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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2019)
HEPPNER G T 50¢ Local woman encouraged by MS news Potential ‘game-changer’ in fight against multiple sclerosis By David Sykes Local woman Merilee McDowell, who has multi- ple sclerosis and is an active fundraiser and advocate to find a cure, says researchers at Oregon Health and Sci- ence University in Portland say they’ve had a break- through in treatment of the disease. So much so they are calling it a “potential game-changer.” Researchers say they’ve developed a com- VOL. 138 NO. 17 8 Pages Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon pound that can lead to the repair of a protective cover for cells in the brain and spine. That cover, called myelin, is often damaged in patients diagnosed with MS. “This is a huge break- through,” says McDowell. “To repair the damage that’s been done is huge for every- one with MS.” Two of the senior au- thors involved in the study say the drug they helped create is a first for the treat- ment of multiple sclerosis. “There are no known drugs currently available that stimulate myelin. That’s the one big problem remaining with MS therapy,” said Tom Scanlan, Ph.D. at OHSU. Doctor Dennis Bour- dette said he expects it will Pictured back row (L-R): Cason Mitchell, Jayden Mitchell, Zavier Glover, Casey Fletcher, be a few years before the Roy Collins and Derek Smith. Front row (L-R): Mrs. Collins, Kennisyn Wilkins, Madison compound is ready for clin- Combe, Claire Grieb, Cami VanArsdale, Hunter Nichols, Blake Wolters, Carson Brosnan, ical trials. McDowell said Kason Cimmiyotti and Cody Fletcher. she has met Dr. Bourdette Twenty-one Heppner High School students spent the first weekend of April com- peting at the state FBLA competition in Portland, OR, with many students placing in the competition. Jaiden Mahoney placed second in Agribusiness; Madison Combe, Jenna Mc- Cullough and Claire Grieb placed second in Hospitality Management; Cason Mitchell and Hunter Nichols placed second in Sports Management; Cami VanArsdale and Keegan Gibbs placed fourth in Entrepreneurship and Casey Fletcher, Gavin Robinson and Zavier Glover placed fifth in Sports Management. By David Sykes Morrow County voters will be asked to approve a five-year Morrow County Health District tax levy to BEO Bancorp and its cated in the Sierra Building and Union Counties, both help with funding the dis- subsidiary, Bank of East- at 202 SE Dorion, Suite with an office in Hermiston, trict. The levy is a continu- ern Oregon, announce the 102, Pendleton. as well as additional staff ation of the one currently in opening of a Hermiston Bank of Eastern Or- in our existing locations. place and approved in 2014. The district says it will Loan Production Office egon has also added staff These bankers are well use the revenue to main- located at 1475 N. 1st to its Island City Loan respected in the industry tain and expand services Street; formerly the EONI Production Office. David and bring many years of throughout the county and location. The office will be Stirewalt, Craig Nightin- banking experience with “continue to advance the staffed by veteran bankers gale, Carly Davis and Jack them to Bank of Eastern quality of care provided in Lucas Wagner, Jared Lath- Wright join Kristy Nelson Oregon. Their knowledge each patient care area as rop, Jennifer Berry and at our Union County office of the local markets and a Melissa Samms. located at 10201 N. McAl- loyal customer following Additionally, Bank of ister Rd., Island City, OR. will serve our bank well. I Eastern Oregon has hired In announcing the new welcome these bankers to veteran bankers in Pend- office and additional staff, our banking family. I am leton. Tracy Hamby and president and Chief Exec- confident that their cus- Jennifer Mulvihill join the utive Officer, Jeff Bailey tomers and prospective Board certified foot and existing Pendleton staff of said, “We are pleased to customers will enjoy Bank ankle specialist, Dr. Kessa Mike Short and Shayne have the opportunity to add of Eastern Oregon’s brand Mauras, of Mt. Hood Podi- Wagner. Their office is lo- to our presence in Umatilla of banking.” atry, is now serving Morrow County residents at Morrow County Health District’s Pioneer Memorial Clinic in Heppner. Currently, Dr. Mauras will see patients from one to two Fridays per month, with the poten- tial of increasing her time in Heppner based on the needs of the community and patients. While podiatric medi- cine and surgery encompass many areas, Dr. Mauras is most passionate about dia- betic foot ulcer prevention, azette imes FBLA students compete at state competition Merilee McDowell with grandson Henry Burnside at an MS walk fundraiser in Heppner. and had a meal with him when she was in Washing- ton DC. McDowell has been active in organizing MS walks in Heppner for many years, which have raised thousands of dollars toward researching a cure for the disease. And fulfilling her role as an advocate for peo- ple who have the affliction, McDowell says she is going to contact her legislators about “keeping the cost of the drug down so everyone can afford it when it’s ap- proved,” which she says is probably years away. She said she may try and get into the study in the early stages of testing. Health District tax levy to be on ballot BEO opens loan office in Hermiston A continuation of current levy well as ensuring that our facilities, technology and infrastructure, workforce of 124 employees and 67 vol- unteers continue to meet the needs of our communities.” The district says the levy is essential to maintain emergency medical ser- vices throughout the county with paid full-time staff, replacement of ambulances, equipment and recruitment of additional providers and specialists. It says the levy is necessary as the perma- nent tax rate will continue to be insufficient to fund district operations. According to estimates from the county assessor’s office the proposed levy will generate approximately on average $702,741 per year in fiscal years 2019- 2010 through 2023-2024 for a total of $3,513,705. Ballots with the levy included are scheduled to go into the mail May 1 and are due back to the clerk’s office by May 21. Podiatry services now available in Morrow County Elementary school holds mock training exercise wound healing, and limb salvage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ap- proximately 73,000 ampu- tations of lower limbs are performed on those with diabetes in the U.S. every year. Dr. Mauras is commit- ted to educating patients about the prevention of foot related medical conditions, providing them with as many resources as possible so that in her words, “they don’t become a statistic.” She also shared that too often, a skin injury or a small wound can quickly Dr. Kessa Mauras escalate to something more serious when there is a de- lay in receiving a medical evaluation and appropriate treatment. Questions for Dr. Mau- ras regarding her services in Morrow County, or to in- quire about an appointment, contact Mt. Hood Podiatry at 541-386-1006. Brandi Sweeney, Jessica Lentz, Tiffanie Greenup, Darcy Robinson, Jennifer Jaca, Missy Cuts- forth and SRO Ken Kippley participated in the mock gas leak exercise. Heppner Elementary School held a mock gas leak exercise recently, with Morrow County School District staff and volunteers pitching in to help. The exercise focused on the re-unification process of getting the students back to their families after such an event. During the exercise, which began at the elemen- tary school, the group fol- lowed the process to safely evacuate the students to the re-unification site at the fairgrounds. The process to be followed includes order and careful documentation to allow students to be reunited with their parents. Morrow County Sher- iff’s Office participates in this type of training ex- ercise with all schools in Morrow County, working with community partners to keep everyone safe. School Resource Deputy Ken Kip- pley assisted in the training process to keep it running smoothly. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS 350 MAIN STREET, LEXINGTON OR 97839 CONTACT: JUSTIN BAILEY, 541-989-8221 EXT 204 *Offers vary by model and are subject to availability. Rebate and financing offers valid on select 2015-2019 new and unregistered Polaris ® RZR ® , RANGER ® , Sportsman ® , GENERAL ® , and ACE ® models purchased between 3/1/19 - 4/30/19, but availability of the offers and the offer terms may vary by State, so see your local authorized dealer for complete details. "Rates as low as 3.99% APR for 36 months. Examples of monthly payments required over a 36-month term at a 3.99% APR rate: $29.52 per $1,000 financed; and with a 60-month term at a 6.99% APR rate: $19.80 per $1,000 financed. An example of a monthly payment with $0 down, no rebate, an APR of 3.99% APR for 36 months at an MSRP of $12,699 is $374.87/mo. total cost of borrowing of $796.27 with a total obligation of $13,495.27. Down payment may be required. Other financing offers may be available. See your local dealer for details. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Tax, title, license, and registration are separate and may not be financed. Promotion may be modified or discontinued without notice at any time in Polaris' sole discretion. WARNING: Polaris ® off-road vehicles 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. Riding 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. © 2019 Polaris Industries Inc.
