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.

CEDAR STREET GETS EXTRA ROCK

Contractor Motley & Motley has been authorized to provide extra fill rock for the base of the Cedar Street reconstruction project. Colfax Public Works Director Matt Hammer told the city council last night that sections of Cedar Street have been determined to be "soft" because of water infiltration.

The contractor has excavated approximately two feet of the former street base down to a point where they reached the natural soil. Hammer said they discovered water infiltration along several sections of the street which makes the ground soft.

He said Motley & Motley has been authorized to excavate down another foot and dump "pit run" boulders into the soft spots. The pit run term applies to rock pieces which derive after blasting at quarries.

Hammer told the council the cost of the extra fill could increase the expense of the contract, but there have been other parts of the project which have netted cost savings and that is expected of offset some of the added fill costs.

Fill gravel will go over the boulders to bring the street up to grade. He said the target date for paving on the project is Oct. 15.

Contractor crews have been working on Saturdays to get the job finished, and the start of Saturday soccer sessions at McDonald Park led to extra congestion around the project on Saturday.

REPORT OPPONENTS OF ROUNDABOUT

Colfax City Councilman Tom Huntwork Monday night inquired about when the city will conduct some type of hearing on the proposal for a rebuild of the intersection of Highways 195 and 26 at the north end of Colfax. Huntwork said he has been approached by several opponents of a roundabout at the intersection who were interested attending a city session when the proposal is on the agenda.

Highway planners in July listed a roundabout was one possible option for revision of the intersection. Drivers from 195 and 26 would enter the roundabout and then depart the circle on the route of their choice.

The other option listed at the state presentation was a right turn lane for eastbound traffic off 26 to turn south into Colfax. Both options call for a new bridge across the North Fork of The Palouse River. It would replace the two present bridges.

Both sketches presented at the July session showed the revisions would require land where the Chevron station and Sunset Mart are now located.

City Interim Administrator Chris Mathis said the next step for the city will depend on whether or not the state receives funding on its application to the federal BUILD grant program. The state DOT seeks $6 million to underwrite a projected $8.6 million cost of the project.

Councilman Jim Kackman, who was serving as mayor pro-tem at last night's session, suggested opponents of the roundabout option review the state's grant application which he said stresses the long-range savings that could be realized by replacing the present two-bridge approach for the intersection with just one bridge.

Results of the state's application for the BUILD grant are expected in mid October. One area competitor for BUILD funds noted at the July session was a Spokane County application to help pay for access roads onto I-90 from the giant Amazon processing center which is being constructed near the Spokane Airport.

MADI COX WINS HOMECOMING CROWN

Senior Madi Cox was named Homecoming queen during the coronation ceremony Monday morning at Colfax High School. Election of the royalty candidates was conducted last Wednesday.

Other members of the Homecoming court include Tayma Vanek, senior princess; Sophie Klaveano, junior princess; Norah Burrill, sophomore princess; and Abree Aune, freshman princess.

Escorts were seniors Bryan Rubin, Bennett Gray, Kelan Becker, Ryley Griffiths and Carson Cloaninger.

The Homecoming royalty will be introduced during halftime of the Homecoming football game Friday night.

NOT GUILTY PLEA TO JAIL ASSAULTS

A Nov. 13 trial date was set Friday in superior court for Jason Tipplerbarragan after he pleaded not guilty to charges in three different cases which date back to February. He pleaded not guilty to charges Friday after the court determined he was now competent to stand trial.

Tipplerbarragan, 27, Pullman, had been determined to be not competent to assist his defense attorney and sent to Eastern State Hospital for competency restoration.

First jailed here Feb. 17, he was charged with custodial assault involving jailers April 23 and April 24. One of the charges alleges Tipplerbarragan spit on a jailer through a jail cell door inspection hole. The investigation report said a surveillance camera in the cell showed Tipplerbarragan grabbing a cup and drinking after he heard the jail staffer entering the hallway.

A third charge relates to an alleged incident when Tipplerbarragan reportedly pulled down a jail cell light fixture, broke a fluorescent tube and made threats.

The report noted Tipplerbarragan at that time, two days after he was arrested, was housed in a cell with another inmate who was found on a cell bunk facing the cell wall to avoid injury as the defendant held the broken light tube.

CINNAMON BROWN SENTENCED

Cinnamon Brown, 34, former finance director in the Whitman County auditor's office, was sentenced to 60 days in jail Sept. 10 in Mason County Superior Court after she was convicted of two counts of forgery and two counts of theft. Brown pleaded guilty to the charges Sept. 4 after opting to change a previous plea of not guilty.

The Mason County case had been pending for more than 18 months. Brown, who was hired as finance director for the City of Shelton after leaving here, was charged with double-depositing each of two Shelton paychecks, for September and October of 2016, in two different accounts.