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.

POOLE MAKES CITY TOUR

Kevin Poole, lead candidate for the Colfax city administrator’s position, completed a long day of interviews and tours with a public meeting Monday night at The Center next to the library. Poole, a self-employed civil engineer, said he is now wrapping up work on a $15.2 million Catholic church project in Lewiston and became interested in the Colfax posting for the city administrator’s job as a next assignment.

Poole at the start of the year concluded four years of service as Lewiston’s mayor. He noted in Lewiston the mayor is selected by the city council. Lewiston is one of three towns in Idaho with a council-manager form of government.

He said he served two previous terms on the Lewiston City Council, stepped down for four years and then decided to return to the council in 2010.

“I’m very sure I’m done with my elected official career,” he noted Monday night.

Mayor Todd Vanek introduced Poole to the 10 people who attended the session.

When asked about what he saw as a solution to downtown vacant buildings, Poole pointed out the progress made in Lewiston through the work of the Beautiful Downtown Lewiston project. He noted a New York investor developed some of the vacant buildings that attracted clients and that led others to undertake projects. One of the additions has been downtown housing for LCSC students. Poole said he believes most of the downtown buildings in Colfax “have good bones” which can be an incentive for rehab projects. He noted the role of the city would be to facilitate development projects.

Asked what he considered the most surprising thing he discovered while visiting in Colfax Monday Poole said it was the prolific water sources for the town. He said he doesn’t believe a source of water would be a future issue in the community.

Poole was joined by his wife, Grace, for the evening session. She is employed as a computer programmer at Washington State University and commutes to Pullman from Lewiston.

The Pooles have two grown daughters. Amelia is a graduate of the University of Idaho who lives in Lewiston, and Erin is junior at the university.

Mayor Vanek said he hopes to have a decision on the hiring by the end of the week.

BAKER SENTENCED

Vance Baker, 22, LaCrosse, was sentenced to nine months in jail April 25 after pleading guilty to charges in two different cases. The nine-month sentence was the longer of two sentences which were ordered to run concurrently.

The sentencing also included a formal court order to remove Baker from drug court where he had been assigned after being charged with possession of methamphetamine last June. Withdrawal from the program was voluntary under terms of a plea bargain agreement.

The other charges against Baker involved theft of an air conditioner from his parents’ home and use of a debit card. He was charged while on drug court supervision with theft of welding equipment which was taken from the Whitman County shop in LaCrosse.

One of the theft charges was dropped as part of the consolidation of the charges. Baker was ordered to pay fines and fees of $1,800 in the first case and $935 in the second case.

SGT. GIBSON SERVED HERE

Sgt. Clint Gibson, a member of the Liberty Lake Police Department who died early last Friday morning in a one-car accident in north Spokane, was a former member of the Colfax Police Department. Gibson served here from August of 1998 until May of 2001. He served for a short time at Pullman and then joined the Liberty Lake department in 2002.

Gibson was the second in command for the Liberty Lake Police Department and was promoted to sergeant in 2007.

During the time he served at Colfax he and his family resided at Endicott. His wife, Erin, and four children are among survivors.

According to Saturday’s report in the Spokesman-Review, Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Amus said it was his understanding Gibson was traveling at a high rate of speed when the SUV he was driving went off the road in the 1000 block of West Francis.

A memorial service has been scheduled for Friday, May 2, at 1 p.m. at the Valley Real Life Church on S. Barker Road in Greenacres. Colfax Assistant Chief David Szambelan said he and others who served here with Gibson plan to attend the service.

POLICE CAR RESTITUTION

Restitution of $4,500 was ordered to be paid by Kerry Morrison for damage done when he broke into the Pullman police parking area and damaged several patrol cars and other vehicles. Morrison was also ordered to pay $500 restitution to Officer Wade Winegardner for damage to his vehicle.

Morrison was convicted Feb. 7 of hitting squad cars in the parking area with a bat.

Morrison is also suspected of breaking into the Pullman Radio Shack March 22 on Bishop Boulevard. Police accounts of that investigation allege he used a bat to shatter the front door of the business. The proprietor was working in the back of the business when Morrison allegedly struck the door.

GUN CLUB BURGLARY

A burglary at the Pine City-Malden Gun Club was reported to the Sheriff’s Office Sunday. Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Chapman said the suspects apparently parked at the locked entrance to the club on the Pine-City Malden Road and walked to the club house. A window was broken to gain entry to the building.

The entry is believed to have happened some time within the last two weeks.

Among missing items were four Remington 870 shotguns, a small amount of cash, cases of pop and Keystone and Bud Light beer.

Anyone who observed suspicious activity within the last two weeks is asked to call the sheriff’s office.

DOUGHERTY CASE ADVANCES

William P. Dougherty, 30, the suspect in the Carothers Road marijuana grow raid last September, was offered a legal advisor April 25 in superior court after he again balked at the legal process in advance of his trial. Judge David Frazier started the hearing by advising Dougherty he was “on the verge” of being in contempt of court.

In ordering Dougherty to sit at the defendants’ table, the judge explained it was required because that is where court proceedings are recorded. He said he would note Dougherty was responding under duress.

At his prior hearing April 4, Dougherty declined to enter pleas to charges of manufacturing marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. At the end of that hearing, Judge Frazier entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Dougherty and scheduled a June 16 trial date.

Most of Friday’s court exchange had to do with advising Dougherty that he had a right to be represented by an attorney and that the state could provide an attorney if he lacked resources to hire one.

Dougherty questioned whether a defense attorney working under contract with the county could represent him.

Defense Attorney Steve Martonick volunteered to meet with Douherty and advise him of his status. Dougherty would then have the option of having Martonick officially represent him in court.

Dougherty in prior sessions had challenged the court’s jurisdiction to try his case, and at one point Judge Frazier said he is aware of the argument and told Dougherty “you don ‘t have to say it 50 times.”

The April 25 session ended with a proposed order on the defense attorney arrangement which was filed in the court record.

BURNING PERMITS REQUIRED

Residents who want to burn yard debris are asked to call and notify the fire department. The burning permits are logged so the department is aware that burning will take place at a specific location. That log is used in the event the department receives a smoke report.

The fire department office number is 397-3416.

Only natural debris is allowed to be burned.

FOUR CHARGES FILED

Arraignment of David Scott Magerison, 31, Clarkston, on four charges which evolved from an alleged cell phone video recording of a woman being threatened with a pistol has been scheduled for Friday, May 2. The recording allegedly shows the word “rat” was written on the alleged victim’s head while the pistol was being stuck in her mouth.

Magerison has been in jail here since last November after he was arrested in Clarkston. His bail has been set at $1 million.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dan Le Beau filed the amended charges in court April 25. Magerison is charged with first degree rape, intimidation of a witness, assault and unlawful imprisonment. In the amendments filed the state added a gun enhancement factor to all four of the charges.

Investigation reports said the case began with a Quad Cities Drug Task force investigation in Clarkston. Magerison was arrested in Clarkston after a surveillance operation. Following the arrest officers conducted a warrant search of the car Magerison was driving, located cell phones and a warrant search of the cell phones revealed a 42-second recording of a pistol being placed in a woman’s mouth while she was ordered to confess to being a rat.

The charge alleges the “rat” term related to Magerison’s belief that the alleged victim had assisted officers with a drug case in Lewiston.

Officers were able to identify the victim and she later gave an account of being driven by Magerison into Whitman County and raped in the car near Granite Point.

Le Beau said on April 25 that two other charges involving drugs have been dropped from this case after being challenged by Defense Attorney Steven Martonick. Another challenge to suppress the cell phone recording was denied. Martonick also filed a motion to sever the rape charge from the other three charges because he contended the cell phone recording of the “rat” pistol threats would prejudice a jury in deciding evidence on the rape charge. The alleged rape preceded the alleged evidence in the recording.

Le Beau the week before also informed the court that Margerison has been charged with rape in Asotin County. Information about that rape also evolved out of the investigation of the Whitman County charges. Magerison is set for trial here May 19.

SCHOLZ RECITAL TONIGHT

Matthew Scholz, graduate student in music performance at the University of Idaho, has been scheduled to present a graduate student recital Thursday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m., at Haddock Performance Hall on the UI campus. Scholz, Colfax High School graduate, has been an instructor at UI since completing his masters degree.