Ione’s Fourth of July Grand
Marshals Joe and Anita Orem
HEPPNER
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VOL. 138
NO. 26 10 Pages
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
County’s first trap shooting team
has successful year
This year’s Ione
Fourth of July Celebra-
tion Grand Marshals are
Joe and Anita Orem.
The Orems have lived
in Ione for the past 30
years and have been in-
volved with the commu-
nity during that time.
Joe is a mem-
ber of the volunteer fire
department which is in
charge of setting of the
fireworks display. Both
have been supporters of
the local education foun-
dation, and schools, as
well as the Booster Club.
“Being part of the
community we do what
we can to support our
community and activities,”
says Anita. She invites
everyone to come down
and enjoy the two-day
celebration July 3 and 4
which will include many
activities and music for
adults and kids alike, and,
Joe and Anita Orem preside over festivites
of course, concludes with wife Brandi; Heidi Paul-
the big fireworks display lus and her husband Jason
the evening of the fourth. of Pendleton; Marc and
(see schedule in this week’s his wife Lindsay of Wolf
Creek, Montana; Kaitlin
paper).
The Orems have of Anchorage, and Zac of
five children, Eric and his Kennewick. They have 11
grandchildren.
Ione’s 4 th of July Schedule
Wednesday, July 3
Golf Tournament Willow Creek Country Club
Heppner July 3rd, 9 am
Volleyball Tournament Ione City Park July 3rd, 4 pm
Thursday, July 4
Morrow County’s first 4-H trapshooting team. Pictured L-R: Gage Heideman
(Ione), Radley Griggs (Boardman), Aden Lathrop (Heppner), Owen Guerra
(Heppner), Connor Wilson (Heppner), Carter Eynetich (Ione) and Kalvin
Rietmann (Ione).
Morrow County 4-H had a very successful first year
of shooting sports with 28 trapshooting participants from
across the county. Of the 28 young people who partic-
ipated, 16 qualified for the state contest and seven were
able to attend the state trapshooting event in Albany June
18-19. This is the very first group of competitors from
Morrow County.
The 2020 season will begin in January and the pro-
gram is going to work to offer rifle skills in addition to
trapshooting.
Kalvin Rietmann
City gives 30 days for burned
out house cleanup
Owner says she hasn’t been allowed on property
By David Sykes
The Heppner city coun-
cil Monday gave property
owner Megan Futter 30
days to clean up her burned-
out house on Linden Way,
or the city would move in
and do it for her. The house
was completely destroyed
in an early morning blaze
April 2. She was not at
the property and no one
was injured in the blaze.
Futter attended the spe-
cial council meeting and
public hearing Monday
night, and asked that the
city hold off issuing a nui-
sance citation until she has
a chance to complete the
cleanup. “I have not been
allowed on the property
and have not had reasonable
opportunity to fix the prob-
lem,” she said. Futter said
that because of the on-going
investigation into the cause
of the fire police have not
allowed her or anyone else
on the property. Police con-
firmed no one is supposed to
be on the property, but they
are close to wrapping up an
investigation into its cause
which includes possible
arson. “I’m investigating it
as an arson until I find evi-
dence otherwise,” the inves-
tigator told the council. He
said his investigation should
be wrapped up by June 26.
At a previous council
meeting it was announced
that Futter and her insur-
ance company were not
cooperating with the city on
the cleanup. At Monday’s
meeting Futter explained
that in addition to not being
allowed on the property the
insurance company sent
a settlement check to the
wrong person. A check had
apparently been issued and
mailed out, but instead of
going to Megan, went to her
ex-husband Andrew Futter
in Pendleton. Megan said
she got the house in their
divorce and that he has no
interest in the property. He
should not have received
the money she said. “We
have now retained an attor-
ney and he is working with
the insurance company to
find a solution,” she told the
council. City Attorney Bill
Kuhn asked how much the
settlement check was for.
Futter declined to answer
but said it was for enough
to cover the estimated clean
up cost of around $18,000.
Kuhn then asked Fire
Chief Rusty Estes if the
building was a hazard and
subject to collapse. Estes
said he thought so and so
did the State Fire Marshall
who examined it right after
the fire. After some dis-
cussion the council voted
unanimously to declare the
house to be a dangerous
structure and gave Futter 30
days from June 27 to have
the clean up completed.
Under the ordinance the
city now has the right to
move in and clean up the
property itself or contract
out the work. If the bill for
cleanup is not paid by the
property owner, the city can
put a lien on the property
and eventually foreclose to
pay it off.
In other business at the
special council meeting the
council voted to close down
Willow Street on both sides
on Main street for the up-
coming “First Friday event
planned for July 5 in Hep-
pner. City Manager Kraig
Cutsforth said he thinks
the idea of the celebration
for Heppner “is great” but
he was not able to secure
the Main Street closure as
first requested. He said the
organization for the event
came to him with the re-
quest to close main street,
but after talking to Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion, ODOT, was informed
they needed at least 28 days
to process the request. Cuts-
forth said there just wasn’t
enough time which necessi-
tated moving the events to
Willow Street on both sides
of Main. Undersheriff John
Bowles, who is also a coun-
cilmember said he looks
like the event will be find
and they don’t really need
main street closed. He said
there were a reported 20
vendors ready to participate
in the celebration.
Councilmember Dave Gun-
derson said he liked the
idea of the event but was
concerned about kids safety
crossing main street. “There
is a lot of traffic across
Main. I think it’s a great
idea. I’m just worried,” he
said. Gunderson suggested
flaggers be posted to help
stop traffic when people
cross Main. Bowles said he
would take care of this and
there would be two flaggers
available.
The council voted to close
Willow not only for the July
First Friday event, but also
for the August 2 and Sept.
6 events also.
Fireman’s Breakfast Ione Fire Hall 7:00 -10:00 am
Creative Care Preschool 5k Walk/Run
($10 Registration) Ione City Park 7 am Reg./Walk starts at
7:30 am
Ken Turner Memorial Horseshoe Tournament
Horseshoe Pits 9:00 am
Cruz-In Car Show Ione City Park 10:00 am
3-on-3 Basketball Tournament 2nd Street,
In Front of Legion Hall 10:00 am
Vendors & Booths Ione City Park 11:00 am
Fish Pond, Frog Jump, Bike Raffle Fire Hall/Park 11:00 am
Altar Society Pie Sale Ione Fire Hall
(or Church Basement) 11:00 am
Parade (Grand Marshal: Joe & Anita Orem)
Main Street 1:00 pm
Free Swimming Ione Swimming Pool 1:30-3:30 pm
Bingo Ione Legion Hall 2:00-4:00 pm
Talent Show Amphitheatre Stage 3:30 pm
Reg./Show at 4 pmge 4:30-6:00 pm
Game On! Video Game
Trailer & Laser Tag Ione City Park 5:00-8:00 pm
Boat Trip Auction/Raffle Drawings
Amphitheatre Stage 8:00 pm
Fireworks Display Dusk
USDA Offers Options to Re-enroll
or Extend Expiring CRP Contracts
Farmers and ranchers with
expiring Conservation Re-
serve Program (CRP) con-
tracts may now re-enroll in
certain CRP continuous sig-
nup practices or, if eligible,
select a one-year contract
extension. USDA’s Farm
Service Agency (FSA) also
is accepting offers from
those who want to enroll
for the first time in one of
the country’s largest con-
servation programs. FSA’s
52 nd signup for CRP runs
from June 3 to August 23.
“Agricultural producers
with expiring CRP contracts
have set aside land to reduce
soil erosion, improve water
quality, provide habitat
for wildlife and boost soil
health for at least a decade,”
said U.S. Under Secretary
for Farm Production and
Conservation Bill Northey.
“We want to make sure
they – and their neighbors
who may not have a CRP
contract – know they have
opportunities within CRP to
continue their valuable con-
tribution to our country’s
conservation successes.”
FSA stopped accepting
offers last fall for the CRP
continuous signup when
2014 Farm Bill authority
expired. The 2018 Farm
Bill reauthorized the pro-
gram this past December,
and FSA has carefully
analyzed the bill’s lan-
guage and determined that
a limited signup prioritiz-
ing water-quality practices
furthers conservation goals
and makes sense for pro-
ducers as FSA works to ful-
ly implement the program.
This year’s CRP continuous
signup includes such prac-
tices as grass waterways,
filter strips, riparian buffers,
wetland restoration and
others. Continuous signup
enrollment contracts last
for 10 to 15 years. Soil
rental rates are set at 90
percent of 2018 rates. In-
centive payments are not
continued next page
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