Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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.
McGREEVY RITE SET AUG. 31
Margaret (Maggie) McGreevy, 85, long-time Pullman resident and former Whitman County commissioner, died last Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019, at her residence in Pullman. McGreevy and Nora Mae Keifer of Pullman were elected in the 1988 election. They were the first women commissioners in the county.
McGreevy was the first Democrat to hold the office in 38 years. She served one term in office. Keifer was a Republican.
Born in Ellensburg Nov. 23, 1933, to Martin and Agnes Heraty Meagher, and raised on a farm southwest of Ellensburg, she first came to Pullman to study animal science. She met Dan McGreevy, and they were married in 1954. They raised nine children.
A celebration of her life will be at the 1912 Center on E. Third Street in Moscow at 2 p.m. next Saturday, Aug. 31.
Mr. McGreevy preceded her in death.
A full obituary is in this week's Gazette.
MILLER RENEWS STREET QUERY
Ben Miller of Colfax Monday night renewed his request for the city to clarify the ownership status of S. F Street which intersects with the south side of Highway 195 as it enters Colfax. Miller, who noted he was not on the meeting agenda Monday night after he requested to be listed, said he needed a timeline for resolving who owns the street which is in poor repair.
Mayor Todd Vanek said results of a city investigation into the topic have been turned over to City Attorney John Kragt who has been instructed to contact Miller and report on the status of the street.
Miller has contended the street, which is in bad repair, is owned by the city and should be repaired.
His query has reportedly led to hours of research by city officials who have not been able to document that the street was vacated. The city has relied on a 1942 plat map which lists the street as vacated.
Miller pointed out the city installed a pipe under the street and installed a stop sign at the intersection with 195.
Mayor Vanek pointed out there is a difference between an easement for installing a city waterline and ownership of a street.
The short street aligns with the F Street segment on the Thorn Street Hill. It intersects with Thorn and extends south to Chase Street on the south side of the hill.
City research indicates the segment listed as S. F Street was once called Ida Street. Miller's house faces James Street, the city name for 195 where it enters the city.
Mayor Vanek said he expects the city's attorney will get in contact with Miller before the end of this week.
Miller and Sarina Roberts are candidates for city council seat five which will be vacated by Al Vorderbrueggen at the end of the year. Her spouse, Jeremiah Roberts, is challenging incumbent Thomas Huntwork for the council's number seven seat.
CITY EYES PURCHASE OF VACTOR
Public Works Director Matt Hammer reported to the city council Monday night that they plan to purchase a new vactor truck for the department next year. Hammer anticipates cost of a new vactor will be in the range of $450,000. He said he wanted to alert the city council in advance that the big ticket item will be in the budget.
Hammer said he anticipates the purchase can be made with the use of capital expense funds in the public works budget.
He noted the city's present vactor, now 20 years old, is probably the most used piece of equipment. The department has received one unofficial offer of $30,000 to purchase the vactor after a new one is purchased.
MCNANNAY MAKES PD REPORT
Colfax Police Chief Rick McNannay Monday night made the report for the department at the city council session. The subject was in the "business as usual" classification with McNannay reporting on efforts to replace an off-line Ford Taurus Interceptor which has engine problems.
The Colfax department now has just two vehicles, a Ford Explorer, and a Ford Crown Victoria.
McNannay also reported Officer Dennis Yunin has passed the certification test to qualify as a weapons instructor.
McNannay's department report to the city council was the first since last October when he was placed on administrative leave. He was out of the lineup until Aug. 1 when he was ordered to return to duty after the city's Civil Service Board granted his appeal of a dismissal in January.
DRIVERS UNHURT IN ACCIDENTS
Sulaiman S. Al Dhuhli, Pullman, was unhurt early Sunday morning when he lost control of the 2006 Toyota Avalon he was driving and rolled off Highway 195 four miles north of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving southbound at 6:34 a.m. and veered off the shoulder of the highway. The Toyota rolled several times before coming to a stop on its wheels.
Amira A Al Aisaee, Pullman, was unhurt Friday morning when she lost control of the 2010 Dodge Caliber she was driving and went off Highway 26 12 miles west of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving westbound at 11:20 a.m. and attempted to pass a semi truck. She swerved to avoid oncoming traffic and went through a fence along eastbound side of the highway. The Dodge came to a halt in the pasture.
JONES OFFICE MOVES TO WARWICK BUILDING
The Edward D. Jones office will move from its present location at 122 N. Main in Colfax to the Warwick Building in the 400 block of N. Main across from the courthouse. The four-member staff planned to make the move Tuesday and Wednesday, and they hope to be operating in the new location by Thursday.
The office will be located on the first floor at the south side of the Warwick Building.
The Jones staff has been working on a plan to move for approximately 18 months.
The Edward Jones office at its present location was started by Steve Ouhl in 2001.
Curtis Scholz, senior financial advisor, joined the firm in 2008. Other members of the staff include Kyle Hooper, Tarri Steiger and Rachel Crider.
YARD SALE TALLY AT 29
A total of 29 participants enrolled for the city-wide yard sales over the weekend. Some started sales on Friday and some were in operation through Sunday.
Valoree Gregory, chamber coordinator, said the sales brought a lot of shoppers to the downtown area.
Participants could list their locations on garagesalesmaps for the 99111 zip code.
Some followup sites Sunday left items curbside and posted with a "free" sign.
GAS THEFTS SUSPECT
Johnathan Lawson, 20, Garfield, was booked into jail here Aug. 13 on probable charges of burglary and theft following an investigation of alleged gas thefts in the Garfield area. Lawson was allowed release from jail Friday because formal charges had not been filed against him within 72 hours.
According to the arrest report by Deputy Sgt. Michael Jordan, Lawson is suspected of taking gas from a storage tank located on property along Highway 27, from the Town of Garfield and from a garage on the Farmington Road.
Jordan's report said the owner of the garage suspected Lawson of taking the gas because he had given Lawson gas earlier.
The alleged theft from the Town of Garfield is being investigated by Palouse Chief Jerry Neumann.
BROWN JAILED FOR 30 DAYS
A warrant for the arrest of Kelly Brown, 37, was quashed Friday when he appeared in superior court.
Brown faced drug court sanctions because of alleged violations of the drug treatment program. One allegation said he was arrested on I-90 in the Spokane Valley and a needle loaded with heroin was found next to where he was seated in the car.
Brown agreed to report to jail Monday to begin serving the time. He will be required to serve 30 consecutive days in jail, submit to random urine analysis tests ordered by the prosecutor's office and attend one extra AA meeting a month.
Also, he was ordered to start over on the two-year drug court program.
Brown applied to enter the drug court program instead of facing possible convictions on 2018 charges of burglary at Rosalia and taking the Rosalia ambulance. The investigation report on the ambulance case alleged Brown is suspected of taking the ambulance because as a former member of the Rosalia fire department he knew the lock button combination to open the fire station.
FUCHS ALLOWED RELEASE
Kim Fuchs, 63, the Tekoa man who was arrested Aug. 9 in Tekoa in a case which involved alleged discharge of a pistol, was allowed release on his own recognizance Friday at his arraignment in superior court. Fuchs has made arrangements to reside in Waverly while the case is pending.
Court Commissioner Doug Robinson ordered Fuchs not to go within a mile of Tekoa and told him to arrange for someone else to go to his former Tekoa residence to get his possessions.
Fuchs pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful imprisonment, reckless endangerment and malicious mischief. Bail for pre-trial release had been set at $100,000 in an initial court appearance.
The alleged victim in the case, listed as a spouse in the arrest report, was described as a girlfriend during Friday's arraignment. She reported Fuchs prevented her from leaving the residence. She said after she pushed him aside and started to leave the residence she heard a gun discharged behind her.
Fuchs told officers he attempted to shoot himself with the pistol and missed.
He was ordered to refrain from alcoholic drinks and drugs and get a mental health evaluation.
SHELTON DUO HURT IN ACCIDENT
Two Shelton residents were taken by Colfax ambulance crews to Whitman Hospital Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 14, after they were injured in an accident 4.5 miles west of Colfax on Highway 26.
They were identified as Robert E. Bauer, driver of a 2015 Dodge Ram pickup, and Tammie Bauer, a passenger in the pickup.
According to the report by Washington State Trooper Keith Pigott, Robert Bauer was driving the pickup westbound at 2:50 p.m. and attempted to pass a 1999 Kenworth tractor trailer truck which was also being driven westbound by Terry Spray, Lewiston.
After Bauer started to pass, he attempted to move right to avoid oncoming traffic and the back of the pickup struck the left front of the semi. The pickup went off the highway and rolled once before coming to a halt on its wheels.
Volunteers had to use extrication equipment to remove Tammie Bauer from the vehicle. Albion volunteers also responded to the scene to assist in the rescue operation.
FIRE ALARM AT DSHS BUILDING
Colfax fire crews responded at 12:48 a.m. Thursday to an alarm which was set off in the DSHS office building in the 400 block of S. Main. The alarm system in the building is linked to a sprinkler system and can be triggered by a drop of water pressure. The sprinkler system was not activated in the building.
Building owner Scott Ackerman, who has done extensive remodeling to the building this summer, was notified. Fire crews logged back at the station at 2:14 a.m.
SHELTON DUO HURT IN ACCIDENT
Two Shelton residents were taken by Colfax ambulance crews to Whitman Hospital Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 14, after they were injured in an accident 4.5 miles west of Colfax on Highway 26.
They were identified as Robert E. Bauer, driver of a 2015 Dodge Ram pickup, and Tammie Bauer, a passenger in the pickup.
According to the report by Washington State Trooper Keith Pigott, Robert Bauer was driving the pickup westbound at 2:50 p.m. and attempted to pass a 1999 Kenworth tractor trailer truck which was also being driven westbound by Terry Spray, Lewiston.
After Bauer started to pass, he attempted to move right to avoid oncoming traffic and the back of the pickup struck the left front of the semi. The pickup went off the highway and rolled once before coming to a halt on its wheels.
Volunteers had to use extrication equipment to remove Tammie Bauer from the vehicle. Albion volunteers also responded to the scene to assist in the rescue operation.
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