Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2017)
Deputy shoots, injures Boardman man HEPPNER A 26 year-old man was injured after being shot Friday Sept. 22 nd by a Mor- row County sheriff’s deputy when the deputy stopped for a disabled vehicle on In- terstate 84 near the Board- man exit. The Morrow County deputy encountered the Boardman man, who had a firearm. Shots were fired; the deputy was uninjured during the encounter. The suspect in the shooting has been identi- fied as Boardman resident Efren Hurtado Jr. Hurtado was initially transported to the Good Shepherd Medical Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon G T 50¢ azette imes VOL. 136 NO. 38 8 Pages Wednesday, September 27, 2017 Center in Hermiston and later flown to a Portland area hospital for treatment, where his injuries are con- sidered non-life threaten- ing. The identity of the Morrow County Deputy is being withheld pending the initial portion of the investigation and will be released as allowed by the Morrow County District Attorney’s Office, along with the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office ac- tivated the Umatilla/Mor- row County Major Crime Team. The Oregon State Police along with the Mor- row County District At- torney’s Office are leading the investigation into the incident. 7 p.m. in the evening. In November of 2016 Gould graduated from NASCAR Tech, and, because of his hard work, did it six months ahead of schedule. Staying around North Carolina for a while Gould was only able to find vol- unteer work, which didn’t help pay the bills, so he came back to Oregon, but not for long. While in North Carolina Gould had made contact with Larry Foyt, grandson to the legendary AJ Foyt, owner of the rac- ing company. Being the per- sistent young man he is, and chasing his dream, Gould called Larry asking for a job interview, not just once ei- ther. “I kept calling until he finally said yes,” And so he left Oregon in the dead of winter, on Jan. 1 on his way to Texas for the interview. “The weather was terrible, we almost didn’t make it over Cabbage Hill” (High- way 84 East of Pendleton and a notoriously bad pass in the winter). But down through Idaho he drove to Utah where there was more bad weather, and finally on to Waller, Texas, and the AJ Foyt racing headquar- ters. He wasn’t given a job immediately, however, but was told the company was planning on forming a third Heppner to lift burn ban The burn ban for Hep- pner will be lifted on Sept. 27. Contact Heppner City Hall at 541-676-9618 for additional information. Local man realizes pit crew dreams From Heppner High, to Indy Car race tracks wanted to do this. When he was a little boy he was putting together his sister’s toys and calling them all race cars,” John says with a smile. “He’s always wanted to be involved with racing.” But to realize his dream, Thomas needed to gain training and experience, an endeavor he embarked on in August after graduation. Like many young people he went off to school, but this was not a regular state or community college, but NASCAR Tech, a school dedicated to race car train- ing, and located in the heart of NASCAR country in Mooresville, North Caro- lina. And to begin getting that needed experience, in addition to the class time, Gould managed in March 2016 to get on with a truck racing team. There he worked on the truck interiors such as safety up- dates, driver comfort and installing seats. It was a volunteer job without pay, but he was receiving the racing experience that he needed, if he ever wanted to get on with a team full time. Gould worked on the trucks until September of 2016 when he then joined a Super Late Model racing team. Working from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. he was also still going to school from 1:15 until -See INDY/PAGE FOUR Thomas Gould at the race track -Contributed photo By David Sykes How does a young man from Heppner get to be member of the AJ Foyt Indy Car racing team pit crew, and in only two years? Hard work and persistence, or as Thomas Gould puts it, “If you want something bad enough, don’t ever give up until you get it” And he certainly did not give up. Gould graduated from Heppner High School in 2015, and along with his diploma carried with him a deep-seated desire to be on a big-time racing team. “He told me when he was a junior he wanted to go to NASCAR Tech,” (a training school for race car technicians) Thomas’ dad John said when the two of them sat down with the Gazette-Times recently. Thomas was back in town for a visit with friends and family, taking a break from Twenty-year-old Thomas Gould is a member of the AJ Foyt Racing team pit crew. Here he is (back to camera) on the racing. “He has always “wand”, which operates the jack, lifting the car up for the tire changers to do their work. -Contributed photo Ione Education Foundation holds dinner, auction Heppner celebrates homecoming Heppner High School homecoming court: (L-R) Junior prince and princess: Keegan Gibbs and Maddison Combe; Senior prince and princess: Coby Dougherty and Reiah Waite, Senior Queen Morgan Correa and Senior King Wyatt Steagall, Senior princess and prince: Sophie Grant and Beau Wolters; Junior princess and prince: Jacee Currin and Hunter Nichols. First grade pennant bearers: Mikalie Duncan (not pictured Kord Dickenson) -Photo by Kirsti Cason The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to G-T Trophy Corner 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. 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 ALL NEWS AND ADVER- TISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. Ione Education Foundation held its 15 th annual dinner and auction Saturday, Sept. 23. with Dustin Padberg serving as auctioneer. -Contributed Photo 10% OFF Danner & Georgia Boots Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)
