Bulletin column - Jan. 20, 2011

Escape, theft charges filed

Formal charges of escape, theft of a motor vehicle and theft in the third degree were filed Friday in superior court against Ronald A. Rutledge, Jr., 29, Spokane. He remains in the jail here after turning himself in after the alleged Nov. 20 escape.

Rutledge had just 18 days remaining on his sentence at the time of the alleged escape.

The investigation report filed with the charges alleges Rutledge was shaking out rugs in the jail courtyard when he vanished Nov. 20. He is charged with taking a Nissan pickup truck at Colfax and driving it to Dayton. The report notes a state trooper stopped Rutledge for speeding in the pickup near Dayton, and Rutledge identified himself as the owner of the truck and said he was rushing to the Dayton hospital where a relative was under treatment. The trooper allowed Rutledge to continue but the suspect failed to appear at the hospital.

The report also alleges Rutledge is suspected of burglarizing a residence in Dayton. It alleged he then took a Freightliner semi truck at Dayton to drive to Spokane where he eventually made arrangements to turn himself in to Whitman County deputies.

Rutledge has been summoned to appear in court on the new charges Friday. He was originally convicted Sept. 3 of burglarizing a storage unit at Rosalia and sentenced to four months in jail.

Rutledge also faces potential charges in Columbia County.

Exam set in Cranfield case

Hiring of psychologists to examine Nathan Cranfield, who is charged with first degree assault of a child, has been approved in superior court. Cranfield has been charged with the assault of a five-month-old infant boy at Albion Oct. 11. Deputies alleged the infant was injured by shaking in the early morning hours. Cranfield, 21, was identified as a boyfriend of the infant’s mother.

The examination will be conducted to investigate the potential of a defense based on diminished capacity, according to the defense application for court-approval for the examination fees. The examination will be conducted by a Bellevue psychologist and an associate in Los Angeles. The court approved payment of $3,750 in fees plus transportation to cover the costs.

Junior miss practices start

First practice for the 2011 Colfax Junior Miss competition was Monday at the school. Between eight and 14 junior girls are expected to enter the competition this year at Colfax. The entry list is expected to be formalized by the end of next week, according to Connie Ellis, co-chair of the event.

The Junior Miss event has been slated for March 26. Theme for this year will be “A Night at the Movies.” Practice sessions are initially conducted twice a week.

Members of the committee are Evanna Morgan, Connie Ellis, Joanne Eng, Lori Brown and Hannah May.

Trial date set on drug charges

Joseph M. Hashagen, 33, Spokane resident who was jailed Jan. 8 on drug charges after being arrested on Highway 27 north of Garfield, pleaded not guilty Friday morning in superior court to charges of possession of methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to deliver. A trial date has been set for March 14.

Hashagen remains in jail under a $25,000 bond requirement. The bond was set because of his record of failing to make court appearances and abide by release conditions on charges pending in Spokane.

City plans Mill Street meet

An informational meeting for the upcoming Mill Street reconstruction project has been scheduled for tonight, Thursday, Jan. 20, at Colfax city hall beginning at 6:30 p.m. Munir Daud of Pullman, project engineer, will present plans for the project which will run from Island Street south to Canyon Street.

This year’s project was originally conceived as part of a proposal for reconstruction of the full downtown length of Mill from Harrison to Canyon, but the project was divided into two segments to better fit requirements for funding from the state’s Transportation Improvement Board.

The TIB granted funds to rebuild the north part of the project, Harrison to Island, in 2008. Last fall the TIB approved $675,000 for rebuilding the south half of the project this year.

At the last city council session, Mayor Norma Becker noted plans for the project this year include a straight street segment without any of the traffic curves which were installed between city hall and the courthouse in the 2008 job. Problems with detouring truck traffic have pointed out the problems of the traffic curves. The latest episode came Nov. 30 when Main Street traffic had to be detoured on Mill during the fire at Mitz’s Cabinets on Main Street.

Mayor Becker noted the curves were installed on Mill to accommodate the sheriff’s need for parking behind the jail.

The mayor did note curb-outs will be installed on Mill because Avista poles cannot be relocated. The street will be made wider between the curb-outs because the plan calls for parking strips to be removed.

Answer filed in Bass suit

A response to the malpractice suit filed by the family of Jon Bass, St. John, was filed in court Wednesday, Jan, 12, by Spokane attorney Steven Stocker. The Bass family’s suit, filed Nov. 10, contends Mr. Bass was misdiagnosed for an irritable bowel in November of 2006. They contend he was discovered to have colon cancer in June of 2008 after they went to a Spokane clinic. Mr. Bass, former proprietor of St. John Auto Repair, died June 2.

Stocker’s answer to the suit followed a normal legal format response of denials and insufficient knowledge to points of contention. It admitted the clinic owes its patients a duty of care. In an affirmative defense it said the cancer was an act of God and on a “more probable than not medical basis the outcome would have been the same regardless of alleged activity by the defendant.”