Serving Whitman County since 1877

Bulletin column - Oct. 8, 2009

These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated.

Library will move to US Bank

During the upcoming remodeling project, Whitman County Library will move its headquarters operation across Spring Street to the back of the US Bank building, Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick reported to the city council Monday night. The library plans to move 12,000 to 14,000 items into the bank building which was formally used by the Community Action Center.

Second level space of the bank building will be used for children’s programs. New books, on-line services, CDs, and other items will be moved. Library staffers, wearing hard hats, will also shuttle back and forth to the library to get requested items from the stacks.

The temporary mode is expected to last five to six months. The library has finally received authorization to call for bids for the project which has been funded with donations, grants and a loan through the USDA Community Facilities Program.

The library director said the bid authorization has been delayed because the loan program is now being funded with stimulus money. That funding source added another layer of review on the project and some items might have to be dropped, depending on the bid results.

Kirkpatrick noted the library had planned to set up their temporary operation over the summer months, but the delays mean they will have to cope with the project over the winter. She said the decision to shut down the library building to the public reduces the cost of the project because it places fewer restrictions on the contractor.

Kirkpatrick also reported on the library district’s ballot proposal which asks voters to remove the I-747 revenue restriction on tax revenue. She pointed out after the meeting that the ballot measure deals with library operational funds. None of the funding for the remodeling project is related to the ballot request.

Pistol said held to head

Formal charges of second degree assault and harassment with domestic violence were filed Monday against Cory Hargraves, 24, after Pullman Police investigated a report of a man holding a pistol to the head of a roommate at an apartment on NE Terre View Drive. Hargraves was booked into jail early Saturday morning and was ordered held without bail after a first court appearance Monday.

The police report alleged Hargraves held the pistol to the head of a roommate and threatened to kill him. Officers said they later learned a third roommate had taken the pistol from Hargraves and removed it from the apartment.

The third roommate was later found in the Campus Commons laundry and led officers to his car in the parking lot where they located a Glock pistol and an SKS rifle which the roommate said belonged to the suspect. The report said Hargraves told officers he had previously sold the Glock.

Cigarette theft nets jail

Hayley R. Blumenshein, 19, St. John, was sentenced to 15 days in jail Friday after she pleaded guilty Friday in superior court to an amended charge of second degree theft. She was charged with taking cigarettes from a Steptoe residence July 23. The owner of the residence, who was working on the roof of the house at the time, observed Blumenshein enter the house.

She was also ordered to pay $1,800 in fines and fees with the option of working off $1,000 in defense attorney fee reimbursement at $10 per hour.

Playhouse winner

Linda Arnold of Spokane was the winner of the playhouse which was raffled off toward the end of Hullabaloo festivities on Main Street Saturday. Arnold purchased her raffle ticket five months ago at the Chamber of Commerce wine tasting party.

Drug suspect already faces trial

An affidavit to revoke conditions of release for Laurie Jo Rasco, 38, now of Moscow, was filed Thursday in superior court. Rasco, who is slated for an Oct. 19 trial on drug possession charges filed in July, is alleged to be the suspect involved in a prescription drug sale which led to the arrest early Thursday morning in Pullman of Tracy D. Mimms of Montclair, Calif.

Agents of the Quad Cities Drug Task Force alleged they arranged for a drug purchase by an informant from Rasco at a parking lot on N. Grand. A surveillance team observed Rasco conversing with a man in a car, and Mimms was later arrested in the car and allegedly found in possession of some of the “buy money” used by the informant to buy the drugs from Rasco.

Rasco was charged July 10 with possession of heroin and cocaine. Those charges evolved from a May 5 emergency medical response to a Pullman apartment where a man reportedly was suffering from a drug overdose. Rasco was alleged to be the source of the drugs.

She pleaded not guilty to the two drug possession charges and was slated for the Oct. 19 trial.

Mimms was formally charged Monday with delivery of oxycodone. Officers alleged $2,065 in cash was found in the rental car he was driving with $550 of the money used by the informant to purchase drugs from Rasco.

Crews respond to field fires

Fire crews last Thursday responded to fires which ignited off field burns and spread to stubble. One alarm was at about 4 p.m. on the Almota Road south of Colfax. Colfax, Albion and Diamond crews responded to that alarm. Another alarm came at 7:31 p.m. last night for a fire in the Crumbaker Road area with Steptoe and Diamond crews also responding to the scene with Colfax.

Rotarians will depart CETC

Colfax Rotary Club will move their weekly luncheon meetings to the United Methodist Church social room because of the pending shutdown of the county-owned CETC building.

Saturday’s Quilt Show, sponsored by the Whitman Samplers for Hullabaloo, was slated to be the last event in the CETC building. Rotary’s last luncheon meeting in the building, where they have dined for decades, will be today and after that the weekly sessions will be at the United Methodist Church.

The county has opted to shut down the CETC building over the winter because engineers believe its roof support system can no longer sustain a snow load.

Club President Jon Davis said the dining room and kitchen at the church best fits the club’s needs and provided a downtown location which was convenient for most club members. Rotary luncheons are catered by Pam and Wayne Bergey.

Police investigate pumpkin raid

Colfax Police are investigating a report of theft of pumpkins from a yard and garden patch at a residence in the 900 block of N. Morton Street. The owner reported 14 of her 17 pumpkins were taken. Time of the theft was believed to have been in the early morning hours last Wednesday, Sept. 30, according to Chief Bill Hickman.

He said some of the pumpkins were orange but others had yet to turn color. The owner had pumpkins placed along the side of the stairs leading up to the front door of the residence. Some of the pumpkins were also in the side yard.

Hickman reported shattered pumpkins were found along N. Main Street and along S. Mill Street yesterday and they are believed to be among those taken from the Morton Street residence.

Also, one pumpkin was found smashed in front of the owners house, and that pumpkin had a partial footprint.

The chief also said he has received reports that some of the pumpkins which have been put out for Hullabaloo displays have also been smashed.

Residents with any information about the missing pumpkins are encouraged to tell the police department.

Avista responds to suit

A response to the damage suit filed against Avista by Verizon Northwest, Inc., was filed in superior court Monday. The response alleges any loss Verizon sustained from an Avista excavation in May of 2007 was caused by the failure of Verizon to provide accurate information to a notice on the scheduled excavation.

Verizon’s suit alleges it sustained damages of $66,186 when an Avista excavation at Oak and Monroe in Pullman struck a cable May 7, 2007.

Support payments said due

A notice of an Oct. 16 hearing for alleged unpaid child support payments was filed last Wednesday in superior court against Xavier A. Hicks, Jr., Pullman. The hearing will be on the state’s request for an arrest warrant for contempt or for Hicks to explain why he has allegedly failed to make support payments under an alleged July 2006, court order in Orange County, Calif.

A California tabulation, filed with the hearing notice, alleges a total of $9,783 has not been paid since the 2006 order in Orange County. The total for the monthly payments due was $11,083 with a total of $1,300 paid by Hicks over the three-year span, the California tabulation alleges. The tabulation was provided through the Washington State Division of Child Support.

 

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