Bulletin Column March 16

City rocks to protect river road

Colfax city crew Tuesday placed rocks along River Road at a point where predicted high water was expected to go over the road. The site is approximately a half mile west of the Glenwood Road bridge where the river makes a sharp turn to the south and runs through rock rapids.

Public Works Director Matt Hammer said they pplaced rocks at the corner in an effort to build a berm and keep the road from flooding at that point.

This photo was taken late Tuesday. The river earlier went out of its banks on the south side and can be seen moving in a separate channel at the top of this photo. The blocks in the center of the photo are part of basalt rock structures which were placed along the banks by the city to prevent erosion. "Road Closed" signs have been readied at the Glenwood end of the road, but the road was still open as of 6 p.m. Tuesday.

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.

COLLEGE HILL FIGHT, THREATS

Suspects were arrested early Friday morning in the College Hill area in Pullman after police responded to calls of threats being made with a rifle pointed out of a car. Pullman officer Alex Gordon reported he responded to the 500 block of NE Colorado at 2:18 a.m. Friday and found what appeared to be the end of a fight.

Four males were at one location and three other males appeared to getting back into a 2005 Saturn sedan.

Bryan Williams, 20, driver of a 2005 Saturn, reportedly involved in the incident, and Marquise Leonard, 21, who was reported to be riding in the front passenger seat of the car, were jailed.

According to the report, the group of four Middle Eastern males said they had been threatened with a rifle which had been pointed out of the car. One of the occupants of the car allegedly asked them what they were doing in this country, and the fight ensued after one of the Middle Eastern males confronted the people in the car.

According to the report, the suspect with the gun threatened to kill one of the Middle Eastern men if he saw him around there again. The four males appeared to have sustained injuries indicative of a fight and later reported to Pullman Regional Hospital for treatment.

The person with the rifle was later identified as Leonard. The officer’s report said a rifle was found in the car.

Three other incidents of alleged harassment, involving waving of the rifle, were also reported in the same area. Locations were NE Monroe Street, the 600 block of NE Colorado and NE California Street.

Leonard and Williams were arrested on probable charges of assault and harassment. They were released later Friday on their own recognizance and ordered not to have contact with the alleged victims.

BLOOD DRIVE MARCH 24

Inland Northwest Blood Center has set a blood drive at the Colfax branch of the Whitman County Library next week on Friday, March 24. The drive is set from 2 until 5:30 p.m.

To make an appointment: http://www.inbcsaves.org

METH NETS 90-DAY SENTENCE

William E. Williams, 49, Clackamas, Ore., was sentenced Friday in superior court to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Williams was arrested Feb. 4 at a residence south of Colfax where he was found sitting in a car behind a barn.

Williams was also originally charged with attempted burglary and trespassing.

According to the investigation report, the owner of the property returned home that day to find the door of his truck, which had been left parked in the driveway, open. He began to check around the property and found Williams sitting in the passenger seat in a car parked behind a barn.

Williams later told deputies he was sick, and he was taken from the scene to the hospital in an ambulance. Before he departed, deputies took a photo of the bottom of his boots and determined he had entered out-buildings and attempted to kick in the door to the residence.

After his arrest, Williams’ bail was set at $100,000 because he allegedly attempted to enter a residence which could have been occupied at the time.

The methamphetamine conviction related to a packet of the drug found inside a cigarette pack which had been left in the pickup truck Williams was suspected of entering.

He was allowed to convert 30 days of his sentence to 240 hours of public service work. Williams was also ordered to pay a $2,000 drug fine and $863 in restitution to Ron Hinnenkamp, owner of the property.

The arrest report noted when Williams was discovered on the property, he told deputies he had pulled off Highway 195 to look at the goats.

ARSON CHARGES FILED

Formal charges of first-degree arson were filed March 8 against the three suspects who were arrested Friday, March 10, after investigation of a fire which destroyed a house on S. Truax Street in Tekoa Sept. 18.

Charged were Diane Galler, 51, Spokane; Raymond Rhoads, 24, Spangle, and Darien Rhoads, 21, Spokane Valley. Galler was ordered held on $10,000 bond in a first appearance in court Monday after the arrests last Friday. The two Rhoads were allowed release on their own recognizance.

The three suspects were also ordered not to have contact with each other or with informants.

According to the probable cause certificate filed with the case, Galler was the owner of the Tekoa house which she had vacated last year to move to Spokane. The affidavit prepared by Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Chapman said Galler brought up the idea of burning the house down and collecting the insurance money at the end of a work session at the Tekoa house the evening before the fire. She discussed it with Darien Rhoads, who was present at the work session, and he later discussed it with Raymond after they returned to Spokane.

The report said the Rhoads duo in the early morning hours drove to Tekoa after filling a gasoline can at a station on the Cheney-Spokane highway and going to Tekoa via Rosalia and Highway 27 to avoid going through Tekoa to get to the house which was located on the south side of town. The affidavit noted Darien Rhoads told one informant a blast from gasoline in the house after ignition blew doors off inside the house.

Much of the affidavit allegations are based on an account by a witness who was present when Galler originally brought up the idea near the end of the work session at Tekoa the evening before the fire.

The investigation report noted the Rhoads duo had become unhappy with the pay they allegedly received from Galler for igniting the house. According to the affidavit, insurance payments for the loss are believed to have totaled $141,000, and payments of $1,000 and $2,000 were made the the Rhoads duo.

POLICE GUILD MEDIATION SET

A mediation session between the City of Colfax and the Colfax Police Guild has been scheduled for April 4. Mediation is the next step for negotiating a new contract with members of the police guild.

The guild’s three-year contract expired at the end of 2016.

Mayor Todd Vanek March 6 told city council members the contract process will advance to an arbitration stage in the event an agreement is not reached in the mediation session.

The mayor, a guild representative, a guild member and the city finance officer are scheduled to participate in the mediation session, Vanek said.

Two offers for a new contract have been made by the city to the guild this year and have been rejected.

The now-expired three-year contract provided for a three percent cost of living pay increase per year. The cost of living pay hike was in addition to any step pay increase provided to officers for length of service.

SEARCH FOR ADMIN EXPANDS

A flyer promoting Colfax as a place to live will be prepared as the next step in recruiting a new Colfax city administrator. The position has been open since Michael Rizzitiello departed Nov. 9 to become administrator at College Place. Mayor Todd Vanek told the city council March 6 that the flyer will point out features of Colfax such as the schools, hospital and library.

The idea is to distribute the flyer to locations, such as planning departments and larger cities, where potential city administrators are now employed but not considering a change to a new post.

Vanek said he anticipates the appointment of a new administrator will take another two months.

He reported the city has received 20 responses to its advertisements for a new administrator, but he feels the city should undertake a new recruiting step in search of applicants with better qualifications.

Vanek has been acting as city administrator since Rizzitiello departed. He noted Monday the city has a protocol for an acting administrator which calls for the police chief and then the public works director to step in when an administrative decision has to be made during the course of a work day.

Vanek works in Pullman during the day.

HONOR RITE FOR DEPUTY TORRANCE

A member of a pioneer Colfax area family who was shot and killed while serving as a deputy at American Falls, Idaho, will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Deputy Charles H. Torrance was shot seven times near a cabin at Pauline, Idaho, March 17, 1921, and died at a hospital in St. Anthony, Idaho, three days later.

The induction ceremony at the memorial will be May 13, in Washington, D.C.

Deputy Torrance was returned here after his death and buried in the Colfax cemetery.

He was born June 30, 1867, in Milwaukie, Ore. His parents were William and Mary Jane Whitcomb Torrance.

Research sent here by the Powers County Sheriff’s office indicates Mr. Torrance was employed for Oneida Milling and Elevator Co. at American Falls before he joined the sheriff’s department there.

The report from Powers County said Deputy Torrance was shot seven times by buckshot. It said the man who shot Torrance forced a neighboring farmer to drive him to the same hospital where Deputy Torrance was treated. It said the main artery in one of the suspect’s arms was severed by a bullet and the arm had to be amputated.

The report said a posse went to the suspect’s cabin after he shot a neighbor. A news account said the cabin was stormed by a posse and burned down, but the suspect was not found inside.

Two other men were reportedly wounded in what was described as the first attack on the cabin and taken to the hospital at St. Anthony located north of Pocatello. The attack was reportedly led by the sheriff. Power County is in the southeast corner of Idaho, east of Pocatello.

Residents here who are descended from the Torrance family can call the Colfax Police Department at 397-4616 or the Power County Sheriff’s office in Idaho, 208-226-2319, so they can be advised of the ceremony in Washington, D.C.

TAXES BILLING DROPS

Whitman County Treasurer Mark Clinton mailed out tax statements to property holders March 3. The tax statements include property taxes for the county and all junior taxing districts, cities and towns.

Total tax billing this year was $52,015,367. Tax billings actually went down $58,727 from the $52,174,094 billed out last year.