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.

AIRPLANE SHOWN AT FAIR

An airplane was one of the unusual exhibits at the Palouse Empire Fair last week. The kit plane, which was shown by Mike Ensley of Colfax, was brought to the fairgrounds on a special trailer. Ensley explained the airplane's wings can be rotated along the fuselage for easy transport on a custom trailer.

Called Ol’ Patches, the airplane is designed to cruise at very slow speeds. Ensley keeps it at his ranch south of Colfax. He said it would have been possible to land the airplane at the fairground, but he didn't think it would be safe to try it during the hectic days before the start of the fair last Thursday, Sept. 10.

The airplane was part of a display presented by the the Lewiston chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. They are the same group which sponsors the June Fly-in at Barney Buckley's hangar at the Colfax Airport.

With weather predictions for strong winds in the area Sunday, Ensley removed the airplane from the display Saturday night. Pins are removed from the top of the wings to fold them back. Also, the rear wheel on the airplane is elevated on a stand so the fuselage is level before the wings are folded back.

HITS CITY LIGHT POLE

A city light pole at the southeast corner of Thorn and Main Street was struck Monday night by a 2010 Mercury Mariner driven by James Berdal of Colfax. Berdal said he had to make a wide turn onto Thorn Street at about 10 p.m. to avoid another vehicle in the intersection, according to the report by Officer Perry Tate. The right front car of the Mariner was damaged.

SUA ALLOWED EARLY RELEASE

Ualesi Sua, 22, Pullman, was allowed conditional early release from jail Friday after informing the court he planned to enroll in school and eventually resume a college football career. Sua was sentenced to 12 months in jail here May 22 on two amended charges of burglary.

The charges stem from a Pullman Police response to an attempted break-in on NW California Street in Pullman last April 8.

Prosecutor Denis Tracy at an earlier hearing credited Sua with a solid record of work credit during his time in jail. At that hearing, Sua was allowed to convert 240 of his work hour credits into 30 days off his jail sentence. Early last week Sua was among an inmate crew which worked to get the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds ready for launch.

Sua at the earlier hearing said he eventually planned to play out his football eligibility at a school in California.

Friday, he was allowed early release on condition of enrollment in school and maintaining lawful behavior.

FACES SECOND VIOLATION CHARGE

Alex Hinojos of Colfax faces a second charge of violating terms of pre-trial release. Friday Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau requested the court revoke the release because Hinojos was observed purchasing beer and rum Sept. 9 at Colfax.

Hinojos had been allowed release under a $5,000 bond after he had been charged with driving with a suspended license, malicious mischief and taking a motor vehicle without permission. The charges involve him allegedly driving a truck owned by his former employer to do an out-of-town lawn mowing job. The charges allege Hinojos has a suspended license and was not authorized to drive the truck. The malicious mischief charge alleges he broke the back side window out of a sheriff's car with his head after he was apprehended. After being allowed release on the charges, Hinojos was arrested on a warrant for violating pre-trial release after he was observed in an argument on Main Street.

Friday a district court employee testified she saw Hinojos purchasing beer and rum two days earlier at Rosauers in Colfax. Hinojos told the court he can prove he didn't consume the items purchased because he is under a home monitoring system on a Spokane district court conviction which requires him to breath into a telephonic monitoring device at regular times during the day.

The judge, who noted just possessing the alcoholic beverages at the store violated his release conditions, allowed Hinojos until this Friday to document that the home monitoring device from Spokane showed he was not drinking for the days after he was spotted at Rosauers with the beer and rum. Failure to come up with the proof of the test will lead to a return to jail, the judge said.

ORDERS POT MOVE

Owners of a marijuana grow operation in Colfax have been ordered to move it to a new location. Police Chief Rick McNannay said city action against the grow garden has been under the city's civil code rather than a criminal code.

The garden totals 44 plants which are behind a fenced enclosure along the 400 block of S. Lake Street. The chief said the marijuana is being grown by residents of the Clarkston area who have state medical marijuana certification. The grow had totaled 45 plants, the maximum allowed under a state's community garden format, but the owners reported one of the plants had been stolen.

McNannay said the grow is in violation of a city code which prohibits grow operations in residential zones. The present site on Lake Street is in an R-2 zone. He said under city code, other zoned areas are located in town where marijuana can be grown.

The chief said the city has been aware of the grow for about three weeks, and were finally able to contact the owners of the operation Friday. The owners were notified of the code violation and agreed to move the grow. At last check, five of the 44 plants had been moved.

Another problem with the grow was the size of the plants. They are getting to the point where they are topping the cedar fence that surrounds them, and that is also a violation of the code because the tops of the plants are accessible to people who can reach the plants over the top of the fence.

LUDEN SENT FOR EXAM

Eric C. Luden, 24, who has been jailed here after being charged with second degree murder of his father, was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation at Eastern Washington State Hospital after an appearance in court Friday. Luden appeared in court in a wheelchair and completely covered under a blanket.

Luden reportedly balked at making an appearance in the courtroom and finally appeared in the wheelchair under the blanket. Judge David Frazier, who asked defense attorney Steve Martonick to ascertain the person under the blanket was Luden, said the defendant's behavior Friday convinced him that Luden needed to undergo a competency evaluation at Eastern State Hospital.

Luden had been charged with murdering his father, Virgil Luden of Sammamish, at an apartment in Pullman May 30. Police reports said examination of the scene have led them to believe Mr. Luden was struck with a heavy pot.

Friday's court appearance had originally been set as a scheduling hearing to set a trial date, but the judge determined Luden needed to be examined for a determination of whether he would be able to assist in his defense and comprehend the charges against him.

Luden was also the subject of a jail discipline hearing which was conducted Friday evening. Luden was penalized 20 days of good time credit for continued violations.

The jail report said Luden continues to ignore orders which are given to him in the jail and continues to try to harm himself.

DUPLEX PLAN FOR ST. IGNATIUS

Preliminary plans for the St. Ignatius property on the south hill include construction of up to 24 duplexes, according to a report from Rob Gross, project manager for owner Anthony Girges, given to the city council Sept 8. The duplex units will be on property located behind the hospital building.

City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello told the council the city is planning to annex the portion of the St. Ignatius property which is located in the county outside of the city limits. The annexation would involve approximately 1.59 acres.

Gross said they believe the rental market here can sustain development of the rental units. The annexed property will be zoned R-2.

Gross said the first step for the hospital building will be to secure it from entry by trespassers. They eventually plan to completely gut the interior of the building and repair the roof. The power plant and storage building on the east side of the main building will be razed, and they will attempt to sell off the bricks.

BRYAN TAKES POLICE OATH

Jaeleen Bryan was administered the oath to become a Colfax Police officer at the Sept. 8 city council session. Bryan has been serving on the Whitman County Jail staff, and she previously worked as a jailer in Illinois.

Police Chief Rick McNannay told the city council Sept. 8 that Bryan will begin training at the state police academy Oct. 27. Bryan now resides in Pullman but plans to move to Colfax.

REWARD SET FOR ARSON INFO

Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins Sept. 10 announced a $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fire at the Planned Parenthood building in Pullman early last Friday. The reward is offered by the Arson Alarm Foundation and the Northwest Insurance Council.

Tips on the arson case can be called into the Pullman Police Department at 334-0802 or online by clicking on the Arson Task Force graphic on the Pullman Police Department website. Anonymous tips will be accepted.

In addition to local and federal agencies, the investigation is being assisted by the FBI's Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force, the county prosecutor's office and the US Attorney's Office for Eastern Washington.

Police reports earlier last week said the Planned Parenthood fire was started with flammables thrown into the building through a broken front window. Police said surveillance cameras show no actual entry was made into the building.

SWIM POOL

SENTENCE

Guy Russell, the suspect arrested after an alleged assault at the Campus Commons North swim pool at Pullman during the early morning hours of June 28, pleaded guilty Sept. 4 in superior court to a reduced charge of fourth degree assault and driving under the influence.

Russell, 43, from Ogden, Utah, was arrested while driving away from the apartment complex pool. Officers at the time said a strong smell of alcohol was coming from the vehicle.

Pullman Police were called to the Campus Commons North swim pool at 1:44 a.m. June 28 by a report of two males fighting in the swim pool. According to the arrest report, witnesses at the pool said Russell applied a choke hold on the victim and dragged him along in the pool. Russell had left the pool by the time police arrived, but he was stopped while driving out of the commons parking lot.

He was sentenced to 364 days in jail on each charge with all but one day suspended. His driver's license was suspended for the mandatory 90 days, and he was ordered to pay $1,748 in fines and fees. He was ordered to undergo an evaluation for alcohol abuse, undergo any treatment and two years of probation under district court supervision.

WATER METER CHANGE OVER

Replacing city water meters will be part of the city plan to reduce the loss of water in the coming years, Public Works Director Matt Hammer reported at the city council meeting Sept 8. The meter change is part of a Water Use Efficiency Goal which aims at reducing the loss of water to 10 percent.

Colfax now has a 20 percent gap between the volume of water it pumps and the volume which goes through meters.

Hammer said the state recommends water meters be replaced every 10 years, and he believes many meters in the Colfax system date back more than 50 years.

The replacement part of the plan calls for changing out 25 meters per year, a pace which would fall short of complete changeover in the required length of time.

Hammer also reported water going into city trucks and water used for irrigation at the water treatment plant is now metered.

Water fill service supplied to contractors at the city's truck shop also goes through a meter.

CITY HIRES WSU GRAD FOR INSPECTOR

Irving Trejo of Pasco has been hired as the new Building and Development Associate for Colfax. Trejo, who has received a degree in civil engineering from Washington State University, headed a student study group project for development of Highways 195 and 26.

City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello said Trejo's work with the study project has made him familiar with Colfax. He said Trejo worked for the composite materials lab at WSU and that has provided him with a background on development of building materials.

Trejo fills the position vacated by Chris Korando, who resigned the position, formerly known as building inspector, at the start of August after being appointed June 15 to fill the spot which was vacated by the retirement of Andy Burgard.

City building inspections have been done during the past month by the county building inspector.

CARDS THEFT NETS 8 DAYS

Jacob Bergman, the former Pullman School District employee who was charged with taking two video cards from the district, was sentenced to eight days in jail Friday after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree theft. He was also ordered to pay $800 in fines and fees.

Bergman, who is now employed by a company in Cheney, will be allowed to serve the sentence on his days off of work.

The charge involved theft of two video cards which had been given to the district but not used. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Daniel LeBeau said when school officials discovered the cards were missing they contacted Bergman, and he subsequently admitted he had taken the cards and sold them on the internet.

LaBeau said Bergman's early admission and decision to reimburse the school district for the value of the cards led to his decision not to pursue charges of trafficking against the defendant.

RULING VOIDS SWAT ARREST

Tyler Langford, 27, a suspect arrested after a SWAT team response to a report that an occupant of a room at the Pullman Quality Inn last July was close to “running amok,” was ordered released from jail Sept. 9 after the court ruled a search warrant used to collect evidence in the case was invalid.

That ruling disqualified evidence found in the search, including two guns and more than 100 bullets, and the case was dismissed.

Langford had been jailed here since July 27 with bond set at $200,000.

The court approved a motion to dismiss filed by Defense Attorney Steve Martonick, which contended the police affidavit for the warrant lacked preliminary evidence of harassment. It said the affidavit stated police received a report from Langford's mother that he intended to give a University of Idaho professor “a piece on his mind,” but actual contact between Langford and the alleged victim never took place.

According the arrest report, Pullman police became aware of Langford, who was in a room at the Pullman Quality Inn, when they received a call from an aunt in Seattle.

She told them Langford, in calls to her, had threatened to “run amok” and she believed he had guns and ammunition with him in the room at Pullman. The aunt had recorded Langford's calls and played them to the police.

Evidence obtained in the search included marijuana, a Glock pistol, and a Remington rifle with extra ammunition for both guns.

The arrest report said Langford had been sought on warrants out of Texas, but when notified, Texas officials declined to extradite him.

ALARM WORK AT PAUL'S PLACE

Firetronics, Inc., Cheney, has received a Colfax building permit to make improvements to the fire alarm system at Paul's Place on S. Mill in Colfax. The firm will install a gas valve for an automatic shutoff which will be tied to the alarm system at the facility. Also planned will be a changeover of several smoke detectors in the alarm system. The report noted some of the detectors in place cannot be cleaned.