50¢
VOL. 145
NO. 2 8 Pages
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
County officials sworn in
Town and Country
nominations close
Friday
The 2025 Town &
Country Awards Banquet
nominations close this Fri-
day, Jan. 10.
Forms can be found at
the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce office, Market
87, Heppner City Hall or
online at https://heppner-
chamber.com/our-events/
town-country-awards-ban-
quet/.
Forms need to be re-
turned to the Chamber of-
fice or via email at heppner-
chamber@gmail.com.
Dinner tickets for the
event are $30 and are on
sale at the Chamber office,
Market 87 and Heppner
City Hall.
The event on Thursday,
Feb. 6, starts at 6 p.m. with
dinner prepared by Chef
Alvin Liu, with a no-host
bar by Broken Spoke.
DeSpain Pizza gets
new owners
(L-R) David, Dakota, Madison, Aubrey, Tyler and Logan
Rice. The Rice family has taken over ownership of DeSpain
Pizza in Heppner. -Photo by Kamille Holtz
Several new and returning elected officials were sworn into office earlier this week. Gus Peterson of Ione, pictured top left
with county clerk Bobbi Childers, will take Roy Drago Jr.’s place as Morrow County Commissioner, Position 1. Morrow
County Sheriff John Bowles (top right), Morrow County Treasurer Jaylene Papineau (bottom right) and Morrow County
Clerk Bobbi Childers (bottom left with Morrow County Justice of the peace Glen Diehl) were all re-elected to their positions.
-Contributed photos
New Oregon laws that took effect January
School Bus Safety Camer-
as (House Bill 4147)
Provisions: This leg-
islation authorizes public
schools to install cameras
on school bus stop arms to
record drivers who illegally
pass stopped buses display-
ing flashing safety lights.
Captured footage can be
used by law enforcement
to issue citations, with fines
up to $2,000 for violations.
The law requires warning
signs on buses equipped
with such cameras.
Pros: Intended to in-
crease student safety by
deterring illegal passing
of school buses, provid-
ing clear evidence for law
enforcement and raising
public awareness about
traffic laws related to school
buses.
Cons: Potential privacy
concerns regarding sur-
veillance, financial impli-
cations for school districts
related to the installation
and maintenance of camera
systems and possible dis-
putes over the accuracy of
recorded violations.
Right to Repair (Sen-
ate Bill 1596)
Provisions: This law
requires manufacturers of
electronic devices, such as
smartphones and house-
hold appliances, to provide
consumers and independent
repair shops with access to
necessary parts, tools and
service information. The
goal is to facilitate repairs
and extend the lifespan of
electronic products. While
the law is effective Jan.
1, 2025, enforcement will
not begin until July 2027,
allowing time for compli-
ance.
Pros: Empowers con-
sumers to repair their own
devices, potentially re-
ducing electronic waste,
lowering repair costs and
fostering a more sustainable
environment.
Cons: Manufacturers
have raised concerns about
potential risks to device se-
curity and safety, protection
of intellectual property, and
the feasibility of providing
comprehensive repair infor-
mation to the public.
Education Plan for
Immigrants (SB 1532)
Provisions: Directs
the Oregon Department
of Education to develop a
statewide plan to address
disparities in education for
asylum seekers, refugees
and immigrants, regardless
of immigration status.
Pros: Promotes Equity:
Focuses on closing achieve-
ment gaps and providing
tailored resources for im-
migrant students.
Supports Vulnerable
Populations: Helps new
arrivals integrate into the
education system more
effectively.
Encourages Inclusiv-
ity: Reinforces Oregon’s
commitment to diversity
and equal educational op-
portunities.
Cons: Implementation
Costs: Schools may need
additional funding and staff
to implement programs and
hire bilingual teachers or
counselors.
Potential Backlash:
Critics may oppose using
public funds to support
undocumented immigrants.
Administrative Com-
plexity: Developing and
managing these plans could
create logistical challenges
for districts.
Prescription Drug
Cost Reduction (HB 4012)
Provisions: This leg-
islation aims to make
prescription medications
more affordable by requir-
ing insurers to count pay-
ments made by patients,
including those from co-
pay assistance programs,
toward their out-of-pocket
maximums. This change
is designed to reduce the
financial burden on indi-
viduals requiring essential
medications.
Pros: Seeks to im-
prove access to necessary
medications by lowering
out-of-pocket expenses for
patients, thereby enhancing
adherence to prescribed
treatments and overall pub-
lic health outcomes.
Cons: Insurers may ad-
just premium rates or mod-
ify cost-sharing structures
to offset potential financial
impacts, which could lead
to higher overall insurance
costs for consumers.
Agricultural Worker
Overtime
Provisions: This law
extends overtime pay eligi-
bility to agricultural work-
ers, requiring employers
to pay overtime wages for
hours worked beyond 48 in
By Kamille Holtz
David and Dakota Rice,
along with their children
Tyler, Logan, Madison and
Aubrey, are the new owners
of DeSpain Pizza.
David has been part of
the Heppner community
since 2007, while Dakota
moved to the area in 2009.
Dakota, originally from
Prosser, WA, shares, “He
brought me to Heppner.”
David’s background
includes more than 10 years
of experience in the restau-
rant industry, both running
and cooking for restaurants.
He has also served the men-
tal health community.
Dakota similarly dedi-
cated nearly 10 years in the
mental health field.
The Rice children at-
tend school locally, and a
key goal for David and Da-
kota is to allow more time
with their family. As Dako-
ta says, “We want to build
a week. This change aligns
agricultural labor standards
with those of other indus-
tries, aiming to ensure fair
compensation for extended
work hours.
Pros: Promotes equita-
ble labor practices by en-
suring agricultural workers
receive fair compensation
for overtime, potentially
improving worker satis-
faction and retention in the
agricultural sector.
Cons: Employers may
face increased labor costs,
which could impact the
profitability of agricultural
operations. There is also
a possibility that employ-
ers might reduce workers’
hours or hire additional
The Wee Bit O’ Ireland
part-time staff to avoid
St. Patrick’s Day Celebra-
paying overtime, potential-
tion Committee will hold
ly affecting workers’ total
its next planning meeting
earnings.
on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at
5:30 p.m. The meeting
-Continued to PAGE THREE
will be held at the Willow
something that they can
have when they’re older.”
Currently, the chil-
dren are present behind
the scenes but plan to be
involved, working in the
pizza shop as they get older.
David and Dakota had
long thought of owning a
restaurant. When they saw
the for-sale post for De-
Spain Pizza on Facebook,
they made the quick, casual
decision to purchase the
business. They have kept
the original menu for now
but added a new creation
by David: a traditional taco
pizza, which has already
become a favorite.
DeSpain Pizza is
currently open Tuesday
through Friday, from 11
a.m. to 7 p.m., and is closed
on Saturdays, Sundays,
and Mondays. There are
plans to extend the hours as
-Continued to PAGE TWO
St. Pat’s planning
meeting this week
Street Innovation Hub, 188
W. Willow Street, Heppner.
Anyone interested in
volunteering during the
event should attend. This
year’s celebration dates will
be March 13-16.
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information