Bulletin column - Nov. 8, 2012

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 POST CROSSWALK FLAGS

Iron receptacles containing red caution flags will be posted at six crosswalk locations in Colfax. Pedestrians will be able to use the flags to alert drivers as they use the crosswalks, the city council learned Monday night.

Public Works Director Andy Rogers displayed the iron boxes and flags which have been fabricated by the city. The flags will be made available at crosswalks at the Main Street intersections at Tyler, Island, Stevens and Thorn streets and S. Mill Street at 195.

Rogers noted the Tyler intersection in front of Cougar Mart has a crosswalk signal, but pedestrians often do not use the signal.

City council members at an earlier session endorsed a plan to post the red flag boxes at intersections after getting reports of how motorists fail to heed pedestrians in crosswalks. Council members noted the crosswalk flags can be replaced at a relatively low price.

Flags at three of the crossings will be mounted on support poles mounted in the sidewalk.

APARTMENT SQUATTER ARREST

Brandon D. Billings, 21, Pullman, was booked into jail Monday night after Pullman Police investigated a report that someone was residing in an apartment which was supposed to be unoccupied. The arrest report said the lease holder of the apartment, who has continued to pay rent while being out of school this semester, told them he discovered someone has been residing in his apartment on Maiden Lane when he came to Pullman Oct. 27. He also reported cash, a home theater and a Playstation were missing from the apartment.

The report said photos of Billings, who was known to be homeless in the area, were identified by a resident of a neighboring apartment, and Billings was arrested at the apartment.

FOOD BANK

ISSUES LIST

Food donation bags were distributed around Colfax by approximately 25 Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts Saturday as part of the Scouting for Food drive. Donations will go to the Colfax Food Bank which has compiled a list of items for donors to consider.

The most-needed list includes canned fruit, peanut butter, mayonnaise, tuna, syrup, canned chicken, jams and jellies, soda crackers, “kid-friendly” cereal, instant potatoes, baking mixes, spaghetti sauce, Tuna Helper, chicken broth, evaporated milk, pickles, olives, canned pie fillings, soups, napkins, pie crust mix, cocoa, coffee filters, flavored powdered creamers, snacks, microwave popcorn, pie tins and spices.

Residents are asked to place the Scouting for Food bags on their front doors Saturday morning. The scouts will begin collecting the bags at 9 a.m.

The Colfax Food Bank appreciates all donations through the year.

SEEK DELAY IN HUGHES TRIAL

A motion to continue the date for the second trial of wheat rustling charges against James Hughes of Endicott was filed last week in superior court by Defense Attorney Steven Graham of Republic. Graham’s motion said his time has been consumed by a major trial in Okanogan County. He said he also needs more time to research new information he has received which could be related to the Hughes defense.

Hughes has been scheduled for a Nov. 13 trial date.

The charges against Hughes, a contract trucker, allege he loaded out grain from storage tanks in the Whitgro system and trucked them to Snake River terminals where he delivered them in his own name.

The state’s first trial against Hughes ended July 20 when the jury reported to the court they were unable to reach a verdict.

Hughes Aug. 17 pleaded not guilty to an amended complaint filed against him by Prosecutor Denis Tracy. He has now been charged with 20 counts of first-degree theft and one count of second-degree theft.

PULLMAN

FINALISTS

Three finalists to fill the Pullman City Supervisor post vacated by the retirement of John Sherman were announced by Mayor Glenn Johnson. The finalists include Britt Ferguson, assistant executive for Napa County, Calif .; Scott Pingel, city manager at Stanfield, Ore., and Martin Tracey, former community service director at Delano, Calif. They will be in Pullman for an interview day Friday, Nov. 9.

Sherman is retiring after serving as city supervisor for 31 years.

Colfax ARREST ON WARRANT

Wyatt Butler, 31, Colfax, was booked into jail early Monday morning after being arrested on an outstanding bench warrant. The warrant was issued after Butler failed to appear in court July 13 on a harassment charge. Bail sum on the warrant was set at $10,000.

Butler was charged with making harassing calls to the control room staffer at the jail last April. The Colfax police report said when they contacted Butler they repeatedly told him to quit making calls to the jail and the calls stopped.

BLUEGRASS

SETTLEMENT

OFFICIAL

Official filing of the settlement of the massive Kentucky Bluegrass suit was done Nov. 1 in superior court. Lawyers for the involved parties signed off the settlement notice.

The two-year-old civil suit involving alleged failure of Scotts Company to meet contract obligations with Kentucky Bluegrass growers in the Tekoa-Plummer, Pomeroy and Camas Prairie areas involved millions of dollars, according to court filings.

Thursday’s filing officially notified the court of the settlement which had been reached before the start of a month-long trial Oct. 8. Terms of the settlement were not listed. The proposed order of dismissal seeks vacation of all previous orders issued by the court and vacates all claims and potential claims.

Settlement of the growers with Scotts was reported to the court in pre-trial hearings, and a pending settlement of Seeds, Inc., and Scotts, who were co-defendants in the original filing, was relayed to the court before the starting date. The trial was postponed for a week. Tim Esser of Pullman, representing Seeds, Inc., and Matthew Turetsky, representing Scotts, notified the court in the next week that a settlement had been reached. Thursday’s filing of official notice was also signed by Peter Erbland of Spokane, one of the attorneys representing the growers, and Cheryl Adamson, who represented Dye Seed Co. of Pomeroy. She had also notified the court earlier growers in that area settled.

ADKINS PLEADS GUILTY

Lenora Adkins, 46, one of two suspects arrested Oct. 17 on drug charges in Garfield, pleaded guilty last Thursday in superior court to an amended charge of solicitation to possess methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but 349 suspended and ordered to pay $1,450 in fines and fees.

Adkins and William McBride, 49, were arrested after warrant searches were conducted in Garfield. McBride was among suspects convicted in the 2010 burglary and methamphetamine cases in the county.

WESTSIDE PIZZA CHANGE

Eric and Samantha Couch have purchased Westside Pizza in Colfax from Rodney Nelson who helped start the business in Colfax five years ago. Eric Couch has been manager of the business in Colfax for the past three years.

Nelson, who has been commuting here from Spokane, plans to work on the franchise part of the business. He and Eric Olson started the Colfax Westside after coming here from Colville.

Olson was here for approximately two years and then moved to Chelan to operate a Westside there.

SEL OFFERS STORM DISCOUNT

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., Thursday announced they will reduce prices by 30 percent and expedite delivery of all SEL products going to customers affected by Hurricane Sandy. The company is also offering technical support to customers to speed up power restoration and is making an immediate donation of $100,000 to the American Red Cross to help in the relief effort.

“After seeing the news and the huge impact caused by Hurricane Sandy, we knew we needed to act quickly. We have increased our usual 10 percent disaster discount to 30 percent to help those affected,” said SEL Chief Operations and Finance Officer Nancy Hindman.

Millions were without power on the East Coast due to the hurricane which brought tree limbs down on power lines and flooded underground vaults with sea water. Utilities are working to respond and will need to replace products damaged by the storm and its floods. SEL has already been providing technical support through its support centers in the Northeastern United States.

EMT CREW CHECKS REPORT

A Colfax ambulance crew was dispatched to Hamilton Hill Road at 7:14 a.m. Oct. 31 by the report of a one-car accident. They found a Lexus sedan in the ditch about a mile west of Highway 195. The car was unoccupied.

SUSPECTS PLEAD NOT GUILTY

A trial date of Dec. 17 was set in superior court for the three suspects facing charges in a case involving purchase of goods with a credit card alleged to be stolen from an Endicott resident.

All three suspects entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in court Oct. 26.

Brian Allery, Pullman, was charged with identification theft and possession of stolen property. The investigation report said Allery was arrested after officers reviewed surveillance tapes of a person suspected of making purchases with the missing credit card at the Pullman Wal-Mart.

Roger Flook, Jr., 31, Endicott, pleaded not guilty to two counts of identification theft, possession of stolen property and being an accomplice of identification theft.

Adrian Garza, 25, Clarkston, pleaded not guilty to a charge of being an accomplice in identification theft.

Allery, 46, was allowed release on his own recognizance in a first court appearance after his Oct. 19 arrest.

According to the officer’s report, investigation in the case started when the owner of the credit card was notified by his bank that the card had been deactivated because of fraudulent use.