Bulletin column - April 1, 2010

Worley man dies in rollover

A one-car accident on the Garfield-Farmington road early Sunday morning took the life of Alex I. Campbell, 19, Worley. A report from Sheriff’s Sgt. Rick McNannay said Campbell died at the scene of the accident. He was found beneath the 2000 Honda Accord.

The report said deputies at 2:15 a.m. received a report of the accident which was near the Yellow Dog Road intersection about three miles east of Garfield.

Sgt. McNannay said speed may have been a factor in the accident. The car apparently rolled several times, and Campbell was ejected during the accident.

Nine Mile cyclist hurt

Stephen Nutter, 49, Nine Mile Falls, was transported by MedStar helicopter to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane Friday after a motorcycle accident on the St. John-Pine City Road. According to the sheriff’s report, Nutter lost control of the 2007 Harley Davidson on a curve about two miles north of the Sunset Road Intersection. Nutter sustained a broken leg and collar bone in the accident.

Deputy Scotty Anderson investigated the case.

Endicott car heist nets 30 days

Michael Huffman, 20, Endicott, was sentenced to 30 days in jail Friday after he pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted possession of a motor vehicle. Huffman was also ordered to pay fines and fees of $1,800 plus restitution for damage to the car.

Huffman was charged with taking a 1999 Geo Prism March 25, 2009 at Endicott. He was arrested in Roseburg, Ore., after the Prism broke down on Interstate 5.

Huffman was also originally charged with driving a vehicle without a court ordered ignition lock and driving with a suspended license. He told the court Friday he had made arrangements to undergo treatment for alcohol abuse. The judge said Huffman would be allowed to depart the jail if he is admitted for in-patient treatment during the 30 days. Afterwards, he will be required return to the jail to complete the sentence.

Huffman told the court he was wearing a home monitoring device during the court session as the result of a court order from another court session.

Seek default in jewelry case

A motion for a default judgment against three of the defendants in the jewelry recovery suit has been scheduled for court Friday by Pullman Attorney Howard Neill on behalf of Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers, Inc., Portland. The suit contends Anthony and Alicia Napier of Colfax owe $39,156 under terms of a 2003 purchase contract for jewelry and gems.

Also named in the motion for default were Pawn 1 and Double Eagle Pawn, Inc. Neill’s motion contends the Napiers and the two pawn shops have failed to respond to the suit “in the manner provided by law.”

Security call to hospital

Colfax Police Chief Bill Hickman and Deputy Vince Waltz were called to Whitman Hospital at noon Monday by a report of an unruly patient in the emergency room. A 28-year-old Colfax man had been brought to the hospital for detoxification after a family member summoned an ambulance.

The man at one point was allowed to go outside and get some fresh air, and he later took a short nap. He eventually refused treatment and was transported home by Chief Hickman.

Allege Toyota theft, dismantling

Charges alleging a Toyota pickup truck which was stolen from a health club in Spokane was located in shop buildings east of Pullman were filed Monday in Superior Court. William R. Boyd, 54, Pullman, and Gerald E. Fry, 48, Spokane, have been charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.

According to the report filed in the case, Spokane Police Jan. 29, 2009, received a report that a 2008 Toyota Tacoma was taken from the lot of an Oz Fitness club in Spokane. The owner of the truck said he left a jacket in an unlocked locker at Oz and when he started to leave he discovered his keys, wallet and the pickup truck were missing.

Officers allege they later discovered the Toyota in dismantled form in shop buildings at Boyd’s place on O’Donnell Road east of Pullman. Fry had allegedly taken the truck from Spokane to Pullman. The report alleges Fry removed the wheels and tires from the 2008 Toyota and they were found on another truck in Spokane.

The two suspects have been summoned to appear in court April 19.

E-mail scam attempt

Chief Bill Hickman Monday said the police department has been advised of a new version of the scam in which a relative is asked to send money to bail out a relative who is falsely reported to be in a predicament.

In this instance, a Colfax man received what appeared to be an e-mail from his daughter requesting $2,650 be sent to an address in London. The e-mail advised the man his daughter’s passport was being held by a London hotel operator until she paid her account.

The man said he checked and determined his daughter was not in London. The scam included a move by a hacker to invade the daughter’s e-mail account and send the plea.

Prom limo adventures

Ten Colfax High school couples enroute to the prom at Fairchild were temporarily stranded Saturday afternoon when the Hummer limo they had hired had to stop because of brake problems along the four-lane section of Highway 195 north of Spangle.

The group was rescued by LaCrosse prom goers who had chartered a party bus from the same company.

The 20 Colfax students hitched a ride with LaCrosse to the prom picture session where the limo company met them with two substitute limos for the final leg of the trip to the all-county dance at Fairchild Air Force Base. After the prom, one of the limos was swapped for a larger unit. That made a total of five different conveyances for prom night.

Move to drop Dale charges

A motion to drop all but one of the charges against Lawrence Dale, 53, Colfax, was filed March 26 in superior court by his defense attorney, Mark Moorer of Moscow. Dale has been charged with nine counts of being in possession of child pornography.

Citing a 2009 case, Moorer contends that a charge of possession is limited to each instance of possession without regard to the number of images involved. The charges against Dale involve images allegedly found on a computer. The case was investigated by the Colfax Police Department, and Chief Bill Hickman is among five witnesses listed by the state.

Dale has been scheduled for trial April 19 after the court allowed a “final” continuance. Dale was originally charged in July of 2008 and pleaded not guilty Aug. 22, 2008.

A Feb. 16 trial date was vacated because a defense witness was unavailable to testify at that time. That came after a Nov. 16 trial date was vacated because a prosecution witness was reportedly in Afghanistan.

Three hurt In SUV roll

Shawn M. Druffel, 36, Pullman, and two children were taken by ambulance to Pullman Regional Hospital March 23 after a one-car accident on Highway 194 about 3.4 miles west of Pullman. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving a 2003 Ford Expedition westbound at 9 p.m., drifted onto the westbound shoulder, over corrected and rolled on the highway into the ditch on the opposite side. The Expedition came to a halt on its wheels in a field.

The driver sustained shoulder injuries; a boy 8, sustained hand injuries, and a girl, 10, sustained possible stomach injuries.

Band, choir get top ratings

Colfax High School Concert Band and Choir each received superior ratings from adjudicators March 25 at the large ensemble festival hosted by the Southeast Washington Music Educators. Music groups from 12 schools participated in the event which was at Asotin High School. Colfax directors are Cary Cammack for choir and Mike Morgan for band.

Zorb pleads not guilty

A June 14 trial was scheduled for Daniel Zorb, 30, Colfax, after he pleaded not guilty in superior court Friday to charges of assault and drunken driving. The assault charge alleges Zorb threw a cinder block at a Colfax man who was smoking in the alley behind his residence in the S. 700 block of Main Street. The alleged victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Hot wire causes alarm

A Colfax fire crew responded at 4:31 p.m. last Thursday to an automatic alarm from Whitman Health & Rehab on Fairview. Cause of the alarm was determined to be a hot wire.

AARP driver safety course

An eight hour AARP driver safety program has been scheduled in Colfax April 12 from 1 to 5 p.m. and April 13 from 8 a.m. to noon in rooms A and B of the upstairs level of the Public Service Building. The program is a refresher for drivers 50 and over. Fee for materials is $12 for AARP members and $14 for others. To register call AAG Insurance in Colfax or Stan Buckley in Pullman, instructor for the court.

Court payments overdue

Ean Mercer, 20, Colfax, has been summoned to court tomorrow, April 2, on motions from the prosecutor’s office to revoke sentences because he has allegedly not made payments ordered by the court after convictions on two crimes in December of 2007.

Motions filed in the court allege Mercer has failed to make payments on one case since Aug. 13 of last year and on the other case since July 21. Payment still due in one case is $420 and in the other case at $3,902. The large sum involves restitution ordered for damage to a pickup truck on a conviction for taking a motor vehicle without permission.

City spraying alert

Colfax crews will begin spraying for weeds and insect control throughout the city. Public Works Supervisor Andy Rodgers said residents who do not want spraying in front of their property are encouraged to post it in a manner that can been seen from the street.

For additional questions, call city hall or Rodgers at the waste water treatment plant.

Walla Walla driver unhurt

Allison M. Joynt, 19, Walla Walla, was unhurt last Sunday, March 21, when she lost control of a 1999 Volkswagen Beetle on the Walla Walla Highway south of Dusty. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving northbound and lost control, slid off the roadway and came to a stop on an embankment at 5:35 p.m.