Mustangs set sights on
Oakland at semifinals
Heppner takes down Rams in
hard-fought victory
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VOL. 141
NO. 46 8 Pages
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Morrow County votes
County signs with
DEQ Ione site cleanup to move forward with
been approached to be on
By Andrea Di Salvo
Greater Idaho
Morrow County Com- the committee and make
missioner Melissa Lindsay
told the board of commis-
sioners at its regular meet-
ing Nov. 9 that progress
was being made to get the
Department of Environ-
mental Quality involved
with the cleanup of the old
gas station in Ione.
Lindsay asked that the
board sign an access agree-
ment with the DEQ to give
the department access to the
site at 320 Main Street to
move the process forward.
The county owns the prop-
erty through a foreclosure.
She said the DEQ was
ready to go in and start
work on the site, which
would include sampling,
monitoring and inspecting
air, groundwater and/or soil
at the site. They would also
decommission the under-
ground storage tanks and
remove contaminated soil
and groundwater so the site
could be cleared to DEQ
standards. The department
would also restore the site
to original condition except
for any asphalt that might
need to be removed.
“DEQ has already start-
ed contracting processes
with a company to consult
on this project. DEQ will
carry this administratively
and do all the work,” she
said. “The site itself doesn’t
have asphalt, but it is on
Main Street in Ione.
“If there should be
damage to Main Street in
Ione, that would be a dif-
ferent conversation,” she
added.
Lindsay stressed that
the property was a brown-
field project and would use
brownfield dollars, with the
DEQ bearing financial re-
sponsibility for the project.
A brownfield site is defined
as a former industrial or
commercial site where fu-
ture use is affected by real
or perceived environmental
contamination. The state
provides assistance to com-
munities looking to clean
up brownfield properties.
“Because the county
owns the property, they’re
just super excited to jump
in and help a government
entity get a property like
this back into good stand-
ing,” she said, adding that
she envisioned handing the
property over to ICABO for
further development. “I’d
love us to sign this access
agreement, give me authori-
ty to walk this a little further
down the line,” Lindsay
said, “and walk this through
to a clean handoff, within
12 months, I’m told.”
Lindsay also reported
that the Lower Umatilla Ba-
sin Groundwater Manage-
ment Area (LUBGWMA)
committee was undergoing
a reset and that she and
commissioner Dan Dorran
of Umatilla County had
recommendations for filling
the other seats.
The LUBGWMA is a
voluntary committee un-
der the management of
the DEQ. It was formed
in 1990 but became more
active after the county ni-
trate issues came to the
forefront. DEQ’s Randy
Jones had been spearhead-
ing the effort to create a
more actionable committee
with a voting membership.
Committee members were
announced at a recent meet-
ing. Jones retires at the end
of the year, and Lindsay and
Dorran had drafted a letter
asking that he continue with
LUBGWMA into 2023 to
maintain consistency, espe-
cially considering Lindsay
would be leaving the com-
mittee at the end of her term
as commissioner.
County Planner Tamra
Mabbott agreed with the
step.
“He is a voice of rea-
son. He has an incredi-
ble amount of institutional
knowledge, particularly
about LUBGWMA. To lose
Randy would be a really big
step back,” she said. “Even
though his name is attached
to DEQ, he sees the big
picture.”
In old business, Lind-
say updated the board on an
abandoned cistern located
on county land but sur-
rounded by property owned
by Willow Creek Valley
Economic Development
Group. WCVEDG is cur-
rently working to get grants
and infrastructure together
for housing development
on their property.
Lindsay said her re-
search had proven that the
county still owns the cistern
and has taken no action
toward fencing it or re-
moving it, which would be
dangerous and detrimental
to housing development.
Lindsay said she would
like to work with public
works staff to visit the site
and come back with a plan
for potential removal and
cleanup of the cistern, pos-
sibly deeding the property
to WCVEDG once it had
been taken care of. The
piece of land is not large
enough to be developed on
its own.
Board of Commission-
ers Chair Jim Doherty en-
couraged Lindsay to move
forward with gathering
information. Commissioner
Don Russell said if it would
be doable to take care of
the cistern, he wouldn’t be
opposed to donating the
property. “It’s for the public
good,” he said.
Changes included al-
lowing gift cards to be
purchased for a victims
witness or similar circum-
stances and the requirement
that Morrow County be
reimbursed for any charges
made without an accom-
panying itemized receipt.
Authorized credit card us-
ers for the county will be
required to sign the new
policy going forward.
Morrow County Asses-
sor Mike Gorman expressed
concern about requiring
reimbursement where a de-
tailed receipt was lacking.
“I know there are some
cases where you cannot get
a detailed receipt,” he said.
County goes red, prohibits
psilocybin businesses
Morrow County voted
to move forward with the
Greater Idaho movement
in the Nov. 8 election. The
county approved county
measure 25-88 with 60
percent of the votes, 2,315
compared to 1,522. The
measure passed in every
precinct, though the mar-
gins were closest in Board-
man, Lexington and Ione,
with Irrigon and Heppner
showing the most support.
The vote makes Mor-
row County one of 11 East-
ern Oregon counties to
officially support further
discussion on joining Idaho.
The measure requires the
county commissioners to
meet three times yearly to
discuss Morrow County’s
interests in relocating the
state border.
According to a state-
ment from the movement,
“County clerks have re-
fused to allow the move-
ment gather signatures in
Crook and Gilliam coun-
ties, and county commis-
sioners in Crook, Gilliam,
and Umatilla counties have
not yet agreed to put an
advisory question regarding
the issue on the ballot.”
The Greater Idaho
movement seeks to get a
resolution passed in the
next sessions of both state
legislatures that would in-
vite discussions between
state leaders on moving the
border.
In other election news,
the county went firmly
red in federal and state
elections. Though losing
narrowly in the state-wide
election, Republican Chris-
tine Drazan swept the coun-
ty vote in the governor’s
race with 2,947 compared
to Tina Kotek’s 590 votes
and Betsy Johnson’s 382.
Incumbent Ron Wyden
won the U.S. Senate race
by 56 percent at the state
level, but Republican Jo
Rae Perkins topped him
in Morrow County by a
margin of 2,720 to 1,134,
or 68 percent. Republican
Cliff Bentz was a runaway
winner in the U.S. House of
Representatives District 2
race, including in Morrow
County, where he garnered
78 percent of the vote.
All four statewide mea-
sures passed at the state
level, but Morrow County
voted down three of them
by wide margins. Only
measure 111, which dis-
qualifies legislators with 10
unexcused absences from
-Continued to PAGE FIVE floor sessions from being
re-elected, passed in the
county. Precinct support
wasn’t unanimous, how-
ever, with both Lexington
and Ione voting down the
measure.
Voters at the county
level and in each individual
city voted to prohibit psi-
locybin-related businesses.
Measure 25-91 passed with
65 percent of the vote. Each
city passed individual psilo-
cybin-related prohibitions
with at least 60 percent of
the vote.
Other local election
results are:
City of Heppner
Mayor—Corey Swee-
ney; Council Position 4—
Dale Bates; Council Posi-
tion 5—Sharon Inskeep;
Council Position 6—Adam
Doherty.
City of Ione
Mayor—Michael
Skow; Council Position 1—
Jason Carson; Council Po-
sition 2—Beverly Benson;
Council Position 4—Brian
Spivey. Council Position 5
had no candidate filed.
Town of Lexington
Council Position 3—
Katie Imes; Council Posi-
tion 4—Barbara “Bobbi”
Gordon.
City of Irrigon
Councilor at Large
(vote for 3)—Michelle Pat-
ton, Heather Bishop and
Benjamin Calvert garnered
the most votes out of seven
candidates.
City of Boardman
Councilor at Large
(vote for 3)—Roy Drago
Jr., Karen Pettigrew and
Isaac Williams won the
top three spots out of four
candidates filed.
Miff Devin and Colin
McElligott were elected
Morrow County Soil and
Water Conservation direc-
tors. One SWCD position
had no candidate filed.
Top: #68 Jacob Lentz stuffs Ram player
Bottom: #24 Caden George stiff-arms Ram defender
-Phots by Kirsti Cason
Jake Lentz punted the ball
The Heppner Mustang
away. Regis went on a long
football team advanced to
drive and got the ball to
the OSAA 2A State Foot-
the Mustang five-yard line.
ball Championship semi-fi-
Then the Heppner defense
nals with an 8-6 victory
stiffened and held the Rams
over the Regis Rams. With
on downs without scoring.
their quarterfinal win the
The Mustangs got the ball
Mustangs will travel to
out of trouble and advanced
Hillsboro Stadium to take
it to near midfield before
on the Oakland Oakers this
they were forced to punt
Saturday at 2:15 p.m. The
again. Regis took control
Oakers have a 10-1 record
of the ball with 10 minutes
and ended the season as the
left in the game and tried to
number-one ranked team in
get something going. The
the OSAA State rankings.
Heppner defense wasn’t
In the game with Regis,
about to give up and forced
the Rams got the ball first
another Regis punt.
and drove the ball to mid-
The Mustangs got the
field, where the Heppner
ball on their own 28-yard
defense toughened up and
line with 8:53 left in the
held them on downs. The
game. They ran the ball
Mustangs took over and ran
well and continued to get
the ball 12 straight times.
much needed first downs as
A pass completion of 12
the clock ticked down. The
yards from Caden George
Mustangs dominated the
to Cameron Proudfoot got
line of scrimmage as they
ball to the Regis eight-
ran 15 plays, travelled 67
yard line. Two plays later
yards and ate up the entire
George handed the ball off
time left in the game as they
to Saul Lopez, who scored a
got to the Regis five-yard
touchdown from five yards
line. George then took a
out to make the score 6-0.
knee to end the game with
George then passed the
another Mustang victory
ball to Proudfoot for the
8-6.
two-point conversion to
Heppner had a total of
make the score 8-0 half way
275 yards of offense and
through the first quarter.
Regis finished with 233.
Both teams relied heav-
The Mustangs ran the ball
ily on their run games to
for 234 yards and Regis 99.
control the clock and the
Passing yards for Heppner
Mustangs went on a 12-play
were 41 and for the Rams
drive in the second quarter
134. Heppner dominated
that ate up a lot of time.
the time of possession with
The Mustangs then threw
36:12 to Regis with 11:48.
an interception, but Regis
George was 5-7 passing
could do nothing with it.
the ball for 41 yards. Proud-
The Rams threw their own
foot caught all five of the
interception when Proud-
passes for 41 yards.
foot jumped in front of a
Leading the way in
pass and gave the Mustangs
rushing was George, who
the ball at the Regis 16-yard
finished with 152 yards
line. Heppner drove the
on 31 carries. Lopez ran
ball all the way down the
the ball for 50 yards and a
field in 12 plays to get to
touchdown on 10 carries,
the one-yard line. Heppner
and Ty Boor had 18 yards.
couldn’t score as the time
Proudfoot carried the ball
in the first half expired with
for seven yards and Hayden
the Mustangs leading 8-0.
McMahon finished with
Regis scored on their
two.
first possession of the sec-
On the defensive side
ond half to make it 8-6.
of the ball, George led the
George, Lopez and the
team with nine tackles.
interior defensive line for
Proudfoot and Cade Cun-
the Mustangs blew up the
ningham each finished with
Regis two-point conversion
five, and Boor and Landon
attempt, so it failed, and the
Mitchell each had four.
score remained 8-6.
With three tackles each
On the ensuing Hep-
were Lentz, Lopez, Tucker
pner possession, the Mus-
Ashbeck, David Cribbs and
tangs were stopped and
Jaime Cavan.