Bulletin Column Sept. 8

Jennifer Booker, defending Steptoe pea bag toss champ, prepares to launch the pea bag Sept. 1. She won the women’s division.

These reports are from the previous three 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.

BIG CROWD ATTENDS BEE

A large crowd turned out for the Labor Day threshing bee at the field next to the Palouse Empire Fairground. Spectators’ cars and trucks filled the fair’s west parking lot across from the harvest field. People arriving later in the day had to loop the lot and find parking elsewhere.

During the lunch break, the large crowd filled tables in the fair’s newly remodeled Events Center auditorium. Jenny Meyer of Endicott Food Center, who catered the meal service, said they served 250 people with barbecue ribs and baked beans as the lead menu item. Meyer said they came close to running out of provisions but managed to take care of all the customers.

The threshing bee was stalled during mid-morning when a belt came apart on the threshing machine. The belt was repaired over the lunch break with Duane Steiger bringing a splicer which he uses for his hay bailer belt at Dusty.

Stan Riebold, a member of the threshing bee committee, reported the thresher had to be shut down later when part of the insides of the machine “came apart” because of failure of the vintage wood framing. The crew used its Gleaner machine to finish up the field.

Riebold believes eight different people brought horses or mules to participate in the bee and the harvest crew numbered approximately 20 people.

THREE PLEAD NOT GUILTY

Three suspects Friday pleaded not guilty to drug charges which resulted, according to investigation reports, when a deputy spotted one of the suspects hand a pill to the driver of a pickup truck at Taco Time in Colfax March 26.

The three suspects were summoned to appear in court Friday after formal charges were filed against them Aug. 11.

Jack Starks, 32, pleaded not guilty to a charge of being an accomplice to the delivery of a controlled substance, oxycodone, and Cherie Schmick, 31, and Catherynne Starks, 30, each pleaded not guilty to a charge of delivery of oxycodone. The Starks reside in Colfax, and Schmick resides in Endicott.

According to the arrest report, the deputy who was at Taco Time saw Schmick park a truck at Taco Time, and saw Jack Starks get out of the passenger side of a pickup which had pulled into the drive-through lane, walk over to the pickup Schmick had parked and saw her give a pill to Starks.

Accounts given by suspects at the time varied, but the reports said Catherynne Starks admitted to providing oxycodone pills to Schmick to sell as a means of raising cash to pay her utility bills. Schmick, who was found with $140 cash in the truck she was driving, was alleged to have been attempting to pay the Starks some of the proceeds after allegedly selling some of the pills.

The one pill she was allegedly seen handing to Jack Starks was said to be one she had been unable to sell.

Catherynne Starks told deputies they have a prescriptions for oxycodone.

Deputies reported they seized the truck Schmick was driving and later found four pills during a search.

GUESSING

CONTEST

WINNERS

Winners of the library guessing contest for the Harvest Party at last week’s First Thursday event were Mason Ring in the children’s division and Carol Larsen in the adult division. Ring guessed the number of candies in a jar at 353 when the actual number was 360. Larson guessed the number of peas in the jar for the adult contest was 2,843. The actual total was 2,888. Ring won the jar of candy and a T-shirt, and Larsen won a T-shirt and a tote bag filled with gift items. Nearly 100 entered the contest.

The library also featured a display of photos from its Rural Heritage collection.

LARGENT POSTS PIG KISS LEAD

County Commissioner Michael Largent had posted a slim lead Monday in the Kiss the Pig contest which is being conducted by the Colfax & Community Fund drive. The contest format calls for the candidate who receives the most donation “votes” to kiss a pig during the run of the Palouse Empire Fair. Largent’s donation total is $127.46, and Sheriff Brett Myers is running a close second with $125.95.

Colfax Mayor Todd Vanek and Val Gregory are running a distant third and fourth with donations of $25.52 and $15.85 respectively. Donation jars are at City Hall, Colfax Library, Les Schwab and Tick Klock Drug.

Deadline for donations will be at the close of business Thursday, today. The big kiss will be at 4 p.m. Friday at the fair gazebo.

ANDERSON TOPS PEA BAG EVENT

Jamie Anderson of Colfax Thursday won the “hold your pea” contest, which required entrants to hold a 25-pound bag of peas over their head. Anderson held the bag up for four minutes and 30 seconds, according an unofficial time keeper.

She and Todd Vanek of Colfax were the last two bag holders among four entrants in the event Thursday afternoon.

The event was part of a harvest theme for the First Thursday celebration which was in front of the stage on Spring Street next to the library. Other contestants were Art Swannack and Scott Kruse. Entrants put the bags up in the air while the Cherry Sisters Revival Band entertained in the background. Members of the band are Connie Steiger, Shelly Gilmore and Tracie Brelsford.

Band members explained they are named after a turn-of-the-last-century band which became well known for its terrible performance reviews.

Winners in the pea bag throwing contest were Bob Hauser, senior men; Jill Miller, senior women; Nick Holmes, men; Jennifer Booker, women; Rider Lindbo, boys, and Maddy Doak, girls.

Holmes had the longest throw for the 10-pound bag of peas with a toss which covered a half block, from the crosswalk at Main Street and Spring to the east alley. Holmes and Steve Larkin exchanged the lead in the series of tosses.

TEKOA

SHOOTING

SUSPECT

SENTENCED

Jerry Tkach, 63, the Spokane resident who was arrested for a late Fourth of July shooting incident at Tekoa, was sentenced to nine months in jail Aug. 31, after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree assault. Tkach had originally been charged with first degree assault.

He was charged with shooting Boris Titov, 36, also of Spokane, at about 11 p.m. July 4 outside of a residence in Tekoa. Titov sustained bullet wounds to his leg and a stab wound to his back in the fight. A .22 pistol was found at the scene.

The two had traveled to Tekoa to take part in the Fourth of July celebration and, according to the arrest report, the fight started in the yard of the residence where Tkach was sleeping in a tent. Titov reported to deputies he had gone out to the tent to ask for marijuana.

Tkach told deputies Titov started swinging a pipe at him and urinated on the tent.

Judge David Frazier also placed Tkach on one year of probation and ordered him to pay $2,000 in restitution to Titov. He was also ordered to pay $800 in fines and fees.

TASK FORCE FINDS 35 POUNDS

OF POT

Sheriff Brett Myers, who serves as commander of the Quad Cities Drug Task Force, reported a warrant search which was made Aug. 29 at a storage unit in Clarkston Heights resulted in discovery of 35 pounds of marijuana and a half pound of marijuana oil.

Estimated street value of the marijuana, which was believed to be intended for sale in the Lewiston-Clarkston area, was valued at $112,000.

Jason Waller, 21, Merlin, Ore., was booked into the Nez Perce County jail Monday on a probable charge of felony trafficking of marijuana.

PIZZA

RESTITUTION SET AT $2,394

A restitution total of $2,394 was ordered to be paid by Christopher DeYoung, 23, as part of his sentence Friday morning in superior court. DeYoung pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of theft in the third degree in a case involving missing proceeds from Westside Pizza in Colfax where he was previously employed.

DeYoung, who was an employee at Westside, was also sentenced to a year in jail with all but two days suspended and ordered to pay $700 in fines and fees.

Senior Deputy Prosector Dan LeBeau told the court DeYoung took cash proceeds from the business plus checks which were submitted in payment by customers. He said DeYoung threw the checks away.

DeYoung, who now has another job, said he took the proceeds because he was behind on his bills. He said he did not know how much of the missing funds were in cash and how much were in checks.

DeYoung also agreed to make $300 monthly payments on the restitution amount.

The pizza case began May 18 when Westside owner Alexander Zollinger, who had recently purchased the business, contacted Colfax Police and said he believed some of the revenue from the business was missing.

Colfax ARREST

ON ASSAULT CHARGE

Scott Pegram, 60, Colfax, appeared in court Friday for a first appearance on a charge of third degree assault with sexual motivation. Pegram was arrested the night of Aug. 30 by Colfax police. He was allowed release from jail Aug. 31 on his own recognizance.

The report alleges Pegram at about 5 a.m. Aug. 30 grabbed the buttocks of a female employee at Paul’s Place in Colfax where Pegram resided. The reports said the employee was afraid to work her night shift after the incident.

As a condition of his release, Pegram was ordered to stay away from Paul’s Place and report his new address to the court within 48 hours. Defense Attorney Steve Martonick requested a two-week delay before Pegram entered a plea to the charge.

TRUCK

PARKING

CONTROLS

Colfax Public Works department has posted no parking signs along the right-of-way for a segment of the Walla Walla Highway to control a double parking practice which has been used by some truckers. City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello said the posting was done because of some near miss accident incidents which have been caused as a result of the double parking.

Semi trucks parked side by side on the westbound side of Highway 26 block the vision of motorists who are attempting to pull onto the highway from Green Hollow Road.

Rizzitiello said motorists who are attempting to turn left onto Highway 26 are unable to look around the double parked semis.

Parking along Highway 26 is a common practice for truckers who purchase gas and supplies and also shop for sandwiches and food along N. Main Street.

The city administrator said the city signs are for the one location where the double parking has become a practice. Other parking sites along the highway remain open for the use of truckers.

POLICE SERVE WARRANT

AT FRATERNITY

Pullman Police investigators Saturday served a search warrant on the Delta Upsilon fraternity and collected evidence in a possible sexual assault case. The alleged victim in the case, an 18-year-old WSU student, reported she was sexually assaulted at the fraternity which is located on 815 NE Ruby Street.

According to Pullman Chief Gary Jenkins, police were called at 6:25 p.m. Friday to contact the alleged victim who was being treated at Pullman Regional Hospital.

Chief Jenkins said at 2:05 a.m. Saturday officers were again called to the Pullman hospital where a 17-year-old WSU student said she had been provided alcohol at the fraternity and later became ill.

The chief’s report said officers interviewed a possible suspect at the fraternity, but the suspect was not arrested pending further investigation.

The WSU office of student conduct has also been notified of the investigation.