Bulletin column - July 15, 2010

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.

Duo faces pot grow charge

Dennis L. Gill, 53, and Judy Caroline Gill, 46, have been summoned to appear in superior court July 23 after each was charged with growing marijuana. A deputy’s report said the Gills were believed to be occupants of a house on Potts Road where 12 marijuana plants were discovered in pots in the yard. A warrant search was conducted of the house and other evidence, including a pot containing marijuana plants in the living room, was allegedly discovered. The Gills were not present at the house when the warrant was served. The sheriff’s office received a tip on the marijuana plants July 4.

Bellevue driver unhurt

Susan Wong, 21, Bellevue, was unhurt Monday when the 2005 Honda she was driving went out of control and into the south side ditch of Highway 26 in the LaCrosse area. The Washington State Patrol report said Wong was driving westbound at 2:45 p.m., and she lost control of the Accord when she overcorrected after the car drifted into the gravel shoulder east of mile marker 104.

Rogers hearing date set

A July 30 hearing date has been slated for Pamela Rae Rogers, Pullman, after she pleaded not guilty in superior court Friday to violating conditions of an alternative sentence for drug treatment. Rogers, 37, was convicted last March of possession of property stolen from a series of Pullman residences which were not occupied over the holiday vacation last winter. She was allowed a drug treatment alternative in lieu of jail time.

This is the second time she has been charged with violating the treatment program. She has been charged with attempting to send a letter via a third party to Michael Schaub, co-defendant in the case. Schaub is now undergoing drug offender treatment at Chehalis.

Both Rogers and Schaub were ordered to serve 45 days in jail after the first violation. The court ordered the jail time in lieu of revoking the alternative sentence which could have sent the duo to prison.

The report on the second violation charge against Rogers said staff members at American Behavioral Health Systems in the Spokane Valley intercepted a letter she had written to Schaub.

Schaub, who formerly resided in Colfax, has not been charged with a second violation.

Order warrant on gun theft suspect

An order for an arrest warrant for Cody A. Richardson, suspect in a gun theft case, was issued Friday after he failed to appear for a readiness hearing Friday in superior court. Richard was supposed to appear in court Friday in advance of a July 19 trial.

He faces two charges of gun theft. The charge alleges Richardson took the guns from an unoccupied house in the Winona area last November. He is charged with taking an 8mm Mauser rifle and a Savage .22 rifle.

Richardson pleaded not guilty to the charges May 14.

Plan for Farmers’ Market

Karen Swoope of Colfax announced that she and the Colfax Chamber of Commerce are organizing a farmers’ market for Colfax and are looking for vendors to participate. The market will be Fridays at Eells Park, 3 to 6 p.m.

Swoope believes the shade and relative quiet of Eells Park are expected to be more attractive to vendors and buyers than the downtown lot location where attempts were made to launch a market earlier.

Vendors for traditional farmers’ market items such as garden produce, plants, jams, flowers, honey, bread and baked goods are sought.

They are aiming to start Friday, July 16.

Library aims at Aug. 9 date

Whitman County Library directors have decided to forgo their July 20 regular meeting to allow staff members to concentrate on getting the remodeled library up and running for its Aug. 9 opening date. A grand re-opening celebration is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 11, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 p.m. An open house, refreshments, activities for kids and the opening of the library’s Rural Heritage exhibit are planned for the event which will be hosted by the Friends of Whitman County Library.

Council wants state to explain

Colfax City Council voted 6-0 July 6 to request a state DOT official to attend a future council session and explain the delay in installing ramps on the S. Main bridge. Councilman David Nails, noting the proposal to put ramps on the bridge has been pending for three years, made the motion to ask a state DOT representative to attend a session and explain reasons for the delay directly to the council.

City Administrator Carl Thompson said he would like to see the new ramps installed but explained city crews can’t do work on the bridge because it is state DOT property. He added the city has spent between $6,000 and $10,000 for an engineer to design plans for installing ramps on the bridge.

Nails noted Roy E. O’Neill, who pushed the city to do something about the bridge because he had difficulty negotiating the present ramp with his electric chair, will probably be deceased by the time the bridge sidewalk is eventually made ADA accessible. Thompson noted O’Neill, who was arrested June 12 on a probable charge of illegal possession of a firearm, no longer resides in Colfax. O’Neill, who formerly resided at Paul’s Place, was released from jail after his arrest and placed in custody of his brother who took him to Montana.

Deer accidents near Colfax

Karen A. Anderson, 32, Lewiston, was unhurt July 7 when the 2005 Malibu she was driving struck a deer on Highway 195 three miles north of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving southbound at 6:10 p.m. when the deer ran into the roadway.

Kevin L. Beeson, 41, Clarkston, was unhurt July 5 when the 1993 Honda Accord he was driving struck a deer on Highway 195 about 4.5 miles south of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving southbound at 9:20 p.m. when a deer ran out in front of the Honda.