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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 2018)
Senator Merkley visits Morrow County HEPPNER G T 50¢ azette imes VOL. 137 NO. 28 6 Pages Wednesday, July 11, 2018 Case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever diagnosed One case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) was confirmed in Morrow County. RMSF is a serious bacterial infection spread by ticks and can occur in humans and dogs. “To our knowledge, this is the first case of this tick- borne disease in Morrow County,” said Dr. Emilio DeBess, Public Health vet- erinarian for the Oregon Health Authority. The disease was first discovered in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States, however, currently most of the 700 yearly cases occur on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the South-Central part of the country. In the early stages of the disease, an individual can suffer fever, nausea, body aches, vomiting and headache. Later symptoms may include a skin rash, ab- dominal pain, joint pain and diarrhea. The rash usually starts on the arms and an- kles and moves to the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. Three signs that may suggest a RMSF infection are fever, rash and history of a tick bite. This past winter was relatively mild which means an early and abun- dant tick season in Oregon. The most common tick in Eastern Oregon is Derma- centor variabilis, known as the “American Dog Tick,” which can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted-Fever and Tularemia. These ticks prefer to feed on dogs, rodents and other large ani- mals, but will find their way to people too. Another tick found in Eastern Oregon is the Dermacenter andersoni or the “Rocky Mountain Wood Tick” which can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted-Fever, Colorado Tick Fever, Tick Relapsing Fever and Tularemia. This tick may also cause partial paralysis. It is important to remove it as soon as the paralysis happens or death can occur. After the tick is removed, the person will generally recover within 24 to 72 hours. The following are things to remember to pre- vent tick bites. -Ticks in Oregon are active primarily in the spring and summer, but also can be found in the fall. -Bear and turkey hunt- ers can encounter “seed” ticks which are virtually im- possible to see unless you have a magnifying glass. -Check yourself for ticks more than once. Ticks in the “seed” nymph stage can even embed themselves between the eyelashes and go unnoticed. -Deer hunters can find ticks on their recently killed game. -Beware after the ani- mal has died, the ticks will leave that host to seek a more suitable “live” host which will probably be you. -Other things to re- member when in tick coun- try: Be careful when walk- ing in thick vegetation, ticks usually “crest” on the uphill side of a trail, wear a heavy-duty repellant with DEET as the active ingre- dient, tuck your pant legs inside of your boots and wear a hat. If a person finds a tick embedded in their body, it is recommended to have someone else remove it. The person should use tweezers or forceps rath- er than fingers, grasp the mouth or head of the tick as close to the skin as possible, gently pull the tick straight out, steadily and firmly. The mouth of a tick is barbed, so don’t be alarmed if a little bit of it breaks off into the skin. Always wash your hands and apply antiseptic in the affected area. Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley held a Mor- row County town hall in Boardman on Sunday, July 8, marking his 360 th town hall during the time he’s served in the Senate. “That’s an average of one every 10 days,” Merk- ley said to a group of about 20 who gathered at the Port of Morrow. “I think every member of Congress should be required to hold public town halls. This open, bi- partisan dialogue is a funda- mental piece of our ‘We the People’ democracy.” Merkley has held a public town hall in every Mahoney qualifies for national rodeo finals Oregon county every year since he took office in 2009. At the start of each town hall, he recognizes a local organization that has positively contributed to the community by giving to them an American flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol. On Sunday, he recognized the United Way of Umatilla and Morrow Counties. “One of our slogans is ‘together we fight’ and together we fight hunger, homelessness, addiction and loneliness,” said Krick- et Nicholson, executive director of the organization. “United Way is sometimes overlooked, but the work we do is so important to our community.” During the town hall, the senator answered ques- tions about securing the future of Social Security; addressing the nation’s bro- ken immigration system; and the future of the U.S. Supreme Court. The senator said that it appears likely that the Senate majority will hold a vote on a Supreme Court nominee before the November midterm elec- tions. Merkley said that Re- publicans will determine the future of these issues, since as the majority party in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Represen- tatives they control com- mittees, hearings and floor votes. He noted that he is a co-sponsor of several bills Senator Jeff Merkley held a town hall in Boardman. -Con- tributed photo. that would help the future of Social Security, and pointed to a bipartisan 2013 bill that would address many as- pects of immigration, from border security to paths to citizenship. It passed the Senate overwhelmingly, but the House refused to put it on the floor for a vote. Merkley called on that bill to be revived, revised and voted on by both houses of Congress. “It may feel like we’re in a difficult, dark place as a country right now,” Merkley said. “But we can look back at history and see we’ve been in difficult spots before. And we’ve always found our way out of it. So don’t feel too cyn- ical, don’t feel too much despair. What’s the United Way slogan? Together, we fight. Together, we will fight to be more involved, more engaged and to have a brighter future in our ‘We the People’ democracy.” Secretary of Agriculture visits Jaiden Mahoney and McGraw Jaiden Mahoney, a senior at Heppner High School, has qualified for the National High School Finals Rodeo, to be held in Rock Springs, WY July 15-21. Jaiden won both first and second rounds in the barrel racing at the Oregon High School Rodeo State Finals, which helped cinch her second place finish overall for the year and earn a position on the Oregon National High School Ro- deo Team. Mahoney gives credit to her partner McGraw, an 11 year-old Quarter horse she trained and uses in five events, “I am blessed to have such an amazing horse and partner to compete on. He has helped me qualify for three national finals.” Jaiden also ended up 12 th in the pole bending and 14 th in the goat tying at the state finals. Mahoney, current pres- ident of the Intermountain High School Rodeo Team, says she is proud of the oth- er national qualifying team members which include: Jacee Currin, Heppner, Trent Sorey, Pendleton and Daylon Eng and Hayden Hilliard, Echo. Jaiden is the daughter of Mike and Nicole Ma- honey, Heppner. The national event is the world’s largest rodeo with over 1,650 contestants. Melissa Lindsay, Mor- row County Commissioner, recently met with Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Per- due while Perdue was on a tour of the Pacific north- west. Congressman Greg Walden hosted the event at Martin Farms in Rufus. Secretary Perdue’s pur- pose was to meet with select government officials, mem- bers of commodity organi- zations and a diverse group of farmers to discuss the issues that are affecting ag- riculture. At the stop in Ru- fus, he answered questions and listened to the concerns of all in attendance. Commissioner Lindsay said, “It was good to have him in our region so he could meet with us, see how we farm and listen to our questions and concerns.” Pictured (L-R): Wallowa County Commissioner, Todd Nash, Morrow County Commissioner, Melissa Lindsay, Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, Sherman County Commissioner, Joe Dabulskis and Congressman, Greg Walden. -Contributed photo. Morrow County youth attend 4-H summer conference Six Morrow County youth recently attended the Oregon State University 4-H Summer Conference in Corvallis. Summer confer- ence is an opportunity for youth grades seven-12 to travel to Corvallis, explore campus life, make new friends, learn and have fun. At the conference, participants attend work- shops on a wide variety of subjects. Over 80 classes are offered including dog agility, a logging site tour, animal anatomy, fly fishing, origami and etiquette. According to a spokes- person, in addition to at- tending workshops, partic- ipants listen to a nationally acclaimed speaker, partici- pate in a community service project and enjoy many fun activities such as a pool party and a dance. Members arrived on campus early Wednesday afternoon, then stayed in a campus dorm and ate at a dining hall. The confer- ence ended with a closing program Saturday morning where new state ambassa- dors and national congress delegates were announced. Morrow County 4-H members attending the conference in Corvallis were(L-R): Erin Heide- man, William Harris, Joseph O’Brien, Cody Fletcher, Grace Ogen, Madison Orem, Stephanie Wendler and Andrea Fletcher. -Contributed photo. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. Morrow County Grain Growers 541-989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 350 Main Street, Lexington, Oregon *Offers vary by model. Rebate and finance offers valid on select 2014-2019 new and unregistered models purchased between 7/1/18-7/24/18. 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WARNING: Polaris off-road ve- hicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver's license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. iding and alcohol/drugs don't mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. ©2018 Polaris Industries Inc.
