Bulletin Column

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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CITY DROPS JUNK CAR CASE

A second challenge of the city’s attempt to enforce its junk car removal ordinance has been dropped. The city has notified Peggy Barney, who was scheduled for a hearing on the ordinance Tuesday, that it will not pursue its effort to have vehicles removed from where the Barneys have them parked on upper Deanway.

Interim Police Chief David Szambelan said the city has concluded it lacks a means of proving vehicles cited actually qualify for removal. The city this spring notified several property owners that vehicles parked on their property violated the city’s junk car ordinance.

The city’s decision to drop its action against the Barney vehicles followed a June 5 ruling by Municipal Judge Scott Bergstedt which stopped city action against vehicles owned by Lauren Jensen. Judge Bergstedt ruled the city was unable to show Jensen’s vehicles qualified for removal as junkers.

INJURED

RACCOON

DISPATCHED

A raccoon which was injured by dogs on the North Flat Tuesday morning had to be put down. Interim Chief David Szambelan said the raccoon was discovered in a yard in the 1600 block of N. Oak. The animal was in a fenced yard and attacked by dogs owned by the resident. A .22 was used to put the animal out of its misery.

CRASH AT HUME TURNOFF

Drivers of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 195 at the Hume Road intersection south of Steptoe Sunday afternoon escaped injury. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Tryvor L. Phillips, 41, Portland, was driving a 1998 Toyota Sienna van and towing a trailer at 3:55 p.m. when he slowed to make a left turn onto the Hume Road. Kevin M. Laudenbach, 26, Pullman, attempted to stop the 2006 Subaru Forester he was driving behind Phillips, but it struck the trailer which was being towed by Phillips.

EXTRA TIME IN GRAIN CASE

Prosecutor Denis Tracy last week filed a notice of the state’s intent to seek an exceptional sentence in the event it convicts James Hughes of Endicott on charges of grain theft. Tracy said extra jail time would be sought because Hughes used a position of trust in making the alleged thefts.

Steven Graham of Republic, defense attorney for Hughes, Monday filed notice the defense witness will be the custodian of records in the Commodities Inspection Division office at Spokane.

Hughes, who faces 19 charges of first degree theft involving alleged theft of grain while working as a trucker for Whitgro, has been scheduled for trial July 16.

BLUEGRASS

DAMAGES LISTED

Declarations from five growers and a summary of lost acreage were filed Monday in superior court in another round of pre-trial arguments on the Kentucky Bluegrass suit which is now scheduled for trial in October. The declarations were filed by Pullman Attorney Tim Esser to show losses sustained by his client, Seeds, Inc., of Tekoa.

The filings respond to a motion filed by Matthew Turetsky, Seattle attorney who represents Scotts LLC. Turetsky June 8 filed a summary judgment motion which asks the court to disqualify a contention that Seeds, Inc., sustained damages from business losses because of Scotts decisions to hold up payments on grower contracts. The motion contends attributing any loss of business sustained by Seeds is speculative because other factors could be involved.

Declarations from the five farmers filed with the court Monday state they have cut back in bluegrass production because of their alleged uncertainty of getting paid by Scotts for the crops they produce.

Growers noted failure of Scotts to pay a 20-cent per pound contract bonus in 2009 and again in 2010 and failure to make first payments on harvested seed in 2010 led them away from contracting for bluegrass production. They cited the expenses involved in producing the crops and noted bluegrass production can require up to three years of rotation before a crop is produced.

The declaration filed by Terry Peters, now CEO for Seeds, contends the company sustained an approximate loss of 10,000 contract acres from a seven-year average. Growers “dramatically” reduced their contracts with Seeds following the 2009 payment holdup by Scotts which purchases the seed from Seeds. Peters said Seeds normally earns 25 cents per pound and the per-acre average for production is 488 pounds.

Esser contends the loss figures present issues of fact which should go before a jury instead of being disqualified via a summary judgment.

A July 9 hearing has been slated for presentation of damages related to two prior partial summary judgments awarded to Seeds. Scotts has been ruled liable for payment of the 20-cent bonus sums for the 2009 and 2010 crop years and the payments for the 2010 harvest deliveries.

TRAVELING LIGHT AT LIBRARY

The musical duo “Traveling Light” will perform today, Thursday, June 28, at 10:30 a.m. in the Colfax Library. Everyone is welcome to this free summer concert, just one of 14 this duo will perform across Whitman County.

POTTY FIRE BELIEVED PRANK

Sheriff Brett Myers Monday said he believes a fire which destroyed a rental toilet located on a construction staging site off Eckhart Road was a prank. The toilet was located on the east side of the Palouse Wind turbine installation project.

Deputies were called to the scene June 11 at 7:57 a.m. when workers discovered the burned out rental unit. Sheriff Myers said portable construction storage buildings and a row of trucks were located near the toilet but were not damaged by the fire.

MARIJUANA SEIZED AT TEKOA

Deputies seized 30 marijuana plants, growing equipment and some marijuana during a warrant search of an unoccupied house in the 400 block of Elizabeth Street in Tekoa. According to a report by Sgt. Keith Cooper they sought the warrant after being tipped off by a landlord who had discovered the plants and suspected a grow operation had been underway in the house.

Whereabouts of the former residents of the rented house is unknown at this time, the report said.

Sgt. Cooper’s report said the landlord discovered the marijuana after she had gone to the residence to turn off the water heater. She said the tenants of the house had departed three weeks ago, and she had received a notice from the city that water service to the residence was going to be shut down.

HYDRANT TESTING TUESDAY

Fire department volunteers conducted a test of hydrants along downtown Main Street Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday’s tests were expected to send water down the street. Residents may detect off-color water as a result of high volume water flow in the lines, according to Chief Ralph Walter. Fifteen hydrants were tested along Main Street.

The chief also advised businesses with ice making machines to shut them off until their water supply clears after the tests.

Tuesday’s downtown tests were part of an overall check of hydrants in the city system. Firefighter Jenny Jordan is conducting a series of tests in different neighborhoods around the town. The city has 150 hydrants in its system.

ARRESTED FOR INTIMIDATION

Melissa Alma Robledo, 34, Garfield, was booked into the county jail Sunday night on a probable charge of intimidating a witness. According to an arrest report from the Palouse Police Department, which provides services for Garfield, the suspect was escorted from an apartment on California Street in Garfield where she allegedly threatened a witness in a pending assault case. The police report also recommended she be kept in protective custody because of alleged attempts she had made to take her own life.

Her bail for pre-trial release was set at $2,500 in a first appearance in court Monday. She was also ordered not to go to the apartment without a police escort and only to remove her property. The restrictions will be dropped if formal charges are not filed within 72 hours.

SCOUTS DEPART FOR CAMP

Fourteen members of Colfax Scout Troop 595 embarked Sunday morning for a week at Camp Grizzly near Laird Park. The troop also has three senior members serving on the camp staff this week and two more will be on the staff after they complete their camp week. The scouts plan to return Saturday after wrapping up a week of camp with the Friday night campfire.

Scoutmaster Mark Clinton and parents of troop members will stay at the camp.