Two men attempt car theft
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 138
NO. 50 8 Pages
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Steve Rhea named new
Heppner Fire Chief
Zachary Richard James
Holte, 29, and Justin Cam-
eron Christian Brown, 23,
were arrested and lodged
at Umatil-
la County
Jail after
attempting
to steal a
car near
the Cor-
nerstone
Zachary
Gallery on
Richard
James Holte M o n d a y
morning.
The Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office received
the report at 9:35 a.m. from
a Heppner citizen. With-
in three minutes, Deputy
Dalton Garcia was on the
The Heppner Ga-
zette-Times will publish
Christmas messages from
area pastors on Wednesday,
December 18. The deadline
to submit messages will be
Monday, December 16, at
5 p.m.
Those planning to sub-
mit Christmas messages
may email them to edi-
tor@rapidserve.net, send
via mail to Heppner Ga-
zette-Times, PO Box 337,
Heppner, OR 97836 or
drop them by the office at
188 West Willow, Heppner,
Monday through Friday, 9
a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pastors are also invited
to submit separate news ar-
ticles for Christmas church
services or activities.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Items. Total bail is set at
$271,000. He was also
lodged on a Washington
State Department of Cor-
rections Na-
tionwide
Wa r r a n t ,
with no bail
for Escape
Community
Custody.
B r o w n Justin
f a c e s Cameron
Christian
charges of Brown
Robbery II,
Attempted Unauthorized
Use of a Motor Vehicle and
Unauthorized Entry into a
Motor Vehicle. Total bail
for Brown is $266,000.
Heppner Elementary shows
academic growth and
commitment to students
The Oregon Depart-
ment of Education (ODE)
recently released report
cards for every school in
the state, reporting test
scores from the 2018-19
school year. When Dieter
Waite, principal at Heppner
Elementary School, shared
results with school staff,
he had some good news
to report. The ELA (En-
glish Language Arts) score
showed that 63 percent
of Heppner Elementary
students were meeting the
standard, an increase of
13 percent from the year
before, and well above the
Oregon state average of 51
percent. Math scores also
increased by five percent to
43 percent, just above the
state average of 42 percent.
In addition, the school
went
from average to high
Retiring Fire Chief Rusty Estes (left) presents new Chief Steve Rhea with the white command
in Individual Student Prog-
hat at the Heppner City Council meeting Monday night.
ress, which measure year-
By David Sykes
and the council agreed to it. the increase. “In the preced-
Steve Rhea has been
“I don’t have a problem ing years we have incurred was told the camera is still
named the new fire chief for with it as long as it doesn’t annual wage increases, in operation.
the city of Heppner; it was cost the city anything,” increased fuel costs, in-
In other action the
announced at Monday’s council member Teresa surance costs and disposal council reviewed a list of
city council meeting. He Hughes said when hearing dump fees. With the growth 29 people who were owed
will replace retiring chief the proposal. At the past of our much-appreciated money by the city but never
Rusty Estes.
couple of meetings Hughes customers, both locally and cashed the checks mailed
Rhea has been with the had been against the city county wide, also brings to them. Cutsforth asked
fire department 32 years, entering into a credit/debit increased mileage on our if he could have the coun-
most recently serving as card charging contract, say- fleet, and the replacement of cil’s permission to void the
assistant chief. He has also ing she didn’t think enough many carts and dumpsters,” checks and send the money
been the department’s long- people would use it to justi- they said.
to the state of Oregon as
time training officer. “I fy the annual and monthly
In other action the required by law. There is
hope I’m half as good as costs to the city.
council heard from Kelsey a total of $1,820.87 in out-
Rusty was,” he told the city
Under the proposed Greenup who said she was standing checks that have
council. Rhea said he would plan approved Monday purchasing a home on Mat-
need to get used to his new night, people who pay their lock and wanted to know
role of giving directions water and sewer bill with who was responsible for
instead of “going in there credit card will be charged the old cement water flume
with the guys.”
2.65 percent with a $1 min- that runs along the hill in
Estes served a total of imum. Cutsforth said the the back of the home. She
45 years with the depart- cost would work out to was concerned because
ment before his retirement. about $1.85 per transaction. chunks of concrete were
In other business at Using a card for administra- coming down the hill and
the meeting the council tive and civil payments will she was afraid kids would
instructed City Manager cost a little bit more at four get up there and cause more
Kraig Cutsforth to move percent.
problems. She wanted to
forward with a credit and
In other business the know who she should talk
debit charge service for council voted unanimously to about it. City officials
people to pay their water to approve a rate increase indicated that the old water
bills.
to Miller & Sons Disposal flume is on private property
There has been much Services for garbage pickup and they did not know who
discussion the past cou- in the city. The new cost should be contacted.
ple of months about add- will be $22.5 per month to
In other business Coun-
ing the service with some pick up a can inside the city cilmember Hughes wanted
councilmembers opposed limits, $25 outside the city to know if the surveillance
because it would require limits, $80 for local busi- camera at the city park
payment by the city to add ness and rural dumpsters. was still operational. She
the bill pay option. Monday The new rates will take had information that there
Cutsforth presented a new effect February 1, 2020.
was “lots of activity” after
company he had found that
“We have not had a rate hours at the park and maybe
does not charge the city an increase since 2011,” Ryan young people were jumping
annual or monthly fee for and Sharon Miller said in a on the playground equip-
the credit payment system letter to the city requesting ment trying to tear it up. She
Pastors invited to submit
Christmas messages
scene and Lt. Terry Harper
located the suspects within
nine minutes of the call.
The two suspects had
attempted to steal the car
and one was already in the
driver’s seat when two Hep-
pner residents confronted
them, saying they did not
recognize them as locals.
The suspects fled, with the
residents giving chase. A
description of the suspects
allowed MCSO to locate
them quickly.
Holte was charged with
Robbery II, Attempted Un-
authorized Use of a Motor
Vehicle, Unauthorized En-
try into a Motor Vehicle
and Theft of Loss/Mislaid
to-year progress in ELA
and math. “I told my staff to
keep up the good work. I am
excited about our changing
school culture and academ-
ic growth,” Waite said.
Although Waite was
pleased with the steady ac-
ademic growth of students,
he was concerned about
the slight drop in regular
attenders, students who
attended more than 90 per-
cent of their enrolled school
days. Heppner Elementary
2018-19 average was 81
percent, down one percent
from the previous year.
However, Waite already has
many strategies in place to
combat this.
Using the “Every Day
Matters” program, which
focuses on the importance
of steady attendance at
school, Waite said staff
have increased commu-
nication with families of
never been cashed dating
back as far as 2005. They
range in amounts from .28
cents $150.92. The city
wants to clear the uncashed
checks off its books.
Councilmembers were
reluctant to send the money
off to the state as some of
the people were local and
still living here. If contacted
the checks could be reis-
sued the city says. Below
is a list of the uncashed
checks.
-See NEW FIRE CHIEF/
PAGE TWO
struggling students, mod-
ifying past processes and
scheduling regular team
meetings to discuss the
needs and support in place
for these students. Waite
sends a monthly letter to
parents whose children
are at or below 90 percent
attendance. He includes
in the letter that a student
with 90 percent attendance
misses an entire school year
by the time they complete
ninth grade.
Waite understands that
a crucial aspect of steady
attendance is ensuring chil-
dren and their families have
appropriate support ser-
vices. Heppner Elementary
administrators and staff are
strengthening communi-
ty partnerships in wrap-
around services, working
with CARE coordinators
to increase access to medi-
cal, dental and community
social services for students
and families. Eliminating
some roadblocks that cause
students to miss school,
Waite said, can make a
difference.
Further implementation
of conscious discipline has
also improved the school
climate, Waite said, plus the
school is going to get a stu-
dent success coach/school
counselor shared half time
with Heppner Jr/Sr High.
But more than strate-
gies and numbers, Waite
knows that forming con-
nections with students is the
most important thing staff
can do. “The bottom line
is that students need to feel
safe and supported by the
adults in the building every
day to achieve success.”
Recently, an educa-
tional assistant, Darcee
Mitchell, had a great idea
to emphasize school family,
having students give input
for a word poster encom-
passing student ideas. The
poster hangs prominently in
the school, a reminder they
are all in this together.