharmacist
John Murray said he be-
lieves marijuana to be a
gateway to stronger drugs
and something not needed
in the community. He said
there is an opiate addic-
tion problem here and as a
pharmacist he deals with it
regularly, and having raised
five children here, does not
want any recreational sales
in the city. Murray was
open to some “avenues” for
medical uses however, hav-
ing seen the good marijuana
has done for some people
suffering pain, and for the
relief of the ill effects of
cancer treatments.
Morrow County Health
Department Nurse Molly
Rea agreed, saying as a
nurse she has seen medical
marijuana for years and
watched as it gave welcome
relief to those in her care.
She said however, these
people are not using it to
get high, and they should
have a safe and proper way
to obtain the drug. Rea said
there are different types
of marijuana available for
treatments, and she doesn’t
want to see patients getting
street level drugs. “I have
seen good from it. Medical
marijuana does good for
some people,” she stated.
The biggest advocate
for doing away with a ban
altogether was Heppner
resident Jerry Olson, who
said he has used marijuana
for 40 years and hasn’t had
a bad experience. “I am
not an addict.” Olson said
opiates, cocaine and alco-
hol are worse drugs than
marijuana, and he has been
addicted to them all and
“kicked all of them.” Olson
also said alcohol is more of
a gateway drug than mari-
juana, and what he called
cannabis has a “bad repu-
tation in this town because
of other drugs, and we all
know what those are,” in
reference to alcohol. He
said if you can buy alcohol
at the local pharmacy, why
not cannabis? Olson stated
he had no objection to al-
lowing both medical and
recreational sales in town.
Others in the crowd
spoke of the drug and alco-
hol addictions they had ex-
perienced in their families,
and also the good marijuana
-See MARIJUANA/PAGE
THREE
Man stabbed in
Irrigon
On Sept. 5 at 7:51 p.m.
the Morrow County Sher-
iff’s Office (MCSO) Dis-
patch Center received a call
Bryan Collins (L) and Jasen Lester (R) stand in front of Morrow County Sheriffs Of- advising that 2 men were
fice Search and Rescue members (l-r) - OHV Deputy Jerry Roberts, Criminal Sergeant fighting in the street near
Brian Snyder, Patrol Sergeant Randy Rayburn, SRO Deputy Phil Morris, SRO Deputy Highway 730 and West
Todd Siex.
Fourth Street in Irrigon, and
that one might have been
they were able to find a
stabbed. MCSO responded,
road and started walking
and was assisted by the
out. The three had no inju-
Boardman Police Depart-
ries and were in good spir-
ment. Oregon State Police
its for being lost all night.
also assisted in looking for
The boys were reunited
the suspect vehicle. Deputy
with their families and all
Bose and Deputy Crowell
is well.”
were on scene within two
The sheriff’s department
minutes of the call coming
“reminds all to report these
in and Detective Snyder ar-
types of incidents as soon
rived 10 minutes later.
as possible. The sooner we
The Irrigon ambulance
are notified, the sooner we
crew assisted and trans-
can respond and provide
ported the stabbing vic-
assistance. Our number
tim, Jeffrey Alan Kelly, 39,
one objective is public
of Irrigon to the hospital.
safety and security.”
Meanwhile law enforce-
(l-r) Bryan Collins, Jasen
ment investigated the crime
Lester and Jordan Spauld-
and located the suspect.
ing
Joel Ernesto Rodriguez, 31,
of Irrigon was arrested by
MCSO and lodged in the
Umatilla
County
Jail on
charges
of Menac-
ing (X1),
Assault
IV (X2),
U n l a w - Joel Ernesto
Rodriguez
ful use of
a weapon
(X1) and Assault I (X1).
Bail is set at $275,000.
A possible second vic-
tim, an unidentified male
left the scene before law
enforcement arrived. He is
being sought for a welfare
check and as a possible
witness. If the public has
any information regarding
his identity or further in-
formation on this incident,
please contact the Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office at
541-676-5317.
Morrow County schools to receive CBEC announces projects
Columbia Basin Elec- ing Company (NWT) has tion throughout the service
Co-op will be starting been contracted to perform territory during the next few
funds from local windmill project tric
its annual utility pole check- this work for CBEC. The months. Trees Inc. is sched-
By April Sykes
Morrow County School
Superintendent Dirk Dirk-
sen has announced that
schools in Morrow County
will receive a million dol-
lars a year when a local
windmill project comes
on line.
Dirksen said, at a regu-
lar meeting at Heppner
Elementary School Monday
evening, that the Morrow
County Court has reached
a SIP (Strategic Invest-
ment Program) agreement
between the county and the
Wheatridge windmill proj-
ect which will give Morrow
County School District and
the Ione School District
a shared $1 million to go
toward STEM (science,
technology, engineering
and math), music and art
programs. Dirksen said the
project is expected to go
online between two and five
years from now and is ex-
pected to last for 15 years.
The windmill project
covers territory from Lex-
ington to Buttercreek and
will include 200 towers in
both Morrow and Umatilla
counties.
“It would be a pretty
fantastic opportunity to
not worry about $1,000
here or $1,000 there,” said
Dirksen. “It’s an exciting
opportunity for Morrow
County students.” He said it
may provide an opportunity
to open schools on Friday
mornings, add music and
art programs, in addition to
STEM programs. He said
the district won’t see the
money until the windmills
are up. He estimated that
$600,000 of the funds could
go to STEM programs, and
around $400,000 to music
and art programs.
Also at the meeting,
Dirksen announced that
district enrollment is still
growing and has increased
15 students over last
The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to
see pictures of your trophy animals from
this hunting season. Stop by to have your
picture taken, drop off photos, mail them
to PO Box 337 in Heppner, email them to
editor@rapidserve.net or text cell phone
photos to 541-980-6674.
year. He said that Board-
man schools have seen
an increase of 17, Irrigon
schools, a loss of 17, Hep-
pner schools, an increase
of six students, and Mor-
row Education Center, an
increase of nine. “Exciting
opportunities are abounding
around us,” said Dirksen.
September enrollment
saw the following: A.C.
Houghton Elementary, Ir-
rigon, grades K-three, 273;
Sam Boardman Elementa-
ry, Boardman, K-three, 361;
Heppner Elementary, K-six,
172; Irrigon Elementary,
four-six, 217; Windy River
Elementary, Boardman,
four-six, 250; Heppner Jr./
Sr. High School, seven-12,
175; Irrigon Jr./Sr. High
School, seven-12, 374; Riv-
erside Jr./Sr. High School,
Boardman, seven-12, 408;
Morrow Education Center,
Irrigon, 60; total-2,290.
-See WINDMILL/PAGE
FOUR
ing and treatment work for
2017 beginning the week
of Sept. 18. CBEC will be
checking poles on lines out
of the Ione substation in the
following areas: Baseline
Rd. to North Lex, Ella Rd.,
Baker Ln., Rietmann Ln.,
Morgan, Fairview, 4-Mile
and Lower Willow Creek.
CBEC expects the pole
checking and treatment ac-
tivity to take approximately
8 weeks.
National Wood Treat-
pole checking will be con-
ducted with a pick-up and
ATV and all NWT vehicles
will be marked with CBEC
signage. The annual pole
checking process is neces-
sary to stay in compliance
with Oregon Public Utility
Commission and National
Electric Safety Code regu-
lations.
CBEC, and their sub-
contractors, Trees Inc., will
be also be conducting its bi-
ennial tree trimming opera-
uled to begin trimming on
Sept 25 and are expected to
be in the Columbia Basin
Electric service territory
for approximately three
months.
Any inquiries about
trees obstructing power
lines or the removal of
them may be made to Brian
Kollman at 541-676-9146,
briank@columbiabasin.
cc or Josh Coiner, joshc@
columbiabasin.cc.
MORROW COUNTY
GRAIN GROWERS
2887500
MAIN STREET
350 MAIN STREET 350 LEXINGTON,
OR
LEXINGTON OR
G-T Trophy Corner
*Monthly payment based on new, unused MY17 Indy 550 with an MSRP of $6,799 with $1,000 down and $200 manufacturer’s rebate. $5,599 financed (6.99% APR) over 84 months on a Polaris/Synchrony Installment Loan Account. Participating Dealers. Offer valid from 7/26/17 to 10/31/17.
*Offer is subject to credit approval by Synchrony Bank. APR of 6.99% will be assigned based on credit approval criteria. Monthly payments will be $15.09 per $1,000 financed. Example: A total 84-month term with an Amount Financed of $5,599 and 6.99% APR requires monthly payments of $84.48 for 84 months. Price excludes title, tax, options, accessories, and dealer fees. Program minimum amount financed is $5,000 and
minimum 0% – 10% down payment required based on credit approval criteria. A $1,000 down payment is required to obtain advertised monthly payment of $84.48. All rebates are paid to the dealer.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
Above: Faith Futter of Heppner bagged her first buck Sunday
on Buttercreek out of Heppner. Faith took the three-point buck
while hunting with her uncle Jim Healy under the mentored
youth hunter program. Below: Diana Healy, 16, of Heppner
also took her deer on Buttercreek Sunday. This is her fifth
consecutive successful hunt and her largest take to date.
-Contributed photos
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.