Heppner women
take third at state
50¢
VOL. 143
NO. 45 8 Pages
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Grady Greenwood ends his
season on top
Port of Morrow Commission Approves
DEQ Settlement
According to a press
release issued by the DEQ
(Oregon Department of
Environmental
Quali-
ty), a settlement has been
reached between the DEQ
and the Port of Morrow
regarding wastewater per-
mit and nitrate violations
in Morrow and Umatilla
counties in Oregon. As part
of the settlement, the port
will provide $1,933,721 to
support safe drinking wa-
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area, which includes wa-
ter testing, treatment, and
delivery. Additionally, the
port will pay a civil penal-
ty of $483,430 to the state
treasury.
The Lower Umatilla
Basin Groundwater Man-
agement Area (LUBGW-
MA) relies on groundwater
as its primary drinking wa-
ter source. However, ele-
vated levels of nitrate have
been detected in some pri-
vate wells, posing serious
health risks. Sources of
nitrate include agricultural
fertilizers, animal manure,
industrial wastewater (in-
cluding from the Port of
Morrow), and septic sys-
tems.
DEQ Director Leah
Feldon stated that this set-
tlement serves two pur-
poses: providing funding
for safe drinking water to
those in need and holding
the Port of Morrow ac-
countable for permit viola-
tions. DEQ has been work-
ing closely with the port
to improve its wastewater
treatment and reuse, with
the ultimate goal of ensur-
ing compliance with water
quality regulations and im-
proving groundwater in the
area.
To address the issue,
the Oregon Health Au-
thority (OHA) is already
R൵HULQJ IUHH ZDWHU TXDOL-
ty testing, treatment, and
- Contributed Photo
delivery to residents with
private wells in the Low-
er Umatilla Basin. The
funds from this settlement
will supplement OHA’s
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recommends that private
well users across Oregon
regularly test for bacteria,
nitrate, and arsenic, which
are common groundwater
pollutants in the state.
The total settlement
amount is $2.4 million,
with the port required to
follow a compliance plan
that includes additional
restrictions aimed at re-
ducing the risk of ground-
water contamination. The
plan includes higher pen-
alties for applying waste-
water near drinking water
supplies, no increase in
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new treatment and storage
systems are operation-
al, and requirements to
assess crops and facility
infrastructure. The port is
also working with state
agencies to develop strat-
egies for reducing waste-
water during the next two
growing seasons while
long-term wastewater in-
frastructure solutions are
being implemented.
Under DEQ’s Sup-
plemental Environmental
Project policy, up to 80%
of the penalty can be allo-
cated towards an approved
project. In this case, $1.9
million will go towards
(Top) Heppner High school cross country grils pose with
their 3rd place state trophy. (Below) Hunter Greewood
standing on the 1st place podeum for the 5000 meter race.
- Contributed Photo
The
M u s t a n g Meters.
cross-country teams
As impressive as their
showed they had the endur- team performances were,
ance to make it all the way senior Grady Greenwood
at the OSAA Cross Country and sophomore Lily Nich-
3A/2A/1A State Cham- ols again led the charge in
-Continued to PAGE SIX pionships in Eugene last gaining individual places
Saturday. After a season of on the podium.
ups and down—but mostly
Greenwood has made a
ups—the women’s team KDELWRIWDNLQJ¿UVWWKLVVHD-
took third in the 3A/2A/1A son, and that didn’t change
5,000 Meters, while the at the state meet. While
Mustang men placed sixth Greenwood didn’t beat
at the Port of Morrow and in their own 2A/1A 5,000
-Continued to PAGE NINE
how to get funding for an
Olson Road I-84 overpass.
ODOT was also in-
volved in several House
Bill 2017 projects in Hep-
pner and Irrigon, as well
as working with Morrow
County to develop its new
transit system. That sys-
tem will include a Hep-
pner-Boardman connector
and a Boardman-Port of
Morrow circular.
“There’s been a lot of
growth of transit, especially
here in Umatilla and Mor-
row counties,” Patterson
said. “As we have more
growth and try to get people
to jobs, we’ve expanded our
transit.”
Those services will also
tie in with Kayak’s regional
network.
“That’s been the back- Hayden McHahon (13) can’t be stopped as he drags a Regis
bone of our transit in East- player across the goaline during Heppner’s win Saturday.
ern Oregon. The CTUIR - Photo by Tylynn Cimmyotti
(Confederated Tribes of
The Heppner Mustang George for another first
the Umatilla Indian Res-
football
team won their down for the Mustangs
ervation) has built a really
opening
game
of the OSAA at the Tigers 2-yard line.
robust intercity program,”
2A State Football Champi- Hayden McMahon ran the
-Continued to PAGE SEVEN onships with a 28-7 victory ball in from there for the
over the Bandon/Pacific touchdown. Caden George
Tigers. With the win the punched the ball in for the
Mustangs (8-2) move on 2-pt. conversion to make
WRSOD\DTXDUWHU¿QDOJDPH the score 8-0.
against the Regis Rams.
Martin Medina kicked
ing in the works with Ore-
The Pirates kicked off for the Mustangs and
gon Governor Tina Kotek. off to start the game and just four plays later Caden
“Things are starting to Heppner moved the ball George forced a Tiger
open up a little bit where ULJKW GRZQ WKH ¿HOG IRU D fumble. Caleb George
at least we’re talking about score. The ten-play drive scooped the ball up to give
things,” said McCarter.
was highlighted by an 11- Heppner possession near
The board of commis- \DUGUXQIRUD¿UVWGRZQE\ midfield. The Mustangs
sioners opened the floor Hayden McMahon, a 23- moved the ball down the
yard run by Mason Orem,
-Continued to PAGE SEVEN
and a 10-yard run by Caden -Continued to PAGE SEVEN
ODOT region manager talks progress,
funding issues with county commission
By Andrea Di Salvo
Road maintenance is
going to continue to be
a struggle due to lack of
funding, an Oregon Dept.
of Transportation (ODOT)
representative told the Mor-
row County Board of Com-
missioners recently.
The topic came up when
Ken Patterson, ODOT Re-
gion 5 Manager, appeared
at a board of commissioners
meeting to give an update
on ODOT’s work in the re-
gion. Region 5 covers eight
counties in Eastern Oregon
and is headquartered in La
*UDQGH:KHQIXOO\VWD൵HG
Patterson said, Region 5 has
about 300 employees.
Patterson told the com-
missioners he has been
the regional manager with
ODOT for a little more
than a year and said he was
trying to meet with each of
the county commissions in
Eastern Oregon.
“A lot of our interests
between ODOT and the
counties are very similar,”
said Patterson. “You look
at a lot of the growth in this
area, and a lot of it’s due to
transportation.”
Patterson also intro-
duced District 12 manager
Rich Lani, who works out
of Pendleton. District 12
covers Umatilla, Morrow,
Grant, and part of Wheel-
er counties. Lani is the
main contact for day-to-day
ODOT operations in the
district.
At the top of the list of
Morrow County projects
was the recent replacement
of ADA (Americans with
Disabilities Act) ramps at
all the corners of state high-
ways, such as the recent
curb work along Heppner’s
Main Street. Patterson said
ODOT faced a lawsuit over
the ramps and lost, which
triggered the statewide
project.
“That’s been a major
portion of our capital pro-
gram in Eastern Oregon
for the last few years,” he
said, “When it’s all said
and done, all the curb ramps
along the state highways
will be ADA accessible.”
ODOT is also in the
process of replacing the
signs on I-84 from I-5 to
the Idaho state lines, he
said. Crews are currently
working on the section of
interstate from Arlington to
Pendleton.
A big impact for the
north end will be bridge
repairs and a major redesign
at the I-84 Tower Road
interchange. However, he
said ODOT is currently in
the design phase, and the
project probably would not
happen until 2026 or 2027.
Other projects either
planned or underway in-
clude a paving project from
Boardman to Stanfield,
work on culverts on the
Columbia River Highway,
and plans to install electric
vehicle charging stations
along I-84 from I-5 to the
Idaho state line.
Commissioners also
questioned Patterson re-
garding plans and strategies
for other county needs, such
as a better I-84 interchange
Heppner Mustangs win
OSAA 2A State
Football Championship
opening game 28-7
Border discussions back again at county
commission meeting
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Board of Commissioners
held the third of three year-
ly meetings regarding the
proposed moving of the
Oregon-Idaho state border
at its regular board meeting
last Wednesday.
The commissioners
may or may not be tired of
the issue, but in November
of last year, Morrow County
voters approved a measure
requiring the county board
of commissioners to meet
three times a year to discuss
how to promote the interests
of Morrow County in any
negotiations regarding the
relocation. This was the
WKLUGDQG¿QDOPHHWLQJWKLV
year.
The measure did not
specify an end date for the
meetings, so the board of
commissioners will plan
three more meetings for
2024.
Morrow County Coun-
sel Justin Nelson said these
meetings are only the be-
ginning of what would be
a very lengthy process to
even attempt to move the
state border.
In fact, legislators from
both states met in Baker
City on Oct. 19 to discuss
next steps for the Great-
er Idaho movement. At
the meeting were Oregon
representative Vikki Bre-
ese-Iverson (R-Prineville)
and Idaho representatives
Judy Boyle (R-Washing-
ton County) and Barbara
Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls),
along with proponents of
the Greater Idaho move-
ment.
“There’s a lot of leg-
work that has to be done,”
said Nelson. “I think the
idea with this measure is
just to have the county meet
to just talk about it three
times a year.”
Board of commission-
ers chair David Sykes noted
that the measure had passed
by 60 percent in Morrow
County.
“So the voters were
pretty substantially behind
this,” said Sykes.
Mike McCarter, pres-
ident of Move Oregon’s
Border for a Greater Idaho,
was present via Zoom to
speak for the cause.
“The moving of the
border may not be the ulti-
mate answer,” said McCa-
rter, “but right now, with
situations going on, with
the way the legislature in
the western part of Oregon
tends to treat us over in
eastern Oregon, it is the
answer right now.”
McCarter added that
the movement is “bringing
everything to the surface.”
“We’re just trying to
get the discussion started
in the legislature,” he said.
McCarter added that
the movement leaders had a
meeting scheduled with Or-
egon Speaker of the House
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with another tentative meet-
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