Bulletin Column

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.

CITY TO REPAIR SWEEPER

Colfax Public Works Supervisor Matt Hammer reported to the city council Monday night the department has opted to get repairs on its 2004 Tymco street sweeper which sustained extensive damage last month. Hammer said they sought out bids from area shops and have taken the sweeper to Bill's Welding in Pullman. Repairs to the sweeper area estimated to cost in the $3,500 range.

Hammer said they are still seeking to purchase a used sweeper for $27,000 to add to the department. He said that 1998 sweeper is larger than the city's Tymco model. If they purchase the 1998 sweeper they will put the the older Athey sweeper on the market.

The city's Tymco sweeper was damaged when its dump box was left elevated after dropping a load and it collided with the underside of the Highway 26 bridge at Colfax while leaving the dumping site.

BALLOTS HIT MAIL FRIDAY

Ballots for the Aug. 7 state primary will hit the mail Friday from the Whitman County Elections office. The top two finishers in the primary races will advance to the general election. The decisive race in the county will be selection of two of the three candidates for district court judge. John Hart, Dan LeBeau and Robert Rembert, all of Pullman, are seeking to replace Judge Doug Robinson.

All other county and district candidates will be on the ballot. The state requires placing one and two-candidate positions on the primary to allow for write-ins.

Also on the ballot are special levy requests from the town of Farmington for streets and current expense, Garfield for streets, Lamont Fire District Five and Rosalia Fire District Seven for maintenance and operation, and Cemetery District Three at St. John for road repairs.

SPOKANE DRIVER HURT

Randy L. Williams, Spokane, was injured Sunday night when he lost control of the car he was driving and rolled into the ditch along Highway 27 north of Garfield. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Williams was driving a 2004 Kia Optima northbound at 9:04 p.m. when it drifted onto the shoulder of the highway, went into the ditch and rolled. It came a stop on its wheels facing southbound.

MOTORCYCLES COLLIDE

At approximately 12:25 p.m. Sunday, Whitman County deputies responded to a report of an accident involving two motorcycles on Garfield-Farmington Road near mile eight outside Garfield. Upon arrival, deputies learned Scott Finch, 52, Pullman, and his passenger, Nickol Finch, 43, Pullman, were traveling on Garfield-Farmington Road when Scott passed another motorcycle in a corner. He was unable to negotiate the corner and hit another motorcycle ridden by Matthew Gustin, 44, Lewiston. Both motorcycles went off the roadway. Scott and Nickol Finch were transported to Pullman Regional Hospital with minor injuries, according to a report by Sheriff's Sgt. Keith Cooper.

COLFAX RESIDENT SENTENCED

Cara Zimmerman, 31, Colfax, was sentenced to four months in jail Friday after she pleaded guilty to a charge of identity theft. Zimmerman was ordered to report to jail to begin serving the sentence Aug. 22.

She was charged with using her grandmother's Washington Federal credit card Dec 4, 2017, to make purchases. A second charge of second degree theft was dropped. Zimmerman was ordered to pay $1,060 in fines and fees, which included $260 in restitution to her grandmother, Florence Stockwell.

She faced a sentencing range of two to six months.

TEKOA MAN ARRESTED

Clayton Weaver, 32, Tekoa, was booked into jail Friday night on probable charges of burglary, fourth degree assault and malicious mischief. According to the arrest report by Sheriff's Sgt. Keith Cooper, deputies initially responded to reports of gunshots being discharged in the Washington Street area on the north side of Tekoa.

They were directed to a small house where the occupant reported Weaver arrived earlier in the day and attempted to force his ex-girlfriend to go on a walk with him. The report said he grabbed her by the arms and attempted to pull her off the porch. The report said Weaver became upset when the woman refused to leave and he allegedly broke out the front window of the residence.

Bail bond for pre-trial release was set at $150,000 in court Monday.

MASONIC LOADOUT STALLS

A collection of items in the Masonic Lodge building in the 200 Block of N. Main stalled out Sunday, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Keith Cooper.

Sgt. Cooper accompanied lodge members to the building, and they were allowed to enter. He said the owner of the building, Kim Nguyen, arrived, said she was uncomfortable with them loading items, and the lodge members subsequently departed.

The lodge members were acting under court order of replevin which allowed the deputies to enter the building and seize the items. The order was issued by Adams County Judge, Steve Dixon, July 10 after the Nguyens failed to respond to the lodge's petition to allow access to the building.

In a civil court petition filed June 5, the lodge contended the Nguyens had applied a lock on the building and refused to allow them access to regalia items stored in the upper floors.

The terms of a 2016 sale agreement of the lodge to the Nguyens provided for the Masons to keep items in the building with the new owners providing a 90-day notice in the event they wanted the items removed, according to the petition.

Value of the items was listed at $5,000 in the civil court petition.

The Colfax Masonic Lodge has merged with the Pullman Masonic Lodge, and members from Pullman were on the scene.

Sgt. Cooper said lodge members Sunday were able to enter the building and did video recordings. He said Nguyen said she was uncomfortable because members from Colfax were not on the scene. The replevin order allowed the lodge to remove paraphernalia, lights, pillars, chairs emblems and other items.

Copper said lodge members and Nguyen agreed to take the matter back to the attorneys for further resolution.

Whitman County Judge Gary Libey recused himself from presiding on the case two days after it was filed, and Judge Dixon was appointed.

CYCLE CRASH BREAKS HYDRANT

A motorcycle spill on S. Main Monday morning resulted in a fire hydrant being broken off at the base at the northwest intersection of S. Main and Fairview. The rider of the cycle, Bodina Kirkpatrick, 39, was not injured.

The 2018 Ural motorcycle with a sidecar went out of control when Kirkpatrick was attempting to shift gears to ride up the hill. Colfax Chief Rick McNannay said the cycle did a wheelie and landed on top of the hydrant. Water did not gush from the hydrant because its shutoff valve is below the surface.

TRIALS SET IN DRUG CASES

Sept. 17 trial dates were scheduled for Krista Condon, 25, and Cody Varner, 21, after they pleaded not guilty in superior court Friday to drug charges filed in separate cases following arrests last week.

Condon, who was arrested at an apartment in Tekoa and booked into jail early last Friday, has been charged with possession of heroin and methamphetamine with intent to deliver. Deputies conducted a warrant search of her apartment after receiving a tip from Coeur d'Alene Tribal Police that drugs were being sold in the Tekoa area, according to the sheriff's report.

Condon posted $50,000 bail for pre-trial release and is now residing in Tensed.

Varner, 21, Oakesdale, Friday pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of heroin and methamphetamine.

He was arrested after deputies, working on a tip from a suspect at a traffic stop in the area, went to Varner's residence in the 500 block of McCoy Street July 5 and allegedly discovered drug evidence. Varner was allowed pre-trial release from jail on his own recognizance.

Arraignment of Tyler Chapman, 24, St. John, who was arrested at the Oakesdale residence, has been scheduled for July 20. He has been charged with possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to deliver. He was also allowed release his own recognizance.

SOAP LAKE MAN ARRESTED

David Knott, Jr., 29, Soap Lake, was booked into jail early Sunday morning on probable charges of taking a pickup truck in the area of the Colfax Airport. Brown also faces probable charges of possession of methamphetamine and driving with a suspended license.

A co-worker reported at 11:16 p.m. that he had seen Knott drive off in a 2000 Ford F-250 extended cab pickup truck which had been parked at the site where they had been working. He said the silver truck was headed in the direction of Colfax, according to the report by Deputy Sgt. Dan Brown.

Colfax police and deputies attempted to locate the truck in the area, but they were unsuccessful.

The suspect's cell phone number was provided to the sheriff's office and officers were able to call Knott and told him to return the truck within 15 minutes.

Deputies intercepted the truck on Main Street in Colfax and arrested the suspect.