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.

NIGHT FIRE ALONG HIGHWAY 27

Colfax, Garfield and Palouse fire crews early Tuesday morning rolled to a fire along Highway 27 north of the Altergott Road intersection. The fire was a rekindle of a fire which started Monday afternoon. The fire call here was received at 28 minutes after midnight and crews logged back here after 3 a.m.

The fire was believed to have started Monday off the railroad line. It burned in brush and timber.

MOOSE HIT NEAR STEPTOE

Christopher Hall, Colfax, sustained a minor injury Monday at 8 p.m. when the 2014 Hyundai Elantra he was driving collided with a moose on Highway 195 nine miles north of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report by Trooper Jim Retzer, Hall was driving southbound when the moose jumped into the roadway and was struck by the Hyundai at mile 48.5.

PROSECUTOR GETS SECURITY WINDOW

A security window installation is underway at the entrance to the prosecutor's office on the first floor of the courthouse. The installation will be similar to the one which has been in place at the office for district court which is also located on the first floor of the courthouse, near the front entrance doors.

Steve's Glass of Colfax obtained the city building permit for the installation. Estimated cost is $36,000.

A small partition has been built around the project area, and people who want to enter the office are directed to another door along the hallway.

SUSPECT OPTS FOR DRUG COURT

Tristan H. Hauck, 21, Pullman, was admitted to the drug court program in Whitman County Superior Court Friday. Hauck faces charges of possession of cocaine and harassment with a threat to kill.

He was arrested in Pullman and jailed here after allegedly making threats to a man he met at Stubblefield's Bar on College Hill April 25. The alleged victim said Hauck had sent text messages threatening to kill him with a shotgun.

The police report alleges a small baggie of cocaine was found in Hauck's wallet when he was being processed after being arrested for the alleged threat case.

Drug court participants are required to undergo counseling, submit to tests to determine drug use and report to the court once a month.

Also Friday, three guns which had been confiscated from Hauk were ordered returned to him.

DEADLINE NEARS ON HABITAT PROJECT

An Oct. 1 deadline nears for applicants to participate in construction of the next Palouse Habitat for Humanity house which will be constructed in Palouse. Applications must be received at the Habitat office in Moscow by that date or carry a postmark with that date at the latest.

Three main requirements to apply for a Habitat home are ability to pay, need for housing and willingness to partner with Habitat volunteers for 300 to 400 hours of sweat equity in building the house. Applicants are required to have been residents of Latah or Whitman County for at least a year and have income within 30 to 60 percent of the area's median income.

RR TALKS, HIKE SET AT ROSALIA

Two talks on area railroad lore and a hike over the Milwaukee bridge at Rosalia have been scheduled for next Saturday, Oct. 6, at Rosalia beginning at 1 p.m. in the Rosalia Community Center on W. 7th Street.

Bruce Butler of Pullman will give a photographic presentation of the former Northern Pacific Railway which went through Pullman. Now known as the P & L line, the former NP rails still extend as far as Pullman.

Mark Borleske of Everett will follow with before and after photos of the former Milwaukee Road and the current Palouse to Cascades Trail, formerly known as the John Wayne Trail. Borleske, who has purchased property near the trail at Rosalia, gave a talk on the Milwaukee last year.

The hike across the Milwaukee bridge will begin at 2:30 p.m. just south of Rosalia where the trail intersects with the Malden-Pine City Road just before it intersects with Old Highway 195 which goes under the bridge.

COLFAX DRIVER HITS AN ELK

Clifford J. Miller, Colfax, was unhurt early Saturday morning when the car he was driving struck an elk on Highway 195 near Thornton. According to the Washington State Patrol report by Trooper Rob Aucutt, Miller was driving a 2010 Saturn Vue southbound at 10 minutes after midnight, when the elk attempted to cross the highway in front of the car. The elk was found dead on the east side of the highway.

DEATH CAUSED BY HEART ATTACK

Cause of death for Glenn Daubert, 71, who was found dead at his home Sept. 13, was determined to be a heart attack which was caused by coronary disease, County Coroner Annie Pillers reported Monday. Mr. Daubert was found at his home when deputies went to the residence on Endicott Road near Thera to make a welfare check.

Date of death was determined to have been Sept. 6, the coroner said.

Mr. Daubert was taken to Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax, and he was cremated. A funeral service will not be conducted.

SCOREBOARD BLOWS FUSE

The Colfax scoreboard went off in the middle of Friday's home football game. The Colfax and Heppner teams marked a short wait, then proceeded with the game with time remaining relayed from the sidelines.

The scoreboard problem was traced to a fuse which went out in the control box for the scoreboard which made its debut last season.

'FRIENDS OF PARKS' FORMS

Colfax City Councilman Al Vorderbreuggen Sept. 11 reported to the city council a new Friends of the Parks group has formed to work for the parks board on projects during the year. Many members of the group early last year planned to conduct a fundraising campaign for the swim pool when it faced a funding crisis until the city discovered a 2016 levy measure had actually passed and the levy funding was placed on the tax rolls for the year.

The voters' approval of the levy of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value is expected to bring approximately $81,000 into the park fund this year. The city for more than a year believed the proposal had failed because it didn't receive 60 percent approval from the voters. They discovered at the start of this year that the measure only required 50 percent approval, which it did get in the November 2016 vote.

Vorderbrueggen said the new support group will operate as a 501c3 non profit. They will assist the park board and the city's metropolitan park district, which was approved in the 2016 election.

One pending decision will be setting the levy request the metro district will put on the ballot for next year.

The city council serves as the board for the new metropolitan park district.

The new Friends group will sponsor a "Running is in My Bones" run for relay teams and individuals which will be conducted during the Oct. 4 First Thursday events in downtown Colfax. The start and finish of the race will be on Mill Street behind the First Thursday stage.

The event will offer a 5K run for individuals and a four-mile run for relay teams. Entry fee will be $35 for individuals and $100 for teams, with a deadline for entry of Monday to guarantee a T-shirt.

https://www.raceentry.com​/races/running-is-in-mybones/2018/register

CHILD MOLESTATION CHARGE FILED

Daniel Scott Thomas, 54, Tekoa, was booked into jail here the night of Sept. 14 after deputies investigated allegations of child molestation at a residence in Tekoa. Thomas was formally charged Sept. 19 with child molestation and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

The court issued a protection order Monday for Thomas to have no contact with the alleged victim. He was also ordered to have no contact with his wife if allowed pre-trial release.

The investigation report by Sgt. Michael Jordan said he initially went to the residence to investigate a charge involving slashed tires and eventually learned from a juvenile girl at the residence that she had slashed the tires.

Jordan's report said he didn't believe the juvenile was telling him the whole story and later questioning of the girl led to the allegations involving Thomas and his arrest.

Thomas pleaded not guilty to the four charges Friday in court, and he was scheduled for a trial starting Dec. 17.

OTHELLO DRIVER HITS DEER

Leticia Flores, Othello, was unhurt Sept. 7 night when the 2013 Nissan Altima she was driving collided with a deer on Highway 26 near LaCrosse. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving westbound at 11:50 p.m. and was unable to avoid the deer when it came onto the highway.