Worden wraps up 4H career
with a staggering 574 awards
50¢
VOL. 144
NO. 33 8 Pages
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Heppner hosts another successful Morrow County
Fair and Rodeo
By Chris Sykes
The Morrow Coun-
ty Fair and Rodeo was a
success this year, drawing
visitors from all over Ore-
gon, the United States, and
even from across the globe.
The small town of Heppner
came alive with excitement
and tradition as both famil-
iar faces and new visitors
joined together to celebrate
the much-anticipated event.
The festivities kicked
off on Wednesday with
Morrow County residents
eagerly participating in
the fair. The exhibition
halls were filled with an
impressive array of entries,
including photographs,
baked goods, Legos, flow-
ers, drawings, and quilts,
all vying for the coveted
ribbons. It was a true show-
case of the local talent and
creativity that the commu-
nity has to offer.
The FFA and 4-H kids,
who had been diligently
caring for their pigs, chick-
ens, rabbits, steers, and
sheep for months, finally
had their moment to shine.
The dedication of these
young participants was
evident as many of them,
along with their parents,
rose as early as 4 a.m. each
morning to prepare their
animals for the showings.
With great pride, they dis-
played their animals, hop-
ing to earn top honors. The
animal auction at the end of
the week was an emotional
event for many, as some of
the young participants shed
tears while saying goodbye
to the animals they had nur-
tured for so long.
Thursday night brought
MOCO All Around Co-Winners, Coy Patterson and Shayla
Currin. Award knives sponsored by Les Schwab Tire
Center, Presented by OTPR President Tanner Britt.
a different kind of celebra-
tion as Murray’s Beer and
Wine Tasting event took
center stage. The evening
was filled with laughter,
live music, and, of course,
a fantastic selection of bev-
erages that kept the crowd
in high spirits. The event
featured live performances
by Caitlyn Ochsner and
Joe Lindsay’s band Mu-
sically Unstable adding
a lively and entertaining
atmosphere to the night.
As the weekend ar-
rived, the Oregon Trail Pro
Rodeo became the highlight
of the fair. On Friday night,
the stands were packed
as spectators enjoyed the
action under the warm sum-
mer sky. The rodeo events
featured crowd favorites
such as steer wrestling,
bucking broncs, bull riding,
and barrel racing, showcas-
ing the impressive skills
and bravery of the cowboys
and cowgirls. Saturday
brought a surprise wind-
storm, causing some fans
to briefly seek shelter, but
the storm quickly passed,
and the resilient crowd re-
turned to watch the rest of
the rodeo unfold.
No fair would be com-
plete without its mouth-wa-
tering food vendors, and
this year was no exception.
The enticing aromas of
elephant ears, hamburgers,
fried Oreos, kettle corn,
and corndogs filled the air,
drawing visitors from all
corners of the fairgrounds.
Whether it was a quick
snack or a full meal, there
was something to satisfy
every craving, adding to the
festive atmosphere.
The Spur ’em Barn,
known for its cold adult
beverages and lively atmo-
sphere, was a popular spot
throughout the weekend.
The atmosphere was cheer-
ful, and everyone seemed to
be having a fantastic time,
enjoying the camaraderie
that the rodeo weekend
always brings.
S u n d a y ’s M o r r o w
County Rodeo was blessed
with perfect weather, as
sunny skies and tempera-
tures in the 80s set the
stage for a thrilling display
of local rodeo talent. Kids
were especially excited to
participate in traditional
events like mutton busting,
breakaway roping, barrel
racing, and the always-ex-
citing cowhide race, show-
casing their budding rodeo
skills to the cheers of proud
families and friends.
A heartfelt thank you
goes out to all the volun-
teers who worked tirelessly
to put on this incredible
event. Their dedication,
from organizing the vari-
ous activities to ensuring
the smooth running of the
fairgrounds and cleaning up
afterward, did not go unno-
ticed. The Morrow County
Fair and Rodeo once again
proved to be an unforgetta-
ble event, bringing together
the community and visitors
alike for a week of tradition,
fun, and shared memories.
As the dust settles and the
fairgrounds return to their
quiet state, the town of
Heppner is already looking
forward to next year’s fes-
tivities.
Greater Idaho Movement has grown to 13 counties
By Andrea Di Salvo
Crook County is the
latest to join the Greater
Idaho movement, which
continues to carry momen-
tum in eastern and central
Oregon.
That was the message
Mike McCarter of La Pine,
OR gave the Morrow Coun-
ty Board of Commissioners
during its regular meeting
Aug. 7 in Heppner. McCar-
ter is president of Move Or-
egon’s Borders and Citizens
for Greater Idaho.
The Greater Idaho
movement began putting
votes to counties in 2020
and seeks to move the Ore-
gon/Idaho border westward
so that the traditionally
conservative eastern coun-
ties would join the state of
Idaho, which the movement
says better matches eastern
Oregonian values.
According to its web-
site, the group believes that
moving the border would
create a win-win situation
for both Oregon and Idaho
by better matching voters
to state governance, and
would lower political ten-
sion across the state.
State lines can be
moved through a process
called an interstate com-
pact. The change would
require the approval of both
states’ legislatures, as well
as the U.S. Congress.
In 2023, the Idaho
House passed a memorial
resolution inviting the State
of Oregon to begin border
talks.
McCarter spoke to the
BOC about the Greater
Idaho movement as part of
an ongoing discussion of
the issue. In the November
2022 election, 60 percent
of Morrow County’s voters
mandated that the board of
commissioners discuss the
potential move three times
per year. This is the second
of three discussions for
2024.
In May of this year, Mc-
Carter said, Crook County
passed a similar measure,
though by a smaller margin
of 53 percent. McCarter
said there was a lot of op-
position from the Portland
area regarding the Crook
County measure.
He also said that the
unusual thing about the
Crook County measure was
that it was brought forward
by the people rather than a
measure provided by the
Greater Idaho leadership,
as was the case with most
counties.
“It was not our measure
that put it on the ballot,” he
said. “The people went to
the county commissioners
and put it on there because
they wanted to have the
opportunity to vote.”
Crook County com-
missioners also became the
latest to formally request
action from the Oregon leg-
islature concerning moving
the Oregon border. Crook
is now the eighth county
in Eastern Oregon to send
such a letter.
The passage in Crook
County makes 13 eastern
or central Oregon counties
that have voted to discuss
seceding from Oregon to
join Idaho—or, in some
cases, moved beyond dis-
cussion to actual votes for
secession. Two counties so
far have voted to secede,
while the other 11, includ-
ing Morrow County, have
simply voted to discuss the
issue.
Wheeler County is one
that voted to secede.
“There seems to be a
lot of unrest about the way
the Oregon legislature and
leadership is treating East-
ern Oregon, and people are
starting to speak up about
it,” McCarter said.
McCarter said Move
Oregon’s Border is cur-
rently traveling throughout
Eastern Oregon to provide
updates on what’s happen-
ing with the movement.
He said a Morrow County
meeting should be upcom-
ing.
“If we’ve got 13 coun-
ties now in Eastern Oregon
where a measure has passed
to begin negotiations or
discussion or get the talk
going, you would think that
our state representatives
would pick that up and start
talking about it in Salem,”
McCarter said. “Why is this
problem going on? What’s
creating it?”
“But to date, it’s just
been stonewalled,” he add-
ed. “They don’t want to talk
about it.”
McCarter, though, said
the grassroots movement
will continue. His request
for the county commis-
sioners was to “pass the
message up the line” when
they met with other county
commissioners or legisla-
tors.
“It doesn’t have to be
about moving the border.
Start talking about the is-
sues that are giving us the
problems here, where Ore-
gon’s leadership are driving
hard on what they think are
the problems in Western
Oregon, that have a nega-
tive effect on us in Eastern
Oregon.
“We want to get some
discussions going in the
state legislature about the
way they’re treating East-
ern Oregon, and they’re
more or less ignoring us.”
Arianna Worden finished off her 9 year 4H career with 286
ribbons,1 medal and 1 buckle! She had 6 state fair champi-
ons, 1 state fair medal, 63 county fair champions, 27 reserve
county fair champions, 152 blue ribbons, 26 red, 3 white,
and 8 cloverbuds! - Photo by Kelsey Worden
MOCO special fair awards
Clothing and Textiles
Judge’s award Adult -
Nancy Arnson
Judge’s award Youth -
Anna Jepsen
Needlework
Judge’s award Adult –
Gayle Gutierrez
Judge’s award Youth –
Richard McNamee
Quilts
Grand Champion -
Cheryl Hobbs – Sponsored
by Mama Bears Quilt Shop
Judge’s Choice - Pa-
tricia Hughes.
Floriculture.
Judge’s Award – Jannie
Allen
Timeless Beauty - An-
drea Nelson – sponsored by
MCGG
Just Imagine – Jan-
nie Allen – Sponsored by
Country Rose/Murry Drug
Superintendent’s award
– sponsored by Wheatland
Insurance – Jannie Allen
Creative Kids
S u p e r i n t e n d e n t ’s
Choice – Kinasyn Rietman
of Ione sponsored by Mill-
er wheat.
Judge’s award – Mika-
lie Duncan, Anna Jepsen
and Ryder Worden
Arts
Judge’s choice – Hanna
Brannon
Crafts
Judge’s Choice - Birt
Keziah
Canning
Judge’s Choice – Jan-
nie Allen
S u p e r i n t e n d e n t ’s
Choice – James McNamee
Outstanding Exibitor –
Jannie Allen
Pickle Award – Myrene
Birt, sponsored by Molly
Rill Family
Vegetable Salsa – Julie
Sak – sponsored by the
Elguezabal Family
-Continued to PAGE THREE
Recreational use
advisory issued for
Willow Creek Reservoir
PORTLAND, Ore.—
Oregon Health Authority
(OHA) issued a recreational
use health advisory today
for Willow Creek Reservoir
due to the presence of a cy-
anobacteria bloom and cya-
notoxins above recreational
use values for human and
animal exposure. The res-
ervoir is in Morrow County.
People should avoid swim-
ming and high-speed water
activities, such as water
skiing or power boating, in
areas of the reservoir where
blooms are present, as the
major route of exposure is
ingestion of water. Toxins
are not absorbed through
the skin. However, those
with skin sensitivities may
get a puffy red rash.
OHA encourages peo-
ple to visit Willow Creek
Reservoir and enjoy ac-
tivities such as fishing,
camping, hiking, biking,
picnicking, bird watching,
canoeing and kayaking.
Boating is safe as long as
speeds do not create exces-
sive water spray. Sprays
could lead to the risk of
inhaling cyanotoxins.
Drinking water
Drinking water directly
from areas of the reservoir
affected by a bloom is es-
pecially dangerous. Tox-
ins cannot be removed by
boiling, filtering or treating
water with camping-style
-Continued to PAGE THREE
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information