Harvest off to slower start
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 138
NO. 30 6 Pages
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Governor recall petition gets
signatures in Heppner
‘Overwhelming positive response’
Wheat harvest is taking place on the Jeff and Missy Cutsforth farm near Lexington. -Photo
by David Sykes.
Morrow County Grain
Growers grain merchan-
dising/risk manager, Brian
Peiler told the Gazette,
“Morrow County harvest
is underway but off to a
slower start than normal.
This year’s crop matured
a bit uneven so producers
are waiting for the wheat to
totally ripen before getting
started.”
He added the wheat that
has been taken in so far has
been of good quality with
test weights running above
60 pounds for SWW and
around 62 pounds for HRW.
Reported yields look to be
above average on the early
stuff. Early blush looks like
an above average crop for
both quality and yield.
How retiring Justice of Peace
Spicer’s position will be filled
It was reported in last
week’s Gazette-Times that
Justice of the Peace Ann
Spicer will be retiring.
She is planning on leaving
Dec. 31, 2019. Her six-year
elected term would have
ended on January 9, 2023,
so an appointment will need
to be made to fill the vacan-
cy before a new Justice can
be elected. The Governor,
with input from the local
county commissioners, will
appoint someone to fill that
vacancy. Voters would then
vote on a new justice at the
May 19, 2020 election.
According to Mor-
row County Clerk Bobbi
Childers, the first day can-
didates can file for the May
19 primary election would
be after January 1, 2020. If
two or more people file for
the position, they would all
be on the primary ballot.
The top two vote getters
from the primary would
then go on to the Novem-
ber general election. If,
however, one of the candi-
dates gets over 50 percent
of the vote in the primary,
they alone would go to the
November general election
and run unopposed.
Mosquitoes with West Nile
virus found in Morrow County
Sheila Miller of Lexington set up a recall petition table in Heppner last week. “I haven’t been
spending a lot of time by myself,” she told the Gazette-Times. -Photo by David Sykes.
By David Sykes
A volunteer working to
gather signatures to force a
recall of Oregon Governor
Kate Brown was in Hep-
pner last week gathering
signatures at the city park.
Sheila Miller of Lexington
said interest in signing the
petition was high, with one
couple even driving from
Hermiston to sign because
they had missed the oppor-
tunity to sign there. “I had
people from Gresham who
were driving by and saw
the sign stop and sign,” she
said. Miller said she had
heard nothing but positive
response towards the recall
effort and there was a line
waiting to sign at the time.
The group “Flush
Down Kate Brown” says
they launched the effort
because people are tired of
Salem not listening to what
people want. They say Sa-
lem is passing bills and tax
measures without giving the
people a chance to vote or
have a voice. According to
their website Flushdownka-
tebrown.com the group
says, among other charges,
that Brown is “negligent to
address the homelessness
issues, education issues
and the employment issues.
Oregon holds one of the
lowest graduation rates in
the nation,” they say. The
group has 90 days from fil-
ing to gather the necessary
signatures to get the recall
on the ballot.
The petition drive is
affiliated with Oregon First!
Political action committee
founded by Michael Cross
from the small town of
Turner. The group claims
to have a presence in every
county in the state and has
been using social media to
spread the word about the
recall effort.
The Heppner Ga-
zette-Times reached out
to several local elected
officials for their reaction
to the recall effort. They
were asked both if they had
signed the petition, and for
a comment on the effort.
Neither Rep. Greg Smith
nor Sen. Bill Hansell re-
sponded to the request. Lo-
cal county commissioners
were also asked, and they
responded. None indicated
they had signed the petition.
“Without seeing the effort
directly, I would just say
at this point that the recall
process is a strong way for
the citizens to voice their
opinions and perspectives.
I hope that the work will be
heard by the highest lead-
ership in Salem and start
a stronger statewide con-
versation,” Commissioner
Melissa Lindsay told the
Gazette-Times.
Commissioner Don
Russell did not indicate he
had signed either and said,
“First I’m not necessarily
a fan of recalls and think
they should be used in rare
occasions specifically for
illegal or unethical actions.
Governor Brown has done
neither. I did not vote for
Kate Brown and don’t sup-
port the vast majority of her
agenda. She did however
win the election and is do-
ing what she told her base
she would do. We, as an
electorate, need to be more
informed when we cast our
vote,” he said.
Commissioner Jim
Doherty said, “A positive
of the divisive and much
publicized Oregon legisla-
tive session, has been the
grassroots movement. Part
of the reason I ran for com-
missioner was to advocate
for those feeling marginal-
ized. Folks lambasted the
Republican senators for
going to extreme measures
to stop an ill constructed
carbon bill. They were not
shirking their duty; they
were representing the ma-
jority of their constituen-
cies. Conversely, I visited
with legislators from the
metro region who thought
it was too demanding of
the rural community. The
trouble was they too had
voters to appease. We need
to settle the pendulum of
partisan politics. As it is,
each time it swings it drifts
us further apart.
I begin in November as
the president of the Associ-
ation of Oregon Counties.
The 120 county judges and
commissioners hold most-
ly non-partisan positions.
We gather each month and
work on challenges that
effect people from a mul-
titude of ideologies, we
do so without the vitriol of
state or federal lawmak-
ers. We have to live and
work with the people who
entrusted us, there is no
disconnect. I think people
mobilizing will remind
state policymakers from
both sides of the aisle that
it is necessary not just to
listen but to hear those most
affected,” Doherty said. He
added, “I went down to a
Business Oregon meeting
in Scappoose Thursday,
then to central Oregon to
behavioral health meetings
over the weekend. There
were recall petitions and a
growing number of State of
Jefferson signs.” Doherty
did not say if he had signed
the petition.
As far the local petition
signing effort, Miller said
she plans to be at the up-
coming fair and at the next
Heppner First Friday event
in August. “People are in-
terested in this,” she said.
West Nile virus, a mild
flu-like disease spread by
mosquitoes, has been de-
tected in mosquitoes at
a testing site in Morrow
County, according to Ore-
gon Public Health officials.
The mosquitoes, found
near the city of Irrigon, are
the first to test positive for
the disease in Oregon in
2019. Health officials are
advising people in Morrow
County to take precautions
against mosquitoes to avoid
the risk of infection, includ-
ing preventing mosquito
bites.
“West Nile is spread
to humans through the bite
of an infected mosquito.
About one in five infected
people may show signs of
West Nile virus. People
at risk of serious illness
include individuals 50 and
older and people with im-
mune-compromising con-
ditions, such as diabetes
and high blood pressure,”
cautions Shelley Wight,
Communicable Disease
Coordinator for Morrow
County Public Health.
West Nile symptoms
may include fever above
100 degrees and severe
headache, stiff neck, mental
confusion, muscle weak-
ness, shaking, paralysis or
rash. People should contact
their health care provider if
experiencing any of these
symptoms.
The incubation period
is usually two to 14 days.
Rarely, infected individuals
may develop an infection of
the brain or spinal column
that can be severe or may
cause death. This is espe-
cially of concern to those
who have a compromised
immune system, or the
elderly.
The number of mosqui-
to pools - samples of about
50 mosquitoes - testing
positive in any area could
lead to infection. Dr. Emilio
DeBess, veterinarian at the
Oregon Health Authority’s
Public Health Division,
recommends people and an-
imals be protected against
mosquito bites.
“It’s very easy for peo-
ple to prevent bites from
mosquitoes that may carry
West Nile virus,” DeBess
says. “Although the risk
of contracting West Nile
virus is low, people can
take simple precautions to
keep these insects at bay if
they’re headed outdoors.”
DeBess offers these
tips:
-Eliminate sources of
standing water that are a
breeding ground for mos-
quitoes. This includes wa-
tering troughs, bird baths,
clogged gutters and old
tires.
-When engaged in out-
door activities at dusk and
dawn when mosquitoes are
most active, protect your-
self by using mosquito re-
pellants containing DEET,
oil of lemon eucalyptus
or Picardin and follow the
directions on the container.
-Wear long-sleeved
shirts and long pants in
mosquito-infested areas.
-Make sure screen
doors and windows are in
good repair and fit tightly.
In 2018, there were two
human cases of West Nile
virus in Harney and Clack-
amas counties. The virus
was found in one bird, 58
mosquito pools - samples of
about 50 mosquitoes each
- and two horses. In 2017,
seven humans, 92 mosquito
pools, five horses and one
bird tested positive for West
Nile. The virus also can be
found in chickens, squirrels
and dogs.
Climate change effects
such as increased tempera-
ture and changes in rainfall
have led to longer mosquito
seasons and are contribut-
ing to the spread of West
Nile virus, health officials
say. They agree these, and
other climate change indi-
cators must be considered
to help people better pre-
pare for future transmission
of the disease.
MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS
350 MAIN STREET, LEXINGTON, OR
CONTACT: JUSTIN BAILEY, 541-989-8221 EXT. 204
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
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