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.

TOWER SELLS FOR $1.46 MILLION

A communications tower south of Colfax was sold by Inland Cellular of Roslyn, Wash. to Vertical Bridge Towers LLC of Boca Raton, Fla., for $1,464,123, according to a tax transfer affidavit filed June 3 in the county treasurer’s office.

The tower is located on Bar Road which is west of Highway 195 about a mile south of the Albion Road intersection.

County revenue from the sale of the public utility is based on just the valuation of the site which has been set at $23,000

Colfax DRUG SENTENCE

Kenneth Huckaby, 33, Colfax, was sentenced to six months in jail Friday after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of possession of methamphetamine. Two other charges were dropped as the result of a plea bargain agreement.

According to the arrest report the conviction resulted from an investigation which started with an anonymous letter from a parent who reported pills were being provided to a student during lunch breaks and/or after school at Colfax.

Huckaby was arrested May 26 at an apartment on Clay Street.

He was originally charged with delivery of marijuana and delivery of methamphetamine along with possession of methamphetamine. The two delivery charges were dropped as the result of the plea bargain.

The report said deputies arranged for an informant to make a controlled purchase of drugs April 13.

Huckaby, who has remained in jail since his arrest, was allowed furlough over the weekend to attend funeral rites for his brother in Spokane. He told the court his brother had been using drugs and his early death sounded an alarm to him.

“I need help,” Huckaby told the court. He said he felt treatment was the only way he could turn his life around.

Huckaby was placed on one year of probation after he completes his jail term. He was ordered to undergo drug evaluation and treatment as required.

He was also ordered to pay fees and costs of $800 and fined $2,000 for the drug conviction.

The drug fine was doubled because Huckaby was convicted of possession of methamphetamine here last May.

SCHOOL GUN SUSPECT FACES 30 DAYS

A juvenile male who admitted involvement in a gun incident at Colfax High School a year ago was ordered to serve another 30 days in detention last Thursday on a finding that he had failed to meet conditions of probation. The finding noted he had failed to abstain from drugs as previously ordered by the court.

He was immediately ordered to go directly from confinement to a drug treatment program.

The latest round for the juvenile, now 16, evolved from a report that he had discussed with friends on Facebook his intent to return to Colfax High School with a gun. He was charged in juvenile court for harassment with intent to kill. His comments on the Facebook account allegedly said he wanted to walk in to the front desk at the school with a gun.

The youth last year was charged with harassment with a threat to kill after he was charged with taking a gun into Colfax High School. The gun, which turned out to be a BB gun, was taken away from him at the school.

According to the latest investigation, the youth’s mother said they did not have a gun in the house. The youth this year took classes on line but did not go to the school.

Asked if he had any grudges against someone at the school, the youth reportedly said he now doesn’t know very many people at school.

ARREST ON THE RIVER

Roger Gossage, 42, Lewiston, was booked into the county jail early June 17 after being arrested in the Snake River on a charge of felony harassment with a threat to kill. A report by Sgt. Chris Chapman said Gossage was apprehended while he attempted to swim across the river. He at first refused to climb into an Asotin County boat which had been called to the scene but later complied.

Chapman’s report said the previous night’s episode began at 6:25 p.m. when deputies were advised that a male was attempting to break into a camper at Nisqually John Landing. The alleged victim said a male had threatened to kill her so she locked herself in the bathroom.

An arrest account said the suspect had actually forced open the door but did not injure the victim. She also told deputies she did not believe his threats and did not fear him.

Deputies determined the male involved was Gossage who had fled the scene after he realized the woman had called 911. The woman said she saw Gossage jump into the river and swim toward the opposite shore. She said he appeared to go under the surface of the water and she didn’t see him come up.

Deputies contacted the Asotin County fire boat, but before it arrived Gossage was located yelling from the south side of the river. When the boat arrived at Nisqually, deputies boarded the boat and crossed the river to arrest Gossage. The sergeant’s report said Gossage jumped back into the river as the boat approached, but eventually complied with orders to get into the boat.

Gossage had been arrested Saturday for an assault charge involving the same victim, but was allowed release from jail Monday.

The arrest report said Gossage continued yelling and screaming while en-route to the jail. He was booked into jail 13 minutes after midnight.

DEER COLLISION INJURY

Cheryl A. Carter, Pullman, was transported to Pullman Regional Hospital June 16 after the pickup truck in which she was riding collided with a deer on the Moscow-Pullman Highway about two miles east of Pullman.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, Maxwell J. Keirnan, Albion, was driving the 1992 Toyota pickup eastbound at 10:25 a.m. in the outside lane when the deer jumped into the roadway.

JAIL FURLOUGHS FOR BABY

Kenneth Himes, 35, Oakesdale resident who was sentenced to a year in jail last December for taking a truck from Wilbur-Ellis at Tekoa and possession of methamphetamine, was allowed a 48-hour furlough from jail starting at 2 p.m. June 12 . Himes had requested the furlough to “get the new place ready” in preparation for the birth of a baby to Shelia Evans, a co-defendant in the case last December.

Himes will also be allowed a second 72-hour furlough which will start after the jail staff is advised that Evans has gone into labor.

When Himes and Evans were sentenced she advised the court that she was three months pregnant. Due date for the baby is June 30, according to Himes request for furlough.

Evans last December was sentenced to eight months in jail.