Briefs: July 6

CITY APPLICANT MAKES TOUR

Dodd Snodgrass, one of two finalist candidates for the Colfax city administrator’s position, said one of his main objectives in applying for the job here was to get back to this area. Snodgrass was raised in Lewiston and is a graduate of Lewiston High School and the University of Idaho. He received a graduate degree at Iowa State.

Snodgrass spent most of the day meeting Colfax city employees and touring city facilities. He is a development specialist with the Port of Bellingham and has been employed there since 2001. Prior to going to Bellingham, he was employed with the Clearwater Economic Development Association.

Snodgrass said he views the administrator job here as a change in career mode from the development work he has done with the port in Bellingham.

The Colfax city administrator’s position has been vacant since Michael Rizzitiello departed last November to serve as city administrator at College Place.

BAR CHARGE IN CARD CASE

Cassidy M. McCay, 23, Pullman, has been summoned to appear in court July 14 after being charged Monday with possession of a stolen credit card. The Pullman Police arrest report said on April 28 the victim reported her wallet turned up missing the night before while she was at Valhalla Tavern on NE Colorado in Pullman. She said a computer check indicated charges totaling $54 had been made on the credit card at Stubblefield’s, the bar adjoining the WSU campus. She said she went to Stubblefield’s in an attempt to see who might be using her credit card, but she was not able to enter the bar because her identification was in the missing wallet.

The Pullman police report said they obtained a surveillance video from Stubblefield’s, and McKay was allegedly identified as the person using the card. The report said when an officer contacted the suspect he admitted he made a “dumb decision” to use the victim’s credit card.

PAVING GOES DOWN ON 272

Crews from Central Washington Asphalt, Moses Lake, began paving operations June 22 on two segments of Highway 272. The plan was to have both segments of the highway paved by the end of the day.

Work started on the eastbound lane of the highway at the Mill Street intersection. Total length of the job, which is under a mile, extends to the entrance road to the cemetery.

Traffic flaggers alternated one-way traffic on the westbound lane.

They moved the paving operation to Palouse after one lane was paved on the Colfax end.

At Palouse they paved a short segment on the highway entry there. Two railroad siding crossings on the 272 entry into Palouse have been removed. The road base was also removed and then replaced this week prior to paving.

The crossing of the main line of the railroad at Palouse was replaced earlier by the state with a new concrete crossing. Removal of the two wooden plank siding crossings and the rebuild of the short highway segment will mark an end to three deteriorated wooden rail crossings which drivers had to cross while entering and departing Palouse on Highway 272.

After the pavers finish at Palouse, they moved back to Colfax and paved the westbound lane. Alternating one lane traffic was switched to the brand new eastbound surface which went down this morning.

Trucks hauled asphalt mix from the Shawnee rock quarry located north of Colfax. Access road to the quarry enters Highway 195 on the east side of the highway beyond the top of Buck Canyon grade.

One lift of the Palouse project remained to be paved after last week.

CITY POLICE CONFISCATE POT JARS

Colfax Police June 20 confiscated 19 jars of marijuana and other alleged drug evidence after arresting Kyle M. Sprague, 34, Moscow, on drug charges. Officer Joe Handley initially stopped the truck Sprague was driving when he spotted an equipment defect. Sprague at first agreed to a search and police allegedly discovered scales, seeds and other equipment. According to the police report, Sprague explained the equipment was used to make “dabs,” which concentrate the THC content of marijuana.

The arrest report said Sprague later opted not to cooperate, and Colfax police obtained a warrant to search the truck. The report alleges they found the 19 jars of marijuana. Each jar was labeled with its variety and marked with the percent of THC content. Eleven different varieties were represented among the 19 labeled jars, the report said.

Also, nine marijuana plants were located in a cooler on the back of the truck.

Sprague was released on his own recognizance June 28. The truck he had been driving had been impounded, but it was returned to him after he was allowed release from jail. The marijuana jars and other evidence were confiscated and placed in the city’s evidence locker.