Serving Whitman County since 1877

Bulletin Column Oct. 8

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.

DYE LEADS IN DOLLAR RACE

Mary Dye of Pomeroy continues to hold a strong lead in the campaign money race in this year's special election for the ninth district representative seat. Posting by the state's Public Disclosure Commission as of Monday lists total raised in the Dye campaign at $33,401. Total spent on the campaign was $14,894.

Dye was appointed to the seat by a vote of county commissioners in the ninth district to serve in the chair vacated by Susan Fagan.

Richard Lathim, former Franklin County sheriff, has received $12,446 for his campaign, according to the Public Disclosure Commission report. Spending on the Lathim campaign has been listed at $9,692.

Last contribution listed for the Lathim campaign was a Sept. 26 donation of $100 from Ted Blaszak, Tekoa City Council member who has headed the committee in Tekoa to restore the trestle on the John Wayne Trail.

Blaszak Sept. 30 chaired a Tekoa meeting when Rep. Dye and Rep. Joe Schmick met with residents and discussed the future of the trail after an attempt by the representatives to vacate 135 miles of the trail stalled out on improper wording on legislations on a budget bill rider in the last session.

This year's Lathim-Dye race is an election for a special one-year term.

VOTERS’ FORUMS BOOKED

A voters’ forum for general election candidates for Colfax Mayor and Ninth District State Rep. will be Monday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Norma McGregor Community Room of the Colfax library.

Incumbent Todd Vanek and challenger Jeremiah Roberts will appear in their bid for the mayor's chair.

State Rep. candidates Mary Dye and Richard Lathim will be on hand.

Each candidate will give a brief opening statement, answer questions from the audience and provide a brief closing statement.

A second forum will be in Pullman Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. at Umpqua Bank, 222 N. Grand, Pullman. City Council candidates along with Initiative measures 1366 – state taxes and fees, and 1401 – trafficking of animal species threatened with extinction, will also be discussed.

The forums will be videotaped for later replay on the League of Women Voter's website.

SEPTEMBER RAINS TOP NORM

Believe it or not, September's rainfall finished above normal with a total of .82 inches for the month, according to records at the NRCS office in Colfax. September's .82 inches compares to a .73 normal for the month. Rain was recorded for three days during the month with a .51 for Sept. 8, which was actually the reading following the rainy Labor Day weekend.

Other rain readings for the month were .14 for Sept. 2 and .17 for Sept. 17.

September marks the end of the crop year recordings. Crop year precipitation is compiled to determine rainfall on crops planted in the fall.

Final close out of the the crop year precipitation total was 16.32 inches from Oct. 1 of 2014 to Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015. That compares with a crop year normal of 20.04 inches, or 3.72 below normal. Rainfall shortage took its worst toll in June when zero precipitation was recorded in a month which is considered a key period for finishing off crops.

Normal rainfall for October is 1.2 inches.

McNEILLY SENTENCED TO 50 DAYS

Dillon McNeilly, 23, Colfax, was sentenced to 50 days in jail Friday after he pleaded guilty to amended charges of second degree theft and taking a motor vehicle without permission. McNeilly was originally charged with theft of a firearm, a .32 Colt pistol, from his father's residence at Colfax April 25. The charge was amended to second degree theft for taking property owned by his father.

The motor vehicle theft charge involved a car taken from Colfax Aug. 24. The car, a Toyota Corolla, was located the next night in Clarkston where McNeilly was arrested. McNeilly was also ordered to pay $800 in fines and fees.

McNeilly, who pleaded not guilty to the original firearms charge Sept. 11, notified the court a week later he intended at the time to apply for the drug court program and was released to the custody of his father to undergo evaluation.

The court file included a notice that McNeilly had undergone a jail violation hearing Oct. 1, which was conducted after he had tested positive for drug use following his return from the furlough.

FINDING ON COLLISION DEATH

Chief Deputy Coroner Annie Pillars Tuesday issued a finding on the death of Daniel Popp, 38, the Moscow resident who was fatally injured in the head-on collision on the Pullman-Albion Road early last Monday, Sept. 28. Popp, who was taken from the scene of the accident to Pullman Regional Hospital, died from an aortic rupture caused by chest trauma sustained in the collision. The manner of death was determined to be accidental.

M-R STAFF VISIT

Staff members from the the office of Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers will visit Colfax Friday, Oct. 16, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Whitman County Courthouse.

SIX HURT IN THREE-CAR CRASH

Six people were injured in a three-vehicle accident on Highway 195 south of Steptoe Saturday afternoon. Two of the injured were flown by helicopter to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

Ambulance crews from Colfax and Rosalia responded to the scene and transported other victims to hospitals in Spokane and Colfax.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, Vickie J. Witt, Juliaetta, Idaho, was driving a 2006 Nissan Altima southbound when she pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway because of low visibility from blowing dust. After she re-entered the highway, she crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a 2009 Jeep Commander driven by Douglas F. Habib, 50, Pullman. The Jeep was then hit in the left rear by a 1990 Chevrolet pickup driven northbound by Donald Thursby of Thornton.

Witt and Thursby were taken by MedStar helicopters to Sacred Heart.

Rebecca Dueben, Pullman, and two juvenile girls, passengers in a Jeep driven by Habib, were also injured. Habib and one of the juveniles were transported to Sacred Heart by Rosalia ambulances, and Rebecca Duerben and the other juvenile were taken by Colfax ambulances to Whitman Hospital here.

Injuries on all six victims were classified as non life-threatening.

BLUETOUNGE CITED IN DEER DEATHS

Deaths of two deer in Colfax have been attributed to Bluetongue Disease. Officer Perry Tate Friday responded to a report Friday of a deer that appeared to be sick in the area of Peace Lutheran Church. The deer appeared to be very lethargic and a state Fish & Game agent was called to the scene. The deer had to be put down.

A deer was found dead in the 700 block on North Park Street Sunday morning and was also determined to be the victim of Bluetongue Disease.

Bluetongue Disease is caused by a virus carried by gnats who infect deer by biting them. The disease is reported to be taking a toll in the area this year with the drought suspected to be related to the cause.

HINOJOS TRIAL DATE SET

A Nov. 16 trial was scheduled Friday in superior court for Alex Hinojos, 26, Colfax, on charges which related to an Aug. 18 arrest. Hinojos, who turned himself in to the jail Sept. 23 after a warrant had been issued for his arrest, was denied a request to be released from jail pending the trial date.

The warrant with a $50,000 bond requirement was ordered issued Sept. 18 when Hinojos failed to appear in court for a followup hearing from the previous Friday when he told the court he could prove he had not consumed alcoholic beverages he reportedly was seen purchasing at Rosauers in Colfax Sept. 9. As a condition of pre-trial release at the time he was ordered not to possess or consume alcoholic beverages.

Hinojos told the court then he was on a daily monitor system ordered by a Spokane court which would show he had not consumed them on the days after the Sept. 9 purchase at Rosauers.

Hinojos Friday said he could not get copies of the tests from Spokane which would have proven his point, but the judge pointed out he had failed to show up in court as promised Sept. 18.

The trial date was set for charges filed after Hinojos, whose driver's license had been suspended, allegedly drove his employer’s truck out of town for a lawn mowing job. He was facing a charge of malicious mischief after allegedly breaking out the back side window of a sheriff's car after he was arrested in Colfax.

WARRANT ISSUED FOR ROHRICH

An arrest warrant was issued Friday in superior court for the arrest of Cody Rohrich after he failed to appear in court as ordered. Rohrich had been ordered to serve 60 days in jail Aug. 14 for failing to pay fines and fees ordered in previous cases. The court allowed Rohrich to appear for Friday's session and show cause that he has been making an attempt to make the payments.

 

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