BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022 A3
LOCAL
Idaho man
arrested at
campground
Baker City Herald
An Idaho man who was hired to work as a
camp host at Union Creek campground this
summer was arrested at the campground Sunday
night, May 1, after he allegedly entered the garage
of the caretaker’s home and banged on the door.
Joshua Don Morgan, 32, of Weiser, was charged
with second-degree burglary, second-degree crim-
inal mischief and second-degree criminal trespass.
Morgan was taken to the Baker County Jail.
The caretaker, who had his minor child in the
home, which is near the campground entrance
off Highway 7, called 911 about 8:30 p.m.
That was not long after members of the
Baker County Sheriff’s Office, who had hosted
a search and rescue training exercise based at
the campground, left, said Ashley McClay, pub-
lic information officer for the sheriff’s office.
The campground has not opened to the
public for the season.
According to a police report, Morgan al-
legedly caused damage to the door of the care-
taker’s home.
Sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police re-
sponded.
Morgan was scheduled to be arraigned on
Monday afternoon, May 2, in Baker County
Circuit Court.
COVID
Cases then dipped significantly
during the fall of 2021, to 168 in
Continued from Page A1
October, 143 in November and
106 in December.
The omicron variant surge
Monthly case totals fluctuated,
spiked in January 2022, with a re-
sometimes by considerable mar-
cord 646 cases.
gins, during much of that period.
Since then, cases have dropped
After hitting a then-record of 196
cases during December 2020, cases at a much more precipitous rate
dipped to 70 in February 2021, rose than previously.
February’s total was 230, and
again to 162 in April 2021, then
then the case rate plummeted in
plunged to 51 in May 2021 — the
fewest until this March’s total of 14. March.
Baker County hasn’t reported a
During the surge caused by the
COVID-19-related death in more
delta variant in the summer of
2021, Baker County set consecutive than a month.
The county has reported 3,217
records with 300 cases in August
total cases, and 48 related deaths,
and 465 in September.
during the pandemic.
The situation has been dif-
ferent overall in Oregon, as the
BA.2 strain has led to an increase
in cases, although COVID-19-
related deaths have continued to
drop, and hospitalizations have
risen only slightly.
The Oregon Health Authority
reported 1,464 cases statewide on
April 28 — the highest daily to-
tal since mid February. The daily
average, based on the previous
seven days, has increased state-
wide from 228 in late March to
991 on April 28.
State and federal officials have
pointed out that recent figures
could be underestimating the prev-
alence of the virus, since many
people are doing home tests, the
results of which don’t have to be re-
ported to public health agencies.
The number of recorded tests
in Baker County has not varied
dramatically over the past several
weeks:
• March 6-12 — 193
• March 13-19 — 156
• March 20-26 — 131
• March 27-April 2 — 108
• April 3-9 — 145
• April 10-16 — 105
• April 17-23 — 127
• April 24-28 — 48 (does not in-
clude April 29 and 30)
Power
One case, in Union County, re-
mains open. The landowner in
that case is 516 Ranch Partnership.
Idaho Power has been work-
ing since 2007 on the Board-
man-to-Hemingway project, a
293-mile, 500-kilovolt line that
would run from near Boardman
to Hemingway, near Murphy in
Owyhee County, Idaho.
Although sections of the pro-
posed route runs through pub-
lic property — Idaho Power has
received permission from the
federal government to do so —
the line, as proposed, would also
cross several dozen parcels of
private land in multiple counties,
including Baker, Union, Wallowa
and Morrow in Oregon.
Idaho Power would have to
pay private landowners for an
easement to build the power
line across their property. This
would be a one-time payment,
not an annual lease, according to
the boardmantohemingway.com
website.
Berg said the line would affect
about 30 private landowners in
Baker County, who combined
own about 60 separate parcels.
Berg said Idaho Power does
not pay for access to private
property to do pre-construction
surveys.
That was also the case with
most of Idaho Power’s lawsuits
filed in other counties in Eastern
Continued from Page A1
Oregon, including Union, Uma-
Idaho Power was asking a judge tilla and Morrow, Berg said.
In five cases, however, there
to order the landowners to allow
access to their properties for a va- were court hearings, he said.
Four of those were in Union
riety of surveys, including look-
County, and one in Mor-
ing for certain wildlife and plant
row County.
species.
In two cases, a judge granted
The company sought to dismiss
the lawsuits because “we were able Idaho Power a default judgment
granting the company access
to obtain rights-of-entry out of
court from all of the Baker County for surveys.
Three others went to trial,
landowners we requested it
from,” Sven Berg, an Idaho Power Berg said. In two cases the court
granted Idaho Power access
spokesman, wrote in an email to
for surveys.
the Herald.
also heard from people who
thought the county should
Continued from Page A1
have been enforcing, for in-
stance, the mask mandate.
Staten said Lamb, who par-
Staten said she had to ex-
ticipated in most of those and plain to people that the health
other virtual meetings, helped department is not responsi-
her immensely.
ble for enforcing such
“We’re very for-
rules.
tunate to have him,”
She said her goal, as
she said. “He’s been
it has been through-
there every step of
out the pandemic, was
the way. He’s been
to distribute accurate
amazing.”
information and to an-
swer residents’ ques-
Staten recalls
Staten
tions.
that in the spring of
“We knew we were
2020, there was less
opposition to the restrictions never going to please every-
that Oregon Gov. Kate Brown one,” Staten said. “We do our
best.”
imposed through executive
orders.
Although subsequent studies ‘Long days. Nights and
have concluded that lockdowns weekends’
of the sort used in Oregon and
Although the terms “case
much of the U.S. likely didn’t
investigation” and “contact
have a significant effect on the tracing” have long been fa-
spread of COVID-19, Staten
miliar in epidemiology, nei-
said she has never questioned
ther was especially common
Brown’s intentions.
in ordinary conversation until
“Her intent was to keep peo- COVID-19 arrived.
ple safe,” Staten said.
But once Baker County had
its first confirmed case on
Dealing with complaints
May 6, 2020 — and particu-
As the pandemic pro-
larly when cases became more
gressed, Staten said it was ap- common starting in July of
parent that residents’ attitudes that year — investigating cases
had changed.
and trying to interview every-
She and other health depart- one who might have been in
ment staff fielded occasional
close contact with someone
complaints about school re-
who tested positive came to
strictions, which continued
dominate Staten’s work and
into the 2020-2021 school year, those of her staff.
limits on restaurant capacity,
“Long days,” she said.
and mask mandates.
“Nights and weekends. It was
Staten said the situation was unlike anything else we’ve
frustrating at times because
dealt with.”
the health department “wasn’t
But even with the massive
calling the shots” — the restric- increase in workload, Staten
tions were set at the state level. said the health department
Not all the complaints were had to continue its usual tasks
from people concerned that the — the WIC program, for in-
state rules were too restrictive, stance, which brought her to
Staten said.
the department, and adminis-
The health department
tering childhood vaccines.
Staten
Celebration of Life
Linda Koplein
Jan. 20, 1949 - Sept. 14, 2021
May 21st, 2022 • 1 PM - 4 PM
Baker City Elk’s Lodge
Please bring memories, smiles and laughter.
Luncheon will follow
Harold “Ray” Baxter
February 14, 1953 – March 27, 2022
Our father, Harold “Ray”
Baxter, Jr., passed away on
March 27, 2022. Ray was 69.
Ray was born on February 14,
1953, to his parents, Harold
Ray Baxter, Sr., and Lily
Beryle Roscoe in Albany,
Oregon. Ray was somewhat
of a “math genius” which
served him well in the US Air
Force during the Vietnam War
as a Radio Relay Equipment
Specialist, along with the
many years he worked as
one of the main technicians for the local “PNW”/
CenturyLink until his retirement. He is survived by his
two daughters, Amber Christian and Kelsey Baxter. In
addition to his older sister who helped raise him, Lily
Cunningham. We mourn the loss of our father, our
brother, our friend, and encourage any and all who knew
him to remember the beauty he brought to this world.
For any interested, there will be a Celebration of Life
at The 41 Club, at 2129 2nd St., Baker City, OR 97814
on May 11, 2022, at 5 p.m. Burial services with military
honors will be held at 1 p.m. on May 12 at Mount Hope
Cemetery, Veterans section. If you would like to donate
or show your support for our family, please visit our
memorial website at https://gofundme./98c24f7c.
“It’s taken a toll, the past two years. But I care
about people and I want people to be taken
care of. I wanted to do the best I could for the
people of our community.”
— Nancy Staten, retiring director of the Baker County Health
Department
By the fall of 2020, Staten
said, the imminent arrival of
COVID-19 vaccines became
a major topic for public health
officials across the country.
Baker County received its
first doses in mid-December
2020.
Perhaps her most poignant
pandemic memory is from
Feb. 12, 2021, when the health
department put on its first
large-scale vaccination clinic at
Baker High School.
Despite snow showers and
temperatures hovering around
20 degrees, about 300 county
residents — most of them 80
or older — turned out to get
their first vaccine dose.
Staten remembers the vol-
unteers who drove people in
golf carts from their cars to
the BHS gym to minimize
their time exposed to the win-
try weather.
She remembers the chal-
lenging logistics.
But mostly she remembers
the smiles.
“People were so excited to be
getting their vaccines,” Staten
said. “I will never forget that.
It gave everybody hope. It was
very touching.”
Pandemic divides society
COVID-19 vaccines weren’t
a universal source of opti-
mism, to be sure.
Although the vaccines were,
and continue to be, very effec-
tive at preventing people from
getting severely ill, their abil-
ity to prevent infection isn’t as
robust.
The prevalence of “break-
through” infections starting in
the summer of 2021 with the
delta variant, and continuing
with the omicron variant in
the winter of 2021-2022, com-
bined with Gov. Brown’s re-
quirement that some people be
vaccinated or risk losing their
jobs, contributed to the widen-
ing divide in public attitudes
about the pandemic.
Staten watched that division
— and occasionally heard it di-
rectly, through phone calls and
other comments from local
residents — with dismay.
She understands that people
have differing viewpoints, and
she respects those.
But Staten said she was both-
ered that some people down-
played the risk that COVID-19
posed, or worse, accused offi-
cials of using the pandemic as
an excuse to expand govern-
ment power.
Staten said she encourages
respectful debate about the
approaches to dealing with
the virus. But she was also dis-
heartened by skepticism about
COVID-19 even as she re-
ceived the latest report about a
county resident who died after
testing positive.
“These are our people —
people we knew and loved,”
she said. “It’s very difficult.”
Ready to retire
Staten said she had begun to
at least contemplate retirement
not long before that life-chang-
ing phone call on Jan. 24, 2020.
The previous November, she
Wanda Gene Coles Kempfer Springer
December 9, 1928 - December 2, 2021
Wanda passed to her heavenly
home on December 2, 2021, with
family by her side. Born December
9, 1928, in Baker City, Oregon,
to James Bernal Coles and Aleta
Grace Kelly-Coles, Wanda went
to school in Haines, Oregon, until
sixth grade then went to school in
Baker City until her senior year.
She graduated in 1947 from high
school in Umatilla, Oregon. Wanda married James “Ted”
Kempfer on December 31st, 1947, and had two children,
Ed and Cindy. Ted passed January of 1970. In 1974,
Wanda married Clark Springer.
Wanda enjoyed life to the fullest. Some of her
passions were cooking, horses and being a farmer’s wife.
She spoke fondly of her summers as a child with her
grandmother and grandfather herding cattle in Haines,
Oregon. Wanda moved to California with her love, Ted,
where they farmed in Lindsay until he passed. Her joy
for traveling was fulfilled during her marriage to Clark
Springer. After his passing she cherished her time with
her family, friends and kitties.
Wanda belonged to the Civil Air Patrol from 1944-
1946. She is a life member of the American Legion
Auxiliary 18; life member of the Ladies Auxiliary 7668
to the Veterans of Foreign Wars; life member of VFW
National Home for Children and was President/Secretary
for the Military Officers Association of America
(MOAA) for many years.
Wanda was predeceased by her parents, husbands Ted
and Clark, and son Ed. She is survived by her daughter
Cindy (Bill) Visalia, CA, grandson Erich (Ashley)
Kalispell, MT., granddaughter Leanne (Wallace) Rocklin,
CA. and four great-grandchildren, as well as her sister
Sara, Monterey, CA, four brothers Jim, Ron, David, and
Roger of Oregon, and numerous nieces/nephews.
Special thanks go to John Juarez and the care staff
at Park Visalia as well as Nurse Jill and the care staff at
Kaweah Health Hospice for their care and compassion.
Graveside service will be Saturday, May 14, 2022, at
3 p.m. at Haines Cemetery, Haines, Oregon.
and her husband had started
renovating a home they were
moving into.
What they intended to be a
team effort turned out quite
differently.
“My husband has carried the
burden of home for the past
couple of years,” Staten said.
She has had a few brief va-
cations during the pandemic,
mainly camping trips. But even
then she had her laptop com-
puter along.
“I didn’t venture too far,”
Staten said with a laugh.
She decided early in the
pandemic that she wouldn’t
retire until the situation had
improved.
This winter, with the peak
of the omicron surge passing,
Staten finally set a retirement
date of May 2.
“It feels like a better time for
me to leave,” she said.
Her successor, Meghan
Chancey, who joined the health
department as office manager
in late October 2021, has been
working “hand in hand” with
Staten, preparing for the tran-
sition.
“I think she’s going to do
great,” Staten said of Chancey,
who previously served as di-
rector of the Eastern Oregon
Healthy Alliance.
On Friday, April 29, her pen-
ultimate work day as health de-
partment director, Staten con-
ceded that she can’t yet truly
reflect on the tumultuous final
two years of her career.
“I’m going to have to take
some time to process it,” she
said. “I haven’t been able to
do that.”
She doesn’t anticipate hav-
ing any trouble staying busy
in retirement.
All five of her grandchildren
are scheduled to visit this sum-
mer, for one thing.
Staten said the past two
years have been a challenge
without precedent during her
career, and life.
And although her job meant
she was more directly involved
in the pandemic than most
people, she understands that
for everyone, this era will be
like no other.
“I think it changed all of us,”
Staten said. “I think I’ve seen
the very best in people, and
I’ve worked with some amaz-
ing people. I’ve also seen the
other side.”
With the conclusion of her
career actually looming, Staten
said she plans to finish by do-
ing what she has been doing
the past two years.
“I will be working until
probably 5 o’clock on Monday
(May 2),” she said with a smile.
“It’s taken a toll, the past two
years. But I care about people
and I want people to be taken
care of. I wanted to do the best
I could for the people of our
community.”
John “Dale” Nebeker
November 8, 1939 - November 17, 2021
John “Dale” Nebeker passed
away in Casa Grande, Arizona, on
Wednesday, November 17, 2021,
with his daughter Debra by his
side.
Dale was born in Baker,
Oregon, on November 8, 1939, to
Merna and Edwin Nebeker. Dale
was raised in Baker and attended
Baker High School. Just before
graduating with the class of 1957
he joined the Navy. Upon returning from the service, he
married Bertha Mae Moore and they had five children.
Dale had many interests. He joined the Jaycees in
his younger years and performed in melodramas as the
hero. He enjoyed sharing a joke with his friends, and
his grandchildren have fond memories taking trips with
him singing to the radio as they traveled.
Dale’s career span varied from being a barber to
law enforcement as police officer and then a parole
and probation officer. One of his greatest career
achievements was capturing three escaped convicts
from the Utah State Prison by himself while working
for the Burley, Idaho, city police department. However,
Dale stated his true enjoyment was barbering because
he enjoyed working around people.
Dale divorced later in life and was remarried to
Daralee Long. They made their home in Springfield,
Oregon. Dale went to work for the state of Oregon as
a parole and probation officer first in the Springfield
office and later in the Eugene office. He did take a
manager role in the Springfield office before returning
to the role of a parole officer. He was forced into early
retirement because of sustaining a back injury on the
shooting range in 1999.
After retirement, Dale and Daralee shared many
adventures through the years traveling in their
motorhome. They would make Baker City their summer
home and Casa Grande, AZ their winter home. They
would also enjoy taking cruises to Hawaii and Mexico.
Tragically, 41 days after Dale passed away, Dale’s
one and only son, Shawn Dale Nebeker, passed away on
December 28, 2021, from COVID-19 complications.
Dale is survived by his children: Lynda Reynolds of
La Pine, OR, Debra James, Casa Grande, AZ, Shauna
Phillips of Peoria, AZ, Merna Bennett of Caldwell, ID;
a brother, Bryson DeVear Nebeker of Leewood, KS,
and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces
and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents,
Merna and Edwin Nebeker, his sisters, Betty Nebeker
and Lee Montoya, and his granddaughter Jennifer
Edison.
A graveside funeral will be held on May 14 at 11
a.m. in the veterans area of Mt. Hope Cemetery in
Baker City, Oregon.