Bulletin Column

Endicott

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.

PULLMAN GETS 16 CAR-SMASH REPORTS

Pullman Police are investigating a rash of auto vandalism reports which they received from owners early Saturday morning. Damage included side mirrors which were knocked off, shattered windshields and windows. Bricks and rocks were found inside the vehicles with the shattered glass.

Pullman Police Commander Chris Tennant said they suspect the damage was done by a person or persons under the influence of alcohol who decided to take out their aggressions on the parked vehicles. Some of the autos were located in the Reaney Park area, and the others were in the college hill area above the park.

SUSPECT

ARRESTED

Jared J. Wold, 26, Endicott, was booked into the county jail early Monday morning after deputies investigated a residential burglary in the 200 block of First Street in Endicott. During the Sunday investigation, deputies served a search warrant on Wold’s residence on Fonner Street in Endicott and said they discovered 13 marijuana plants growing in the residence. Wold was booked in jail on probable charges of manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Items reported stolen from the First Street residence included personal property, tools, medications and a gun. According to a report by Sheriff Brett Meyers, deputies located several of the missing items when they searched Wold’s residence after obtaining a search warrant.

ASSAULT NETS 4 MONTHS IN JAIL

Scott W. Peterson, 23, Seattle, was sentenced to four months in jail Friday for second degree assault. Friday’s sentencing was set after Peterson pleaded guilty earlier to an amended charge involving one assault. He had initially been charged with two counts of assault and burglary for entering an apartment on Providence Court in Pullman Oct. 28, 2010.

Matthew Stahl, victim of the assault, sustained a broken nose as a result. The police report in the case said Stahl had been knocked down by Peterson and also kicked.

Peterson apologized to the court for his conduct. He said he was going through a time of stress.

Judge David Frazier, who pointed out Peterson had been looking for trouble when he went to the apartment, ordered Peterson to begin serving the sentence immediately and ordered him to pay $800 in fines and fees. He also ordered Peterson to pay restitution to Stahl for the costs of medical treatment.

The other assault charge, which was dropped, involved another resident at the apartment.

CHASTAIN TRIAL DATE SET

An Oct. 15 trial date was slated Friday morning for Josh Chastain, 25, LaCrosse resident who was arrested after investigation into reports of thefts at the swim pool and a residential burglary in LaCrosse. Chastain pleaded not guilty to charges of second degree burglary and making false statements to an officer.

Judge David Frazier set a $5,000 bail figure as a condition of allowing pre-trial release.

Chastain has remained in jail since his arrest on a district court hold from a prior case. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Bill Druffel informed the court that a warrant for Chastain’s arrest has also been issued out of Spokane. He requested the court set the $5,000 bail because of what he said was Chastain’s record of failing to appear for court dates.

Deputy Sgt. Chris Chapman Aug. 17 reported Chastain had been arrested after cell phones, an Ipod and cash were reported missing from backpacks at the swim pool. Later deputies learned of thefts from an alleged burglary of a safe, the deputy’s report said.

KATHY LEMON RETIRES

Kathy Lemon of Colfax, revenue officer at the treasurer’s office, was honored with a retirement reception Friday. Lemon was on the treasurer’s staff for 26 years. Treasurer Bob Lothspeich noted Lemon’s years of experience in the office meant she was able to help in all departments in the office.

Lemon started her employment at the office under Treasurer Mary Crawford, now retried.

As revenue officer, one of Lemon’s tasks was to pursue tax foreclosure procedures when taxes on properties remained unpaid. She was also in charge of keeping track of the county’s tax debt interests in the wake of bankruptcy filings made by taxpayers.

Decorations in the lower hall of the courthouse included photos of the treasurer’s staff, including their annual Halloween garb for greeting taxpayers on the Oct. 31 deadline day for second half tax payments.

Lori Nails, a member of the staff for the past five years, will be the new revenue officer for the office.

PICKUP HITS

WH & R BUILDING

The southwest corner of the Whitman Health & Rehab building on Fairview sustained damage Wednesday, Aug. 29, after it was struck by a pickup truck which rolled across the adjoining parking lot of Whitman Hospital, jumped a curb and struck the building. According to the Colfax police report, James Rodgers of Colfax told officers he had been waiting in the 2003 Ford pickup while his wife attended a therapy session at the hospital. He decided to go inside the building and apparently left the parked truck in neutral in the sloped parking lot.

FOOD BANK NEEDS

Suzy McNeilly, nutrition program director for the Council on Aging & Human Services, has circulated a list of needs of the Colfax Food Bank. The list includes canned fruit, pancake mix, syrup, mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup. Donations can be dropped off at the council office or in the collection basket at Rosauers.

ONE HURT IN COLLISION

ON 194

Ryan J. Wiedeman, 20, Sammamish, sustained possible head and neck injuries Aug. 25 in a collision on Highway 194 near the intersection of Jenkins Road at the top of the Almota grade. He was transported by the Colfax ambulance to Whitman Hospital in Colfax.

Wiedeman was a passenger in a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Shelby L. Welch, 21, Wentachee, according to a Washington State Patrol report.

The Tahoe struck a 2008 Jeep Wrangler which was being driven by Holly A. Osborn, 26, Endicott. According to the report, Welch was driving eastbound at 6:10 p.m. and attempted to pass another eastbound vehicle while Osborn was driving in the westbound lane. The Tahoe struck the side of the Wrangler, and both vehicles landed in the ditch along the highway.

COURT ORDERS LICENSE RETURN

The state Department of Licensing was ordered to reinstate the driver’s license of Joshua Tyler, 20, in a superior court order filed last Wednesday. The court order reversed a decision of a state hearing officer after Tyler appealed the DOL move to suspend his license. The court ruled the hearing officer failed to properly consider the evidence which was presented in the hearing.

Tyler was arrested March 4 at 12:10 a.m. by a Pullman officer after he was observed failing to yield while making a left turn on Valley Road. The officer’s arrest report said a driver in the oncoming lane was forced to apply the brakes to avoid Tyler’s vehicle when he made the turn.

Tyler underwent field tests, breath tests and eventually a blood test after the arrest. In the process, he refused to submit a sample for the blood test, but the officer obtained a warrant to conduct the tests. The arrest report said the officer suspected Tyler was under the influence of drugs after breath test results showed his blood alcohol content was far below the standard for a drunken driving arrest. Results of the court-ordered blood test were also negative, but Tyler driver’s license was suspended under the state’s implied consent law because he had refused to submit to the blood test.

The court ruled the administrative hearing officer failed to make an independent determination of the DOL decision to suspend the license. A viewing of a lengthy video of the drivers processing at the Pullman Police station after the arrests would have provided the hearing officer with few, if any, indications that Tyler was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at that time, the court ruled.

ARREST AT WELL HOUSE

Reid A. West, 29, was booked into the jail here early Thursday morning, Aug. 30, by a WSU police officer on probable charges of burglary and theft after he was arrested at a campus well house. WSU Officer Jeff Olmstead said officers went to the well house No. 8 on Hog Lane on campus after being notified an automatic alarm had been activated.

Accompanied by a maintenance man, officers found the suspect inside the well house. He reportedly told officers he was homeless and had been camping in trees near the well. He said he found doors to the well unlocked and went inside.

The officer’s report said the suspect provided consent for a search of a pack he had in the well house, and they found lengths of hose in the pack which had been in a storage area at the well house.

RAILROAD LENGTHS DEPART

Lengths of rails which were cut and removed from the S. Main crossing as part of the highway re-construction project earlier this month were collected Wednesday, Aug. 29, by a railroad crew. The rail material had been turned over to the Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad by the state Department of Transportation. A sub-contractor was hired to remove rail lengths and other parts of the crossing.

One of the final segments of paving on the job by crews from Central Washington Asphalt covered the walkway segments where the railroad formerly crossed the street.

SMOKE REPORT

Colfax fire station Wednesday, Aug. 29, received a report of extensive smoke along Highway 195 north of Colfax. Source of the fires was determined to be field burning in the Green Hollow area. Farmers were allowed to undertake controlled burning that day by the Department of Ecology which makes daily checks of conditions.