RECORDS
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
OBITUARIES
POLICE LOG
Justin Richard Waddell
Hermiston
May 9, 1984 — February 4, 2020
Justin Richard Waddell mother Hattie Bechler; his
was born May 9, 1984, in parents Larry Coombs and J.
Hermiston, Ore. He passed Deane Coombs; his brothers
February 4, 2020, in Herm- Mathew Waddell, Nathen
iston. Justin was
Waddell and Jamie
35 years old.
Coombs; his sis-
ters Ashley Ayres
Justin was a
lifetime resident
and
Michelle
of the Umatilla
LaGrand;
his
and
Hermiston
four
children
area. Justin lived
Makaiyla Wad-
dell, Kamri Wad-
with his father
dell, Kaden Wad-
(Richard
Dorn
dell and Kloaie
Waddell) until his
Waddell
Waddell; his aunt
father’s passing
Trina Parish Wad-
July 19, 1996. Jus-
tin and his brother
dell, and his uncle
Mathew then became part Tom Waddell.
of the Larry and J. Deane
Justin is preceded in
Coombs family.
death by his father, Rich-
Justin was undeniably the ard Dorn Waddell, and his
proud father of four beau- grandfather, Charles Robert
tiful children: Makaiyla, Bechler.
Kamri, Kaden and Kloaie.
Services will be held
Justin loved the outdoors, at the Hermiston Assem-
exploring and creating new bly of God Church, 730 E.
adventures. Justin also Hurlburt Ave., Hermiston,
enjoyed going to concerts on Thursday, February 13,
and special events were he 2020, at 11 a.m.
had the opportunity to meet
Arrangements by Burns
some of his favorite actors.
Mortuary of Hermiston. To
Justin is survived by leave an online condolence
his longtime partner Ash- for the family, please go to
ley Riley; his mother Lau- www.burnsmortuaryhermis-
rie Ann LeGrand; his grand- ton.com.
Marilyn ‘Joanne’ Poland
Hermiston
October 13, 1934 — February 5, 2020
Marilyn
“Joanne” sons Michael (Pamela)
Poland, age 85, died Feb- of Pendleton and Eric of
ruary 5, 2020, at home in Hermiston; daughter Leah
Hermiston, Oregon.
Stollar-Hooker (Mark) of
Joanne (“Grandma Jo” Stanfield, Oregon; grand-
to her grandchil-
daughters
Jas-
dren) was born
mine Stollar of
October 13, 1934,
Hermiston, Jade
in Emmett, Idaho,
Hooker of Stan-
field, Alexandria
to Homer and
Poland of Pend-
Martha “Goldie”
leton, and Jacinda
(Spears) Garrett.
Hooker of Stan-
The family moved
field; stepgrand-
frequently during
daughter Andrea
Poland
Joanne’s
child-
hood, living in
Elbert of La
Idaho, California,
Grande, Oregon;
Washington, and Oregon. and great-grandson Sylas
She graduated from Pilot Swanger of Hermiston.
Rock (Oregon) High School She is also survived by her
in 1953.
brother, Kenneth Garrett
From 1954 to 1957, (Georgia) of Pendleton; two
she worked as a telephone nephews, Alan and Brian
operator for what was then Garrett, and their families;
Bell Telephone in Pendle- and several cousins. She
ton, Oregon. She married was preceded in death by
her husband, Jesse Poland, her husband Jesse in March
on June 1, 1957, at Calvary 2018.
Baptist Church in Pendleton.
A private ceremony will
They celebrated their 60th be held at a later date.
anniversary in 2017.
In lieu of flowers, dona-
Joanne was a home- tions may be made in her
maker who loved spend- name to a favorite charity or
ing time with her family to the National Federation
and pets. She spent most of of the Blind, 200 East Wells
her married life in Pendle- Street at Jergen Place, Balti-
ton, moving to Hermiston more, MD 21230.
Arrangements by Burns
in 2014.
She is survived by her Mortuary of Hermiston.
DEATH NOTICE
LaVaughn A. Browning
Hermiston
March 31, 1923 — Feb. 5, 2020
LaVaughn A. Browning, 96, of Hermiston, died
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Hermiston. She was born
March 31, 1923, in La Grande.
A celebration of life service will be held Saturday,
Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. at Burns Mortuary chapel in Hermiston.
A private family burial will be held later at Island City
Cemetery. Arrangements by Burns Mortuary of Hermis-
ton. Share memories with the family at www.burnsmortu-
aryhermiston.com.
BIRTHS
TUESDAY, FEB. 4
11:07 a.m.— Police took a report for a possible stolen green
Honda Civic near Southeast Sixth Street.
12:28 p.m.— A man reported that a woman is following him
around town, and chasing him in her vehicle.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5
1:36 p.m.— Someone on West Ridgeway Avenue was flatten-
ing a car tire with a razor blade.
1:54 p.m.— A drunk driver was reported on Highway 395.
THURSDAY, FEB. 6
1:55 a.m.— A domestic disturbance was reported on South-
west 11th Street.
7:56 a.m.— Someone reportedly broke into a car on North
First Street using a rock to break a window.
9:47 a.m.— A man on West Pine Avenue found rifle bullets
that didn’t belong to him on his property and would like to
dispose of them.
FRIDAY, FEB. 7
3:49 a.m. — A possible burglary was reported on South High-
way 395.
9:05 a.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on West
Hartley Avenue.
2:23 p.m. — A caller advised someone had hit and damaged
his vehicle near Club 24 the previous day and did not leave a
note.
3:10 p.m. — Police took a report of a woman whose ex-boy-
friend was sending her harassing messages.
SATURDAY, FEB. 8
1:46 a.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on South-
west Cottonwood Drive.
4:09 a.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on East
Catherine Avenue.
9:26 p.m. — A drunk driver was reported on East Highland
Avenue.
10:25 p.m. — A drunk driver was reported on South Highway
395.
SUNDAY, FEB. 9
12:15 a.m. — Vehicles were reported driving around the dam-
aged Riverfront Park.
10:34 a.m. — A hit and run was reported at North First Street
and West Highland Avenue.
5:34 pm.. — A burglary was reported on Northwest Seventh
Street.
MONDAY, FEB. 10
12:09 p.m. — A neighbor made a noise complaint about a
loud party on Northeast Sixth Street.
9:03 a.m. — A resident reported that someone had been
accessing their bank account and writing checks from that
account without their knowledge for the past three weeks.
12:35 p.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on North-
east Fourth Street.
3:47 p.m. — A woman reported that someone had found
her boyfriend’s wallet in the McDonalds parking lot and had
contacted him through Facebook, but was refusing to return
it unless he gets a reward.
5:18 p.m. — Someone was creating a disturbance outside of a
business on South Highway 395.
ACADEMIC HONORS
U of I names fall honor roll
MOSCOW, Ida. — Madison Anderholm of Hermis-
ton was named to the fall 2019 semester honor roll at the
University of Idaho:
More than 2,600 students qualified for the U of I
Dean’s List for the fall 2019 semester. To be included in
the Dean’s List, U of I students must maintain at least a
3.5 GPA on a minimum of 12 graded credits during the
semester. The fall 2019 semester ended December 20.
Local students named to EOU dean’s list
LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon University named
523 students to the dean’s list for the 2019 fall term.
Qualifying students achieve and maintain a grade point
average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale while complet-
ing a minimum of 12 hours of graded EOU coursework.
The following local students earned this distinction:
Boardman: Veronica Alvarez Frias, Mayra Lla-
mas Fregoso, Joseph O’Brien; Echo: Elizabeth Cox;
Hermiston: Monica Aguilar, Vanessa Ambriz Men-
doza, Ryne Andreason, Lara Arriola, Stephanie Avila,
Ashleigh Banker, Jennifer Fuentes, Timothy Handforth,
Vaughan Hawkins, Andrew James, Adara Lopez, Kody
Moss, Edgar Navarrete Ruiz, Cecia Palacios, Ethan
Pitzer, Bailey Srofe, Ellen Vander Stelt, Luke Walchli;
Umatilla: Yoshira Escamilla, Christy Macias, Rachelle
Nycz.
Eastern Oregon University was founded in 1929 as a
teacher’s college and today serves as a center for educa-
tion, culture, and scholarship in rural areas of Oregon.
At EOU students receive personal attention from their
professors while building strong relationships with
peers and mentors. Visit eou.edu for more information.
Market robbed at gunpoint Tuesday night
Pollice seek public’s help
to identify man
HerMIsTOn HeraLd
Hermiston
police
responded to a report of an
armed robbery on North-
west 11th Street the evening
of Feb. 4.
A male suspect wear-
ing a face mask and a red
American Eagle sweatshirt
allegedly held an employee
at gunpoint in the 11th Street
Market before 10:30 p.m.
He fled from the scene on
foot with cash and remains
at large. Law enforcement
officials are not disclosing
the amount that was taken.
The gun was never fired
HerMIsTOnHeraLd.COM • A5
and no one was hurt in the
incident, police said. The
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment is currently investigat-
ing the case.
“Historically,
violent
crime in Hermiston is rel-
atively infrequent,” said
Hermiston Police Chief
Jason Edmiston. “When
these types of events occur,
it alarms us.”
Anyone with information
about the case is asked to
call Lieutenant Studebaker
at 541-667-5095.
This surveillance still
shows the suspect
in an armed robbery
at the 11th Street
Market in Hermiston.
Photo contributed by Hermiston Police Department
Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston
JAN. 28, 2020
BURNS — Lindsey R. Burns and Jacob K. Burns of
Hermiston: a girl, Austin Zayne Burns.
KNOWLES — Sarah Knowles of Hermiston: a boy,
Dallas Reed Knowles.
JAN. 29, 2020
CASTELLO — Claudia J. Castello and Michael D.
Castello of Hermiston: a girl, Clara Joy Castello.
HALLOS — Ciara Kowalski and Coltyn Hallos of
Stanfield: a girl, McKinley Hallos.
FEB. 3, 2020
JEPPESON — Angel M. McMurtry and Joshua A.
Jeppeson of Hermiston: a boy, Rowan Adam Wayne
Jeppeson.
COURTS
Sentences
PENDLETON — The
following sentences have
been imposed in Umatilla
County courts:
FELONY
•Uhuru’Sekou Kamara Ajani
Obataiye-Allah, 38, Umatilla
(TRCI), pleaded guilty to
Aggravated Harassment: sen-
tenced to 19 months Oregon
DOC and 2 years post-prison
supervision.
Suits Filed
PENDLETON — The follow-
ing suits have been filed
in Umatilla County courts
(interest, court costs and
fees not listed):
•Credits Inc. vs. Todd M. and
Barbara Abercrombie of
Irrigon: seeks $1,345.70.
•Credits Inc. vs. Jessica A.
Kestler of Hermiston: seeks
$2,004.10.
•Credits Inc. vs. Veronica N.
Legarda of Hermiston: seeks
$2,332.85.
•Credits Inc. vs. Deianira
Martinez of Umatilla: seeks
$941.69.
•Credits Inc. vs. Kevin M.
Mitchell of Hermiston: seeks
$1,362.72.
•Credits Inc. vs. Elisa M.
Lowery-Omaljev of Stanfield:
seeks $1,120.87.
•Credits Inc. vs. Adan Torres
Rafael and Elizabeth Olivo of
Irrigon: seeks $552.02.
•Credits Inc. vs. Sonia Salazar
Sanchez of Irrigon: seeks
$852.43.
•Credits Inc. vs. Molly C.
Sells of Hermiston: seeks
$3,594.64.
•Credits Inc. vs. Brian Snyder
of Irrigon: seeks $1,159.23.
•Credits Inc. vs. Jessica Trujillo
of Umatilla: seeks $868.91.
•Credits Inc. vs. Christopher
Wallace of Hermiston: seeks
$964.98.
•Quick Collect Inc. vs. Levi
Matthew Hayden and Joanna
Hayden of Hermiston: seeks
$586.55.
•Quick Collect Inc. vs. John
Farrester of Hermiston: seeks
$986.29.
•United Finance Co. vs.
Antonio Alvaro of Hermiston:
seeks $8,942.62.
•Brian A. Zimmerman vs. Tana
Halligan: seeks $49,999.
•Allstate Fire and Casualty
Insurance Company as
subrogee of Patrick Durant
vs. Frankie’s Towing: seeks
$2,783.22.
•Ashley Manor LLC vs. Aito
Irusta of Stanfield: seeks
$1,039.37.
•Swift Transportation Co.
of Arizona LLC vs. Aaron
Ranslam: seeks $5,720.
Judgments
PENDLETON — The follow-
ing judgments have been
rendered in Umatilla Coun-
ty courts (interest, court
costs and fees not listed):
•Midland Funding LLC vs.
Noralba Ruiz of Hermiston:
judgment for $900.38.
•Credits Inc. vs. Luis Mesteth
Aguilar of Umatilla: judg-
ment for $4,433.86.
•Credits Inc. vs. Jasmine G.
Romo of Irrigon: judgment
for $4,855.26.
•Credits Inc. vs. Maria A. San-
chez of Boardman: judgment
for $467.57.
•Credits Inc. vs. Marcum and
Sandra Mason of Boardman:
judgment for $2,773.27.
•Credits Inc. vs. Alberto Ruiz
Gomez of Hermiston: judg-
ment for $787.74.
•Credits Inc. vs. Francisco
and Edith Santana of Irrigon:
judgment for $297.36.
Divorces
PENDLETON — Divorce
decrees were signed in
Umatilla County Courts for:
Quinette Irene Mecham of
Umatilla and Garret Emery
Mecham of Prague, Okla.
Woman sues
church after
van crash
JESSICA POLLARD
sTaFF WrITer
A plaintiff is seeking
$750,000 in the wake of
a 2018 van crash near the
Interstate 82 and Inter-
state 84 interchange out-
side Hermiston that left her
with traumatic brain injury.
The tort complaint,
filed on Jan. 29 in Umatilla
County, states Leona Rans-
trom was left with cogni-
tive deficiencies, multiple
injuries and difficulty with
usual activities due to inju-
ries caused by the crash,
and that she was unable
to complete her freshman
year of college because of
it.
Ranstrom was one of
11 passengers in the Ford
Econoline van, which
rolled over on I-82 west-
bound when the driver,
Largent Reeb of Lewiston,
Idaho, failed to negotiate a
lane change while trying to
merge onto I-84. The van
slid off the exit ramp and
rolled.
Reeb, 28 at the time of
the crash, pleaded no con-
test to a citation for fail-
ure to travel within a lane,
and was convicted two
days after the crash, which
resulted in nine injuries
and two hospitalizations.
Law enforcement offi-
cials at the time said the
youth group, comprised of
youths between the ages of
14 and 20, was traveling to
a Christian conference in
Portland from Lewiston.
Reeb and his congrega-
tion, the Lewiston-based
River City Church, are
listed as defendants in the
complaint. He is currently
listed as a youth pastor on
the church’s website.
The
Congregational
Presbyterian Church of
Lewiston lent the van to
River City for the con-
ference, and is listed as a
defendant as well.
The complaint alleges
that River City Church
failed to properly train and
supervise Reeb, and also
to equip the Econoline
van. It further alleges that
Reeb was traveling at an
unsafe speed for road con-
ditions and failed to prop-
erly merge, resulting in the
rollover.
According to the doc-
ument, Ranstrom seeks at
least $124,000 for medi-
cal expenses and for tui-
tion reimbursement. The
complaint states the plain-
tiff seeks a jury trial on the
matter, and that the amount
for economic and non-eco-
nomic damages not exceed
$750,000.
Ranstrom’s
lawyer
declined to provide com-
ment to the Hermiston
Herald regarding the mat-
ter and representatives
from River City Church
did not respond to a request
for comment.
The defendants have yet
to respond to the complaint
filed.