50¢
VOL. 144
NO. 17
10 Pages
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
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6FKRRO Congratulations
to Hallee Hisler who recent-
ly broke a Heppner High
School track record in the
400 at 59.29 seconds at Mil-
ton Freewater. Hallee Hisler
is a junior at Heppner High
and she broke her great aunt
Maureen Healy’s record of
60.3 seconds from 1979.
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Morrow County
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.DUHQDQG'LFN7HPSOH– Photos from the Temples.
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Temples.
The Temples, Dick, and
Karen have been chosen
as the Grand Marshalls for
the Lexington May Day
Celebration. Dick grew up
in Wallowa County, while
Karen is originally from
Union County. They have
three children: Brent, who
resides in Florida, Laurel,
who lives in Canyon City,
and Kristal, who used to
live in Portland.
Before settling in Lex-
ington, Dick practiced vet-
erinary medicine in various
locations, including Wyo-
ming, Idaho, Montana, and
two provinces in Canada.
In 1986, he established a
veterinary practice in Hin-
ton Creek, South Morrow
County. Two years later, the
Temples decided to move to
Lexington and made it their
permanent home. They
quickly fell in love with the
rural community and their
clients in Morrow County.
Throughout their 38
years in Morrow County,
the Temples have been ac-
tively involved in various
community activities. They
have led 4H horse and dog
clubs, participated in the
Morrow County Fair and
By Annalynn Black
The Morrow County
Board of Commissioners
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move to bridge the digital
divide in the area. They
have passed a motion to
apply for the Federal Infra-
structure grant fund to bring
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the county. With the poten-
tial of up to $40 million in
funds, this project aims to
expand broadband access
and connectivity in the
region.
If approved, the broad-
band buildout will primari-
ly focus on four main areas
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area is from Lexington to
Heppner, connecting these
two towns. The second
area spans from Heppner
to Lena, further extending
the reach of high-speed in-
ternet. The third area, from
NW Ione to the county line,
aims to bring connectivi-
ty to the residents in that
region. Lastly, the project
will cover Blake Ranch,
ensuring that even the most
remote areas of the county
are not left behind.
This new initiative acts
as a natural extension of the
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improve internet accessibil-
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areas near Heppner, Lex-
ington, Ione, and surround-
ing regions, covering nearly
70 miles, and connecting
213 households. The suc-
cess of this project relies on
the collaboration of various
organizations, each contrib-
uting their unique expertise.
The Morrow County
Board (MCB), as the ap-
plicant, has pledged a sub-
stantial amount of techni-
cal assistance funds. Their
Rodeo, and even taught
Sunday School. Addition-
ally, they have worked with
a multi-sponsored AWANA
club.
The Temples consider
themselves very fortunate
to be surrounded by friends
in South Morrow Coun-
ty. They deeply value the
close-knit community they
have found in the area.
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contribution of $186,000 in
cash will go towards net-
work design, engineering,
bid assistance, surveys, and
overall project oversight.
MCB will also oversee
the development, admin-
istration, and regulatory
compliance of the project.
Operating the network
will be Blue Mountain Net-
works (BMN), which will
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service plans, equipment,
and customer support.
Their commitment to of-
fering low-cost, high-speed
options is commendable.
BMN will supply the nec-
essary network equipment,
including fiber drops, at-
tachment hardware, and
ONTs, to connect custom-
ers’ premises.
Columbia Basin Elec-
tric Cooperative (CBEC)
brings essential infrastruc-
ture ownership and a com-
mitment to facilitating ac-
cess. They will assist in
obtaining necessary permits
and pole attachments, en-
suring the smooth execu-
tion of the project. CBEC
will also aid MCB and
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contractors for network
construction and provide
access to utility poles and
transmission rights-of-way
for installation, mainte-
nance, and repairs.
The total cost of this
ambitious project amounts
to $3,551,451. If success-
ful, it will be a game-chang-
er for the residents of Mor-
row County. High-speed
fiber-based internet will
become a reality for previ-
ously unserved households,
empowering them with
faster and more reliable
connectivity.
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The East-West - Shine
game appreciation lun-
cheon took place Sunday,
April 28th at the Masonic
Lodge in Heppner. The
highly anticipated Shrine
game is scheduled for Au-
gust 3rd at 7 pm in Baker
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Stadium.
Herman Winter the
President of the Tri-County
Shrine Club and members
Cody High, Merlin Hughes,
and Gene Orwick hosted
the event. Several members
of the Desert Shriners were
in attendance, including
Kelly Nobles, The Poten-
tate’s Representative, who
spoke about the history of
the Shriners organization.
Additionally, Randy Smith,
Jim Leitch, Clayton Orr,
and Paul Miller from the
Desert Shrine Club were
also present.
Rodney Thompson
from the Pendleton Shrine
Club addressed the audi-
ing. He mentioned how
their incredible talent and
dedication not only made
them great players but also
helped him become a better
coach.
Landon Mitchell was
selected to represent Hep-
pner in the Shrine game and
Caden George as the alter-
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ence and shed light on the
remarkable work carried
out by the Portland Shrine
Hospital. He spoke about
how the hospital has pro-
vided treatment for children
facing various challenges
such as amputation, burn
injuries, and cleft palates.
He also emphasized the
hospital’s commitment to
supporting the families of
these children.
One of the highlights
of the event was a speech
by former Heppner player
Stefan Matheny, who had
the privilege of participat-
ing in the 50th anniversary
game back in 2002. Stefan
shared his invaluable expe-
riences and the lessons he
learned while visiting the
Shrine Hospital in Portland,
as well as during the week-
long practice leading up to
the Shrine game.
Coaches Greg Grant
and Les Payne from Hep-
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coach James Stradly, were
also in attendance. Coach
Grant took the opportunity
to express his admiration
for the Heppner players he
had the pleasure of coach-
-Continued to PAGE SEVEN
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'UDNH- Photo by Annalynn Black
By Annalynn Black
On Monday night, a
calm atmosphere enveloped
the Gilliam and Bisbee
building as the Morrow
County Circuit judges and
candidates for the 6th ju-
dicial district gathered for
a forum. Present at the
event were Judge Robert
Collins, seeking a second
six-year term, Judge Thom-
as Creasing of the Irrigon
Municipal Court vying for
position 1, Jill M. Weygant,
a private practice attorney
from Pendleton running for
Position 5, John L. Ballard,
a private practice attorney
from Hermiston also run-
ning for Position 5, James-
on R. Hayes, the deputy dis-
trict attorney for Umatilla
County once again seeking
Position 5, Judge Joanna A.
Marikos currently holding
the 5th position in the 6th
judicial district, and Judge
Eva J. Temple, occupying
position 4 in the district.
The evening com-
menced with the candi-
dates addressing the pri-
mary role and goals of a
judge. Unanimously, they
agreed that ensuring struc-
ture and inclusiveness in the
courtroom was crucial, em-
phasizing the need to clear
the backlog of cases and
demonstrating dedication
to public service. However,
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prising perspective, stating,
“-believe it or not our judg-
es have maintained the time
standards that are required
by the law and our cases are
not actually behind but we
have a lot of work to do.”
As the discussion pro-
gressed, the candidates
were asked about the most
pressing issue they intended
to address if elected. While
most candidates recog-
nized drug addiction and
distribution, particularly
the perils of fentanyl, as a
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with mental health issues,
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consensus. He believed
that the system needed to
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stringent, asserting that a
strong emphasis on treat-
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Ballard asserted, “The push
for treatment is fine but
that’s not what these gen-
tlemen, and some ladies I
guess, that’s not what they
respect. They know there
needs to be boundaries,
right now it’s pretty loosey
goosy. There needs to be a
deterrent.”
Another topic that
united the candidates was
the execution of equity
and equality in the court-
room. They all agreed that
providing assistance, such
as interpreters for indi-
viduals with disabilities
or language barriers, was
essential. However, they
stressed the importance of
maintaining a consistent
protocol for all defendants.
Creasing elaborated, say-
ing, “Equal application of
the law regardless of how
let me use the word distaste-
ful a defendant may be-.”
The candidates were
then asked about the deli-
cate balance between being
an independent judge and
-Continued to PAGE NINE
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information