2A — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020
State police arrest attempted murder suspect
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
December 19, 1970
HUNTINGTON — The Huntington Locomotives led 12-5
at the end of the fi rst quarter, but the Pine-Eagle Spartans
reeled off 15 straight points at the start of the second
period and then hung on for a 62-54 non-league basket-
ball win here Friday night. Spartan guard Roger Gulick led
the charge in the second quarter as Pine-Eagle scored 21
points while holding the Locos to seven.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
December 19, 1995
Fewer than 10 of the Wallowa-Whitman National For-
est’s 370 permanent employees will work full-time during
a U.S. Forest Service shutdown that started Tuesday night.
As many as 50 others will work part-time or be on call
at home during the closure, John Denne, the Wallowa-
Whitman’s public affairs offi cer, said Tuesday.
Forest offi ces are closed, but Christmas tree permits
are still available in the lobby at the Baker Ranger District,
3165 10th St., or at York’s grocery store.
Oregon State Police troop-
ers arrested an attempted
murder suspect from South
Carolina on Thursday eve-
ning at the Baker Valley rest
area on Interstate 84.
James Shawn Nichol, 48, of
Myrtle Beach, South Caro-
lina, was arrested about 5:50
p.m. and taken to the Baker
County Jail, pending extradi-
tion to South
Carolina.
According to
a report from
OSP Sr. Trooper
Nicholas
Nichol
Hagedorn, the
incident started
when the Horry County
Police Department in South
Carolina notifi ed OSP that
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
December 20, 2019
Katelyn Kercheski says it was “unforeseen life changes”
that sent her looking for help after marital issues ended in
divorce in October.
Because of fi nancial problems associated with the
divorce, she and her twin toddlers found themselves hav-
ing to move out of their six-bedroom home in south Baker
City.
She and her former husband had moved into the house
just two weeks before bringing the boys, who they were
in the process of adopting, from San Diego to their new
Baker City home in February.
The couple had planned to continue in their work as
foster parents, which they had been doing for about four
years, and needed extra room after the twins joined the
family.
But before the year was out, those “unforeseen life
changes” left Kercheski and the boys without a place of
their own to call home.
The now-single mother and her two sons bunked with
family members for a short time before they were helped
through programs available at Community Connection for
families who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless.
“We stayed with my mom or my cousin for about a
month,” the 27-year-old Kercheski said. “If it weren’t for
Community Connection it probably would have been a lot
longer.”
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, Dec. 16
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POWERBALL, Dec. 16
4 — 23 — 37 — 61 — 67 PB 7
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MEGA MILLIONS, Dec. 15
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15
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WIN FOR LIFE, Dec. 16
1 — 11 — 30 — 61
PICK 4, Dec. 17
• 1 p.m.: 9 — 9 — 5 — 1
• 4 p.m.: 5 — 4 — 3 — 6
• 7 p.m.: 0 — 9 — 5 — 1
• 10 p.m.: 0 — 4 — 3 — 1
LUCKY LINES, Dec. 17
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Next jackpot: $57,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ MONDAY: Spaghetti, zucchini, garlic breadsticks, green
salad, cookie
■ TUESDAY: Chicken ala king over a biscuit, corn, roll, fruit
cup, peach crisp
■ WEDNESDAY: Pork roast, red potatoes, baby carrots, roll,
potato salad, tapioca
■ THURSDAY: Christmas Holiday; offi ce and transit are
closed.
■ FRIDAY: Christmas Day; offi ce and transit are closed.
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., 11:30
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $4.50 donation (60 and older), $6.75 for
those under 60. Meals must be picked up; there is no dining
on site.
C ONTACT THE H ERALD
1668 Resort St.
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
Fax: 541-833-6414
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.
com
Jayson Jacoby, editor
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Advertising email
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Classifi ed email
classified@bakercityherald.com
Circulation email
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ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays except Christmas Day by the
Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media
Group, at 1668 Resort St. (P.O. Box 807),
Baker City, OR 97814.
Subscription rates per month are:
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Copyright © 2020
was suspected of driving
his mother’s 2015 maroon
Subaru Forester, which he is
accused of stealing.
Hagedorn and Sr. Trooper
Levi Macy found the vehicle
in the westbound rest area.
Nichol was alone in the vehi-
cle and sitting in the driver’s
seat. Troopers arrested him
without incident.
Two Christmas Eve services set
at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Holiday schedule
at Anthony Lakes
Christmas Eve services at St. Ste-
phen’s Episcopal Church, 2177 First
St., will take place on Thursday, Dec. 24
at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
St. Stephen’s is offering two services
due to the current COVID-19 restric-
tions of 25 people at indoor services.
Each service will seat a maximum of
25 people at safe distancing in the sani-
Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort
will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. through Jan. 3, except Christmas
Day. The ski area will close at 1 p.m.
on Christmas Eve. The lodge will be
closed, except for restrooms, but limited
food and beverages will be available at
the “ski-thru” window. All visitors are
required to wear face coverings.
tized space. Families may sit together.
If you have a large family group, please
call Aletha Bonebrake at 541-519-3255
and tell her which service you prefer so
space can be saved. Masks are required
and there will be Christmas music but
no singing this year. To practice safe
gathering the church will also not be
offering communion. All are welcome.
O BITUARIES
Virginia Kostol
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
December 19, 2010
As he was barreling off the steep embankment beside
Interstate 84, Forest Wyan thought, “Oh God, this is it, it’s
all over.”
Wyan, 41, of Clinton, Utah, was driving a U.S. Mail truck
from Utah to Hermiston Sunday morning when he lost
control on the snow-slickened freeway near the Campbell
Street interchange.
“I was going about 40 (mph) when I came over the hill
and just tapped my brakes,” said Wyan, who’s been driv-
ing trucks for more than four years.
The truck started sliding.
the department was tracking
Nichol, and that he might be
at the rest area about eight
miles north of Baker City.
Nichol was wanted for
the attempted murder of his
mother, and a nationwide
warrant was issued for his
arrest, according to Hage-
dorn’s report. South Carolina
police reported that Nichol
Baker City, 1926-2020
Virginia Lee Kostol, 94, of Baker City,
died suddenly on Dec. 13, 2020, at her
home in Baker City.
Services will be scheduled at a later
date, when the COVID-19 restrictions
have been lifted.
Virginia was born on
July 18, 1926, at Hoquiam,
Washington, to Arthur and
Mavie (Olson) Benson. She
began fi rst grade a year
early, to stop her habit of
Virginia
running off to follow her
Kostol
sister Frances to school.
She spent many happy
summers with loads of cousins at Lake
Quinault. She could swim like a fi sh.
Virginia was valedictorian of the
Hoquiam High School Class of 1943, and
her speech topic was “Women in the War
Effort.” Then she was off to the Univer-
sity of Washington, where she was a
member of the Chi Omega sorority, and
earned a bachelor of science degree in
Home Economics and Education and
a fi fth-year certifi cate in Education. In
her senior year she met Carl Kostol at a
sorority/fraternity exchange. She taught
home economics at Hoquiam High
School for one year, and then married
Carl in 1949 and joined him in Mon-
treal.
While he attended medical school, she
taught kindergarten and home econom-
ics, and worked at a department store.
While Carl completed his internship and
residency in Portland, Virginia taught
social studies and home economics at
Parkrose Junior High. The couple moved
to Baker City in 1953. After she began
raising a family of four children, she
applied her teaching and home ec skills
in her home.
Virginia was an ever-willing volun-
teer in her children’s activities, leading
groups for Cub Scouts, Brownies, 4-H,
and Sunday School. In the community,
she organized Red Cross blood drives
(donating many gallons of blood herself),
and served on the ESD Board, the
Baker County Historical Society Board,
and The Salvation Army Auxiliary. She
was active in the St. Elizabeth Hospital
Auxiliary, running the annual bazaar
for years, and for decades she sewed
Christmas stockings to present to babies
N EWS OF
R ECORD
POLICE LOG
Baker City Police
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Union
County Circuit Court warrant):
Sean Phillips, 28, of 42534 N. Ce-
dar St.,2:30 a.m. Friday, in the 500
block of Campbell Street; cited
and released.
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Umatilla
County Circuit Court): Eliannah
Elise Banister, 23, transient, 11:30
a.m. Thursday, in the 500 block
of Campbell Street; cited and
released.
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Baker
County Circuit Court warrant):
Kenny Lee Hellman, 51, of Baker
City, 11:39 a.m. Thursday, at Wash-
ington Avenue and Birch Street;
jailed.
CONTEMPT OF COURT (Baker
County Justice Court warrant):
Timothy K. Slaney, 31, of Baker
City, 4:46 p.m. in the 2400 block of
Resort Street; cited and released.
UNION COUNTY PAROLE
BOARD WARRANT: Curtis Dean
Cox, 54, of Ontario, 10:25 a.m.
Tuesday in the 2200 block of
Broadway St.; transported to the
Union County Jail.
Baker County Sheriff’s
Offi ce
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Baker
County Circuit Court and Payette
County, Idaho, warrants): Brandi
Nicole Bowen, 31, of Huntington,
5:17 p.m. Thursday, at Hunting-
ton; cited and released.
born in December. Virginia led costumed
historical tours from the Geiser Grand
Hotel and was a Trail Tender at the Or-
egon Trail Interpretive Center. She was
honored by the Baker County Chamber
of Commerce as the Legacy Woman
of the Year in 2012 for her signifi cant
contributions to the community.
She was active in precinct and district
politics and state conventions. She was a
longtime member of First Presbyterian
Church, and she volunteered for years
as a fi tness group leader at the Senior
Center.
Virginia is survived by her four
children, who will miss her dearly: Carl
(Pat) Kostol of Tigard, Teresa (Justin)
Droessler of New Brighton, Minnesota,
Cris Kostol (John Marble) of Craw-
fordsville, and Lars Kostol of Lebanon;
her grandchildren, Casey Kostol, Brian
(Allie) Kostol, Amy Fritz, Keith Kostol,
Mark Droessler and Kelly Kostol; and
two great-grandchildren.
Virginia was preceded in death by her
husband, Carl R. Kostol; and her sister,
Frances Woski.
Ginny was always positive, often
humming or whistling, always lending
a helping hand or listening ear. She
loved to play bridge and golf (she had
a memento of a hole in one), and was a
charter member of the Birthday Club.
Married for 68 years, Ginny and Carl
enjoyed skiing, fi shing, weekends at the
cabin, and Me ‘n’ You Dances together.
When Carl retired, she persuaded him
to go to the Big Island of Hawaii, and
they continued to travel there for 20
winters, and to play golf at various
places in the spring and summer.
For those wishing to make a con-
tribution in Virginia’s memory, the
family suggests The Salvation Army
or the Baker County Historical Society
through Coles Tribute Center, 1950
Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
To light a candle in memory of Ginny,
go to www.colestributecenter.com
Letha Catlett
Baker City, 1938-2020
Letha “Lee” Colleen (Moore) Catlett,
82, of Baker City, and formerly of Unity,
a loving mother, grandmother, great-
grandmother, and great-great-grand-
mother, died Dec. 11, 2020, at Baker
City.
There are no services
scheduled at this time. A
celebration of life will take
place in the summer of
2021.
Letha was born on June
Letha
26, 1938, at Mount Vernon,
Catlett
the daughter of Delcie (Ho-
geland) and Jess Moore.
She graduated from Toledo, Oregon,
High School in 1956. Lee married Rob-
ert “Bob” Catlett on April 8, 1961. They
lived in many places while Bob served in
the Army, including Germany twice and
Japan and many places in the U.S. But
Unity was always home.
Lee worked as a cosmetologist for
many years; even after retirement, she
would cut family and friends’ hair. After
retirement, Lee and Bob would spend
their winters in Quartzsite, Arizona,
where they enjoyed spending time with
friends, attending music jams, and go-
ing to various dances and shows.
When Bob passed, she continued to
spend the winters in Arizona with Del-
cie, her mom. Later she would travel
with family friend, Gene Bettin.
Lee and Bob often took the grand-
kids on trips. One time they traveled
through the southern and eastern parts
of the U.S., ending in Virginia visiting
family and friends along the way. Lee
loved to travel, taking her granddaugh-
ters to Yellowstone National Park and
Newport. She made an annual trip to
the Oregon Coast to visit family and
friends. She went on two cruises in her
life, one to Ensenada, Mexico, and the
other to Alaska.
She is survived by her four daugh-
ters, LeeAnn, Carla, Deborah and April;
seven grandchildren, Memorey, Jason,
Miranda, Jennifer, Julia, Allison, and
AJ; 12 great-grandchildren, fi ve great-
great-grandchildren, and many friends
and loved ones.
She was preceded in death by her
father, Jess Moore; stepfather, Dar-
rel Perdue, in 1995; husband, Robert
Catlett, in 2000; and mother Delcie
(Hogeland) Perdue, in 2005.
Lee will be greatly missed by every-
one whose life she touched, friends, and
family alike, family members said.
To leave an online condolence for
Lee’s family, go to www.grayswestco.
com
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