Briefs: Oct. 12, 2017

CITY-CABLE FRANCHISE

ON THE TABLE

A draft of the proposed franchise agreement with Colfax Cable was presented to the Colfax City Council Oct 2 for review. City Administrator Dodd Snodgrass said the agreement is similar to the one reached by the city and Avista last year. The agreement provides a non-exclusive right for the company to use city right-of-way to install the cable.

Snodgrass said the agreement has been reviewed by Colfax City Attorney John Kragt and the general manager of the cable company.

Councilman Jim Kackman questioned whether the agreement would be transferrable in the event Colfax Cable merged with another company in the future, and Snodgrass said it was.

The city has granted the company a temporary franchise so installation could begin on the project and work by a subcontractor is now underway.

At the council session, Councilwoman Sarah McKnight questioned whether the city applies dust control on the North Palouse River Road, and was told the city crews do not install dust control. Some control measures taken on the river road and elsewhere are done by private contractors.

McKnight asked whether residents on the river road were advised of the city briefing on the upcoming street project for Cedar and Oak streets. Finance Director Chris Mathis said residents along the road did not receive notice and that's why the city took extra measures to advertise the session which was Sept. 27.

The Cedar Street project is expected to impact a large number of Colfax residents who drive to the golf course and McDonald Park.

KAMIAK WATER LINE REPAIRS

A repair to the water system at Kamiak Butte was underway last Thursday and Firday and the park was closed to the public. The repairs were needed when a four-inch water main which links the park's pump house to a 5,000 gallon storage reservoir in the park failed. Parks Supervisor Dave Mahan said he learned of the water failure in the park Oct. 4.

The pump for Kamiak is located along the entrance road to the park, and the system's four-inch main supplies water to the storage reservoir.

Mahan explained the pump had to be located along the entrance road because the granite geology of the butte cannot accommodate well drilling.

Repairs involved excavation of a 20-foot ditch near the pump along the entrance road. A conduit for electrical service is buried in the same location. Mahan said they had to excavate down nine feet to get to the water main.

As of Friday morning both the main and the conduit have been repaired and the crew from Whitman County Public Works was back-filling the ditch to finish the repairs.

The park has now been re-opened, but the water system has been shut down for the winter season.

Rosalia CHECKS CASE SENTENCE

Karen Beatty, 66, Rosalia, was convicted of theft Oct. 5 in Whitman County Superior Court after she entered a plea of guilty. Beatty was charged with taking money from a woman who had been residing at her house under a lodging agreement.

According to the arrest report, Beatty took some of the victim's blank checks and then wrote checks to herself and cashed them. The report said Beatty was believed to have used some of the proceeds from the checks for gambling at casinos.

She was sentenced to 60 days in jail with all but 19 suspended. She was allowed to convert the suspended 19 days to 112 hours of public service work.

Also, she was ordered to pay fines and fees totaling $800 and reimburse the victim $12,125.

The victim last year had arranged to reside at the Beatty residence for a fee of $400 per month. The check writing thefts were reported by one of the victim's children when she reviewed her mother's accounts. The investigation report notes signatures on the checks written by Beatty obviously did not match the signatures on the checks done by the account holder.

A Jan. 5 court date was set to determine if Beatty had completed the public service work.

ARSON ARREST REPORT

Douglas A. Lapi, 42, Spokane, was booked into jail here on a probable charge of arson after he was arrested along Highway 195 north of Rosalia late Oct. 4. According to the arrest report, a state trooper responded to the scene after Spokane County fire crews reported a fire was burning in the area of mile marker 67 along the highway.

As the trooper headed for the scene he was advised that the fire crew had a suspect, Lapi, in custody after he was observed at the scene of a second fire which had ignited.

The report said two lighters were found in Lapi's pockets when he was searched.

One fire covered a small 5x5 area, and the second fire covered a 50x50 area, according to the arrest report.

BUNNY ON

DEANWAY

Karen Hensley, who resides near the top of Deanway on the west hill of Colfax, reported Oct. 5 she apprehended a bunny which was on the road. Hensley said she was gardening at their residence which is above Deanway and looked down to see something in the road.

A school van which was descending the hill had to make a temporary stop to avoid hitting the bunny, and Hensley was able to catch the bunny and placed it in a pet box.

She called in a report to the police department.

Hensley noted the rabbit has a few features which make it identifiable.