EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Ione Senior Spotlight
Madison Orem showing at the fair
Madison Orem driving a forklift.
Madison Orem is a se-
nior at Ione Community
School.
Madison’s re-
sume and involvement in
our school, community,
and region are impressive.
Madison is our ASB Presi-
dent, a National Honor So-
ciety Member, a two sport
athlete, and an active FFA
member. In the fall, you
will find Madison spend-
ing any of her extra time
on the volleyball court as
a captain of our varsity
team. In the spring, you
will find her on the softball
field. The description of
“an active FFA member”
may not have done justice
to her involvement. Mad-
ison is the Ione FFA Chap-
ter President and the Blue
Mt. District Vice Presi-
dent.
These activities and roles
are enough for any school
or community member to
celebrate and be proud,
but I was most impressed
when I saw Madison
working as a student in-
tern with Morrow County
Grain Growers. This is the
second year that Madison
has taken advantage of this
internship offered through
Public nitrate water meeting
Other speakers gave
similar testimony with all
English statements being
translated real time into
Spanish and vice versa.
All the printed material
likewise were offered in
both languages.
According to the Ore-
gon Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality (DEQ)
high levels of nitrate in
drinking water can cause
health problems. This in-
cludes respiratory and re-
productive diseases, as
well as kidney, spleen and
thyroid problems. Nitrate is
most harmful to infants and
people who are pregnant.
High levels of nitrate can
increase the risk of met-
hemoglobinemia, or blue
baby syndrome, especially
for infants who drink baby
formula mixed with water
containing nitrate above
the safe level.
Also speaking at the
meeting was a represen-
tative of business, Debbie
Radie vice president of
operations at Boardman
Foods. She gave a detailed
overview of the help her
and other businesses in
Morrow County have given
in the effort to address the
high nitrate contaminated
water supply. “We want ac-
tion we don’t want another
30 years with no money
available for this,” she said
in referencing how long
local and state officials
of know about the nitrate
problem.
Also in attendance at
the meeting were repre-
sentatives of the Port of
Morrow, State Rep Greg
Smith and Senator Ron
Wyden. Senator Jeff Merk-
ley gave a video presen-
tation which was played
to the crowd. Boardman
Mayor Paul Keefer was
also in attendance, and it
was emphasized that the
city treats its water so there
was not contamination for
those on the city water
system of either Boardman
or Irrigon.
Blamed for the well
contamination is exces-
sive fertilizer applications
on farms, manure from
large livestock operations
and wastewater from food
processors being applied
on fields causing high
levels of the compound
nitrate being leaked into an
aquifer that supplies water
to people in both Morrow
and Umatilla Counties in
an area called the Lower
Umatilla Basin Ground-
water Management Area
(LUBGWMA).
In answering a question
from the audience if any of
the companies that created
the water contamination
would be held legally re-
sponsible for damages,
Doherty said there were
people both federal and
DEQ who were supposed
to be protecting the people
but did not. “For a lot of
years, they didn’t or did not
do it to a level that protect-
ed us. They were protecting
some of these things that
went on,” he said.
Doherty pointed to the
Yakima Valley in Washing-
ton that also had a severe
nitrate problem. He said
their water group looked
more like the community
and “they told the dairy
and farm industry that if
you are going to do these
things, then you have to
take care of people that
are drinking that water,”
Doherty told the crowd. “I
don’t know if we want the
heavy hand of the federal
government here,” Doherty
said.
The DEQ designated it “But I don’t disagree that
a groundwater manage- the state is tasked with
ment area in 1990 because coming out and if there are
of high levels of nitrate bad actors then those bad
in the groundwater. It›s actors are going to pay,”
one of three groundwater he said of companies being
management areas in liable for damages.
Although he recogniz-
Oregon. Doherty took a
es
the
work of the LUB-
shot a the LUBGWMA
GWMA
group, none of
committee saying there
them
represent
the affected
has been no action from
community,”
Doherty
says
the group to cure the prob-
of
that
group’s
efforts.
“I
lem “because none of them
appreciate
what
they
are
drink the water.”
doing. Their hearts are in
~ G-T Trophy Corner ~
Madison Orem
senior pictures
The Port of Morrow’s
Work-force Development
Program. As pictured, you
will see Madison operating
a forklift to load a trailer
for a customer at MGCC
in Ione.
Madison is currently ex-
ploring college options
for life after high school
graduation, but she will be
looking to major in an ag-
riculture related field. We
know she will be a great
ambassador for us any-
where she goes.
“We are looking forward
to running more Senior
Spotlights from the Ione
Community School. We
are proud of our students,
and we look forward to
celebrating their accom-
plishments with you.”
-Continued from PAGE ONE
The Heppner Gazette Times would like to see pictures of your trophy animals
from this hunting season. Please send a photo along with your name, age, town
you live in, location of the hunt and a description of the animal to editor@
rapidserve.net, upload to Heppner.net or text to 541-980-6674.
Devon Brittner 5-6 bull Heppner unit
Sheriff’s Report
The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office has released
MCSO August 27
-MCSO officer responded to a report of a disabled truck
on the ramp at Hwy. 730 and I-84 Boardman. The vehi-
cle was towed away.
-MCSO responded to a request for extra patrols at the
Over the Tee Cup
Country Garden in Irrigon because of drivers tearing
It was windy and cool for the Willow Creek Country
up the roads.
Club Ladies Play Day September 20.
-MCSO responded to a subject in Heppner who said
Low Gross of the Field-Virginia Grant
she had a restraining order against a male who had
Low Net of the Field-Pat Edmundson
someone make third party contract with her on Face-
Least Putts of the Field-Kris Lindner
book. She requested to speak to a deputy. The incident
Low Gross: Pat Dougherty and Betty Carter
is under investigation.
Low Net-Jackie Allstott
-MCSO received report from a subject on Utah Ave. in
Long Drive: Virginia Grant, Pat Dougherty, Kris Lind- Irrigon who said a white Chevy Suburban “went flying
ner
past his house and went down 10th”. MCSO was un-
Longest Putt-Pat Edmundson
able to locate the vehicle.
Long Drive-Virginia Grant, Pat Dougherty and Kris
-MCSO received report from a Spanish speaking sub-
Lindner
ject at Farmland Reserves, Inc., on Pole Line Rd. in
The fall meeting will get underway Tuesday, Sep-
Boardman who said he noticed some of his paperwork,
tember 27, at 8 a.m., with play at 9 a.m. and lunch at
including the title, missing from his truck at work.
11:30 a.m.
Some of the paperwork was recovered, but the title was
still missing. The caller thought he knew who was re-
sponsible. MCSO responded.
-MCSO received report of a 40-year-old female who
crashed her dirt bike at the Morrow County OHV park.
The family said they were driving her to the hospital
and no emergency services were necessary.
-MCSO received report from a man in Irrigon who
said his son was dog sitting and while his son was at
the house, a late model dark gray SUV stopped at the
house looking for a deputy. The caller said he thought
it was suspicious. MCSO advised that he would patrol
the area through the night.
-MCSO received a hangup/abandoned call and attempt-
ed call back, but the line was completely silent.
-MCSO received request for a welfare check and wa-
ter provided to a disabled motorist on I-84 Boardman.
MCSO responded.
-MCSO received report of a subject with a possible
stroke at Lamb Weston in Paterson. The caller was con-
217 North Main St., Heppner, OR
nected to Benton County 911.
Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426
-MCSO received request for deputy contact from a
murraysdrug.com
woman in Irrigon regarding prank phone calls she had
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm
received. She reported that she believes she knows who
Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 9am-2pm
it is and wanted to discuss her options.
PHARMACY - Mon-Fri 9am-6pm
the right place,” but add-
ed that “now that there is
attention on the problem,
they want to get some-
thing done because you
all are watching them.”
Doherty said his wife was
at a recent LUBGWMA
meeting and said, although
the group is working hard,
“there is not one of them
that drink the water. We
have to help them. We can
never let the community
be outside the equation
again,” he said in pointing
to the crowd. Doherty has
said in the past there is a
lack of Latino represen-
tation on the LUBGW-
MA committee as another
reason the group doesn’t
accomplish as much as it
should.
How much funding will
become available in the
future, and what it will be
spent on, is at this point
unclear, however Doherty
said the state emergency
board will meet soon and
there should be an oppor-
tunity then and in the later
regular session of the leg-
islature to receive funds. In
his video address Merkley
also said federal money
will probably be coming.
Outside of testing, bottled
water, messaging and well
filters, however, a specific
long-range plan and the
cost to alleviate the nitrate
contamination problem has
not yet been put forward
either at the local, state or
federal level.
Obituaries
Morris M. McCarl
Morris Melvin McCarl of Lexington, Oregon
passed away Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at the age of 87.
Morris was born at Geddes, South Dakota, De-
cember 29, 1934, the son of Henry and Audrey (Field)
McCarl. He moved to Crawfordsville, Oregon, at the
age of five with his family. He helped his dad on their
farm. Shortly after, the family moved to Harrisburg,
Oregon.
At the age of 16 he helped with the “hop”
harvest. Morris moved to California with a friend and
worked in a cannery for a short period of time. He soon
moved to Lexington, Oregon, and worked as a flagger
at the airport. He worked on building the Ruggs Ele-
vator. Morris began working at Kinzua Corporation in
Heppner and worked at the mill for 31 years.
Morris married Shirley Hunt in Albany, Ore-
gon, on August 22, 1952. They started their married
life in Lexington, Oregon. They raised three children.
The entire family enjoyed the hobby of racing horses in
past years. They raised a few animals on the McCarls’
mini farm also.
Morris enjoyed fishing, gardening, humming-
birds, raising goats and spending time with his family.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley McCarl,
daughters, Barbara Coiner and Sharon Morris (Bill),
and son, Lee McCarl. Grandchildren include Aus-
tin Coiner (Lindsey), Josh Coiner (Melissa), and Dan
Coiner, Kimberly Morris Woolfolk (Mike), Ben McCa-
rl (Maddie) and Zach McCarl (Savannah). Great-grand-
children include Delainey and Griffin Coiner, Jackson,
Keaton and Harper Coiner, Mirri and Sigsby McCarl
and Clara McCarl
He was preceded in death by his parents, broth-
ers and sister.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday,
September 24, 2022, at Penland Cemetery in Lexing-
ton.
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Kirsten
and her family moved
to Ione 3 years ago. She
has a 13 year old daughter
and a 3 year old daughter
who both attend school
in Heppner. Her oldest is
in High School band and
Volleyball, so you will see
her at games. She was
also the Juniors Softball
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band works for AWS. She
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