Briefs Aug. 18

TRUCK ROLLOVER BLOCKS HIGHWAY 27

Both lanes of Highway 27 were blocked late Aug. 9 when a dump truck and pup trailer went over on their sides and blocked the highway at its intersection with Tidwell Road north of Palouse. The truck roll spilled gravel across both lanes of the highway.

Traffic detoured around the accident via Highway 272 and Altergott Road which links up with the highway about three miles north of Palouse and west of Grinnell.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, Kevin Krasselt, Troy, Idaho, was driving a 2009 Kenworth dump truck northbound on Highway 27 at 4:05 p.m. when the pup trailer drifted onto the shoulder of the highway causing the truck to fishtail and strike the guardrail. The truck and trailer came to a halt on their sides. The momentum of the truck and trailer caused the gravel load spill to extend several yards along the highway.

The site of the accident was two miles north of Palouse where Tidwell Road intersects near the gravel pits along Highway 27. Motley & Motley crews removed the spilled gravel from the highway, and they also towed the truck and trailer from the scene. Palouse Police assisted with alerting motorists and directing drivers onto the detour, and a state Department of Transportation crew later arrived at the scene for traffic control.

The detour was in place for approximately four hours.

WIND TAKES TOLL ON LITTLE LIBRARY

The Whitman County Little Library book box on Cedar Street near the swimming pool has been removed for repairs. Designed by WSU students, the little library has sustained damage to its door due to design. The door tended to catch in the wind when the door latch was left unfastened.

Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick said the neighborhood library has proven to be popular with children and residents of the Cedar Street neighborhood. The library hopes to have it back in operation before school starts.

The Cedar Street little library is one of seven which have been installed around the county and will soon be part of a world-wide free library organization and online mapping system.

THREE OTTERS NEAR ROSAUERS

Three river otters were observed in the South Fork of the Palouse River next to Rosauers Aug. 10 at about 10 a.m. River levels were above normal for mid-August because of the rain which hit the area Sunday and Tuesday. Fish have been observed feeding in the area where the river widens upstream from the north Main Street bridge.

The otters made just a short stay at the upstream location.

PLEADS GUILTY TO MOLESTATION

Ronald Loyd, 37, LaCrosse, pleaded guilty to a charge of first degree child molestation Aug. 5 in Whitman County Superior Court. A sentencing date has been scheduled for Sept. 2.

An order for Loyd to undergo evaluation for an alternative sex offender sentence was issued by the court. Loyd could face a standard range sentence of between 51 and 68 months, according to a court statement filed with the plea.

Loyd was charged May 27 and summoned to appear in court. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charge and had been scheduled for an Aug. 15 trial. Bond for pre-trial release was set at $25,000 May 31.

The charge against Loyd evolved from investigation of a report relayed to the sheriff’s office from Child Protective Services. The alleged victim of the molestation, said to have happened some time during the last two months of 2013, was a juvenile girl.