Bulletin column - Jan. 14, 2010

Hospital staffers treated for scabies

Two Whitman Hospital and Medical Center employees have been diagnosed with scabies and are being treated for the condition. They will not return to work until their treatment is complete. In close collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, hospital officials implemented detailed procedures last week to prevent further transmission.

“We have taken all precautions to ensure the hospital is safe for patients, staff and visitors. We have implemented all measures recommended by the CDC,” said David Womack, new hospital CEO.

Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by a small mite measuring less than 0.5 mm. Scabies is transmitted by close contact with a person carrying the mites.

“The mites came into the hospital with one patient in December,” said Denise Fowler, Chief Clinical Officer at WHMC. “The patient possibly shed mites onto some of our staff caring for him. We have thoroughly cleaned the affected areas and are notifying all persons who were inpatients during this time to look for symptoms,” she said. “Anyone with a suspicious rash or skin lesion should contact their physician,” Fowler suggested.

“Many hospitals deal with scabies each year,” according to Dennis Juranek, a parasitic disease expert with the CDC in Atlanta. “They don’t jump. They don’t fly. They don’t easily get from one person to another unless there’s close contact,” Juranek said.

For more information on scabies contact the hospital’s Infection Prevention Nurse, Dorcy Chenard at extension 361 in the hospital.

Tacoma man sentenced for drugs

David A. Stewart, 21, Tacoma, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison Friday after pleading guilty to charges of delivery of oxycodone and possession of oxycodone with intent to deliver. Stewart was arrested in Pullman Nov. 18 as part of an investigation into reports a Tacoma resident was bringing oxycodone to Pullman to sell.

Stewart pleaded guilty under an agreement in which another count of delivery of the drug was dismissed. The year-and-day sentence means he will be turned over to the Department of Corrections to serve out the time. An order of commitment to the state was filed in court Monday. Stewart was credited with 54 days spent in jail here awaiting trial.

The report filed with Stewart’s arrest noted officers had received information about a Tacoma resident known as “D” who had been making trips to Pullman for more than a year to sell drugs. A controlled buy format using an informant to purchase drugs was used in the investigation.

When Stewart was arrested at the scene of an arranged drug purchase, officers said they found containers of pills on the floor in front of the front passenger seat in the car he was driving.

Stewart was also ordered to pay $2,800 in fines and fees and will be placed on community supervision after he is released from prison.

Bond set for chase suspect

A $50,000 bond for pre-trial release was set in superior court Monday morning for James E. Rogers, 43, a suspect in a Friday police chase between Colfax and Pullman and back. Rogers, who was taken to Whitman Hospital Friday night after he was arrested at the Parvin Road intersection with Highway 195, was booked on probable charges of attempting to elude, drunken driving, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and hit and run.

Judge David Frazier Monday noted seven warrants had to be issued in previous cases on Rogers’ record. He also ruled the defendant, based on the arrest report from Friday night’s chase, could pose a significant danger to society if allowed release.

According to the arrest report, Rogers was stopped north of Colfax Friday night on Highway 195 south of Crumbaker Road intersection after troopers received reports of erratic behavior by the driver of a southbound vehicle.

Rogers then drove away from the arrest scene and was pursued south through Colfax and all the way to the north bypass at Pullman where he made a U turn and headed back to Colfax.

He drove off the highway at the Parvin Road intersection.

A Pullman officer pushed Rogers’ car back in the ditch, and Colfax Assistant Chief Dave Szambelan used the city’s Subaru squad car to pin the suspect’s car, according to the report. Pullman police used a tazer to subdue the suspect before he was taken to the hospital.

Trooper Michael Murphy’s report said the suspect’s car was first stopped just past a curve, and Murphy had to approach the vehicle from the passenger side. Murphy said when he decided to get the suspect out of the car, he walked around behind the car and that’s when the suspect took off. Both Murphy and Szambelan, who had arrived on the scene, yelled at the suspect to stop.

The report said Rogers drove up to 80 mph while descending the Buck Canyon grade to Colfax. The trooper broke off pursuit at Colfax, and then resumed southbound. The report said Rogers struck the Pullman police car when he made a U turn to avoid a spike strip at the north bypass. Rogers headed back north with Pullman officers joining in the chase.

Rogers told the judge Monday morning he was a former military police officer with a drinking problem.

Trooper Murphy’s report noted in his initial contact with the suspect, Rogers said he thought he was driving on E. Sprague in the Spokane Valley and was headed home. Rogers told the court he has been living with a sister in the Spokane Valley. His official address was listed at Deer Park.

The prosecutor’s office has until today to file formal charges for the bond and other conditions of release to remain in effect under the 72-hour rule.

Attempted fertilizer theft

Deputy Sheriff Randy Zehm sent out an e-mail alert to area fertilizer companies last week after investigating a suspected attempted theft of anhydrous ammonia at the Dusty Farm Co-Op. Zehm responded to Dusty Jan. 5 after co-op employees reported they found a funnel and hoses on a fertilizer truck which has been parked on the outside lot. They discovered the funnel and hoses after returning from the New Year’s holiday.

Zehm reported very little, if any, ammonia was actually taken from the truck. He suspects the would-be thieves were spooked by a passing vehicle and abandoned their attempt.

The sheriff’s office has no suspects at the present time.

Exam extended for Moscow suspect

An order has extended the examination time for Daniel Noble, Moscow resident who faces two charges of vehicular assault after allegedly hitting two people along Stadium Way in Pullman the morning of Dec. 7. The court ordered an examination be conducted on Noble at Eastern State Hospital after the suspect demonstrated erratic behavior in court. He has also been charged with resisting arrest and hit and run.

The examination time was extended after the court received a report that the evaluation had not been completed as planned. The report said the psychologist who was preparing the evaluation has been unable to complete it because of an unrelated court matter. The hospital said the exam will be finished by Jan. 18.

Among other tasks, the hospital has been asked by the court to determine whether the suspect can undergo treatment, if needed, to become competent to eventually undergo trial.

Colfax FEMA letter strikes out

Colfax Mayor Norma Becker told city council members Jan. 4 the city has received almost no response from national congressional representatives on her complaints about a FEMA request for an engineering study on the town’s 45-year-old flood control system. Costs of hiring an engineer to do the study have been estimated at $56,000.

Local state legislators have responded to city appeals, but, except for a fill-out-the-form response from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers, congressional representatives have not responded. Mayor Becker said city staffers filled out the form but have not heard anything since.

Mayor Becker last Thursday said the city received a call from a McMorris-Rogers aide who requested the city again send information on the complaint. Becker said she believes the call from the aide was the result of her response to a “how am I doing” e-mail which she received from the McMorris Rogers office at her home. She said she responded to the e-mail inquiry by pointing out the failure of the 5th district office to reply in some fashion to the city’s requests for help in fending off the FEMA study request.

The city sent out letters, e-mails and fax memos to all three federal representatives. Date of the letter was Nov. 10. The letters pointed out the history of annual inspections and compliance with Army Corps of Engineers inspection results.

Becker said the city received no response at all from the offices of the state’s two senators.

The FEMA demand was made to the city because the plans for the flood control project were prepared by the Army Corps and lacked an actual engineer’s certification stamp. Failure to meet FEMA requirements could change the city’s flood zone designation and impact insurance requirements.

earing set

on turbine

challenge

A March 5 court hearing has been set on a petition challenging the county’s procedure in approving a new ordinance for commercial wind turbines. Roger Whitten of Oakesdale has filed a petition with the court challenging a determination by the county planner that the turbines would not have a significant environmental impact. The determination meant the ordinance did not have to undergo an environmental impact study. Whitten filed a notice of hearing with the county auditor Monday.