Bulletin column

These reports are from the previous three 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.

CRASH KNOCKS OUT POWER

Residents in the south end of Colfax and along Highway 195 reported power outages Friday afternoon following a one-car accident on Highway 195 which involved a power box about three miles south of Colfax.

The box was hit by a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Aaron J. Colyar, 32, Colfax. He was unhurt in the accident. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving northbound at 1:45 p.m. when the car went off the roadway to the right and struck the power service box 3.15 miles south of Colfax near the entry at the Terry Jeffries residence.

Some of the residents in the Prune Orchard district were changed over to an alternate hookup from the Albion substation. They were later converted back to the regular hookup.

As of presstime, Avista representatives had not returned calls on specifics of the outage.

Colfax OATHS SET JAN. 3

Next city council session has been scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 7 p.m. The session will mark a change of office for three city seats.

Todd Vanek will begin his term as mayor after posting a strong win in the general election over Carol Stueckle and write-in candidate Jeff Didier.

Mayor Norma Becker, who concluded her fifth term in office last week, will be honored at a city reception some time next month. She conducted her last city staff meeting Tuesday morning.

Steve Holberg will take the seat held by Tom Huntwork. Holberg was unopposed for the seat which was left open when Huntwork opted to file for the mayor’s job. He was eliminated in the primary election.

Jim Kackman, who posted a strong win over incumbent Earl Leland, will also begin his term.

Endicott DRIVER HITS DEER

Cherie M. Schmick, 26, Endicott, escaped injury Dec. 22 when the car she was driving struck a deer on Highway 26 about two miles west of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero eastbound at 5:23 p.m. when the deer jumped into the roadway.

NO-SHOW NETS WEEK IN JAIL

Alex Alvarado, Pullman, was allowed release Friday after being sent to jail a week earlier for failing to appear for a drug court review Dec. 2. He was ordered to remain in jail Dec. 16 after his pre-trial release was revoked. He was also ordered to submit to an urine analysis test.

Alvarado was the lone drug court participant among four who were slated for a review of their drug court status Dec. 2. Participants are required to report to court to confirm they are attending treatment sessions and remaining off drugs with negative results from UA tests.

Alvarado’s review hearing has now been set for Jan. 6.

STREET BANNER DOWN

One of the Main Street banners has been rescued after being downed from its display spot on a light standard in front of the Public Service Building. The truck and barn design banner was one of the entries in the 2009 contest. It was painted by Brianna Reynolds.

A few of the banners in the Colfax Arts Council collection have turned up missing after they are downed from light standards. Anyone who finds a banner is asked to turn it in at the Port of Whitman office.

Entry forms for the fifth year of the banner contest are now available at the Library, City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce office.

CALENDARS ARRIVE

The 2012 community calendars have arrived and may be picked up at the Colfax school district office. The annual calendar project is a fund raiser for the Colfax High Honor Society chapter.

DUO ARRESTED FOR KINDLE THEFTS

Two men suspected of taking Kindle book readers from Wal-Mart in Pullman two weeks ago were arrested after Pullman Police served a search warrant on a Pullman residence. Arrested at his residence in Pullman was Cody A. Richardson, 20, on probable charges in two separate burglaries.

Deandre Johnson, 20, identified as an accomplice in the burglaries, was arrested at a residence in the Spokane Valley Dec. 22. Both were booked into the Whitman County jail.

According to the report from Pullman Police Commander Chris Tenant, the two have admitted taking 15 Kindle readers during the second week of December. Value of the readers was placed at $2,500. Six of the stolen Kindles have been recovered to date.

A report filed with the court alleges the two were apprehended with the use of surveillance camera recorders. Wal-Mart staffers reported the theft when they found empty Kindle boxes in the store’s restroom and other locations around the store.

Formal charges have not been filed.

LIBRARY ISSUES CALL FOR

BOARD APPLICANTS

Whitman County Library’s board Dec. 22 issued a call for applicants to fill the vacant seat on the five member library board. The library is seeking a board member from the northern part of the county to get representation from that area on its board.

The call for applicants came after the library board Dec. 20 listened to a request from Colfax Mayor Norma Becker for a Colfax City representative on the board. Becker was accompanied by mayor-elect Todd Vanek who will take office after the first of the year, at the library’s regular board meeting at the suggestion of Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick. She urged Mayor Becker or other city representatives to attend the library meeting after Becker voiced a request for a city seat on the library board at Monday’s city council session.

Becker Dec. 19 said Colfax needed to be represented on the library board because decisions made by the board impact annual fees paid by the city under an agreement. The city pays 20 percent of library maintenance and repair costs on the headquarters building in Colfax. The agreement also calls for the city to pay for 20 percent of upgrades. That has led to the addition of 20 percent of library payments on a $550,000 USDA community development loan which was part of the library’s remodeling project. Part of the payments come from a bequeathal in the Kathy Schluneger estate with the balance coming from library funds and the city’s share.

Becker Dec. 20 repeated her request for representation, but Becky Dickerson of St. John, chair of the library board, declined after pointing out the format for library representation. She noted the library has branches in 13 other towns in the county and couldn’t very well create a Colfax seat on its board without consideration for the other towns.

Dickerson said the library encourages Colfax to develop some type of liaison with the county library board.

The library now seeks a board member from the northern part of the county which has not been represented. The present vacancy on the library board was created by the departure of John Aune who has served for 14 years. When Aune was appointed he farmed in the Penawawa area and he was considered a representative of the west side of the county. He later retired from farming and moved into Colfax.

Present members of the board are Dickerson, Jon Kehne of Colfax, Teresa Myott of Palouse and Bob Bates of Colton.

Kirkpatrick said she is confident the library and city can resolve the concerns voiced by Becker.

ROBBERY CHARGE DROPPED

An order dismissing the new robbery charge against Skylar Nobbley, 18, Lewiston, was issued Friday morning in Whitman County superior court. Prosecutor Denis Tracy moved to drop the charge following Nobbley’s testimony Dec. 19 in the trial of Michael Thompson, 21, Lewiston. A jury convicted Thompson Dec. 20 on charges of robbery and second degree theft in the April 22, 2010, strong-arm theft of more than $2,500 from Larry Hood at his residence in Pullman.

Nobbley was originally charged with robbery in the same case, but later agreed to a plea bargain which reduced the charge against him to theft. Part of the plea agreement required him to keep in contact with deputies and testify against Thompson. Tracy reserved the right to again charge Nobbley with robbery if he didn’t abide by terms of the plea bargain.

He did that when deputies were unable to make contact with Nobbley, but he surfaced and was jailed before his testimony Dec. 19 at Thompson’s trial.