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.

MORE WORK ON N. Palouse ROAD

Mayor Todd Vanek Monday night informed the city council that one of the projects for the city next year will be additional work on the North Palouse River Road. Vanek said the road has deteriorated over the years and needs to have gravel applied to build up the surface. He noted the road condition is particularly bad at three or more low places along its length.

The North Palouse River Road became part of the Colfax road system in conjunction with the annexation of Redtail Ridge development. The road was included in a new rural residential zone which was formed to encourage development of the Redtail Ridge lots in 2007.

One initial change for the road was posting a 25 mph limit on the road which had been under the county grid.

Late last year the city undertook work on the road bank and installed basalt rock barbs to halt erosion along the river bank at the sharp turn about a half mile west of the Glenwood Bridge.

Mayor Vanek Monday night said drainage problems on the road means city crews cannot work on the roadway without causing additional damage because of the soft condition.

Also, Vanek Monday night said the fate of the railroad spur serving the N. Clay Street area, where 34 stranded box cars were removed Dec. 21, will be determined by the findings of a strategic study now being prepared for railroads for the PCC system in this area. The study draft report is expected to be issued later this month by the district office of the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Absence of shipping customers along the Clay Street rail spur and the unusable Colfax-Pullman rail link doesn’t bode well for the future of those rail line segments, Vanek told the city council.

Installation of a new railroad crossing on N. Main at one time had been listed among plans for resurfacing Highway 195 which has been scheduled for this year. The crossing was paved over last year and repaved after an engine made the crossing and pulled out the 34 freight cars which had been left on the rail spur for most of last year.

ALLEGE ASSAULT ON DEPUTY

Kristen Colleen Beck, 34, Colfax, was arrested on a charge of third degree assault Saturday in the 400 block of Lake Street and booked into the county jail. Her bail for pre-trial release was set at $5,000 in an initial court hearing Monday.

According to the arrest report, Deputy Dan Brown responded to a residence on Lake Street to back up Colfax Assistant Chief Dave Szambelan who was responding to a report of domestic violence.

The report said officers found Beck outside the residence when they responded to the scene.

She was detained while Szambelan went into the residence to investigate. The report said Beck became agitated and began to yell and eventually kicked Deputy Brown in the shins. She was subsequently arrested and taken to the jail where she again put up a struggle before entering the building.

Brown’s report said he had to summon a member of the jail staff to come out and help get control of the suspect before taking her into the building.

The report noted Szambelan prior to Beck’s arrest had come out of the residence and reported he had determined no crime had taken place.

COLLISION

IN SNOW

Drivers involved in a two-vehicle accident Sunday on Highway 195 at mile post 60 near Rosalia were unhurt. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Lisa G. Collins, Snohomish, was driving a 2000 Ford Explorer southbound at 2:46 p.m. and began to lose traction on the snow-covered highway. The Explorer crossed the centerline and side-swiped a 2005 Buick Century which was being driven northbound by Marvin E. Vansickel, Kamiah.

—Ricky S. Kayioni, Pullman, was unhurt Saturday when he lost control of a 2006 GMC pickup truck in snowy conditions on Highway 195 at mile marker 51 near Steptoe. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving northbound at 10:15 a.m. and lost control of the truck when he attempted to pass other northbound traffic. The truck went onto the northbound shoulder and rolled.

DEADLINE FOR RESTITUTION

Michael Carter, 35, Pullman, was sentenced Friday to a year in jail with 350 days suspended and 14 days credit for time served after he admitted a charge of being in possession of stolen property. As a condition of the 350 days of suspended jail time, Carter was ordered by Judge David Frazier to pay $210 in restitution to the victim of the burglary by Jan. 7. Failure to make the restitution payment will result in serving the 350 days in jail, the judge told Carter.

Carter was charged with being in possession of items taken from a cargo utility trailer which had been parked next to the victim’s apartment in Pullman. The police investigation report said a lock on the trailer had been cut to gain entry. Police received some tips that Carter was seen with four tires and wheels taken from the trailer.

The $210 restitution was for an air compressor, one of the stolen items which was not recovered.

Prosecutor Denis Tracy said Carter had a record of offenses prior to 2004, but had not been in trouble since that time. Carter turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear for a pre-trial readiness hearing.

SHOP WILL

ADD BARBER

Kate Schaffner, who has moved to Pullman from Oregon, plans to begin working at Terry’s Barber Shop in Colfax. She will extend hours of operation in the shop in the afternoon to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Proprietor Terry Vietz now works at the shop from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on those days and Saturday.

Schaffner has been on the staff of Blue Mountain Barbers at LaGrande for more than two years. She was raised in Anchorage and moved with her family to Oregon where she graduated from Lebanon-Union High School. After high school she earned a degree in behavioral sciences from Oregon State University and later trained to be a barber.

QUICK MELT

FOLLOWS SNOW

A substantial snowfall Saturday and Sunday was mostly gone Monday morning at Colfax with temperatures soaring into the 40s and water running down the streets. The downtown temperature at Columbia Bank had a 46-degree reading at 7:30 a.m. Monday. The PNF temperature sign downtown read 50 degrees just before 9 a.m.

Sunday morning Colfax residents awoke to more than an inch of snow. That was followed by rain which turned to snow as temperatures dropped during the day and then later turned to rain.

The precipitation reading on the NRCS gauge Monday morning totaled .35 inches.

TWO HURT ON HIGHWAY 195

Drivers of two cars involved in a collision 11 miles south of Colfax on Highway 195 Friday afternoon were injured and transported to Pullman Memorial Hospital. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Nataliya B. Chayka, Spokane, was driving a 2007 Toyota Yaris southbound at 4:41 p.m. and slowed to make a left turn onto the Armstrong Road.

Raymond Torres, Wenatchee, driving southbound in a 1995 Honda Civic attempted to pass the turning Toyota and the right front of the Civic struck the left front of the Toyota.

METH ARREST

AT COLFAX

Derek C. Hiatt, 32, Snohomish, was booked into the county jail early Sunday morning on a probable charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. An arrest report filed in court alleges deputies found 98 grams of meth in a Honda Civic Hiatt had been driving on Highway 26 which was stopped as he departed Colfax.

According to the arrest report, Hiatt and Christopher Hammond had arrived in Colfax to pick up a car at the sheriff’s office. The report alleges Hammond had a suspended driver’s license and was advised not to drive the car they were picking up. It said a deputy observed the duo departing Colfax and watched them drive to where they had parked another car and each departed in a separate car.

The report said after Hiatt was initially stopped, deputies became suspicious when they observed a butane torch inside the white Honda Civic he had been driving. Hiatt refused to give consent to search the car, but deputies acquired a search warrant and subsequently discovered the methamphetamine and a small amount of heroin.

Hammond, 31, Mountlake Terrace, was also arrested on drug possession charges and driving with a suspended license.

FOOTBALL SUIT LANDS HERE

A civil suit filed by a former WSU football player against Washington State University has been moved here from King County on a court ordered change of venue. The change of venue was granted in a motion by Paul Triesch, assistant attorney general who represents the university.

The suit seeks payment of damages alleged sustained by Domenic Rockey, who played quarterback at Auburn High School and accepted an offer to join the WSU football team for the 2013-14 season on a preferred walk-on status according to the suit. Players with that status do not receive a scholarship but are part of the team and listed on the roster.

The suit alleges Rockey was injured when he was punched in the face by another team member who became “enraged” when Rockey walked away from a team discipline action which involved a penalty of 75 up-downs because one member of the team was late for weight training session Oct. 1, 2013. Rockey’s suit said he was unable to do the up-downs due to a previous injury and went into the locker room. Team member Emmitwally Su’a-Kalio allegedly confronted Rockey in the locker room and punched him in the face. Rockey’s jaw was broken in two places and one of his wisdom teeth was shattered.

The suit contends Su’a-Kalio, an American Samoan, was responding to an instruction from coaches to “keep each other accountable.” The suit said in a letter to the WSU Student Conduct Board, WSU Coach Mike Leach said he believed Su’a-Kalio misinterpreted the team’s “keep each other accountable” mandate.

The suit said as a result of the injury Rockey sustained weight loss and was unable to continue with the team resulting in the loss of his dream to play football with the Cougars.

In the WSU response to the suit, Treisch contended any damages sustained by Rockey were caused by the actions of Su’a-Kalio, who was not listed as a defendant in the suit.

Su’a-Kalio was convicted here last April on a reduced charge of fourth degree assault and sentenced to 30 days in jail. He was allowed to convert the jail time to 240 hours of community service.

In a report to the court Sept. 26, Su’a-Kalio was credited for 40 hours of work for Habitat for Humanity.

DECEMBER

PRECIP: 3.88 INCHES

Precipitation total for December at the NRCS station at Colfax totaled 3.88 inches to exceed the average for the month. This December was unusual with most of the precipitation arriving as rain. Largest snow day was 0.3 of an inch recorded on Dec. 23.

The heaviest rainfall readings for the month were 0.75 of an inch on Dec. 18 and 0.7 on Dec. 21.

COUNTY

OFFICIALS SWORN IN

Official swearing in of county elected officials for the new term was conducted Dec. 22 during the reception honoring retirees Shirley Bafus as county clerk and Bob Lothspeich as county treasurer.

Swearing in for new terms follows general election years. New county officials beginning their first terms are Mark Clinton, who succeeds Lothspeich in the treasurer ‘s office, and Jill Whelchel-Wahl who succeeds Bafus.

FORMAL CHARGES FILED

Formal charges of possession of a stolen vehicle were filed against the suspects arrested Saturday on Highway 195 south of Colfax. Mary Ann Shay, 24, and Richard A. Gatlin, 50, were arrested in a 1999 Pontiac Pro Am which had been reported as stolen at Mountlake Terrace, according to the arrest report.

The report said Gatlin told deputies he had just purchased the car. It said the registered owner of the vehicle confirmed it had recently been sold, but not to Garlin. The purchaser of the vehicle was the person who reported it had been stolen out of his driveway, the report alleged.

Gatlin has also been charged with making false statements. Deputies allege he gave an incorrect name when asked to identify himself.

Gatlin pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday morning in superior court and was scheduled for a Feb. 17 trial. He is in jail under a $50,000 bail.

Shay was allowed release to the custody of her father. Her arraignment was reset for Jan. 16.

FIRE CAUSE SAID ELECTRICAL

A failure of the electrical system is believed to be the cause of the fire which destroyed the Paul Bilderback house on the Walla Walla Highway in the early morning hours Dec. 23.

The fire was reported shortly after midnight and the house, which was unoccupied at the time, was considered a total loss. The Bilderbacks were visiting on the west side of the state at the time.

Colfax Fire Chief Clark Capwell said two fire investigators from Pullman checked out the scene of the fire later in the day Tuesday, Dec. 23. They believe the fire started from some type of electrical failure. The preliminary report concluded the fire started at several points in the house, possibly because of some type of failure with an over-loaded circuit.

A formal report is expected later from the investigators.

Dec. 23 night, firefighters returned to the scene as smoke was again spotted coming from the burned out house. Capwell said the fire rekindled from smoldering sawdust insulation which eventually broke through boards that were covering it.

The chief said a formal report will be prepared by the Pullman Fire Department investigators.

DEPUTY SUES INSURANCE POOL

A civil suit seeking payment for injuries sustained in an accident at Palouse has been filed by Deputy Sheriff Randy Zehm against the Washington Rural Cities Insurance Pool. Zehm’s suit seek funds, to be determined at trial, for injuries he sustained in a Dec. 20, 2011, accident at Palouse while he was driving a 2006 Ford Explorer sheriff’s vehicle.

The Explorer collided with a vehicle driven by Marie Wallace who reportedly failed to see the stop sign at the intersection of Mohr and Beach streets in Palouse.

The suit contends the loss sustained by Zehm in the accident exceeded the limits in the insurance policy Wallace held with Geico. The insurer paid under its policy terms in October of 2013, the suit said.

Spokane Attorney Michael McFarland Dec. 22 filed an appearance on behalf of the insurance pool.