The Bulletin Column

TWO JAILED AFTER FIGHT

Colfax Police Officer Cory Alcantar responded to a report of a fight at a residence in the 1000 block of N. Park Street Saturday at 11:18 p.m. His arrest report said early reports indicated several people were involved.

Jake L. Morehouse, 31, was booked on charges of third- and second-degree assault.

Alcantar said when he arrived at the residence one man was outside, and he could see several people inside. He went to the door of the residence and identified himself as “Police.”

The report alleges Morehouse blocked the officer at the door and then shoved him. Alcantar said he put Morehouse on the ground and handcuffed him.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Brown and Deputy Tim Cox assisted in the arrest.

The report said Morehouse later told Alcantar he didn’t realize he was a police officer. Alcantar reported he was wearing a uniform and he weighs 300 pounds.

Glenn R. Caufield, 22, was booked on a probable charge of fourth-degree assault. The arrest report said Caufield admitted he had hit the occupant of the residence multiple times.

Morehouse also allegedly struck the man who was in front of the residence when Officer Alcantar arrived on the scene.

PACKAGE BELIEVED STOLEN

Colfax Police received a report of a package which was believed stolen from the front of a residence in the N. 200 block of Lake Street Friday. Delivery of the package to the residence had been logged.

Chief Rick McNannay urged residents to be on the alert for package deliveries because thefts are now taking place in town.

—Colfax Police last week also issued surveillance videos of a woman who is suspected of shoplifting at Rosauers last Thursday. A television video broadcast in Spokane showed a woman in sunglasses going down an aisle at the store and the vehicle she was driving.

The report said the woman came into the store at about 5:30 p.m., put a bottle of water, a pop and a sandwich roll in a bag and walked out of the store without paying.

COURTHOUSE TREE TOPPLES

A tree located in the northwest corner of the Whitman County courthouse grounds toppled sometime Saturday night. The tree apparently broke off at its base, and fell with the top section actually hanging over the concrete railing of the flood channel along the courthouse bridge.

The base around the tree showed extensive interior rot, and the tree appeared to have just one live root which was connected at an oblique angle. The tree, which stood outside of the treasurer’s office, was the lone tree on the Main Street side of the courthouse. It was a flowing plum tree.

The tree went down next to the statue commemorating the service of soldiers who served in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Civil War, 1861-1865. The statue dates back to the former courthouse grounds and was erected in 1914, with part of the funding coming from school students.

M & J Tree Service was called Monday morning to remove the tree and had the project finished by mid-morning.

A metal handrail, which was mounted atop the concrete railing along the bridge, apparently escaped damage when the tree came down.

CHARGE DROPPED AGAINST TEKOAN

A charge of second-degree assault with domestic violence against Rocky Disney, 35, Tekoa, was dismissed Friday in superior court on a motion from the prosecutor’s office. Disney had been charged with second-degree assault of his spouse Jan. 30 at a residence in Tekoa.

A pre-trial order for Disney to have no contact with his spouse was also dismissed by the court.

The prosecutor’s office moved to drop the charge after receiving an affidavit from Disney’s mother-in-law who resides in Tekoa. She said the account police received of the alleged assault was “just off the wall.” The charge alleged Disney had attempted to choke his spouse, but the mother-in-law said that version was not accurate. She added if her daughter had actually been assaulted, she would have made the report herself to the sheriff’s office.

The arrest report said deputies initially responded after getting a report from a resident in Everett who had relayed a report from a juvenile in the Disney household.

The affidavit also said the mother-in-law had detected erratic behavior by her daughter after she began taking anti-smoking medication. A letter from a Whitman Medical Group staffer was also submitted. It outlined possible side effects from taking the Chantix medication.

FOUR DRUG ARRESTS IN PULLMAN

Three suspects were arrested in a mobile home on S. Grand in Pullman Sunday afternoon after deputies conducted a warrant search of the residence. Sheriff Brett Myers said deputies located methamphetamine, heroin and drug paraphernalia at the residence. Arrested were Donna Green, 54; Ashley Green-Noel, 24, and Jory Smith, 25.

They were booked into jail here on probable charges of drug possession. Smith was also booked on a probable charge of delivery of a controlled substance.

Saturday at 9:30 p.m. deputies arrested Edward Gunn, 54, on a probable charge of possession of methamphetamine and booked him into jail here. He was arrested while driving on Webb Street. Sheriff Myers said deputies received information that packaged methamphetamine was in the vehicle and obtained a search warrant. All four suspects are scheduled for a first appearance in court Monday afternoon.

MOSCOW MAN HURT IN ROLLOVER

Caleb C. Chibuike, 23, Moscow, was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston for treatment of injuries sustained in a one-car rollover accident on Highway 26 near the LaCrosse Road intersection. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Chibuike was driving a 2004 Suzuki XL eastbound at 5:20 a.m. when the car went off the south side of the highway and rolled at mile 104 near the LaCrosse Road turnoff. It came to a stop approximately 100 feet off the roadway.

According to the WSP report, Chibuike had fallen asleep at the wheel. He was cited for negligent driving.

SIXTY DAYS FOR TRACTOR SHOOTING

Tyler Anderson, 20, St. John, was sentenced to 60 days in jail Friday morning under a plea bargain agreement involving the March 27 shooting of a tractor which was parked in a field along Kackman Road north of Endicott. Retired Judge David Frazier, who was presiding as court commissioner, also ordered Anderson to pay $16,000 in restitution to the tractor’s owner.

Deputy Prosecutor Merritt Decker told the court actual damage to the tractor, which was owned by Tim Blumenshein, was $95,000 and the $16,000 in the plea bargain involved the amount not covered by insurance. Decker after the sentencing pointed out additional civil action against Anderson could be undertaken by the insurance company.

The plea bargain reduced the charge of first degree malicious mischief against Anderson to second degree with the 60-day jail term, the maximum under that charge.

Anderson was also charged with giving deputies false statements during the investigation of the case. When he was first questioned by deputies, he denied he was responsible for the shooting, but he called in the next day and said he had decided to confess after talking with his parents.

The investigation report said Anderson was suspected of shooting up Blumenshein’s tractor as an act of retaliation because he believed Blumenshein had complained about Anderson’s erratic driving to his employer.

The arrest report said Anderson denied even knowing the owner of the tractor when he shot it up, but Decker said additional investigation supported the retaliation motive. Anderson’s mother told the court her son was a good person, but has followed a “not so good path for quite a while.” She said Tyler had been considering joining the military, but that would require reduction of the charges to misdemeanors.

Commissioner Frazier sentenced Anderson to a year in jail, all suspended, on the false reporting conviction. He pointed out any additional violation during that time would lead to serving the jail time.

STEPTOE BUTTE MEET TONIGHT

A public hearing on a proposed boundary for a Steptoe Butte Natural Area will be conducted by the Department of Natural Resources this evening, June 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room at the Colfax library.

The proposed natural area consists of 437 acres which were purchased in 2016 by Ray and Joan Folwell of Pullman and Kent Bassett of Bellevue with a bid at an auction sale in St. John. The trio made the purchase with the intent of preserving the natural area around the butte. The proposed natural area forms a wide C-shape around the base of the Butte.

The property is one of the largest remaining remnants of native Palouse prairie and provides habitat for several rare plant specimens.

At the June 14 hearing, DNR will present an overview of the proposal and receive all public testimony.

Comments and testimony at the hearing will be provided to Hillary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands.

The DNR can acquire land only if the owner is a willing seller and only at market value, which would be determined by an independent third-party appraiser.

Written comments on the proposal can be sent to the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Conservation, Recreation and Transactions Division, Box 47014, Olympia, 98505-7014. Comments are welcome until the close of business on June 22. Comments can also be submitted by email: [email protected] with the subject line “Proposed Steptoe Butte Natural Area.”

ULTRALIGHT CRASH FATALITY

A Cheney man died early last Wednesday morning, June 6, in the crash of an ultralight aircraft near Boyer Park. Sheriff Brett Myers identified the victim as Ronny Weston, 64.

Deputies were informed of the accident at 7:15. a.m. after an employee who was headed to work at Lower Granite Dam spotted the downed ultralight on the railroad tracks which are on the embankment above the grade of the river road.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they located a fatally injured man in the wreckage, and the victim was later identified as Weston.

Weston was believed to have been camping at Boyer Park and took off from the airstrip which is located between the park and Lower Granite Dam.

The report said he had been flying a Solaris 16.8 ultralight aircraft which he had recently acquired.

Family members reported Weston was an experienced ultralight pilot.

The Whitman County Coroner’s office is investigating the accident to determine an exact cause and manner of death.

The Federal Aviation Administration was advised of the accident, according to the sheriff’s report.

LODGE FILES SUIT AGAINST NGUYENS

A civil court action was filed June 5 by the Washington F & AM Lodge against Phong and Bich (Kim) Nguyen who purchased the Masonic building in Colfax from the lodge in February of 2016. The suit contends the Nguyens have refused to allow the lodge access to personal property which has been stored in the building.

The suit contends the Nguyens have denied the lodge access to their property by placing a lock on the doors. It alleges under terms of the sale agreement the Nguyens were required to provide a 90-day notice for the lodge to remove the property under an addendum to the sale agreement.

The property involved includes regalia, paraphernalia, lights, pillars and chairs with the Masonic emblem. Value of the items was estimated at $5,000.

Included with the civil complaint was a request for the court to order the Nguyens to appear in court and show cause why they should not be ordered to allow the lodge access to the property. Worshipful Master Aaron Parker signed the petition on behalf of the lodge. The civil action was filed by Colfax Attorney Matthew Johnson.

WEEKEND RAINS TOTAL .83”

The rain gauge at the NRCS station on the south hill of Colfax had a total reading of .83 of an inch Monday morning. The reading included precipitation collected since the Friday morning reading. NRCS technician Dave Weber rated the .83 total as “impressive” for the three-day span.

Saturday’s rains were consistent for most of the day. The rain stopped early Sunday but then resumed later in the day. Monday’s reading was more than half of the 1.36 normal precipitation for the month of June.