Anderson selected as
fair and rodeo queen
50¢
VOL. 145
NO. 5 8 Pages
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Torres named new MCHD board member
Health district board discusses public comment changes
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow Coun-
ty Health District Board
selected Laura Torres of
Boardman to fill a vacant
board position at its regular
meeting Monday night in
Boardman.
During discussion at
the meeting, the board
members said it was a dif-
ficult decision, with four
qualified applicants to
choose from.
“They’re not making
this easy,” said board mem-
ber Scott Ezell. “I think
they’re all going to have the
ability to bring our board
some unique abilities and
insights.”
“I see four qualified
candidates,” agreed board
member Stephen Munkers.
However, Ezell said
Torres’s application stood
out to him, while board
chair Diane Kilkenny called
her “highly qualified, high-
ly dedicated.”
Torres currently works
as associate director of
workforce engagement and
diverse talent sourcing for
Blue Star Families. She has
also worked as a training
facilitator for The Rosie
Network and a career coach
for Recruitment Solutions.
She has served on the
Veterans Chamber of Com-
merce board and current-
ly leads Latinas Leading
Northwest.
Torres also has experi-
ence in healthcare, having
served as a home visitor
with the Morrow County
Health Department. She
is currently involved as a
caregiver with the VA Care-
giver Program.
She also holds a mas-
ter’s degree in business ad-
ministration with a human
resources specialization.
“As a former home
visitor with the Morrow
County Health Department,
I gained valuable insights
into our community’s health
needs and the importance of
accessible, preventative
care. My experience as
a caregiver with the VA
Caregiver Program further
underscores my dedication
to serving diverse popu-
lations with compassion,”
Torres said in her letter of
interest.
“I am passionate about
community involvement
and enhancing healthcare
access, fostering commu-
nity partnerships, and sup-
porting the District’s mis-
sion to provide exceptional
care. I would be honored
to contribute my skills and
collaborate with the Board
to ensure our District con-
tinues to grow and adapt to
meet the evolving needs of
our community.”
The board voted unan-
imously to appoint Torres
to the board vacancy Trista
Seastone left when she
resigned for work reasons
late last year. Other appli-
cants were Lea Mathieu
of Ione, Janet Greenup of
Heppner and Jason Hanna
of Heppner.
A l s o a t M o n d a y ’s
meeting, the board took
on the issue of how pub-
lic comments should be
handled at MCHD board
meetings. The board had
received a recommenda-
tion that it move public
comment to the end of the
board meetings and have a
sign-up sheet for those who
want to speak.
Kilkenny also said the
health district had received
a grievance in December
regarding the way public
comment was recorded in
the meeting minutes and
had consulted legal counsel
on the topic.
“The board is not re-
quired to hear off-topic
public comments, and such
comments are not materi-
al,” Kilkenny said, reading
a summary from the MCHD
counsel. “The public com-
ment period is not a time for
dialogue between the board
members and members of
the public.”
“The ultimate decision
about how to record pub-
lic comment is up to the
board,” she added.
She also noted that
publishing “unvetted doc-
uments from the public” or
allowing certain comments
could create legal liability
for defamation.
In addition, a series of
contentious public com-
ment sessions has the board
concerned about the content
of public comment. Kilken-
ny said she would like to
limit public comment to
items on the agenda, say-
ing that it would be more
productive.
“I think it’s a fairer way
to do that,” Kilkenny said.
Munkers and Ezell
didn’t agree.
“If we’re limiting them
to items we’ve already
picked, then if we never
put it on the agenda, how
are they ever going to get
to comment on it?” Ezell
asked. “I don’t know that
we want to go down that
route at all.”
“If the public needs to
come in and speak their
minds on something that
maybe isn’t on the agenda,
that’s their right,” he added.
“Actually, if you go
according to the rules, it’s
the board’s decision about
what the public is able to
comment on,” Kilkenny re-
sponded, adding that there
had been many health dis-
trict meetings where public
comment had been deroga-
tory toward the board and
staff.
“I don’t find that pro-
ductive,” she said. “I find
that demoralizing.”
Raises more than $42,000 for Morrow County high schools
Heppner— The second
Barney Lindsay Scholar-
ship Dinner Auction, held
this past Saturday, Jan. 25,
was once again an over-
whelming success, grossing
$42,000 to support schol-
arships in each of the four
high schools in Morrow
County.
The event, organized
in memory of Barney Lind-
say, a long-time farmer in
the Heppner/Lexington
area and a Morrow County
School Board member, saw
tremendous support from
the community, showcas-
ing the power of unity in
fostering education.
The event was made
possible through the ded-
icated efforts of the orga-
nizing committee, whose
hard work and commitment
played a crucial role in the
success of the evening. The
committee members in-
clude Erin Heideman, Beth
Dickenson, Ashley Lindsay,
Tiah Devin and Kimberly
Lindsay. Their passion for
the cause and meticulous
planning ensured a memo-
rable and impactful event.
Kimberly Lindsay, ex-
pressing gratitude on be-
half of the Lindsay family,
A table decorated and ready
for the big event. -Photo by
Tiah Devin
said, “Our family is over-
whelmed by the generosity
of our community in the
support of this endeavor. It
is something that will help
remind my children why
giving back to your com-
munity is so valuable. I can-
not thank everyone enough
for their donations, spon-
sorship, and help. There
was a tremendous crew of
people jumping in to fill
roles, and I am so grateful.”
The funds raised from
the auction will be used to
continue scholarships in
each of the four Morrow
County high schools—
Ione, Riverside, Heppner
and Irrigon. These scholar-
ships will honor the mem-
ory of Barney Lindsay and
provide support to deserv-
ing students pursuing their
education in some capacity
beyond high school.
Future efforts and op-
portunities to be involved,
in addition to highlight-
ing scholarship recipients,
can be found at the newly
created website, https://
barneylindsay.com/.
Kimberly and her com-
The Morrow County
Fair and Oregon Trail Pro
Rodeo have announced that
KC (Kathryn) Anderson has
been selected as the 2025
Morrow County Fair and
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo
Queen.
KC is the daughter of
Colin and Erin Anderson
of Heppner. The Andersons
operate a family wheat farm
in Morrow County.
KC came with high
mittee said they are espe-
cially grateful to Ken Grieb
for auctioneering, Dale and
Sheryll Bates for sound
and audio support, and
Ty Snyder for developing
the website, in addition to
the numerous friends and
family who assisted with
food preparation, set up,
take down, ticket/activity
sales, auction management
and everything in between.
“The community sup-
port and help has been so
generous,” said Lindsay.
The success of this
event reflects the com-
munity’s commitment to
education and the enduring
impact of Barney Lindsay’s
legacy. Scholarship appli-
cations are available now in
each school’s guidance and
counseling offices and are
due May 1, 2025, to school
counselors.
-Continued to PAGE THREE
Over $500,000 in community
contributions announced at
annual chamber luncheon
Alita Nelson recived the Hep-
-Continued to PAGE SIX pner Chamber Volunteer of
Success of second Barney Lindsay Scholarship
dinner auction exceeds expectations
2024 scholarship recipient
Kelly Doherty of Ione shares
how the scholarship is
impacting her as a elementary
education student at Eastern
Oregon University. -Photo by A packed crowd attended the second annual Barney Lindsay
Tiah Devin
Scholarship dinner last Saturday. - Tiah Devin
Kathryn “KC” Anderson
recommendations. The se-
lection committee said her
public speaking abilities,
skilled horsemanship and
knowledge of the county
made her an ideal applicant
for the position.
KC attends Heppner
High School. She is an hon-
or roll student and an active
4-H and FFA member. She
has also held officer posi-
tions in school, as well as
in FFA and 4-H.
Through 4-H, KC has
raised a dairy heifer for the
last five years. She has also
exhibited and shown her
horse at the Morrow County
Fair. She says she loves bar-
rel racing, and she has been
a contestant at the Mor-
row County jackpot rodeo.
KC has also received the
Threemile Canyon Farms
Dairy Heifer Herdsmanship
and Mentorship awards.
KC is also very in-
the Year Award. - Photo by
Heppner Chamber
The Heppner Chamber
of Commerce hosted its
annual luncheon in collab-
oration with Willow Creek
Economic Development
Group (WCVEDG) last
week.
WCVEDG Board Chair
Kim Coil provided updates
on more than $500,000 in
contributions made by WC-
VEDG to the Heppner com-
munity throughout 2024.
Representatives from
grant recipients shared in-
sights into their projects and
expressed their gratitude for
the funds they received.
Updates were also
shared regarding WC-
VEDG’s two tiny home
housing projects currently
under construction at the
corner of Chase and Center
streets.
The Heppner chamber
also presented highlights
from 2024, including com-
munity events, business
workshops, and Market 87
vendor sales, which gen-
erated more than $20,000
from October to December.
Plans for 2025 were
unveiled, with notable up-
coming events including
the 2025 Town & Country
awards banquet on Feb. 6
-Continued to PAGE EIGHT
Ione issues update on
city wastewater project
The City of Ione has an-
nounced that the drain field
for the city’s wastewater
project is nearly complete.
In a progress report
released Jan. 22, the city
said all 17 cells with drain-
age material have been
installed and backfilled.
Additionally, the feed lines
to the 17 cells have also
been completely plumbed
and backfilled.
The three dosing
tanks are all installed and
plumbed. Concrete pads for
the generator and control
room have been poured and
the control room structure
is on order. Six inches of
gravel now surrounds the
dosing tank area, including
the pads.
The city also reports
that the four-inch sewer
line to the drain field has
been installed on Johnson
Grade Rd. There remains
about 100 feet in the area
of the dosing tanks that still
requires installation.
Numerous areas of
Johnson Grade Rd. were
also widened with excess
-Continued to PAGE TWO
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information