50¢
VOL. 143
NO. 36 8 Pages
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Health district talks accomplishments,
credit lines at Aug. 28 meeting
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Health District Board heard
a long list of accomplish-
ments for the past fiscal
year at its last meeting but
was also faced with a pos-
sible shortfall in cash flow,
thanks in part to hiccups
with a new software.
Regarding cash flow
concerns, the MCHD board
approved a tax anticipation
note with the Bank of East-
ern Oregon for up to $2.5
million at its meeting Aug.
28 in Heppner.
MCHD Chief Oper-
ating Officer Nicole Ma-
honey requested the board
approve the line of credit
due to an anticipated cash
shortfall between now and
when the district receives
its next tax payments in
November.
“In the event that we
need to draw ahead to cov-
er cash flow and operation
ahead of receiving those tax
proceeds from that first dis-
tribution,” she explained.
The district usually gets
the bulk of its tax proceeds
at the end of November.
Last year that amount was
around $2.7 million. The
total tax levy the district
expects to receive for the
fiscal year is $3.5 million.
Mahoney said that $3.5
million is a conservative
number and that the district
is assured of getting the
taxes because they have
already been levied.
At the same time, Ma-
honey said the district needs
the line of credit because
it has seen some cash flow
disruption with its conver-
sion to Thrive, with claims
being delayed.
“We’re working on it
diligently, but there’s still
a delay,” said Mahoney.
“We’ll still collect them
but not in the time frame
are accustomed to in terms
of keeping our cash flow
rolling.”
Mahoney said another
reason for the ask was the
significant number of cost
increases the health district
incurred this year.
“We won’t receive the
cash from those until the
cost report is settled,” she
said, adding that it would
likely be January. “A couple
of those delays could cause
significant cash flow burden
for us.”
She said the Bank of
EO is willing to lend to
MCHD on a line of credit
up to $2.5 million. Any-
thing borrowed will be paid
back as soon as the district
receives its tax distribution
from the county.
“It’s really just bor-
rowing in anticipation of
getting them,” she said. “I
don’t honestly think that
we’re going to need to draw
that. We may need to draw
some of it.”
MCHD Board Mem-
ber John Murray said he
agreed.
“And, boy, Thrive is
a real challenge, that’s all
I can say,” said Murray.
“The software is not very
supportive of operations in
my opinion.”
“Everybody’s in a
tough situation in health-
care here, in the whole
state,” said MCHD Board
Vice Chair Diane Kilken-
ny, adding that a hospital
in Eugene just closed and
Oregon Health and Science
University is absorbing
Legacy Health.
The board approved
the tax anticipation note
-Continued to PAGE SIX
Robbins retires from Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office
Morrow County
mosquitoes test
positive for West
Nile virus
A mosquito pool captured in Morrow County in August has
tested positive for West Nile virus. - Contributed photo
West Nile virus was
detected in a mosquito pool
captured Aug. 21 on the
Umatilla National Wildlife
Refuge according to the
Oregon State University
Veterinary Diagnostic Lab-
oratory.
North Morrow Vector
Control District Manager
Gregory Barron says they
are advising people in Mor-
row County to take precau-
tions against mosquitoes to
avoid the risk of infection,
including preventing mos-
quito bites.
West Nile virus is
spread to humans through
the bite of an infected mos-
quito. About 80 percent
of people infected with
West Nile do not develop
symptoms, while one in five
might develop a fever with
-Continued to PAGE FIVE
Heppner hires new
city manager
John Doherty
Local man John
Doherty has been hired
as the new Heppner City
Manager, the Heppner City
Council announced this
week. As city manager,
Doherty will oversee the
city’s business and commu-
nity affairs.
“I am excited and eager
to take on this new task, and
to serve the city, taking care
of day-to-day issues and
concerns, and meeting the
needs of the various city
commissions and commit-
tees,” said Doherty.
Morrow County Sheriff John Bowles (left) congratulates Morrow County Parole and Probation Lt. Dan Robbins (right) upon
Doherty is a long-time
Heppner native, raised in
the Sand Hollow area. He
attended Carroll College
in Montana, graduating
with a bachelor’s degree
in economics and business
management.
Doherty comes to the
city with a variety of work
experience. He has spent
time in the construction
trade, employed in framing,
roofing and concrete work.
He has held supervisory
roles in the food processing
industry and, most recently,
was employed by the Bank
of Eastern Oregon.
He is involved in the
Heppner community as a
current city council mem-
ber and is an officer in the
local Elks Lodge. He is also
a member of the Heppner
IOOF Lodge.
Doherty is to start at
city hall mid-September.
Citizens are encouraged to
stop by city hall and wel-
come him to the new job.
his retirement. Robbins retired earlier this year after 13 years with Morrow County Sheriff’s Office. Robbins did not only
work for parole and probation; he was instrumental in setting up and organizing the parole and probation division begin-
ning in 2010. Robbins also received a plaque in recognition of his service. “Your hard work has developed this division into
the effective community service it is today,” the plaque stated. “Thank you for your 13 years of service to Morrow County.”
-Photo courtesy of MCSO
Public use restrictions
eased on the Umatilla
Federal grant gives local dairy a solar boost National Forest
Terry Felda’s business, Tin Willow Sheep Dairy, has operated
in South Morrow for more than a decade. It will receive money
for new solar panels this year through a government grant.
-File photo
A local sheep dairy
will be getting some new
solar panels thanks to a
grant from the Rural En-
ergy for America Program
(REAP) program, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announced last
week.
Ti n Wi l low S heep
Dairy of Lexington, owned
by Terry Felda, will receive
$11,824 to purchase and
install an 8.76 kilowatt
(kW) roof-mounted solar
photovoltaic system on top
of its dairy building.
The system is expected
to generate 9,775 kilowatt
hours (kWh) of renewable
electricity per year, which
is enough energy to power
one home. According to a
USDA press release, the
solar array will replace 55
percent of Tin Willow’s
energy use with renewable
electricity, reducing Felda’s
utility bill by $782 per year.
Felda’s dairy is one
of 1,334 renewable ener-
gy and energy-efficiency
projects in 47 states, Guam
and Puerto Rico to receive
a combined $266 million
in loans and grants through
REAP, including funding
from President Joe Biden’s
Inflation Reduction Act.
“Creating opportuni-
ty for rural communities
means investing in farmers,
ranchers, and small busi-
nesses,” USDA Secretary
Tom Vilsack said. “These
once-in-a-generation in-
vestments in renewable
energy, like wind and so-
lar, and energy efficient
technologies create new
markets and deliver real
cost savings for our small
and mid-sized agricultural
operations and Main Street
businesses, building and
keeping wealth in rural
America.”
The Department ex-
pects to make addition-
al awards in the coming
months. Eligible applicants
include rural small business
owners and agricultural
producers.
USDA continues to
accept applications and will
hold funding competitions
quarterly through Sept. 30,
2024. The funding includes
$144.5 million for underuti-
lized renewable energy
technologies.
As of late last month,
and just in time for hunting
season, Umatilla National
Forest officials have re-
duced public use restric-
tions (PURs) to Phase A,
which is the first level of re-
strictions that are generally
implemented when the fire
danger is moderate to high.
PURS are phased in
collectively, as conditions
warrant, and may differ
from forest to forest. Re-
strictions under Phase A
include:
Chainsaws may be op-
erated only between the
hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.
local time. A one-hour fire
watch is required after saw
operations cease. Saw op-
-Continued to PAGE TWO
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information