Bulletin Column June 9

Dogs distraction crash

James Hoyt, 57, LaCrosse, sustained minor injuries last Thursday when the Chevrolet Blazer he was driving crossed the centerline near Dusty and crashed into a guardrail. Hoyt sustained minor lacerations to his head, and his dogs, which were riding in the car, were uninjured. Hoyt refused treatment at the scene.

Hoyt told officers he drifted across the centerline as he was traveling eastbound toward Colfax when he became distracted by petting two dogs he had in the vehicle. When he realized he had crossed the centerline, he overcorrected and slammed into the guardrail, WSP Trooper Jim Retzer said.

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.

Tekoa AG PILOT DIES IN CRASH

Tekoa ag pilot Greg Faunce, 57, was fatally injured early Monday morning in a crash along DeSmet Road in Benewah County. The pilot was deceased at the scene which was about two and one-half miles west of DeSmet.

Benewah Sheriff Dave Resser said Faunce is believed to have hit power lines which are located along the north side of the road. He said the ag plane Faunce was flying went back across the road and went down in some trees. The pilot was ejected from the airplane.

FAA officials were at the scene Monday and planned to be back Tuesday, Resser said.

Sheriff Resser said the Benewah County coroner was called to the scene.

Mr. Faunce was taken to Kramer Funeral home in Tekoa where services are being arranged. He was the proprietor of Faunce Aviation in Tekoa which was started by his father, the late Dan Faunce.

Funeral services for Mr. Faunce have been scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, at 2 p.m. in the Tekoa High School gym. A full obituary will be in next week's edition.

STOLEN LOTTO TICKETS HIT SPOKANE

Scratch lottery tickets which were stolen from the Corner Chevron during an early-morning break in Saturday surfaced at 13 retail outlets in Spokane over the weekend. Police Chief Rick McNannay said the person taking the tickets appeared to be moving quickly Sunday to scratch and cash the tickets before the state's computer tracking system could tag the stolen tickets and stop them from being cashed.

McNannay said most of the retail outlets in Spokane had surveillance cameras which showed the person or persons cashing in the tickets.

The scratch tickets were taken from Colfax after the front door of the Corner Chevron Sunset Mart was smashed at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The ticket lottery box display was taken off the counter in the store area.

The chief said the retail value of the tickets taken from Colfax was $1,858. He said a surveillance camera showed a suspect breaking in the front door but the person's face was shrouded in a hoodie-type shirt.

McNannay said Officers Matt Malakowsky and Perry Tate went to Spokane Tuesday to meet with investigators.

CITY APPLIES FOR SCHOOL GRANT

Colfax has applied for a $296,000 state "Safe Routes to School" grant for sidewalks and new fencing for the Morton Street area, city Public Works Director Matt Hammer reported at Monday night's city council meeting. The grant project would enhance the track and athletic field project which is expected to get underway on the athletic field next month.

Hammer said the city will not know the results of the application until July of next year, so if the grant is approved the work would be done after this summer's work on the track.

The application calls for funding for 1,200 feet of sidewalk at the school, new fencing along Morton Street on the side of the athletic field and construction of an elevated crosswalk, similar to a large speed bump, between the school and the field about halfway along the street.

Hammer also said the city plans on eventually resurfacing all of Morton Street which has sustained heavy traffic for several years and is beginning to deteriorate. That project will go on the city's five-year street plan and funding will be sought.

A 300-foot segment of the new sidewalk would be located in the southwest corner of the elementary school grounds next to the playfield on the south end of the Jennings Elementary building. Hammer said some of the pedestrian use in that area involves pre-schoolers who are being loaded into cars.

HIMES BAIL SET AT $100,000

Bail for Kenneth Himes, 36, Oakesdale, was set at $100,000 Monday in a first appearance in superior court after he was arrested Sunday in Oakesdale. Sheriff Brett Myers said Himes had been sought as a suspect in a number of cases including burglary and vehicle theft. He was also sought on an arrest warrant and for failing to make payments for restitution and fines on two-year-old convictions in superior court.

He faces two new charges which were filed May 26. One is related to a May 19 chase in the Tekoa area in which Himes allegedly rode a trail bike into Idaho. He also faces another set of charges alleging forced entry and assault of Shelia Evans at her residence in Tekoa April 26. Evans was a co-defendant with Himes in the burglary cases two years ago.

The sheriff's office May 23 issued a call for residents' help in locating Himes who had been spotted in Tekoa four days earlier when he led deputies on a motorcycle chase and apparently went across the state line into Idaho.

A probable cause filing for a warrant on the attempting to elude case, issued May 27, said residents reported Himes in Tekoa riding a small trail motorcycle May 19, Deputy Michael Melcher reported. He did not locate Himes in Tekoa, but continued east out on the Seamon Road to an old homestead where he spotted a motorcycle rider matching Himes' description get on a motorcycle and take off across a field.

The deputy later turned north onto Stateline Road, and as he came over a hill nearly collided with the motorcycle rider who drove around the patrol car and continued south on Stateline Road. The rider later turned onto Hangman Creek Road and continued into Idaho.

TRACK PEEL TO START MONDAY

City crews next week will start work on the city's share of the Schmuck Park athletic field project. The crew plans to use a grader blade to peel off the aging rubberized surface of the track, Public Works Director Matt Hammer told the city council Monday night.

The work will start after the Relay for Life event which is scheduled at the track Friday night. The site for relay was moved back to the track after being initially scheduled at McDonald Park for this year. The return to the traditional site at the track was made after relay organizers learned a baseball tournament is scheduled at McDonald for this weekend.

Hammer also reported a city crew will construct a concrete pad for the new restroom which will be installed in the northeast corner of the complex near the location of the present concession stand. Water and sewer lines will be installed with the pad.

The work on the athletic field will be the major project for the public works department this summer, he said.

School officials this week report they are in the final stages of negotiating a contract for the project after the lone bid submitted on the first round was rejected. Main work on the project is now expected to begin in July.

DRIVER HURT IN DEER ACCIDENT

Jason E. Hobilt, Pullman, sustained rib and ankle injuries Friday night when he lost control of the 2005 Toyota Corolla he was driving on Highway 26 west of LaCrosse. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving eastbound at 10:08 p.m. when a large deer came onto the highway. He attempted to avoid the deer, but he hit it and the car went off the highway and rolled several times down an embankment near mile marker 97.

ART BANNER BALLOTS OPEN

Ballot paint cans for the Colfax Art Council's "H'Art of the Palouse" street banner contest were distributed Monday at downtown sites. The ballot cans include printouts of the 10 street banners which were placed on light standards along Main Street two weeks ago.

Residents are asked to submit a ballot for the People's Choice awards for youth and adult entrants. This year the awards will be presented at the Perkins House Ice Cream Social June 26. A $300 art proficiency award, determined by a panel of art judges, will also be awarded.

The ballot cans with an illustration card of the 10 banners will be located at the Top Notch Café, Abundant Faith Studio, Cougar Food Mart, Events on Main, Fonk's, Ace Hardware, City Hall, Whitman Library and Four Star Supply. The last day for voting will be Friday, June 24.

OFFICER

DOUSES FIRE

Colfax Officer Perry Tate was credited with spotting a fire in a flower pot on the porch of a residence in the 800 block of S. Main Monday morning just before 5 a.m. Tate spotted the pot smoking and responded with the fire extinguisher from his squad car. A fire crew arrived on the scene and also doused the fire which had spread to the wooden floor of the porch, according to the fire department report. The pot was removed from the porch as part of the response.

TRUCK SCRATCH

SENTENCE

William Harp, 51, Tekoa, was sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but three days suspended after he pleaded guilty in superior court Friday to a reduced charge of malicious mischief in the third degree. Harp was credited with the three days he was in jail after his arrest.

Harp was charged with damaging a pickup truck owned by Michael Bogenreif, former Whitman County deputy, while it was parked in a driveway in Tekoa. Surveillance videos showed Harp scratching the back of the truck box on the passenger side with a key April 5, according to the arrest report.

The charge was dropped to third degree malicious mischief because damage to the truck was listed at $472.91.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Daniel LeBeau told the court the truck scratching was believed to be the result of a feud. Harp told the court he just wanted the whole dispute to end. In addition to the restitution, he was also ordered to pay $700 in fines and fees. He was placed on two years of probation and ordered to have no contact with Bogenreif or members of his family. Bogenreif now serves on the Liberty Lake Police Department.

CHASE

PASSENGER SENTENCED

Chantelle Dragos, 29, the Spokane resident who was a passenger in the high speed chase April 28 that ended in Rosalia, pleaded guilty Friday morning in superior court to a misdemeanor drug charge as part of a plea bargain agreement. Dragos was sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but 36 days suspended and credited for that amount spent in jail.

Defense Attorney John Hart told the court Dragos is wanted on a warrant on a drug charge in Spokane County where she plans to plead guilty and petition to be part of the drug court program.

Dragos was a passenger in a 1996 Honda Accord which was driven by Dakota Scharff, 20, also of Spokane, when they led Washington State Patrol Trooper Bruce Blood on a high speed chase south from Rosalia down Highway 271 toward Oakesdale and then around county roads until they entered Rosalia via Pandora Road.

Prosecutor Denis Tracy told the court heroin and cocaine containers were found at the arrest scene when Scharff and Dragos surrendered to Trooper Blood after the chase ended in a sheep pen at the north end of Rosalia.

Dragos told the court Friday morning that her 36 days in jail here left her clean of drugs which she believes will help her to comply with drug court requirements in Spokane County.

Scharff was sentenced to 14 months in prison May 13 after pleading guilty to a charge of attempting to elude with reckless endangerment.

CIRCUS COMING TO TOWN

Jordan World Circus 2016 has been booked for Wednesday, June 15, at 7 p.m. at the Palouse Empire Fairground. The circus promises three rings of affordable family fun for circus fans of all ages. The show will include death-defying aerial acts and animal attractions including tigers and elephants. Youngsters will have a unique opportunity to ride and pet different types of animals, according to Esteban Fassio, booking agent for the circus.

Fassio said the circus will make the Colfax stop after performing in Walla Walla, and they will head for Lewiston after performing here. Jordan operates two units of the circus with the west coast unit on the road between nine and 10 months a year. He noted the circus does travel with elephants and tigers, so youngsters here will have an opportunity to see them.

Colfax WINS SMART AWARD

Colfax was among five cities in the state named as winners of the governor's "Smart Communities" award for 2016. Colfax was selected for its comprehensive plan which was designed to extend until 2035. The award citation noted Colfax, for its size, developed an impressive, solid and forward looking plan under the requirements of the state's growth management act. The plan was developed by the city's planning commission and approved by the city council.

The other four award winners were Shoreline, for rail station planning; Duval, for a watershed plan; Bellingham, for safety improvements, and Kenmore, for a downtown economic development plan.