County agrees to settle
employment claim
No name, no amount, no details
50¢
VOL. 141
NO. 35
8 Pages
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Bailey takes home Morrow County Amateur Calf Roping saddle
This year’s Amateur Calf Roping Saddle winner, at the Morrow County Rodeo was Ken Bailey, far left
More Rodeo winner pictures on page 8
Health District launches Boardman
Mobile Immediate Care Clinic
Morrow County Health District has launched an
immediate care clinic in Boardman. The clinic, to open
in October, will offer non-emergency immediate care and
occupational health services
“Realizing the growing need for access to imme-
diate care and occupational health services in Morrow
County, the Morrow County Health
District is launching a new clinic
in Boardman,” announced
MCHD Chief Exec-
utive Officer Emily
Roberts.
The clinic,
called Boardman
Immediate Care,
which will have
two clinical exam
rooms and X-ray
and laboratory
services, will
be housed in
a custom-de-
signed, mobile
motor coach,
which will be
parked adjacent
to MCHD’s
office building at
101 Kinkade Rd. in
Boardman. The coach is set
to be delivered Friday, Sept. 2. The
clinic is
scheduled to open Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 9 a.m. and will
be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day of the week.
“The need for immediate care services has been
rising in Boardman,” said Roberts. “Boardman Imme-
diate Care’s services will be convenient, affordable and
accessible, and they’ll be a vital component of our health
care services that keep residents of Morrow County safe
and healthy.”
Immediate care includes a range of non-emer-
gency medical and occupational health services. “Patients
can be seen for minor illnesses and injuries, skin rashes,
irritation or infection, sprains, strains and muscle tears,
scrapes or cuts, minor workplace injuries, drug screening
and more,” said Roberts.
“Anyone needing immediate care or occupa-
tional health services can access care at Boardman
Immediate Care,” said Roberts. “MCHD
accepts all major insurance plans and
is committed to providing finan-
cial assistance to people
who have health care
needs and are
uninsured,
under-
insured,
ineligible
for a gov-
ernment
program,
or other-
wise un-
able to pay
for medically
necessary care.”
“We are excited to
launch this clinic to meet the rising
health care needs of the people of Boardman
and Morrow County,” Roberts said. “We know,
too, that business and industry in this region rely on a
healthy workforce. Our clinic will help ensure that local
employees get the care and services they need.”
For more information about Boardman Imme-
diate Care, visit www.morrowcountyhealthdistrict.org.
Morrow County Health District is a nonprofit Oregon
Special District that offers healthcare services throughout
Morrow County, including home health and hospice,
primary care, ambulance service, emergency department,
hospital and extended care. Visit www.morrowcounty-
healthdistrict.org.
At a special meeting
held last week Morrow
County commissioners
agreed to sign an undis-
closed settlement agree-
ment with a nameless for-
mer employee to settle an
undisclosed employment
complaint filed against the
county. When asked to
name the person being paid,
how much money they
would receive, and what
the complaint was about,
county officials refused to
give out that information.
At the special meeting
August 22 commissioners
first held a closed-door ex-
ecutive session to discuss
the settlement terms before
opening the meeting for a
vote. County Council Jus-
tin Nelson recommended
a motion to commissioners
saying the county would
“Approve what was ne-
gotiated by the (county’s)
labor council to settle all
employee related claims of
a Morrow County employ-
ee and give authority to the
chair (Commissioner Jim
Doherty) or another indi-
vidual to sign the related
deal once it has been draft-
ed, and with the terms al-
ready know (to the commis-
sioners).” Commissioners
Don Russell and Melissa
Lindsay voted to accept the
undisclosed settlement with
the unnamed person, while
Doherty voted no.
Later when asked for
comment on the settlement
terms approved by com-
missioners in the closed-
door executive session,
and to name the recipient
9-11 Memorial event
to honor first responders
who lost lives
T h e H e p p n e r,
Lexington and Ione fire
departments will hold their
second annual Septem-
ber 11 Memorial Event
on Saturday, September
10, at the Morrow County
Fairgrounds.
The fire depart-
ments are honoring the
first responders who lost
their lives in the attack of
the World Trade Center
on September 11. Local
Fire Departments will be
climbing stairs in full gear
to honor the fallen.
The community
is invited for a pancake
breakfast, a community
stair climb, family activ-
ities and a silent auction.
All proceeds go to the
South Morrow County Fire
Departments, Heppner,
Lexington, Ione.
“Bring your friends and
family. It is going to be a
great day,” said a spokes-
person.
2022 Chronicles available for purchase at bank and Murray
The 2022 Morrow County
Chronicles have arrived and
available for purchase at
Murray Drugs in Heppner,
and the Ione, Heppner,
Boardman, and Irrigon
branches of the Bank of
Eastern Oregon. Cost is $7.
The 11 articles, Cecil Post
Office and Store 1867”,
“Alice Wicklander Tatone”,
“The Oregon Trail-Willow
The Life and Legacy of
Dr. John E. Rawlins”,
“Lexington Jackrabbits”,
“Green’s Feed Store”, “Mr.
Michael “Mick” Tolar” all
written by talented authors.
Several photos are from
private collections.
Morrow County
Historical Society has past
issues of the Chronicles
available for purchase.
Please contact Kay Proctor
at kayproctor@gmail.com
Stair climb event symbol
HUNTERS!
The Heppner
G a z e t t e - Ti m e s
wants to see pic-
tures of your trophy
animals from this
hunting season.
Stop by to have
your picture taken,
email them to ed-
itor@rapidserve.
net or text cell
phone photos to
541-980-6674.
CALL
First Morrow County
Amateur Calf Roping
Saddle awarded to W.O
(Oscar) George in1950
541-989-8221
ext 204
-from the Heppner Gazette-
Times
Creek Crossing”, “Part
2 of the Sam Ensley and
His Family Story, A Real
Pioneer”, “She’s Wild;
Let’s Go!” The Heppner
Rodeo”, “Memories of Red
Leonard”, Remembrances
of Bill and Jane Rawlins”,
of the payment, Lindsay
did not respond to the Ga-
zette-Times’ request while
Russell and Doherty did
respond but said they would
not name the person, the
settlement amount or make
any further comment.
Subsequently this week the
Heppner Gazette-Times
submitted a formal public
records request to Nelson
and the county human re-
source officer asking for
documents believed to be
public record and relevant
to the settlement. “Morrow
County is in receipt of your
public records request,”
Nelson responded. He said
currently the county’s hu-
man resource attorney is out
of the country,” but said he
believed the attorney would
be checking his emails. “So
we will touch base with him
to see how quickly he can
assist (in responding to the
request),” Nelson added.
An attorney specializing
in public records who has
been contacted by the Ga-
zette-Times said: “If the
County claims records
exemptions, the County
needs to identify them,
specifically, and initially
provide everything else
in the file(s). The bur-
den is on the County,
not the Gazette-Times to
justify any withheld re-
cords,” the attorney said.
If the county does not
comply with the request
for public records the Ga-
zette-Times can file an ap-
peal with County District
Attorney Justin Nelson.
Shannon Wicklund
shows 2022 issue of
the Morrow County
Chronicles available at
Murray’s Drug Store in
Heppner.
Photo by Kay Proctor
for more
information