Bulletin Column June 16

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.

NEW Colfax POLICE OFFICER

Officer Jaelene Bryan logged her first day of duty with the Colfax Police Department Monday, June 13, after graduating from 19 weeks of basic law enforcement training in Spokane under the auspices of the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission last week.

Bryan joined the department last September and served as a trainee before starting her Spokane training program Feb. 2. She served a brief stint as a corrections officer at the Whitman County Jail before joining the department.

A graduate of Kootenai High School in Harrison, Bryan served a three-year stint in the U.S. Army and then was a corrections officer for the state of Illinois at Pinckneyville for more than 16 years before moving to this area.

Officer Bryan is believed to be the third female officer to serve as an officer for the Colfax Police Department.

Colfax GAINS CIGAR CHIEF

A seven-foot carved chief with a full headdress and a handful of cigars has joined the Main Street scene in Colfax. The chief has been installed by Ron Maltin in the window of his shop at 213 N. Main.

Maltin purchased the chief from the proprietor of Lincoln's $10,000 Travel Center in DeBorgia, Mont., along Highway 90. The chief and a smaller carving had been on display for approximately 40 years in front of the travel center and were then placed into storage in a building on the grounds.

Maltin, who is working on starting a cigar store in Colfax, can recall seeing the chief as a youngster when his family made a trip to Yellowstone National Park.

The chief was believed to have been carved by a craftsman in Haugen, Mont., which is located near DeBorgia.

Maltin also deals in coin collections, estate jewelry, gems and other collectibles. He is planning a window design for the shop which will be displayed in an oval pattern which will accent the cigar chief in the middle.

YAKIMA MAN SENTENCED

Emilio Rabadan, the Yakima resident who was charged with theft of a firearm and burglary in Pullman, was ordered Friday, June 10, to report to a drug treatment center in Chehalis as part of a drug offender alternative sentence. Rabadan, 21, pleaded guilty to the two charges May 27 and was ordered to undergo an evaluation to determine if he qualified for drug treatment.

He was charged with breaking into a Pullman apartment on Valley View Road and taking a loaded Ruger .380 pistol and laptop computer. One of the occupants of the apartment was Rabadan's sister. According to the arrest report, he had been scheduled to undergo rehabilitation treatment for Xanax addiction before he made the trip to Pullman and was arrested.

Rabadan Friday was placed on two years of supervision. He was also ordered to pay $800 in fines and fees.

TRIAL DATE SET AUG. 15

Andrea Mount, 25, Cheney, pleaded not guilty in superior court Friday, June 10, to a charge of second degree robbery. Mount, who was released on her own recognizance after she was arrested in Moscow on a warrant June 6, has been scheduled for an Aug. 15 trial.

Filed June 2 in superior court, the charge alleges Mount participated in a purse grabbing theft in the parking lot of Safeway in Pullman. Two women who were in the lot and loading groceries into their cars reported that a male ran up and grabbed their purses out of their grocery carts. Mount is alleged to be the driver of the car which sped away from the Safeway lot. The car, believed to be a Dodge Neon, left the scene at a high rate a speed on Bishop Boulevard toward S. Grand.

The car was reported to have Idaho plates and one of the victims was able to give a partial reading of the license plate. The car was later spotted in Moscow where Mount was arrested.

The male who allegedly grabbed the purses was already sought on a warrant for failure to appear for a pre-trial hearing on an earlier burglary charge.

INFANT LOCKED IN ROOM

Colfax officer Perry Tate responded just before 7 p.m. Monday, June 13, to a residence in the S. 1000 block of East Street where a woman reported she had locked herself out of a bedroom which was occupied by an eight-month-old infant. Tate was able to open the door with a screw driver and other tools. The interior door of the residence had been fitted with an exterior door look.

RELAY TOPS $25,000

The total of Relay for Life proceeds at the start of the 12-hour event Friday, June 10, in Colfax was at $25,000 with another $5,000 in revenue possible when the final tally is compiled, according to Gail Webster, local coordinator of the event.

Earnings derive from team revenues, sponsorships, silent auction proceeds, luminary sales and food sales.

This year's 22nd annual edition of the relay included 10 teams. The largest team to enter this year was the "2020" team which was made up of members of the class which will start their freshman year at Colfax High School in the fall. The late Konnor Stirling, a victim of leukemia who died March 1, was a member of the class.

Also among the lineup of teams was the Super Snoopys from LaCrosse who entered in memory of Erik Binks, a LaCrosse two-year-old who died April 18, 2015. His mother, Cheryl Binks, told about the toll cancer had taken on her family during the opening ceremonies of the event.

LOTTO CASE CLOSE TO ARREST

Colfax Police Chief Rick McNanny said he anticipates an arrest later this week in the lottery ticket break-in and theft at the Corner Chevron in Colfax. McNannay said Colfax Police have been working closely with Spokane Police on the case. Scratch lottery tickets believed stolen at Colfax were taken to 13 different retail outlets in Spokane

SWIM POOL IN OPERATION

Colfax swim pool is now in full operation, and season swim passes can be purchased at city hall. A new factor in the swim fees this year is a higher charge for people who reside outside of the Colfax School District.

The pool will be open swim from 1 to 4 p.m., lap swim from 5 to 6 p.m. and evening swim from 6 to 8 p.m.

Fee for a season pass this year will be $55 with a charge of $70 for those residing outside the school district. Last year's season pass charge was $50. Rate for a family of four will be $115, up $5 from last year.

Single admission fee this year will be $4, up from $3 last year. The out-of-district single admission charge will be $5. Youngsters five and younger will be admitted free.

Lap swim rate will be $1.50 for district residents and $2 for non-residents.

Weekly swim lesson sessions will be conducted during the four weeks in July. Lesson registration opens the week before each lesson session. The first July lesson stint will be July 5-9 because of the July 4 holiday.

Lesson fees will be $27 for district residents and $32 for others.

HIMES TRIAL SET JULY 18

A July 18 trial date was scheduled for Kenneth Himes, 36, Oakesdale, after he pleaded not guilty to two charges which were filed against him May 26 in superior court. Himes has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to elude a deputy who pursued him in a chase on the Stateline Road east of Tekoa. He also pleaded not guilty to four charges from an alleged break-in April 26 at the Tekoa residence of Shelia Evans.

He pleaded not guilty to charges of first degree burglary, assault, malicious mischief and interference with attempt to report domestic violence. The assault and malicious mischief charges also include a domestic violence factor.

The investigation report on the alleged April 29 break-in said Himes forced open the door of the mobile home where Evans resides despite her attempts to barricade the door with a couch and a metal bar.

Himes, who was the object of an area search, was arrested Sunday, June 5, in Oakesdale and ordered held on $100,000 bail in a first appearance in court the next day.

Himes was also sought on warrants for failure to make court-ordered payments from convictions two years ago. Those charges were not considered Friday during the arraignment on the two new charges.

In a call for help from the public to locate Himes, the sheriff's office noted he was also wanted on warrants from Spokane County. One of the cases there alleged a break-in at the food bank in Fairfield.

SWIM POOL READY FOR SEASON

Colfax swim pool has been filled and is ready for the new season. The pool was filled after undergoing additional seam caulking last month. Approximately 400 lineal feet of caulking was applied to seams around the bottom of the pool.

The caulking work followed a caulking round last year when the gaps between the vertical side panels of the pool were caulked.

This year's caulking went around the bottom of the pool where the floor and the side panels join. Also, three joints between the bottom panels where the pool floor angles to descend to the deep portion was caulked, according to Matt Hammer, public works director.

Pioneer Water Proofing of Spokane was contractor on the project this year. Cost was $3,600.

The pool's water heating system is on line with the remaining heating unit boosting water temperatures up to 74 degrees as of Thursday. The pool is operating with just one of the two water heaters on line after the city decided not to replace the second unit which failed last year.

Hammer said the additional caulking to the floor panels on the pool appear to have resulted in an added reduction in water loss from the pool.

MAYOR

APOLOGIZES FOR FLAG ABSENCE

Mayor Todd Vanek started the June 6 city council meeting with an apology for the city's failure to post U.S. flags along Main Street for Memorial Day. Vanek said the family went on a trip for the weekend holiday and he forgot to muster a flag posting crew before departing town.

The city was criticized by veterans for failing to post the colors in observance of Memorial Day.

DEPUTIES CALLED TO Malden MEET

Whitman County deputies responded the evening of Wednesday, June 8, to a report of disorderly conduct at a Malden Town Council session. According to one of the people present at the meeting, an argument broke out in the town council session when one of the attendees requested others to "please be quiet." That evolved into an argument which continued outside of the meeting hall.

One of the people at the session said vehement verbal exchanges erupted outside of the city hall and the town council session was delayed but later resumed after one of the participants left the scene.

According to the Facebook account, the town's digital recorder was discovered missing after the session resumed, but was later located with its battery missing.

KNIGHT

SENTENCED TO 60 DAYS

Jeremiah Knight, 24, Spokane, was sentenced to 60 days in jail this morning on a conviction of criminal impersonation. Knight pleaded guilty Friday, June 3, after the charge against him was amended to criminal impersonation from an original charge of second degree theft.

The charge evolved from a Dec. 6 Pullman Police investigation in which a construction worker reported a debit card and $5 had been taken from his wallet which had been left in a construction site shack in Pullman. The debit card was subsequently used to make a $41 purchase at the Pullman Chevron.

Deputy Prosecutor Merritt Decker told the court Knight has a record which includes two adult convictions and two juvenile convictions with one involving residential burglary. Judge David Frazier decided against a request by Knight for less jail time because of Knight's prior record.

FOUR 

SENTENCED FOR THEFT

The four juveniles involved in the early morning theft May 10 of a 2001 Dodge Caravan van from a residence on the west hill of Colfax were sentenced in a juvenile court disposition hearing June 2. The foursome included three 17-year-old boys and a 14-year-old girl. They were apprehended in the van along Main Street in the early morning hours after the van had been reported missing three hours earlier.

Among the suspects were a 17-year-old Colfax youth who was sentenced to 30 days in confinement after pleading guilty to charges of taking a motor vehicle and being a minor on possession of alcoholic beverages. He was credited with 21 days already in confinement with 10 credited to one conviction and 11 to the other. Three prior offenses, including one for bringing a pistol to Colfax High School, were listed for consideration for the hearing. He was also placed on 12 months of probation and ordered to complete 75 hours of public service.

The most severe sentence was assigned to another 17-year-old who had an offender score of five. Prior offenses included four assault cases with one involving a weapon. He was sentenced to a range of 15 to 36 weeks to be served in a state Department of Social and Health Services juvenile rehabilitation facility.

The third 17-year-old was sentenced to 30 days for pleading guilty on charges of being a minor in possession and theft, a charge which related to taking two beer packs from Wal-Mart that night. He was also credited with 21 days already served.

The 14-year-old girl was placed on 12 months of probation. Her sentence was deferred for a year.

The four were ordered not to have contact with one another, and they were held jointly responsible for paying $900 in restitution for damage to the van.

WATER TIER RATE STUDY IN PROPOSAL

A study on revising Colfax water rates with a possible tier system was included in revised water efficiency plan which was approved by the Colfax City Council June 6. Scheduled for next year, the change could include a provision under which residents who used a lot of water would be required to pay at a higher rate.

The revised ordinance was presented by Matt Hammer, public works director. It was submitted after a previous plan for water efficiency was not accepted by the State Department of Health because the plan did not include enough public participation.

Hammer told the city council Monday, June 6, he had presented the proposed revisions to state health officials for review prior to presenting it to the city council.

The city has been required to submit a water efficiency plan as part of a state move to conserve water. The goal is to reduce customer water consumption by 2.5 percent by 2021.

Other actions will be to conduct some type of public information program to advise residents on water efficiency, caulking the seams in the city pool, which has been done this spring, and an evaluation of irrigation practices for city parks and the golf course to determine possible water savings.

Councilman Jim Kackman noted he was in favor of efficient use of water, but he felt the state mandates were a good example of officials in Olympia dictating regulations which do not necessarily apply to the local water supply situation.

Councilwoman Jeannette Solimine pointed out she was familiar with tier rate structures which are used in California where water conservation is a key issue.

LENTIL FEST 5K SET FOR AUG. 20

Lentil Festival organizers have announced that the Aug. 20 Lentil Fest Tase T. Lentil 5K Fun Run has now been certified as a USA Track & Field event.

Alexandria Anderson, festival director, said this certification is a plus for participants, because they can use their time from the 5K to qualify for other races.

“It basically means that you can use that race time to qualify yourself for a half marathon or marathon,” she said.

Anderson added that it is also a plus for the run and Lentil Festival.

“It makes us more nationally ranked because it's now on a bunch of other websites,” she said. “It's a great promotional piece.”

The Tase T. Lentil 5K Fun Run, sponsored by Snap Fitness and coordinated by the YMCA of the Palouse, is slated for the second day of the three-day festival, Saturday, Aug. 20. The run will start at 7:30 a.m. at the Pufferbelly Depot parking lot, 330 N. Grand Ave. The run will continue north on the trail along Grand to Stadium Way and then loop back to end at at Heros N Sports. Total distance is 3.1 miles.

Early registration is open for $18 per runner without a T-shirt, or $25 with a T-shirt until Aug. 8. Late registration will also be accepted up to Aug. 19 with a late fees. Anderson said “quite a few people” have already registered for the race.

http://www.lentilfest.com

STATE BIKE RIDE MAKES Palouse STOP

The 18th Ride Around Washington will stop in Palouse for two nights in August. The annual bike ride, hosted by Cascade Bike Club of Seattle, will start in Walla Walla July 31. The 437-mile route will end in Metalline Falls.

“It's not exactly a straight shot,” said Stacey Nakagawa, event producer. “We make it very scenic.”

For this year's ride, participants will spend two nights at Hayton Greene Park with a rest day Aug. 2. An optional ride that day will go to the top of Steptoe Butte.

Cascade Bike Club expects 250 participants for this year's Ride Around Washington.