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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2021)
FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Morrow County Fair takes off COVID EMERGENCY The Morrow County Fair kicked off this week with judging for 4-H and open class events. Exhibits of photography, foods, animals and much more will be on dis- play for fairgoers. The fair continues every day until Sunday, August 22 with admission to the fair being free. The parade will be in downtown Heppner on Saturday at 10 a.m. The Ore- gon Trail Pro Rodeo performances will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and the Morrow County rodeo at 1 p.m. Sunday. -Continued from PAGE ONE shutting down the fair, even though cases in the county were on the rise. For per- spective he said in the week ending July 31 there were 27 cases in Morrow County with two in the hospital, for the week ending August 7 there were 63 cases with one in the hospital, and for the week ending August 14 the county had 89 cases with three people in the hospital. Commissioners asked fair secretary Ann Jones what measures were being taken for COVID. Jones said they do what they can. “I don’t have the manpower to stand at every doorway and instruct people and tell them you have to put your mask on,” she said. Jones said the best they can do is educate and provide people cleaning opportunities. “We have signs posted, we have hand sanitizing stations all Grand Champion Dog Showman, Kyra Shockman (Irrigon) with her dog Ranger and Re- serve Grand Champion Showman, Preslie Bowles also of Irrigon with her dog Axl. -Photo by around the grounds and we have hand washing stations Erin Heideman. at the fair,” she said. “As far as making sure people have masks on, you know how that can go,” she told the commission. She did say there would be boxes of masks available at the fair office and at the front gate for people to use. Left: Briar Reeves and his dog, Daisy of Irrigon in the obedience competition. Above: Open class exhibits are on display. -Photos by Giselle Moses. Gray said the emer- gency declaration “doesn’t mean we have to close the fair down and I personally don’t want to close the fair down and that is not what this is for,” he said of the declaration. “This is so we can get things going. Is it going to change the hospital bed situation we have going? No.” He said the hospital bed shortage “is going to get worse and there is nothing we can do about it.” Gray did say the Morrow County emergen- cy declaration would “let the governor know we are doing something even if it is not closing the fair and rodeo down. We are saying yes, we recognize there is a problem,” Gray explained. Commissioner Melissa Lindsay, who has worked hard to bring the COVID numbers down in the coun- ty, said her main reason for voting in favor of the emer- gency powers would be helping free up more hos- pital beds for non-COVID patients. “This isn’t about counting covid numbers, this is about your family that may not have COVID but may not be able to get the service they need when they go to the hospital door. I’m willing to sign off on the declaration for those reasons,” Lindsay said. County Sheriff Ken Matlack said although he has seen various incentive programs such as paying people to take the vaccine, the county still has quite a few people unvaccinated (60 percent of county resi- dents have chosen not to get inoculated). Matlack said if people knew the percent of people who contract COVID and aren’t vacci- nated maybe that would Volunteers, Jeni McGlothan and Darcy Sexson from NW motivate them. “I think Farm Credit ready to serve fairgoers at the 4-H Snack Shack. that would be helpful as They are still needing for volunteers for Friday afternoon. the numbers rise to moti- vate people to go get shots. What data can you bring to people other than saying its bad, it’s really bad?” he asked. “Something to show that it makes a difference to become inoculated, to take the shot.” Lindsay said on the state website it says peo- ple taking the vaccination are getting less sick, and of the people in the hos- pital the majority are not vaccinated. Russell said nation-wide 95 percent of the COVID hospitalizations are non-vaccinated people, and the numbers are similar in Oregon. Doherty says the coun- ty has a responsibility to all its citizens, vaccinated or not. “Our challenge is to the folks that have the vaccine, and those that don’t have the vaccine, and those that are never going to get the vaccine, we need to con- sider all of them,” he said. He did admit it’s not the vaccinated that are posing the challenge, but at the same time those that don’t have the vaccine are not asking us to step in on their behalf. It’s a bit of a conun- drum and doesn’t absolve us of the responsibility of looking out for everybody,” he explained. Doherty said if the county wanted to enact the emergency, then all the county agencies should come together and treat the situation as a real emergency. The commission ended up passing the emergency resolution anyway, with Lindsay and Russell voting yes, and Doherty voting no. “Maybe this will move the dial (make the infection rate lower). But, I did not hear that we are in an emergency now, and that is what we are declaring,” he explained of his opposition. -Photo by Giselle Moses. The Morrow County Livestock Growers would like to thank the following for their support of the 2020 Morrow County 4-H/FFA Auction! Eva Worden prepares her egg salad sandwich recipe for the judges during 4-H live food contests. Contestants wait for their turn during live judging in the 4-H Annex. GRAND CHAMPION MARKET SWINE GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB Briar Reeves Saige Jensen Buyer: Elmer’s Irrigation Buyer: Lamb Weston Livestock Superintendents: Jessica Bailey Makenzi Hughes Alita Nelson Kellie Nelson Sandi O’ Brien Bank of Eastern Oregon: Christy Correa Jeff Bailey Tylynn Cimmiyotti keeps the exhibits orgaznized in the kid’s corner. I o n e C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h 4 7 0 E M a i n S t r e e t , I o n e Summer worship at 10:00 AM Sunday Mornings Special Thanks To: Morrow County Fair Board Ann Jones Morrow County Grain Growers MCGG Green Feed CHS Feeds Evans Livestock Monte & Becky Evans Mitch & Tag Ashbeck Beef Northwest Feeders Wes Killion Jason Schoenfelder Dr. Dan Hanson McGinn Trucking Eastern Oregon Mobile Slaughter Mike’s Mobile Slaughter Follet’s Smoked Meats Beth Dickenson Martin Vito Julie Baker Erin Heideman Gage Heideman Anna Browne Sarah Baker Brett Milligan Kyle Robinson Mark Rietmann Eli Wickert Matt Clark BUYERS “Y o u w i l l s e e k M e a n d f i n d M e , w h e n y o u s e a r c h f o r M e w i t h a l l y o u r h e a r t . ” - J e r e m i a h 2 9 : 1 3 Join Us in the Search Over $12,000: Lamb Weston Blue Line Transportation Co Inc JVB Dairy Over $5,000: Bank of Eastern Oregon Custom Feed Services LLC Double T Farming Beef Northwest GAR Aviation Silver Creek Construction Corey Miller Farming Elmer’s Irrigation Over $2,500: Northwest Farm Credit Services Devin Oil Inc Easterday Farms Dairy Castle Rock Farming Columbia River Dairy Morrow County Grain Growers Butter Creek Cattle Company NW Metal Fabricators, Inc Jeremiah McElligott PGE Senior Center Steer Project Umatilla Electric Coop Jeromey Lesperance Miller Wheat Inc Lakeview Heights Community Counseling Solutions Proudfoot Ranches Mid-Columbia Producers Wilkinson Ranches LLC Mason Rock LLC Bailey Heavy Equipment Over $1,000: Rogers Toyota of Hermiston Craig Miles Farming Wilbur Ellis Morrow County Livestock Growers Ross Machine Cannon Chiropractic Agri-Northwest Western Ag Improvements Ashbeck (Mitch & Tag) (Lamb Resell) GRAND CHAMPION MARKET GOAT Zaleta Masterson Buyer: Roger’s Toyota Charlie & Marcia Anderson Healy Ranch LLC (Resale) Mike’s Mobile Slaughter Jake Jaca K2 Aerial Application Les Schwab Tires-Heppner LSTC Heppner BP Doherty Farms Triangle Ranches Bonni and Bob Ball Simplot Grower Solutions Up to $1,000: Community Bank Goose Ridge Winery Mark & Shannon Miller RDO Equipment Co Shelco Electric Inc Mark and Lisa Pratt Hermiston Veterinary Clinic Cold Springs Veterinary Service Krebs Sheep Company Wheatland Insurance (Heppner/Ione) Brian McElligott Mid-Columbia Title Company Nelmar Farming Co. Patti Adair EB Orem Farms Jason and Tara Proudfoot Maureen McElligott J&A Orem Blown Away Ranch Luciani Ranch Curtis & Kathy Cutsforth H and D Ranch Harrison Farms IRZ Consulting Joe & Donna Rietmann Karen Pettigrew Merlin and Claudia Hughes Ranch Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Pacific Ag Solutions Peter Szasz Riekkola Farms GRAND CHAMPION MARKET BEEF Madison Orem Buyer: Custom Feed Services LLC Rock Creek Ranch Tim & Shannon Rust David and Jennifer Jaca Bob and Linda Mueller Dickenson Chiropractic Galen Weaver Wes & Mary Killion Desert Sandz Development Inc. Grieb Farms Rodelo Farms Terri Landreth Heppner Christian Church Joshua Pattinson Nutritional Services LLC Stephanie Hisler Tubit Enterprises D & M Padberg Greenup Enterprises Grinning Wolf LLC Jamie Houck Michael Graham Nancy Miller and Charles Monagle Pioneer Memorial Therapy Services Theresa Frazier Shelley McCabe Physical Therapy, LLC 2T Cattle Company Ann Jones Clearwater Builders Supply Corey and Brandi Sweeney Old Town Designs Patricia Daly Sandi Richardson Tacos Xavi Tillamook Boardman Windemere Real Estate Matt and Julie Baker Kelsie Worden Michelle McElligott Slater &. Darcee Mitchell Sterner Farms THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
