Bulletin column - Nov. 12, 2009

Golf Club case sentencing

Brandon Daniels, 20, Colfax, was sentenced Friday to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to burglarizing the Colfax Golf Club last April. Daniels was allowed to convert up to 20 days of the sentence to community service hours, which must be completed by Jan. 31.

He was also ordered to pay $770 in restitution to the golf club. A 17-year-old Colfax juvenile, also convicted in the case, was ordered to be jointly responsible for the $770 due the golf club. The 17-year-old was also ordered to serve 150 hours of community service after being found guilty of third degree theft Aug. 20 in juvenile court. He was also placed on 12 months of community supervision.

Drug arrests in Colfax

Skylar Sullivan, 22, Clarkston, and Tera Evans, 29, Lewiston, were booked into jail here early Monday morning after an arrest in Colfax Sunday night. The duo was arrested after an alleged warrant search of a vehicle Sullivan was driving in Colfax, according to a probable charge report from the Quad Cities Drug Task Force which was filed in the court.

The report alleges the task force officer received a tip from an informant that Sullivan was in possession of a pistol and would be coming through Colfax. Officers stopped the truck and allegedly found a loaded .40 caliber pistol under the seat of the vehicle. Drug evidence, including pipes, was also found in a backpack.

Among probable charges filed against Sullivan were unlawful possession of a firearm, having a loaded pistol in the vehicle and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Palouse driver hurt

Bo Ossinger, 58, Palouse, sustained head cuts Sunday afternoon in a one-car accident on Highway 27 11.5 miles north of Pullman. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving a 2001 Chevrolet Malibu northbound at 2:10 p.m. when a deer ran onto the highway and struck the left side of the car. The window on the driver’s side of the car was broken and Ossinger was cut by the glass. He was taken by ambulance to Pullman Regional Hospital.

Appeals court backs frat suspension

A WSU suspension of the Alpha Kappa Lamda fraternity has been upheld by the state Division III Appeals Court in Spokane. A mandate of the appeals court decision, which affirmed a Whitman County Superior Court ruling, was filed Thursday in the court here.

WSU revoked recognition of Alpha Kappa Lambda for five years after a conduct board hearing in February of 2008. Furnishing alcohol to minors and sales of drugs, including cocaine, by members were among reasons listed for the suspension.

The WSU board ruling was appealed to superior court and then to the appeals court in Spokane.

The AKL appeal contended the original WSU board’s ruling was not supported by substantial evidence. Appeals Judge Teresa Kulik, however, ruled that the conduct decision was supported under the substantial evidence rule. She pointed out members of the Quad Cities Drug task force testified before the WSU conduct board on cocaine sales made at the fraternity or at “the joint” and “the “annex” buildings linked to the fraternity.

Judge Kulik also supported the conduct board’s decision to suspend the fraternity for five years. The WSU board set that time because most of the current members of the fraternity could be expected to have left campus after five years.

Green River stalled again

Colfax attempts to adopt a Green River ordinance which will require door-to-door vendors to register and follow other regulations were again delayed at Monday’s city council session. Council members did pass a resolution stating the need for the ordinance, but delayed passage of the actual ordinance until a reference to the resolution could be included in the wording of the ordinance.

City Attorney Bruce Ensley had advised the council earlier to prepare a resolution and approve it to establish a need for the actual ordinance on record.

Council members Monday questioned whether the ordinance will provide any controls over temporary vendors who sell wares along Main Street.

The actual ordinance is expected to be approved at the next council session.

Palouse driver hits deer

Johnny R. Boyd, 50, Palouse, escaped injury early Thursday, Nov. 5, when the 1995 Mercury Sable he was driving struck a deer on Highway 27 11.5 miles north of Pullman. He was driving southbound at 6:10 a.m. when the deer ran in front of the Sable.

Council questions city hall cuts

A proposed four-day week to operate Colfax city hall netted questions from two council members Nov. 2. Councilman David Nails pointed out the plan to close city hall offices on Fridays would inconvenience some residents and questioned how much the city could actually save by making the move. Nails suggested an alternate plan to better insulate city hall would have better long-term gain.

The city plans to make the move at the first of the year to save energy costs. Fridays normally are low business days at city hall.

Councilwoman Kathy Baune noted the actual shutdown, after factoring in longer hours for the four remaining work days, would be five hours.

The council also discussed cutting staff time for city employees back to 38 hours a week.

City Administrator Carl Thompson also explained another cost saving plan related to a change in overtime pay. He noted city employees will qualify for overtime after they reach actual duty of 40 hours on the job a week. The city will not pay overtime to employees who hit the 40 hour limit after using sick pay or vacation credits for part of their work week to exceed 40 hours.

Nails added he didn’t like being informed of the cutback by reading about it in the paper. He estimated at least six residents have commented to him about the change. Baune said three residents have commented to her.

Mayor Norma Becker said the cutback plan was an administrative decision.