Bulletin Column: Oct. 25, 2018

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.

STAMP NOTICES ON BALLOT SLEEVES

Some of the ballot packets received by Whitman County voters Friday included instructions on the inside privacy sleeve to place a stamp on the envelope to return the ballot to the elections office. The instruction contradicts the new state policy of not requiring a stamp to mail back a ballot.

The new policy was introduced in the primary election.

County Auditor Eunice Coker said some of the stock materials which carried the stamp instructions could have been mailed out by mistake. She noted in the weeks before the primary, when the no stamp policy was introduced, an effort was made to convert the stock by sending materials back to the printer to blank out the apply stamp instructions, but some could have been missed.

Whitman County ballots are printed by a company in Tumwater and inserted by a company in Tacoma.

Coker stressed the no stamp policy remains in place, and so far she has not heard of any of the ballot return envelopes here with the "apply stamp" instructions.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman Monday issued a news release which reported voters in Asotin and Grant counties received ballot packets which included an "apply stamp" instruction on the envelope for return of the ballots.

Wyman explained the Tacoma-based mail vendor contracted by those two counties sent out the wrong envelopes to the voters. She stressed voters who opt to mail in their ballots soon can affix a stamp to ensure against postal processing snags or drop off their ballots at designated locations in those counties.

Voters here also have the option of returning ballots in drop boxes at the elections office in Colfax, in the alley behind the elections office, in the finance office at Pullman City Hall, on Paradise Street in Pullman and on Terrell Mall on campus across from the CUB.

BALLOT COUNT NOW 25,084

The tally of ballots which were mailed out Friday has been advanced to 25,084. The general election tally for the mail compares with 22,109 which were mailed out before the Aug. 7 primary election.

A lot of the increase in the county's voter total came from registration of WSU students who returned for the fall semester.

Friday, the elections department issued an estimate of 24,580 ballots, but that was done during an internet shutdown when the department was unable to confirm if all the segments of the mail tally had been included.

LOOSE WHEEL HITS CAR

Terra E. Byrd, LaCrosse, was unhurt Saturday night when the Honda Accord she was driving was struck by a wheel and tire which came off an oncoming car on Highway 195 near Steptoe. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Sandra K. Belsby, Spokane, was driving a 2005 Chrysler Sebring south at 8:55 p.m. when a wheel and front tire broke off, crossed the highway and hit the Accord being driven northbound by Byrd.

--Drivers of a car and pickup truck were unhurt Saturday in a collision on Highway 195 2.9 miles south of Colfax at 12:15 p.m. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Kurtis Semler, Colfax, was distracted and lost control of the 2005 Chevrolet Impala he was driving southbound. It crossed the centerline and struck a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck being driven by Scott M. Finch of Pullman.

--Domonic L. Stringer, Coeur d'Alene, sustained minor cuts when the 1990 Honda Civic he was driving went out of control and rolled off Highway 27 Friday at 12:50 p.m. According to the WSP report, he was driving southbound and allowed the Honda to drift onto the gravel shoulder of the highway 5.5 miles south of Pullman.

FAIR ATTENDANCE TALLY DOWN

Palouse Empire Fair manager Janel Goebel reported to the fair board Monday night that her final compilation of attendance for this year's fair was 21,539. The number includes people who paid admission and other people on the grounds such as vendors, rodeo competitors and underage children.

Last year's reported fair attendance was 23,563. Goebel said she believes the fair this year actually had more people, but she compiled the count from what she knew and doesn't know how last year's count was compiled.

The fair this year actually netted about $2,000 more than last year. Exhibit total was approximately 4,000.

Goebel said premium checks and fair awards are expected to be mailed out by the middle of November. Last year they were mailed on Nov. 9, and that is her target date for this year, but the staff is using a new system for preparing the checks. She added the staff this year has been more successful in tracking all the prizes and special awards which are part of the fair's prizes.

HINOJOS ARRESTED IN Colfax CASE

Alex Hinojos, 29, Colfax, was arrested early Friday morning and booked into jail here on probable charges of malicious mischief, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. According to the arrest report, Colfax Officer Cory Alcantar responded at 10:50 p.m. Thursday to a report of alleged domestic violence at an RV camper in north Colfax.

The report said Hinojos struggled with Alcantar at the scene and the officer sustained a minor injury. Hinojos also was alleged to have damaged a portable police radio which the officer was wearing at the time of the arrest.

Bond for pre-trial release was set at $5,000.

PATROL CAR WINDOW SAID KICKED OUT

David P. Sheffield, 29, Tarpon Springs, Fla., was booked into jail here early Sunday morning on charges of criminal trespass, malicious mischief and resisting arrest in Pullman early Sunday morning. The arrest report by Pullman Officer Ryan McNannay said he responded to an apartment at NE Providence Court where a tenant alleged Sheffield refused to leave after being asked to do so.

The report said Sheffield was told multiple times that he had to leave, but refused and he had to be physically removed from the residence, placed in a patrol car and secured with a seat belt. A total of four officers were reported to be at the scene.

The report alleged as Sheffield was being transported in the patrol car he kicked out a rear passenger window and sustained a cut from the broken glass.

Bail was set at $25,000 Monday in superior court.

CEDAR STREET DETOUR GONE

The detour signs for the Cedar Street project were removed Friday to end a long summer of construction work on Cedar and Oak streets. Public Works Director Matt Hammer said crews from Motley & Motley, contractor on the project, were able to comply with a request to open the street grid by the end of the work day Friday.

Work is still being done on handicap ramps and concrete pads for cluster mail boxes on Cedar and Oak streets.

Hammer said the project is expected to be finished by the end of the week with cleanup as the final stages.

STEPTOE BURGLARY ARREST

Deeanna Koker, 35, Colfax, was booked into jail early Sunday on probable charges of burglary and possession of stolen property. According to the arrest report, Koker was arrested after deputies responded to a report of a woman taking items out of a trailer at the RV park in Steptoe.

When a deputy arrived at the scene, Koker allegedly told them she was cleaning the trailer because the prior occupant had been evicted. The report said the owner of the trailer later arrived on the scene and identified items in Koker's vehicle which had been taken from the trailer.

The report said Koker told other occupants at the park she was looking for heroin and cash which she had placed in the trailer. It also said a later search of the trailer indicated no cleaning had been underway.

Koker was convicted in superior court Sept. 21 on a charge of possession of heroin which police located at a residence in Colfax Aug. 31. She was booked into jail the next day and pleaded guilty.

She was sentenced to 30 days in jail with credit for time served.

BRUSH FIRE AT PALOUSE

Crews from 11 different departments responded to a grass and brush fire in the Cove Road area southeast of Palouse Friday. Palouse Fire Chief Scott Beeson said the fire covered 8.2 acres.

The fire spread into timber and brush which led to long hours in the fire battle.

Palouse responded at 4 p.m. Friday and crews remained on the the scene until midnight, Beeson said.

The Palouse crew went back Saturday for another six hours to put out hot spots in the timber and brush, and they were back again Sunday for another two hours, Beeson reported.

The fire was believed to have started off a brush cutter which hit something to generate sparks and ignite the brush. The fire started in the area of the Cove and McPherson roads about four miles southeast of Palouse.

Two trucks responded from Colfax at 4:55 p.m. Friday and were on the scene until about 9 p.m. They also returned Saturday to help with extinguishing hot spots.

MURDER TRIAL DATE SCRATCHED

The Dec. 10 trial date for first-degree murder charges against Ashley Myers, 30, was scratched Friday morning in superior court. Myers last week entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, but the Dec. 10 trial date was set in the event she opted to change her plea.

The next hearing date has been set for Nov. 30. Prosecutor Denis Tracy told the court a psychiatrist now examining Myers for the defense is expected to have his report complete by that date. He said under revisions of state law, the state is unable to conduct its examination of a defendant until it receives the report of the initial examination for the defense.

Also Friday morning, Myers waived her speedy trial rights to allow for the time the state will need to conduct its examination. The waiver will put the deadline for a speedy trial, if one is required, at March 1 of next year.

BOYER CABIN BURNS

One of the guest cottages at Boyer Park & Marina was destroyed by fire late Thursday afternoon, Oct. 18. Volunteer fire crews from Onecho and Wilcox responded at about 5:30 p.m. to the scene. Onecho volunteer Aaron Johnson reported the cabin was fully engulfed when they arrived on the scene.

Crews knocked down the burning structure and sprayed water on cabins located on either side of it.

Johnson said the cabin had been rented by people who were out fishing on the river. Cause of the fire is undetermined.

GALLEGOS SENTENCED TO THREE MONTHS

Eli Gallegos, former Colfax resident who was convicted by a jury on charges of trespassing and possession of methamphetamine, was sentenced to three months in jail Friday morning in superior court. The term was half the maximum he faced under the state's standard sentencing range. Gallegos had an offender score of two due to prior convictions.

Gallegos told the court Friday morning he planned to appeal his sentence, and he will be allowed a court-appointed attorney to make the appeal because of indigence.

He was found guilty of trespassing when he went to a residence on Highway 26 near Colfax after being instructed by a deputy not to go there.

He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in drug fines plus fees and costs.

Gallegos, who has been residing in Pullman, was allowed until Monday to report to jail to begin serving his sentence. He told the court that he plans to move to California after he completes his jail time.