Bulletin column - Dec. 24, 2009

City gets 200 hour gift

Colfax City Council Dec. 21 received a gift certificate for 200 hours of labor from the Rev. Bill and Bobbi Reynolds of Colfax Assembly Church. The gift was from the Faith in Action project of the church which last year did extensive volunteer work in Colfax parks.

Bill Reynolds said the city could determine how to use the volunteer hours.

Longview man sentenced

Richard Lee, 33, Longview, was sentenced to nine months in jail Dec. 18 on a conviction of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. Lee pleaded guilty to the charge Nov. 6.

Lee, who was convicted in Cowlitz county in 2003 of third degree child rape, had an offender score of three for the Friday sentencing which was done by Judge William Acey of Asotin County.

An investigation report filed with the case said the mother of a 16-year-old girl here May 15 reported her daughter had received telephone text messages from Lee, who was said to be a relative of the girl’s boyfriend. Lee’s text messages asked the 16-year-old girl to send photos of herself naked.

The messages implied Lee and co-workers had made a bet involving texting and he had promised the 16-year-old girl the “whole pot” of $375 would go to her if she complied with his photo requests.

Lee was also ordered to pay fines and fees of $1,800 plus restitution for any counseling costs for the victim or her family. He will be under community supervision for one year. During the supervision he will be required to comply with standard conditions including undergoing tests and, if required, treatment as a sex offender. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim or her family for five years.

Pullman driver hurt

Karen Curry, 59, Pullman, sustained bumps and bruises Dec. 21 when she lost control of a 2005 Dodge Caravan on Highway 23, 18 miles north of St. John. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving northbound at 12:10 p.m. when the van drifted onto the shoulder of the highway. She over-corrected and the van crossed the highway and rolled once into the southbound ditch.

Marijuana raid in Pullman

Officers Dec. 18 discovered 60 marijuana plants and other drug evidence in a warrant search of a Pullman residence on Pioneer Street. Dustin Birch, 36, was booked into the jail Dec. 18.

Birch Monday posted $10,000 bail for pre-trial release. His arraignment date was set for Jan. 8. Formal charges have not been filed.

Officers in their arrest report said they had conducted four controlled purchases of marijuana from Birch with the use of an informant before obtaining a warrant for the search. They also allege the potential marijuana buyers showed up at the residence during the police search.

The report also noted “medical marijuana” certification for a roommate was posted next to some of the plants which were discovered in the apartment. Birch told the officers he was a caregiver for the roommate.

The report said most of the marijuana plants were found in a utility room which was locked when they initially entered the residence. They later removed the locked door on the utility room and allegedly found 68 marijuana seedlings from one to four inches high with grow lights.

The officers alleged they seized 60 marijuana plants, a plastic storage box with five baggies containing eighth ounce portions of marijuana, a sandwich bag of psilocybin mushrooms, six half gallon jars each containing a quarter pound of marijuana, baggies and sets of scales.

Trial date set in fatalities case

A jury trial for Victor (Jake) Marly, Milton-Freewater resident who faces two charges of vehicular homicide, is scheduled for March 15 in Whitman County Superior Court. Marly had been summoned to court for arraignment Dec. 18 after charges were filed against him.

Marly, 38, was charged Dec. 2 with causing the deaths of a Lewiston couple, Ronald and Frances West, Sept. 19, when the Chevrolet Trailblazer Marly was driving collided with the West’s Toyota Camry on the Walla Walla Highway south of Dusty. The state’s charges allege he attempted to pass a pickup truck which was towing a trailer on a curve. Prosecutor Denis Tracy filed one charge for each of the two victims.

Marly was represented in court Friday by Pullman Attorney Michael Pettit. He filed a demand for the court to order the state to provide a list of state’s witnesses and also a list of 18 items to be provided for the discovery phase of trial preparation.

Three hurt on Highway 26

Alex B. Friedrich, 21, Vancouver, sustained bumps and bruises, when he lost control of a 1997 Acura Integra on Highway 26 Dec. 20, 23.5 miles west of Colfax.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, Friedrich was driving westbound at 1:20 p.m. when the car drifted off the highway and rolled down a bank.

Sheri Chuitt, 49, and Rick Lupinacci, 52, both of Lewiston, sustained injuries in a one-car accident west of LaCrosse on Highway 26 Dec. 19, at 8:10 p.m.

The WSP report said a 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Chuitt rolled on its top in the westbound lane. She had been driving eastbound and over-corrected after the Explorer drifted onto the highway shoulder. They were transported by ambulance to Whitman Hospital.

Chuitt sustained injuries to her left hand, and Lupinacci sustained chest injuries.

Order sanity panel for Noble

Examination by a sanity commission made up of at least two members of the Eastern State Hospital staff was ordered Dec. 16 for Daniel Noble, 31, Moscow resident who has been accused of hitting two WSU students with a car on Stadium Way Dec. 7 in Pullman.

Noble Dec. 10 was sent to the hospital for a 72-hour evaluation and is now being kept there under a civil commitment.

The sanity commission was ordered to file a report within 21 days after it conducts the examination. It was asked to determine Noble’s capacity to understand court proceedings, his mental state Dec. 7, whether he would pose a “substantial danger” to the community if released and the possibility of treatment, if needed, to restore competency.

The court also issued an order that Noble be released directly to the sheriff if the hospital decides to release him under conditions of the civil commitment.

Two hit guardrail on 195

Two drivers ran into the same guardrail within a 31-minute time span Dec. 17 on the southbound side of an ice-covered Highway 195 near its McMeekin road intersection north of Steptoe. Both drivers were unhurt.

Reed H. Lesuma, 26, Pullman, lost control of a 1995 Ford Explorer at 7:15 a.m. and William J. McCacken, 50, Spokane, lost control of a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero at 7:46 a.m.

The Washington State Patrol report logged Lesuma’s collision at mile 49.76 and McCacken’s at mile 49.73.

Deer wrecks on 26

Karen J. Gillespie, 41, Port Orchard, was unhurt at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, when the 2006 Ford Excursion she was driving struck a deer on Highway 26 about three miles west of Colfax. She was driving eastbound when the deer came onto the highway and collided with the left front corner of the Excursion.

Thomas E. Vincent IV, 47, Richland, was driving a 2002 Suzuki GV westbound at 5:47 p.m. and struck a deer eight miles west of Colfax.

Pullman driver hurt

Benjamn M. Deacon, 19, Pullman, sustained lacerations Dec. 15 morning when he lost control of a 1990 BMW on Highway 194 at Union Center about 7.5 miles east of Pullman. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving eastbound and lost control in snow and slushy conditions, slid across the highway then back to the eastbound lane and into the ditch on the eastbound side of the road where it landed on its top.

Icy highways hazardous

Below freezing temperatures combined with wet conditions made hazardous driving conditions Dec. 17. Over a span of less than two and one-half hours five accidents were logged on highways in the area.

Two reports of accidents came from Highway 27 near the Mader road intersection south of Palouse. One wreck was logged at 6:09 a.m. and the second one, located south of the first was reported two hours later.

Troopers also received a report of an accident on the Walla Walla Highway about two miles south of Dusty at 7 a.m. A report of an accident on Highway 26 about four miles east of Dusty was logged at 8:30 a.m.

Marylou Bricker, 50, Palouse, sustained possible head and neck injuries on Highway 27 when she lost control of a 2001 Ford pickup at 8:08 a.m. about 10.4 miles north of Pullman. The Washington State Patrol report said she was driving southbound and lost control of the truck while attempting to pass. The truck rolled into the ditch on the north side of the highway.

Colfax duo greets Palin

Colfax Fire Chief Ralph Walter and Assistant Police Chief Dave Szambelan were among area residents who greeted former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on her book tour stop in Coeur d’Alene Dec. 10.

Palin, who was on the Republican ticket in last year’s presidential election, autographed books and greeted the public at the Fred Meyer store in Coeur d’Alene.

The two Colfax men were near the head of the line waiting to see Palin.

The first 700 people were given a guarantee to meet Gov. Palin. They were each allowed to present two copies of her book, “Going Rogue,” for an autograph.

Szambelan also noted Les Wigen, former long-time county commissioner, was among the last three people in the line before the 700 cutoff mark.

Palin actually stayed on the scene to greet all 900 people in the line.

Once inside the store they were greeted by Palin’s Aunt Katie. Szambelan reported the autograph process was handled a lot like airport security. They were asked to put coats, cameras and cell phones in plastic bins to recover later.

Szambelan said they were allowed approximately 15 seconds with Gov. Palin who was seated next to her husband, Todd.