HEPPNER
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azette
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VOL. 136 NO. 43 8 Pages
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Larry Mills, the “Voice of the Mustangs” was honored for his 28+ years of service as the
Mustangs football announcer before the game Friday night. He was presented with an
inscribed microphone along with a Mustangs jersey and an autographed helmet to thank
him for his many years of service. Pictured (L-R): Coach Les Payne, Larry Mills and Coach
Greg Grant. – Photo by Kirsti Cason
Mustang football seniors and their
parents honored
Grieb, to be new
announcer
Ken Grieb will be taking over
the duties as the Mustangs
football announcer to become
the new “Voice of the Mus-
tangs” after the retirement of
Larry Mills. – Photo by Bobbi
Gordon
Mustang football seniors and their parents were celebrated at the game against Corbett last Friday night. Pictured (L-R):
Wyatt Steagall (64) with his parents John and Jennifer, Beau Wolters (40) with his parents Kirk and Amy, Coby Dougherty
(24) with his parents Cliff and Donna, JD Lehn (57) with his parents Joe and Janna, Kevin Smith (3) with his mother Mela-
nie and Peyton Lehman (35) with his parents Andy and Jessica. – Photo by Kirsti Cason
Local businesses participate in the
Heppner Haunt on Halloween
Sports playoffs this
weekend
Heppner Mustangs vol-
leyball will fight to bring
home the volleyball state
championship Nov. 3 and 4
at Ridgeview High in Red-
mond, OR. First game will
be against the Culver Bull-
dogs at 8 a.m. on Nov. 3.
Mustangs football will
host a first-round playoff
game against the Neah-
Kah-Nie Pirates at 1 p.m.
on Nov. 4 at the Morrow
County fairgrounds.
Hunter Nichols will
represent Heppner/Ione
boys cross country at the
OSAA Cross Country state
championships on Nov. 4 at
Lane Community College
in Eugene, OR.
County Commission
to hold ‘business
meetings’ prior to
regular meetings
No agendas, no public
comments
April Sykes (second from right) doles out trick or treat candy to the Heppner Day Care and Heppner Infant Center when they
visited the Heppner Gazette-Times on Halloween. – Photo by Bobbi Gordon
MCHD to complete Irrigon Medical
Clinic addition
By April Sykes
The Morrow County
Health District Board ap-
proved an architectural cost
estimate of $925,674 for
completion of the Irrigon
Medical Clinic addition and
approved going out for bid
on the project at their regu-
lar meeting held in Lexing-
ton Monday night. The cost
estimate anticipates a start
date of summer 2018.
The district had budget-
ed $685,000 for the project,
which leaves a $240,674
deficit, plus an additional
$91,878 for additional shell
space for the project. The
district is exploring funding
for the project.
Architectural Cost
Consultants, LLC, of Ti-
gard specified that the
estimates were for direct
construction costs only
and did not include furnish-
ings, equipment, architect
and engineer design fees,
consultant, inspection, or
testing fees, hazardous ma-
terial testing and removal,
financing and other costs.
The board also appoint-
ed a new board member,
Carrie Grieb of north Lex-
ington, to replace Jill Park-
er, formerly of Boardman,
who resigned when she
moved out of the district.
The other candidate for the
board was Marie Shimer,
Boardman.
In other business, CEO
Bob Houser said that he
anticipates the endoscopy
room at Pioneer Memo-
rial Hospital will get the
go-ahead for use shortly.
He said that patients have
already been scheduled for
endoscopes in December.
The services were shut
down over a year ago after
the state deemed the room
unusable because of venti-
lation issues. The district
completed a remodel of the
room and has been await-
ing state recertification for
some time. Having endo-
scopes available locally is a
valued service for Heppner
area patients and is also lu-
crative for the district.
In other business, the
board:
-learned from Chief
Financial Officer Nicole
Mahoney that the district
had a $132,768 loss for
September. “The revenue
just wasn’t there,” said Ma-
honey. The district showed
$854,098 in gross patient
revenue, less $909 for a
provision for bad debts and
a $125,096 revenue deduc-
tion, plus $149,591 in tax
revenue and $10,857 in
other operating revenue for
$888,451 in total operating
revenue; $1,031,820 in total
operating expenses, and a
$10,600 non-operating gain
for the $132,768 loss for
the year.
-learned from Houser
that he and human resourc-
es have met with a nurse
practitioner, Dana Brannon,
who may be open to em-
ployment with the district,
filling in with flexible hours
and scheduling. A tenta-
tive meeting was planned
with her and providers for
October 31 or November 2.
-heard from Houser
that a physician’s assistant,
Daniel Doherty, currently
working in Hermiston, has
expressed interest in a posi-
tion at the Irrigon Clinic.
-learned from Houser
that Dr. Johnston, who pre-
viously signed a contract
with the district, is still
awaiting Oregon licensure.
Houser also said that an
interview has been set up
for November 14 with Dr.
Richard Aballay, who has
indicated an interest in lo-
cating to Oregon.
-heard from Houser
that the district is still seek-
ing a mid-level provider
(physician’s assistant or
nurse practitioner) for the
Irrigon Clinic and a reg-
istered nurse for Pioneer
Memorial Hospital.
-learned that the Irrigon
Medical Clinic will hold
a disaster drill on Nov. 30
with Pioneer Memorial
Clinic and the Ione Com-
munity Clinic conducting
the drill on other dates.
Houser said that it has been
a problem for law enforce-
ment to attend such drills.
-heard from Houser
that the first meeting with
Scott Combs with Clark/
Kjos architects has been
planned for Nov. 21 to “go
over” additional concepts
for improvements to Pio-
neer Memorial Hospital and
Pioneer Memorial Clinic.
He said that the cost for
additional work that the
architect firm is doing for
the district was $11,500.
He said that new conceptual
designs and updates to the
master facilities plan will be
provided along with a cost
estimate.
The Morrow County
Commission has decided to
hold what are being called
“business meetings” prior
to its regular meetings twice
per month. The meetings
will start at 7:30 a.m. Regu-
lar meetings normally start
at 9 a.m.
According to the Com-
mission, the purpose of the
early meetings is “to allow
for a less formal exchange
of information.” There will
be no agendas made public
and no public comment
will be taken during the
business meetings. Actual
voting will be done at the
regular meetings. It was not
announced whether minutes
of the business meetings
would be made available,
or if the meetings will be
recorded.
The business meetings
will be done on a trial ba-
sis and if implemented,
held twice per month ro-
tating between Heppner
and Boardman. The first
business meeting was held
Oct. 18 prior to a regular
meeting in Boardman.
‘Fall back’ this
Sunday, Nov. 5
The days are getting
shorter, and it’s time to “fall
back.”
The Gazette-Times
would like to remind ev-
eryone to set their clocks
back for the end of Daylight
Savings Time this Sunday,
Nov. 5.
-See MCHD/PAGE THREE
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Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)