Bulletin Column 7/14/11

ORDER CORRECTION IN REID REPORT

An order changing the pre-sentence investigation report on Christopher Jack Reid, the former porn star who was convicted of rape and burglary here in 2008, was filed last week in superior court after a review hearing last Wednesday. Reid was sentenced in December of 2008 to 111 months in prison.

Reid appeared in court last week by telephone. He is at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen.

The court ruled it would be a manifest injustice for the flawed pre-sentence investigation report to be presented to a sentence review board with the errors which were noted and clarified at the time of Reid’s trial. The report incorrectly said Reid committed some of offenses which were actually done by Kyle Schott who accompanied Reid on the night of the crimes.

Reid and Schott were charged with entering three sororities and raping a woman who was sleeping in one of them. Schott, who met Reid earlier on the night they committed the crimes on WSU’s Greek row, was sentenced to 13 months under a plea bargain agreement in which he admitted a lesser rape charge and one burglary. He was a key witness for the state when Reid was convicted.

Reid’s sentence requires him to serve a mandatory 111 months in prison and then go before a sentence review board which will determine when he qualifies for release.

SENTENCED TO 20 MONTHS

Charletta Braziel, 33, former LaCrosse resident, was ordered to serve 20 months in prison July 8 after the court revoked a drug offender sentencing alternative. Braziel admitted state violation charges of reverting to drug use which was based on tests of urine. She was credited with 190 days served in jail as of July 7.

Braziel had been allowed the drug offender alternative sentence in May of 2008 after being convicted of delivery of hydrocodone at LaCrosse.

ARBY’S DOOR DAMAGED

Colfax Police responded to a report of malicious mischief at Arby’s July 11. The lock mechanism on the front door of the building had been damaged. The faulty door was discovered when the bread delivery driver attempted to unlock the building in the morning. Police received a report of the damage at 8 p.m.

STRATTON SENTENCED ON PLEA

Jarod S. Stratton, 33, Diamond, was sentenced to 14 days in jail after pleading guilty in superior court to a reduced charge of first degree criminal trespass. Stratton was arrested Dec. 4 on probable charges of taking items from a shop in Endicott and Diamond Distributing at Diamond. According to the deputy’s report at the time, some of the items alleged stolen were observed in Stratton’s truck by an employee of Diamond Distributing when he stopped to assist Stratton after Stratton’s truck slid off the Endicott Road.

Prosecutor Denis Tracy told the court this morning that he agreed to reduce the charges to criminal trespass because of some uncertainty about who exactly owned some of the items in Stratton’s truck at the time. He also noted Stratton was a former employee of Diamond Distributing.

Defense Attorney Teresa Keene presented the court with written statements from residents who she said had been assisted by Stratton. She suggested Stratton could continue to assist these residents if allowed to work off jail time.

Judge David Frazier allowed Stratton credit for two days spent in jail after he was arrested. He also allowed Stratton to work off the other 12 days of jail time, but said the defendant would have to do the work in public community service instead of working for individuals.

All of the items from the shops were recovered. He was ordered to pay $700 in fines and fees.

MAN FOUND PASSED OUT ON LAWN

Colfax Police last Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. responded to a report of an unconscious man who had passed out on a lawn at the intersection of Main and Fairview. The 19-year-old man was determined to be inebriated, taken into protective custody and transported by ambulance to Whitman Hospital for treatment. Police were later called to the hospital when staffers reported the man became disorderly.

COLFAX BUSINESS MOVES

Northern Medical Systems, formerly Deacon’s Medical Equipment in Colfax, issued a notice to customers July 2 that the business was moving to Pullman as of Tuesday. The medical supply company will now be located at the Pullman Care Center in Sid’s Pharmacy off Bishop Blvd.

President Timothy Holmes said in his letter the business plans to provide all the same services and equipment. He noted the new site will offer convenient parking and drive-through services.

Northern Medical also operates home care sales and rental businesses in Chewelah and Newport.

BENTON CITY DRIVER HURT

Aaron M. Pace, 22, Benton City, was taken by ambulance to Whitman Hospital from the scene of a one-car accident about 32 miles west of Colfax on Highway 26 July 5. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Pace was driving a 1992 Jeep Cherokee eastbound at 9 a.m. when it drifted onto the shoulder of the highway and rolled into the ditch.

—Rance M. Bohlmann, 47, Colfax, was taken to Whitman Hospital early July 2 for treatment of injuries sustained in an accident seven miles south of Colfax on Highway 195. According to the WSP report, Bohlmann was driving a 1988 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck northbound at 2:10 a.m. when the truck drifted across the highway, struck the guardrail along the southbound lane, crossed back across the highway and went up an embankment.

CITY OKAYS SALT BLOCK PURCHASE

Colfax city council July 5 authorized the purchase of a pallet of salt blocks which will be put out on the Kammerzell property along the South Fork of the Palouse River. The blocks will be part of the Youth Outdoors Unlimited program which provides hunting experiences for handicapped youngsters. The city council authorized the purchase of the pallet of salt blocks for $308 as a means of reducing the deer nuisance problem inside the city limits.

ISSUE ORDER ON BARN FIRE

A restitution order for a barn fire which was started by a Colfax area juvenile boy last year was issued July 6 in juvenile court. Amount of the restitution was set at $116,760 for the value of the barn, costs of debris removal and estimated sale value of personal property in the barn. The juvenile boy, now 14, was convicted in juvenile court last October on a charge of reckless burning. The restitution report noted the youth is now in state custody.

PARKING TICKET THREAT NETS JAIL

Brook Gettys, 28, Pullman, was sentenced to seven days in jail and fined at total $543 after being found guilty by a District Court jury Monday of harassing a parking attendant at WSU.

After receiving a parking ticket, Gettys approached parking services staff seeking dismissal. After his request was rejected, he said he would return with a gun. Jurors, after deliberating one and a half hours, returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

Judge Douglas Robinson sentenced Gettys after the verdict.

MILL STREET JOB SET BACK

A bid opening for the S. Mill Street project has been moved back two weeks after Department of Transportation engineers sought changes in the plans for handicapped access at the intersection of Mill and Canyon Streets. Munir Daud, the city's project engineer, said an on-site inspection of the intersection was conducted last Wednesday, July 6, and he expects final word on the plan changes tomorrow.

The bid opening has now been set for July 18, but that date could be changed, pending the results of the latest DOT review. The original bid opening date had been slated July 5 with the aim of getting an approval from city council members that night.

Daud said he has changed the plans for the intersection three times. He said the Mill and Canyon intersection in its present configuration does not meet state specifications and the problem stems from adopting the handicap access specifications to the limited space available at the intersection.

Actual work on a project normally starts two weeks after a bid opening date because of the procedure involved in finalizing a contract. Daud said the South Mill project, estimated between $600,000 and $650,000, has a 90 work day provision, although a contractor could finish the work ahead of that time limit. Daud added he had anticipated bids from as many as four contractors for the project.

The bid opening has now been set for July 18, but that date could be changed, pending the results of the latest DOT review. The original bid opening date had been slated July 5 with the aim of getting an approval from city council members that night.

Daud said he has changed the plans for the intersection three times. He said the Mill and Canyon intersection in its present configuration does not meet state specifications and the problem stems from adopting the handicap access specifications to the limited space available at the intersection.

Actual work on a project normally starts two weeks after a bid opening date because of the procedure involved in finalizing a contract. Daud said the South Mill project, estimated between $600,000 and $650,00, has a 90 work day provision, although a contractor could finish the work ahead of that time limit. Daud added he had anticipated bids from as many and four contractors for the project.