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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RAMSON

SENTENCED

TO 60 DAYS

James Ramson, 31, was sentenced to 60 days in jail Friday after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful disposal of human remains. Ramson pleaded guilty in superior court to the charge which involved removal of the body of Donavin Stapert, 17-year-old Malden resident who died at the residence of Bobby Bilderback March 7.

Bilderback Aug. 20 was sentenced to 68 months in prison on a conviction of controlled substance homicide.

The investigation report said Ramson, who was identified as a “runner” for Bilderback’s alleged drug operation, had been summoned to Malden to assist with removing the Stapert boy’s body. The body was placed in a safe and later buried north of Chatteroy in Spokane County.

Chastity Bilderback, who is also charged with helping to dispose of the body, has been scheduled for a court appearance Sept. 20.

A second charge of attempted rendering of criminal assistance was dismissed in the Ramson case. He was credited with 30 days already served in jail and ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and fees.

DRUG ARREST

NEAR COLFAX

A bail bond for pre-trial release was set at $10,000 Monday in superior court at a first appearance hearing for Henry Hall, 32, Coeur d’Alene. He was arrested at an accident scene on Highway 195 a half mile north of mile marker 43 north of Colfax.

Hall was found at the site of a rollover accident just before midnight Friday. The deputy’s report said they were called to the scene when the Washington State Patrol trooper on the scene initially suspected the driver of the wrecked vehicle had fled the scene. Hall had initially told the trooper he was a passenger in the vehicle and the driver had fled.

The deputy’s report said they found a scale with methamphetamine residue and other drug paraphernalia and an ignition key in a field near the wrecked car. Hall was booked into the jail Saturday at 7:20 a.m.

MOTORCYCLE FATALITY

ON 23

A 65-year-old Everett man was fatally injured Sunday night when he was thrown from the motorcycle he was riding on Highway 23 near Lamont. The Washington State Patrol report identified the motorcycle rider as Dale E. Chapman, Everett.

According to the accident report, Chapman was riding southbound on Highway 23 at 8:25 p.m. and failed to negotiate a curve to the left. The 1983 Honda GL1100 motorcycle he was riding struck a dirt embankment about a mile south of Lamont and he was ejected from the machine.

Highway 23 has been posted with advisory caution signs for motorcycle riders because of a surfacing project this summer. Most of the gravel on the highway has stabilized but striping, including fog lines, has yet to be applied on the project.

The highway speed restrictions have also been posted along 23 as far south as Steptoe.

Mr. Chapman was taken to Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax and arrangements are being made to return him to Everett.

SULLIVAN FEE

PAY ORDER

A superior court order filed last week will allow Skylar Sullivan, Pullman, to work off overdue fines and fees at the rate of $10 per hour. Sullivan was ordered to complete at least 25 hours of public service work a month toward payment of fees.

According to court records filed with the order, Sullivan, now 26, owes the court $12,457 for fines and fees and reimbursement on three different cases. His last conviction came in 2011 on a drug case which dated back to 2009. Total for that case was $2,800 with $3,448 now due because of interest. Amounts due on the other two cases, including interest charges, are $5,146 and $3,863.

RESTORE CIVIL RIGHTS

An order restoring full civil rights to Steven Lee Humphrey, 64, was filed last week in superior court. The order was issued Aug. 26 by the state’s sentencing review board. The order noted Humphrey had met all obligations after being released from a state correctional facility in May of 1984 and being placed on parole.

WHITCOM GUILD THEFT

Emily Kirk of Pullman, former treasurer of the Whitcom 911 Employees Guild, pleaded guilty in superior court Friday, Sept 6, to theft and forgery charges. Because the Kirk case involved a local public agency, prosecution of the case was assigned to the attorney general’s office. Assistant Attorney General Scott Marlow handled the case.

Kirk was charged with taking $13,910 from the guild between June 2011 and August of last year.

The attorney general’s report earlier said Guild President William Brinken became aware of the loss when he discovered unexplained low balances in the group’s accounts. Kirk also drafted checks to herself and signed Brinken’s name to them, the report said.

The case was investigated by Washington State Patrol Detective Mark Fehler.

Since the guild was founded, only the president and treasurer have had the authority to withdraw funds from guild accounts.

The plea agreement included a provision for a recommendation of a non-custodial jail sentence, according to papers filed Sept. 6. The agreement calls for the state to make the recommendation to the court if Kirk makes restitution payments for the $13,910 said missing from the Whitcom fund.

Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 13 to allow Kirk to make the restitution payment required for the agreement.

Other papers filed with the court note the state and defense are in disagreement about the maximum sentence time Kirk could face under the state’s standard sentencing range. Maximums listed are 60 or 90 days for each count.

The theft charges in the amended complaint allege Kirk took the funds between June of 2011 and August of last year. The forgery charges listed 10 checks between Nov. 23, 2011, and April 17 of last year.

CITY GETS HAMILTON REPORT

Colfax Mayor Todd Vanek reported to the city council Sept. 3 the city had received a report outlining plans by the Friends of Whitman County Library to develop a community center in the former Hamilton Drug building which adjoins the library. Vanek said the report stresses the application is a Friends of the Library project and will not be part of the normal library operation.

The plan calls for installing restrooms and kitchen facilities in half of the Hamilton structure and leaving the other half open for meetings and instruction such as dance classes.

Vanek noted the city presently supports the library through a maintenance and operation contract. Under the policy for the county library, towns are required to provide a site for branch libraries to operate, but Colfax instead provides maintenance funds because the library’s main branch is located here.

Vanek said he anticipates city support could involve some type of extension of the maintenance agreement for the Friends of the Library project which would serve as a community center for the town.

Vanek noted one unresolved part of the long-standing community center topic in Colfax is the lack of a description of just what the center should be.

The community center topic surfaced last month when the city again was asked to consider acquisition of the former CETC building. County commissioners allowed Colfax two weeks to consider and after getting no response put the CETC up for public bid.

POLICE GUILD UPDATE

Ongoing contract negotiations between the city and the Colfax Police Guild have hit some rough spots, according to a report by Councilman Tom Huntwork at the Sept. 3 city council session. The guild and city officials have been negotiating for several weeks on a new contract.

The city’s contract with the guild expires at the end of the year. If negotiations fail to produce a contract by the time the present one expires, the present one remains in place and any changes on a new contract will be back dated to the first of the year, Huntwork confirmed after Councilwoman Jeanette Solimine inquired about the status.

LYNNWOOD MAN

SUMMONED

Kenneth Thompson, 50, Lynnwood, has been charged here with communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He has been summoned to appear in superior court Sept. 13. The charge stems from a Pullman police investigation of calls and text messages allegedly received by a 15-year-old girl in Pullman.

DRUG COURT

NO-SHOW JAILED

Vance Baker, LaCrosse, Sept. 2 was ordered held in jail after he was arrested on a superior court warrant issued Aug. 30. The warrant was issued after Baker failed to appear for a review of his status with the drug court. Baker was admitted to the drug court program after he was charged with possession of methamphetamine and third degree theft.

According to the arrest report June 30, Baker was charged with taking an air conditioner, wedding rings and other items from his parents’ residence at LaCrosse and pawning them in Moscow to obtain cash.

Drug court requires participants to undergo treatment and pass urine tests in exchange for the court holding charges in abeyance pending their successful completion of the program.

The commitment order allows Baker temporary release to the custody of his parents while attending treatment sessions.