Local fire station and State
Farm teach kids to plan
their escape
50¢
VOL. 141
NO. 40 8 Pages
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Ribbon cutting held on opening of latest
big, new renewable energy facility
Governor attends launching ceremony near Lexington
Governor Kate Brown listens to the Heppner High
School Band at the Wheatridge ribbon cutting cer-
emony held last week near Lexington. Photos by Ryan
Left to righ: Steve Rhea - Chief, Linsey Kellogg,
Tatelynn “Tater” Kellogg, Lt. Trevor Rhea, FF Kati-
lyn Zinter, Eric Chick - Asst. Chief
The National Fire Protec- ning,” said Lorraine Carli,
tion Association (NFPA) vice president of the Out-
and State Farm are teaming reach and Advocacy divi-
up to educate kids about sion at NFPA.
fire safety during Fire Pre-
Pendleton
State
vention week, October Farm agent Kellogg en-
9-15. This year’s theme is courages all residents to
“Fire Won’t Wait…Plan actively support this year’s
Your Escape,” and the kits Fire Prevention Week cam-
were created by NFPA to paign by developing and
educate everyone about practicing a home escape
simple but important steps plan with all members of
they can take to keep them- their household.
selves and those around
“These materials
them safe.
capture the attention of
Linsey Kellogg is young audiences, but fire
one of many State Farm safety education isn’t just
agents across the country for school children,’ says
delivering 4,400 Fire Safe- Kellogg. “Fire presents
ty kits from the NFPA to real risk to all of us, mak-
thousands of fire depart- ing it important for every
ments, including Heppner. member of the community
The kit contains 500 items to take evacuation messag-
the fire station can use to es seriously and put them
teach kids the importance into action.”
of safe evacuations during
What causes home
a home fire. The kit was fires? Cooking is the lead-
donated in time for the fire ing cause of home fires in
station to have the items on the United States, starting
hand to distribute in Octo- almost half of all fires.
ber, which is Fire Safety Heating is the second
Month.
highest cause, followed by
“Today’s homes electrical systems/lighting
burn faster than ever. In a equipment and intentional
typical home fire, you may fires. Smoking is the fifth
have as little as two min- highest cause, but is the
utes (or even less time) leading cause of civilian
to safely escape from the home fire deaths. Candles
time the smoke alarm are also a significant cause
sounds. Your ability to get and are responsible for ap-
out depends on early warn- proximately 20 home fires
ing from working smoke reported every day.
alarms and advance plan-
Gerry
John and Paul Lindsay accept $2,000 check from
NextEra on behalf of Heppner’s Future Farmers
of America club. The money will be used for club
activities. Photo by Ryan Gerry
(L-R) NextEra Vice President of Development
and Origination Jim Shandalov, Portland Gener-
al Electric’s vice president of strategy, regulation
and energy supply, Brett Sims, Oregon Governor
Kate Brown and Morrow County Commissioner
Don Russell, cut the ribbon for the official opening
of the new Wheatridge energy facility located near
Lexington in Morrow County. Photo by Kayelee Jean
Espinola
The crowd was
A ribbon cut- entertained by music from
ting ceremony was held the Heppner High School
last week to celebrate the Band as local leaders min-
opening of the latest big gled with officials from
renewable energy facility the state government and
in Morrow County. Gov- NextEra and PGE. A check
ernor Kate Brown made from NextEra for $2,000
the trip east to mark the was also presented to John
occasion of a new energy and Paul Lindsay from the
project built here amongst Heppner Future Farmers of
the wheat fields of Mor- America club as a donation
row County. The project for activities.
covers 14,624 acres across
“We’re pleased
both Morrow and Umatilla to have Wheatridge Re-
counties.
newable Energy Facilities
Brown joined local leaders located in Morrow County
and NextEra Energy and and to play a part in provid-
Portland General Electric ing clean energy to Orego-
officials to celebrate the nians,” said Don Russell,
commissioning of what is Morrow County Commis-
the first large-scale ener- sioner. “This facility pro-
gy facility in North Amer- vides jobs and tax revenue
ica to put wind, solar and for our schools and county
battery storage together services while also sup-
for generating renewable porting economic oppor-
power for customers.
tunities for the agricultural
The ribbon cut- community. Wheatridge
ting was held under a large Renewable Energy Facili-
tent erected on Strawberry ties also strengthens Mor-
Lane near the intersection row County’s position in
of Bombing Range Rd. the region’s clean energy
and Hwy. 207 and featured economy.”
short speeches by Brown,
The
facilities
company officials and brought a significant in-
Morrow County Commis- vestment to the commu-
sioner Don Russell. ““Un- nity. Construction of the
der my administration, Wheatridge wind farm,
Oregon has taken a com- solar and storage sites
prehensive approach to created 300 jobs. Approx-
reducing our carbon emis- imately 10 full-time em-
sions and moving Oregon ployees operate the com-
towards 100 percent clean bined facilities. It includes
energy on one of the most 300 megawatts of wind, 50
ambitious timelines in the megawatts of solar and 30
nation,” Brown said.
megawatts of battery stor-
age. The battery storage
system stores electricity
not immediately used and
delivers it when the wind
is not blowing and the sun
is not shining.
Power from
Wheatridge will reach
PGE customers via a new
transmission line, con-
structed by Umatilla Elec-
tric Cooperative, that con-
nects Wheatridge locally
with the Bonneville Power
The facility is the largest of its kind in North Amer-
ica to combine wind, solar and battery storage.
NextEra photo
man Solar has also been
Administration’s region- approved by the siting
al high-voltage grid. The council. It will be locat-
wind towers actually went ed on 798 acres along I84
online producing electrici- west of Boardman near the
ty in 2020.
Gilliam County line.
PGE owns 100 mega-
watts of the wind project.
A subsidiary of NextEra
Energy Resources owns
the balance of the proj-
ect and will sell its out-
use
put to PGE under 30- and Few restrictions on educational,
The County can also
housing, and
Morrow
County
will
re-
20-year power purchase
invest
in restoring and bol-
public safety services – to
agreements. The NextEra ceive $1,462,104 in fed- their communities with stering government capac-
Energy Resources’ subsid- eral COVID grant funds these funds. Recipients ity, such as increasing the
iary built and operates the over the next two years, may also invest in infra- size of its workforce or in-
combined facility.
and apparently there are structure – from roads and vesting in improvements in
The solar portion of
bridges to water infrastruc- service delivery, like tech-
Wheatridge covers 357 few restrictions on how ture – to facilitate econom- nology infrastructure and
acres of private land, how- the funds may be spent.
data analysis resources,
The announcement re- ic development, improve that will improve delivery
ever the entire project cov-
health outcomes, or tran-
ers much more. The entire cently came from Senator sition their communities to of services to their com-
facility is divided into two Ron Wyden’s office. “This clean energy.”
continued page 2
groups, Wheatridge West federal investment in ru-
and Wheatridge East. ral Oregon and all parts
Wheatridge West is locat- of our state is timely and
ed entirely within Morrow welcome news as coun-
Heppner High School celebrates homecoming
County, bisected by Ore- ties work on their com-
gon Highway 207, approx- munities’ needs to support this week with dress-up days, a parade, a mud tug-of-
imately 5 miles northeast roads, schools and more war, cross country, culminating with Mustang volley-
of Lexington and approx- that all add up to a qual- ball and football games .
Following is the HHS Homecoming Week
imately 7 miles northwest ity-of-life families and
of Heppner. Wheatridge small businesses depend Schedule:
East is located approxi- on,” Wyden said. Morrow Oct. 3- Babies vs. Senior Citizens theme
mately 16 miles northeast County will apparently Oct. 4- Anything but a Backpack & Anything but a
of Heppner and includes have broad discretion on Baseball Hat themes
land in both Morrow and uses of funds similar to Oct. 5- Blue & Gold, 6 p.m. Mud Tug-O-War &
Umatilla counties. Wheat- the ways it uses money Bonfire
ridge West and Wheatridge from its own local revenue Oct. 6- Dress Like Your Hallway; 10:30 a.m. Parade
& Pep Rally on Main Street.; 3:30 pm Cross Coun-
East are connected via a sources.
According to federal try
230 kV transmission line
Morrow County guidelines the county can @ the Thompson Ranch; 5 p.m. DIG PINK JV/
is becoming very active use the money to “main- Varsity Volleyball vs. Weston-McEwen High School;
in the renewable energy tain or expand public ser- 7 p.m. Mustang Football vs. Weston-McEwen High
production business, with vices – such as health, School.
another solar facility pro-
posed on 7,450 acre, 11.64
square miles, just south of
the bombing range.
Called Wagon
Trail Solar Project, this
CALL
facility is also being con-
structed by NextEra and is
currently before the Ore-
gon Energy Facility Siting
ext 204
Council awaiting approval.
The Wagon Trail facility
for more
has solar generation and
information
also battery storage, two
substations, a maintenance
building and 1.5 miles of
overhead transmission line
included.
Another smaller 75-watt
solar facility called Board-
County to receive $1.4 million
federal COVID relief grant
HHS celebrates
homecoming this week
541-989-8221