Serving Whitman County since 1877

Bulletin July 14

‘Jittery’ driver makes field stop

Blaine Spaulding, Oak Harbor, was arrested on Hwy. 26 past mile marker 122 after law enforcement received multiple reports from motorists of a semi truck driving in the wrong lane Friday. After a seven mile pursuit, Spaulding drove along the shoulder of the road for a half mile before parking in a field. According to the arrest report, Spaulding was jittery and failed to respond consistently to officers’ questions. See below for full story.

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.

STROUP WINS PARADE HONOR

Paul Stroup, who rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle all the way from Bloomington, Ill., to attend the 30-year reunion of the Colfax High School Class of 1986, won the first-place trophy for the Colfax Concrete River Festival parade Saturday. Paul is the son of Jerry and Mary Stroup of Colfax.

He made the trip in three days and included a visit to Yellowstone National Park on the way.

Stroup serves as a pastor and chef for a Presbyterian Church in Bloomington.

The 30-year reunion included 22 members of the class who dined at Gambino’s in Moscow Friday night and celebrated at the Eagles in Colfax on Saturday night.

Another festival winner was Heidi Lowe, whose name was drawn for the packet of Colfax gift certificates valued at $200. Entrants for the drawing were qualified by collecting red, white and blue scratch cards at First Thursday events.

Marva Smith had the $250 winner in the Saturday rubber duck race, and Sabrina McAdams had the $100 second-place duck. Gary Moore won a free duck entry for next year after his duck placed last.

VIDEO TAKEN OF TRUCK

A duo which followed the semi-truck that reportedly crossed into the oncoming lane along Highway 26 in the Dusty area Friday morning recorded the alleged violations on video, which was subsequently loaded onto a computer in the sheriff’s office as evidence, according to the arrest report. The driver of the truck, Blaine Spaulding, 52, Oak Harbor, was allowed release on his own recognizance Monday in a first appearance in court.

Deputy Ron McMurray, who serves as sheriff’s chaplain, reported Spaulding drove the eastbound truck into a field after a pursuit which lasted for approximately seven miles. McMurray’s report said the truck went into the oncoming lane several times during the pursuit. For the last half mile, Spaulding drove along the shoulder of the road at about 10 miles an hour before pulling into an adjacent field.

McMurray reported he ordered the driver to remain in the cab, but he was subsequently ordered out of the cab and onto the ground by Trooper Rob Taylor who had responded to the scene from Cashup Flat where he had been on a traffic stop when first reports of the truck were reported to Whitcom.

McMurray volunteered to respond to the calls when motorist on Highway 26 reported the eastbound truck was driving into the oncoming lane.

Spaulding was arrested by McMurray on a probable charge of attempting to elude and by Trooper Taylor on a probable charge of driving under the influence. Taylor’s report states his attempts to test Spaulding at the scene were unsuccessful and a warrant was obtained for a blood draw.

Formal charges had not been filed at the start of the week.

HARASSMENT CONVICTION

Brandon Bevans, 37, Pullman, was sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but three suspended after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of harassment Friday in Whitman County Superior Court. He was originally charged with harassment with intent to kill.

Bevans was arrested last Tuesday, July 5, after the sheriff’s office received a report that Bevans had made a threatening call to Fred Wexler III who resides on Whelan Road. Bevans told the court he made the call after learning that his dog had been shot the previous night.

Bevans Friday said he opted to enter a plea because he wanted to get back to work after being arrested three days earlier. He told the court he did not actually threaten Wexler.

According to the deputy’s investigation report, Wexler III said the two dogs, a Pyrenees and a Pit Bull, had been involved in two previous attacks on cattle, and he had to put down a calf which was one of the victims. The other prior attack involved a neighbor’s cow.

He told the deputy he had made an arrangement with Fred Wexler II to take custody of the two dogs and put them down. One of the dogs was owned by Bevans who had left it at the residence of Fred Wexler II. The report said the two dogs had been shot and buried.

Wexler III told the deputy he believed Bevans had threatened to walk down to his driveway and put a bullet in his head. He said Bevans was spotted that morning walking on the railroad tracks below their residence but did not come as far as the driveway. After hearing the accounts, Judge David Frazier commented “what a mess.” However, he pointed out to Bevans no situation warrants making harassment calls.

Bevans was ordered to pay fines and fees of $700 and ordered to have no contact with Wexler III. The payment order was combined with two other earlier payment orders which have been issued against Bevans.

CHURCH IN THE GYM

Sunday’s “Church in the Park,” the last event of Colfax Concrete River Festival, was moved to the First Baptist Church gym because of wind and rain. The gym was filled with attendees, many of them dressed in the park mode.

Dan Huber, Colfax High grad who is visiting here with his family from Asia, gave the sermon. Huber is the son of Elinor Huber and the late Jim Huber of Colfax.

Gary Largent of Onecho Bible Church was emcee, and First Baptist Pastor Richard May gave the welcome for the “church in the park in the gym” service.

Gary and Lisa Largent, Angie Webber, Ben Doehle, Paige Claassen and Hannah May provided musical selections.

The annual picnic followed.

ADMITS HARASSMENT

Patrick M. Kelley, 33, former Garfield resident, pleaded guilty in superior court Friday morning to a charge of harassment. Kelley was arrested after he threatened a state Child Protective Services employee who was investigating a custody case at his residence.

In Kelley’s arrest report, deputies noted he had threatened to sit up at the top of the canyon in Colfax with a rifle.

Judge David Frazier Friday noted the number of public shootings which have been reported in recent weeks and pointed out officers and the public can never be sure when those types of threats are real.

Kelley told the court he has been going to drug counseling and anticipates undergoing residential drug treatment. He said he is trying to turn over a new leaf in his life.

Kelley, now a resident of Elk River, Idaho, was sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but 10 suspended and credit for time served. He was ordered to pay $1,700 in fines and fees and placed on two years of probation.

TWO FIRE ALARMS

Colfax fire crews Saturday responded to two fire alarms. At 4:15 p.m. they responded to a report of a vehicle fire on Ninth Street in the north flat section of Colfax. The fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical malfunction. Damage to the vehicle was minimal.

At 5:27 p.m. Colfax fire and police units responded to an alarm activation at the Riverview Apartments in the 600 block of S. Main in Colfax. The alarm was believed to have been triggered by smoke from cooking.

Fire crews were also stationed next to the north side of the high school during the Colfax Concrete River Festival fireworks which were launched from the former football and baseball field next to the parking lot north of the school.

CREDITS TO HEYLMAN

Warren Heylman, the Spokane architect who was the subject of an extensive front page feature article in the Sunday edition of the Spokesman Review, was the man who designed the Whitman County Library building in Colfax. Heylman, now 92, has retired from his office but still remains active in design projects around Spokane, including the design for the new building to house the Loeff Carousel at Riverfront Park.

The library building was constructed at Colfax in 1959, and at that time Heylman’s design was controversial. The building was constructed by Sceva Construction of Spokane at a cost of $99,630. Heylman had started his own office in Spokane six years before he was hired to undertake the library project.

Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick noted they often receive inquiries from Colfax visitors about the design of the building.

Another footnote: Robert Zimmer, a Seattle architect who was raised in Colfax, first thought about becoming an architect when the library building went up in Colfax. Among Zimmer’s designs was the new library at St. John.

HALL TOPS CHANNEL

RUNNERS

Dane Hall, Colfax High School junior, was the first to finish the Colfax festival run in the S. Palouse River channel Saturday afternoon. The course was modified this year with the start and finish line on Mill next to the First Baptist Church parking lot. Runners entered and exited the channel at the same two locations and then looped north to Third Street, east to Clay Street and south on Clay and Mill streets back to the finish line.

Hall’s winning time for the course was estimated at about 17 minutes.

J.D. Peterson, a sixth grader, was the number-two finisher, and T.J. Tassell, a fifth grader, was third. Krisandrah Krall, Pullman, was the first female finisher.

One different feature for the run this year was water actually running on part of the floor of the river channel because of rain the previous night. Runners were advised to keep to the right and stay out of the water.

The event had approximately 90 participants including infants which were allowed to cover the course in strollers. Colfax fire volunteers used a rope with a snap hook to roll the strollers down the bank next to the South Main Bridge. The infants were carried down the bank.

The run this year was sponsored by the Colfax track team, and Coach Jason Cooper reports he still has several dozen shirts available for purchase.

HIMES

SENTENCED TO EIGHT MONTHS

Kenneth Himes, 36, Oakesdale, was sentenced to eight months in jail Friday morning in Whitman County Superior Court after he pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to elude an officer. Himes entered the plea under an agreement which called for the state to drop other charges against him.

The eluding charge stems from a May 19 chase that began when Himes, who was sought on outstanding warrants from Whitman and Spokane counties, was spotted at an abandoned homestead in the Tekoa area, and later led a deputy on a chase in the Stateline Road area. Himes, who was riding a small motorcycle at the time, almost collided with a deputy’s car before he rode the motorcycle into Idaho.

His eight-month sentence is in the middle of a range of four months to a year which Himes faced after he was assigned an offender score based on five prior convictions.

Himes told the court Friday he also faces charges in Spokane County for burglary and vehicle theft after he completes his sentence in Whitman County.

ARRAIGNMENTS IN ESCORT CASE

The three Spokane residents arrested in Pullman on an alleged prostitution escort case July 1 appeared for arraignment in superior court Friday morning. Samantha Green, 24, who was arrested on a probable charge of prostitution, was actually charged with possession of heroin and driving under the influence. She was scheduled for an Aug. 15 trial date after pleading not guilty to both charges. She was denied a request for a reduction in her bail which was set at $5,000.

Josiah Harris, 23, pleaded not guilty to charges of promoting prostitution in the second degree and driving with a suspended license. He was also denied a request for reduction in bail.

Arraignment for Candice Sczenski, 30, was delayed a week because she had failed to contact the attorney she was assigned in a first appearance in court July 5. She also faces a charge of possession of heroin.

RR SPEEDER CARS ROLL

A group of seven railroad speeder cars departed Pullman Friday morning on the unused railroad line between Pullman and Colfax. The group’s plan was to check out scenes along the right-of-way and how the property related to residents and property along the line.

Members of the advisory committee, which has been named to advise the state Department of Transportation on the future of the railroad right-of-way, and property owners were scheduled to make the trip.

The railroad line now ends at the former trestle crossing three miles east of Colfax. The trestle was burned during the 2006 fire which hit the Risbeck area of the river valley.

The railroad speeder cars were in the area to be part of the grand opening of the restored railroad depot at Potlatch Saturday. Visitors to the depot were able to purchase a ride on the speeder cars during the day.

 

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