Bulletin Column - July 21, 2011

These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated.

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STUCK ELEVATOR LEADS TO REVIEW

A delay in extricating a resident from a stuck elevator at Wheatland Arms has led to a review of the status for the seven or eight elevators in service around the town, Fire Chief Ralph Walter told the city council Monday night.

Floyd Overstreet, who resides on the top floor of the condominium, was stuck in the elevator July 10. Overstreet’s predicament was discovered by his wife, Judy. He was stuck between the first and second floors for over 90 minutes.

Chief Walter said normal practice requires a key be kept near the elevator. The key inserts into the front of the elevator and allows a rescue crew to open the doors and free the occupants.

In this case, Schindler Elevator Co. had installed a new elevator at Wheatland two years ago and the key was kept in a locked elevator room which rescuers couldn’t open.

Also, the elevator has an alert for calling the company in case of an emergency, but the call-back numbers to verify the emergency went to other residents at the condo who were not at home. When the company failed to get a response at either phone number the repairman turned around and went back home. He was later alerted that Overstreet was indeed still in the stuck elevator. When the service man arrived, the doors were opened in approximately two minutes. Overstreet had to be lifted up onto the second floor level. The Overstreets credited the EMTs, fire volunteers and police for their efforts in getting him out.

The chief said the department will attempt to fit all elevators in town with an exterior lock box which can be opened by emergency crews. Also, the call verification systems will be re-directed to the fire department where someone is present around the clock to respond.

TEKOA SEWER PLANT VANDALIZED

A sheriff’s deputy was dispatched last Monday, July 11, to a report of vandalism at the Tekoa waste water treatment plant on Long Pine Road. A Tekoa city employee reported a window had been broken out at the plant and some of the valves had apparently been hit and broken off. A group of juveniles had reportedly been seen in the area of the plant earlier, according the sheriff’s office report.

LYBBERT, OLIN JOIN Colfax POLICE

John Lybbert began duty Monday as a new member of the Colfax Police Department. Lybbert has resided here for approximately 10 years, and has served on the Latah County Sheriff’s Department for over three-and-one-half years.

He has also served as a Whitman County Reserve deputy and a member of the Whitman County jail staff.

A 1996 graduate of Central Valley High School, Lybbert attended Spokane Community College. He is married to the former Holly Bergey of Colfax and they have two children, Cole, 7, and Emilee, 5.

Lybbert was hired to fill one of two vacancies on the Colfax Police Department following the resignations of Robert Wride, who joined the city’s public works department, and Bryson Aase, who joined the Whitman County Sheriff’s department.

Christopher Olin, 24, Bremerton, has been hired to fill the other vacancy at the Colfax Police Department. Olin is now employed with a security company which is employed by the US Navy shipyard in Bremerton.

Chief Bill Hickman reported the new officer will have to undergo six months of state police academy training at Burien before he begins duty as an on-line officer. He will report for duty here Aug. 1 and depart for basic academy training at the end of the month.

Lybbert will undergo equivalency training to become familiar with the difference between Idaho and Washington law enforcement practices. Most of the training will be done on the internet with a test at the end of the session.

Hickman said when the department gets back to full staffing in six months it will again assign an officer to the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. He noted the task force assists local agencies by countering drug trafficking which is one of the underlying causes of property crimes.

Highway 195 trim job

Department of Transportation crews were at work Tuesday trimming back brush from Highway 195 on the Buck Canyon approach into north Colfax. The crew was cutting back limbs on trees at the foot of the hill across from Jennings Elementary School.

FUND SEIZURE PETITION SCRATCHED

A petition for a review of action taken by the sheriff’s department was dismissed Friday in superior court when the petitioner’s attorney failed to appear for the hearing. The petition was dropped because of failure of the petitioner to pursue the petition filing. Greg Early sought a review of the seizure of $941 when he was arrested last Oct. 25. Early contended the money was given to him by a friend and was not the proceeds from drug transactions. According to court records he was a federal prisoner in the Spokane County jail when his petition for review was filed April 13.

A letter of response from Sheriff Brett Myers said Early contended the $941 was given to him by a friend for the purchase of a car. Myers noted the alleged friend never filed a complaint seeking the funds.

PULLMAN MAN HURT IN ROLLOVER

Joshua Weitz, 20, Pullman, sustained scrapes and bruises Saturday when he rolled a 2002 Chevrolet pickup truck off Highway 194 eight miles west of Pullman.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, Weitz was driving eastbound at 4:50 p.m. when the pickup went onto the gravel shoulder, down an embankment and rolled. The truck came to a halt on its wheels.

—-Keith R. Jennen, 19, Spangle, was unhurt July 14 when the 1990 Honda Civic he was driving struck a guardrail on the Walla Walla Highway about 10 miles south of Dusty. According to the WSP report, Jennen was driving north at 4:40 p.m. when he lost control of the Civic just after a curve and hit the guardrail on the east side of the highway south of mile marker 18.

DRUG MAIL CASE NETS TERM

Ian A. Saltzman, 26, Pullman, was sentenced to 30 days in jail July 8 in superior court after admitting a charge of possession of LSD. The case involved packages which were allegedly mailed to the apartment where Saltzman was living. Federal officials alerted local officers that the suspect packages had been sent to the address from Surrey, B.C.

Saltzman was arrested after a Quad City Drug Task officer served a warrant on the apartment four minutes after another agent, dressed as a UPS employee, delivered a package to the residence.

Saltzman was allowed the option of working off the 30-day sentence with 240 hours of public service work. He was also ordered to pay $1,800 in fines and fees.