Bulletin Column 10/11/13

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PAINT SPRAYED ON CAMPAIGN SIGN

A large campaign sign which was along Cedar St. at the Sixth Street Bridge entrance to the North Flats was defaced with spray paint, probably some time Sunday night. The sign, painted in blue and gold on a plywood board, urged Colfax School District voters to cast ballots for the three challengers to Colfax School Board incumbents. The challengers are Barbara Morgan, Eric Doering and Kirby Dailey.

A black spray paint slogan across the sign stated “Academics mean more than .....- ... sports.”

Eric Doering is the husband of volleyball coach Sue Doering, and Barbara Morgan is the mother of football coach Mike Morgan.

Police received the report of the sign painting vandalism, a malicious mischief violation, at about 10:30 a.m. Monday. The sign was photographed as evidence.

Barbara Morgan said they swapped the vandalized sign with another sign they had painted and planned to put up in another location around town.

MYERS HURT IN AIRPLANE CRASH

Colfax pilot Bill Myers sustained minor abrasions and a head cut after he was injured in a crash Monday near the Bob Schultz Road west of Diamond. Deputy Sgt. Rick McNannay said they were notified of the crash at about 4 p.m. when Myers came into Whitman Hospital for treatment of the injuries. He was also placed in a neck brace.

According to the report, the single engine plane went out of control and flipped after it was hit by a gust of wind while Myers was attempting to land in a stubble field. The plane, a Piper Pacer, appeared to be a total loss, the report said.

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified and will also investigate.

‘FRIENDS OF COLE’ CAMPAIGN

A “Friends of Cole” fund raising raffle started Wednesday night with a door-to-door sale of raffle balloons in Colfax. The raffle aims at raising funds for Cole Neu, a junior at Colfax High School and member of the football team, to attend a training session in California next January which will be conducted by the National Institute of Diabetic Alert Dogs. The session trains dogs to sound an alert when their companion undergoes a diabetic episode while asleep.

Neu, son of Todd and Donnette Neu, has had diabetes since he was five years old and has to be checked during the night. The aim of the drive is to have a dog trained to accompany Neu when he departs for college after he graduates with the CHS class of 2013.

Classmates and others in the Friends of Cole campaign sold balloons door to door Wednesday. Balloons will also be sold at the volleyball game tonight and football game Friday. Some of the balloons will contain certificates which go into the raffle for approximately 30 prizes which will be drawn at the football game. The group hopes to raise about $4,000 to cover the $1,895 cost of the training session, purchase of a dog and travel expenses.

For more information call Connie Ellis at city hall.

DEER COLLISIONS ON HIGHWAY 26

Kyle R. Largent, 18, Colfax, was unhurt Friday night when the 2004 Toyota Corolla he was driving hit a deer near LaCrosse. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Largent was driving eastbound at 8:45 p.m. when a deer ran onto the highway just west of mile marker 100.

Brenda K. Cockrum, 57, Pullman, was unhurt Friday afternoon when the 2007 Ford Edge she was driving struck a deer on Highway 26 west of LaCrosse. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving westbound on Highway 26 at 2:10 p.m. when the deer ran into the roadway just past mile marker 97.

Philip C. May, 26, Seattle, was unhurt when the 2002 Honda Civic he was driving westbound struck a deer on Highway 26 eight miles west of Colfax Monday at 7:40 p.m.

MULTI MC CRASH TAKES LIFE

A motorcycle accident on the Rock Lake Road north of Ewan took the life of a Post Falls resident, Rick Downs, 65, Saturday. Three others were injured when a total of three motorcycles went out of control and crashed during a club ride with approximately 30 motorcycles participating.

The riders were participating in the last ride of the season for the Combat Vet Riders motorcycle club which is based in Spokane.

The accident scene was approximately three miles south of the Spokane County border on the Rock Lake Road. It was just south of the Dewey Road intersection which is west of Rock Lake. The motorcycles were southbound at the time of the accident which was reported at 11:35 a.m.

According to the report by Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Chapman, Downs was transported by MedStar helicopter to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center where he died of injuries. He was riding the second motorcycle to crash at the scene.

Chapman’s report said a motorcycle operated by Harold Teufert, 64, Newman Lake, drifted onto the shoulder of the road, went down an embankment into a field and flipped over. The cycle landed on Teufert and a passenger, Judy Teufert. They were transported by ambulance to Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane.

Mr. Downs was riding behind the Teuferts and also lost control of his cycle on the shoulder of the road.

A third rider, Travis Lee, 29, Spokane, also went onto the gravel shoulder and crashed. He was also transported to Deaconess.

St. John, Rosalia and Cheney ambulance crews responded to the scene.

Chapman said alcohol is not believed to been a factor in the accidents.

MESSINGER PLEADS NOT GUILTY

A Dec. 19 trial date was scheduled for Roberta Messinger of Rosalia after she pleaded not guilty in Whitman County Superior court Friday to charges of theft and possession of stolen property. Messinger has been charged with taking $2,700 from the account of Studebaker Mfg., one of the firms she operated with her former husband in Rosalia. The charge alleges she withdrew the funds, which derived from a payment made by a client, after she no longer had authority over the company accounts.

Spokane Attorney Kelsey Kittleson filed a notice of appearance on behalf of the defendant and represented her at the arraignment Friday.

CETC TOUR SAID NOT SO GOOD

Colfax City Councilmen Jeremiah Roberts, Don Henderson and Al Vorderbrueggen Oct. 6 toured the CETC building which has been offered to the City of Colfax by Whitman County Commissioners. They and Mayor Norma Becker were briefed on the condition of the building by Evan Laubach, Pullman consulting engineer who prepared a report on the building roof problems for the county commissioners.

The building has been offered to the city as a possible site for a Main Street Community Center on condition the city cover the costs of repairing the structure. Laubach briefed the tour members on added support systems which are needed for the roof of the building.

Mayor Becker said it was her impression the costs required to repair the building would be too much for the city to undertake. She said the engineer went over the repairs needed for roof support structure which was damaged by the 2009 winter snow load. The tour also included the kitchen area which needs improvement.

The mayor said she didn’t believe the city could undertake the repairs without grant funds or a loan, both of which are not likely possible at this time. City Administrator Carl Thompson and Building Inspector Andy Burgard also took part in the tour.

Councilman Henderson, who said he has concluded the city can’t afford to undertake the project, said the estimate for repairs was $115,000 in 2009 and would probably be more today. He noted any repair to the kitchen area could add $7,000 or more to the costs.

CREDIT CARD TOLL TOPS 200

Pullman Police Friday reported the tally of credit card fraud cases has now topped 200 Pullman and area residents. The department began receiving card fraud reports Sept. 19. Police Commander Chris Tennant this week said they have been averaging 30 to 35 reports a day.

Some of that report rate derived from an alert issued by the department a week ago that 40 cases of the card fraud had been reported. The department at that time encouraged residents to check their accounts.

Pullman Police have been working with the U.S. Secret Service in an effort to determine how the perpetrators have obtained the credit card information.

Pullman Chief Gary Jenkins said business and residents can report credit fraud via the department’s web site:

http://www.Pullman-wa.gov /police.

STREETLIGHT CHECKS

A complaint involving streetlight maintenance led to discussion at the Oct. 3 city council session. Councilman David Nails said he has received inquiries from residents about who maintains lights in town. Mayor Norma Becker said many of the lights in Colfax are maintained by Avista with the city responsible for the lights along Main Street. She said the city relies on police officers to spot and report malfunctioning lights.

COLFAX BUDGET MEETS SET

Colfax city council has slated three meetings with city officials to develop the 2012 city budget. They will meet Oct. 19 with police and fire officials to go over their budget requests. Other budget meetings have been booked for Oct. 24 and Oct. 26. All sessions are slated to start at 6 p.m.

SENTENCE IN Tekoa POT CASE

Kenneth Rickus, 44, was sentenced Friday to serve a day in jail and pay $750 in fines and fees after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of possession of marijuana June 4 in Tekoa. Rickus was arrested after officers said they found a marijuana growing operation at the residence where he was living in Pullman. Officers went to the house June 4 after the defendant’s landlord suspected marijuana was being grown in the house.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Bill Druffel said the state agreed to reduce the charge because Rickus qualifies as a medical marijuana patient but failed to obtain medical marijuana authorization. Defense Attorney Timothy Note said Rickus probably failed to get the authorization because he couldn’t afford it. He said Rickus is now residing in an RV trailer in a friend’s driveway.

Rickus is a former chef who is now on disability. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail with 89 suspended and allowed the option of paying fines off through public service work.

LEAF COLLECTIONS START OCT 17

City crews will begin their annual collection of leaf bags Oct. 17. Residents are again asked to place leaves in biodegradable bags and leave them on the curb or sidewalk for collection. Weight limit will be 70 pounds.

The city conducts the collection every year to eliminate the practice of residents raking leaves into the streets where they can plug storm drains, Public Works Director Andy Rogers said.

The city will not pick up plastic bags of leaves and will not pick up bags which have not been left at curbside.

The city will issue a one week notice before closing the service later in the fall.