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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 2025)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 30, 2025 -- NINE Oregon Senate overturns wildfire regulations, restores local control to rural communities SALEM, OR—Last week, the Oregon Sen- ate passed Senate Bill 83, which repeals the state’s wildfire hazard map creat- ed under Senate Bill 762 (2021) and removes the strict regulations that came with it. Proponents of the bill say this is a big win for rural Oregonians who have fought against what they say are costly and unfair mandates. “Today, we celebrate a hard-fought victory for rural Oregon,” said Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles). “Senate Bill 83 repeals the most flawed and overreach- ing aspects of Senate Bill 762 from 2021, including the State Wildfire Hazard Map, while preserving the programs that genuinely protect property owners and reduce wildfire risks.” “I’m delighted to see Senate Bill 83 pass the Senate,” said Senator Noah Robinson (R-Cave Junc- tion). “Many of my con- stituents and thousands of Oregonians have made it clear: they want the abil- ity to protect their homes without being burdened by unfair regulations. Today’s vote is a crucial step toward undoing the damage caused by this flawed policy and returning control to land- owners.” “This has been years in the making. With today’s overwhelming bipartisan support for Senate Bill 83, we are one step closer to undoing the harm caused by Senate Bill 762’s wildfire map,” said Senator David Brock Smith (R-Port Or- ford). “I want to thank the thousands of residents who raised their voices to make this possible, as well as my colleagues for their support. I look forward to seeing Senate Bill 83 move swiftly through the House and be signed by Governor Kotek, bringing much-needed re- lief to our communities.” SB 83 has moved to the Oregon House of Represen- tatives for consideration. It currently sits in the House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment. Umatilla National Forest firewood permits available May 1 Twelve Morrow Coun- ty students were among the 635 students Eastern Oregon University to the dean’s list for the 2025 winter term. Qualifying students achieve and maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale while completing a mini- mum of 12 hours of graded coursework for the term. Students receiving the recognition were: Heppner— Chad Doherty, Arts, Humanities & Soc Science, Politics/ Policy & Public Admin; Paige Gerry, Education, Multidisciplinary Studies; Trevor Nichols, STM and Health Science, Biology; and Hailey Wenberg, STM and Health Science, Gener- The Gazette Puzzle Pop al Studies-Exploratory. Lexington—Morgan Cutsforth, STM and Health Science, General Stud- ies-Exploratory; Caden George, STM and Health Science, Chemistry-Bio- chemistry; Paul Lindsay, STM and Health Science, General Studies-Explorato- ry; and Eva Martin, Busi- ness, Agriculture Entrepre- neurship. Boardman—Lucas Dickens, STM and Health Science, General Stud- ies-Exploratory; Adara Hasbell, Arts, Humanities & Soc Science, Anthropol- ogy/Sociology; and Rileigh Krider, Business, Account- ing. Irrigon— Aleida Cardenas, Education, Mul- tidisciplinary Studies. Over the Tee Cup A “perfect spring day!” greeted the ladies who at- tended the Willow Creek Country Club ladies play day Tuesday, April 22. Tak- ing the low gross of the field was Karen Thompson. Kris Lindner had low net of the field, while Corol Mitchell had least putts. Sharpen your mind with our Gazette Puzzle Pop! Weekly math, word, and local trivia from our five towns—no internet or phones allowed. Answers in next week’s edition—grab a pencil and show off! Farmyard Teaser Level - Moderate Q: You have 3 rabbits (4 legs each) and 5 ducks (2 legs each). You trade 2 rabbits for 4 chickens (2 legs each), but 1 duck flies to a neighbor’s farm. How many legs are left on your farm? Wordplay Whiz Level - Easy Q: I plant seeds that “sprout,” but what’s “seeding” my view in the field? Morrow County Trivia Challenge Level - Moderate Q: What Morrow County town, was named after a visiting girl? Answers from April 23rd edition For flight A, Colleen Neubert had low net, Pat Dougherty had least putts and Corol Mitchell had KP. For flight B, Shirley Martin and Betty Carter tied for low gross, while Martin had both the long drive and KP. Number Pattern Puzzle Puzzle: Sequence: 2, 5, 11, 20, 32, … Solution: 50 Wordplay Riddle Riddle: What do you call a dinosaur that takes care of its teeth? (Hint: Think of a dinosaur name combined with a dental term.) Answer: Flossiraptor Question: In what year was Morrow County created from parts of Umatilla and Wasco Counties? Answer: 1885 Museum volunteers needed reminded that permits are not required but they should be in possession of valid enrollment identification when cutting or transport- ing firewood. As we move into the hot, dry summer months, Public Use Restrictions (PURs) may be implement- ed. The public is responsi- ble to check if firewood cut- ting is allowed. Firewood season on the Umatilla National Forest will end Nov. 30, 2025. For more information on firewood cutting, con- tact the supervisor’s office at 541-278-3716 or the Heppner Ranger District at 541-676-9187. Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at www. fs.usda.gov/r06/umatilla. Sup er ch Umatilla National For- est personal-use firewood permits will be available at Forest Service offices and through several local ven- dors beginning Thursday, May 1. All national forests in Oregon and Washington offer personal-use firewood free of charge. However, a permit is still required to cut and haul firewood. The maximum limit for per- sonal-use firewood on the Umatilla National Forest is 12-cords-per-household- per-year. Individuals that require more than 12 cords, or those wanting to sell firewood, may purchase a commercial or “charge” firewood permit for $10 per cord with a $30 minimum permit. Charge permits can only be purchased through a Forest Service office; please call ahead to arrange an appointment. Vendors are issuing personal-use permits in 12- cord increments and may charge an additional pro- cessing fee up to $2 for the permit. Locally, permits can be purchased at Heppner Mobil on Main St. or at the Heppner Ranger District office. A list of vendors is available on the Forest website at www.fs.usda. gov/r06/umatilla/permits/ forest-product-permits. Firewood cutters are required to carry an axe, a shovel, an eight-ounce capacity or larger fire ex- tinguisher, and have their chainsaw equipped with an approved spark arrester when cutting wood. Some areas on the Uma- tilla National Forest are still not accessible due to mud, snow or snow drifts. Forest visitors are asked to use ex- treme care to avoid getting stuck or causing extensive and illegal resource damage to the land and vegetation. Woodcutters are asked to: Contact the local Rang- er District office before heading out to make sure the area you’re traveling to is accessible. Avoid driving off roads and onto wet, unstable ground or fragile meadow environments to load fire- wood. Be prepared! Pack ad- ditional food, water, cloth- ing and other emergency supplies. Let someone know your destination and esti- mated time of return. Tribal members exer- cising their Treaty rights are Morrow County students named to EOU dean’s list The F.A.R.M Founda- tion is looking for individ- uals with a little time on their hands who would be willing to volunteer at ei- ther of its museums—even if that time commitment is one or two days a month this summer. Anyone who might be The Bath or Shower You’ve Always Wanted interested is invited to a workshop on Monday, May 5, at 10 a.m. at the Heritage Museum by the Heppner library. Anyone who is inter- ested but can’t attend may call Cherrie Clark at 541- 667-7458. 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