Bulletin column - Aug. 26, 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.

School signups underway

Two days of registration will conclude at Colfax schools today, Thursday. Registration will be from 3:30 to 7:30 for both buildings.

Jennings Elementary and Junior High anticipates 430 students will be enrolled over the next two days. Projected registration at Colfax High School is 215 students.

School pictures will be taken during registration at Jennings. Pictures for high school students will be in September.

At the high school, registration involves turning in forms and paying fees. Registration forms for high school are available on-line this year, and students can print off the forms and submit them with fees. Forms are also available at the office.

Enrollment projections for Colfax High School include two classes which will be under 50 students. The class of 2011 has been projected at 46, and the incoming freshman class has been projected at 45. Lower enrollments are part of a projected $290,000 drop in state income for the upcoming year.

First day of school is next Tuesday, Aug. 31. Kindergarten begins Sept. 3.

Davenport driver hurt

Barbara A. Belala, 73, Davenport, complained of head, neck and back pain after the 2008 Subaru Outback she was driving Monday went out of control and rolled into the ditch along Highway 23 about 10.6 miles north of St. John. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving northbound at 12:25 p.m. when the Outback drifted onto the shoulder on the northbound side of the highway. She over-corrected and the car rolled into the ditch.

She was taken by the Rosalia ambulance to a Spokane hospital for a precautionary checkup.

Bored Son in AAA magazine

Mark Bordsen’s Colfax game board emporium, The Bored Son, was the subject of a “departures” article in the September-October western edition of Journey, the membership magazine for AAA. The article by Bob Bhatt notes Bordsen, who is a retired Whitman County planner, has amassed a collection of nearly 3,000 games with about 300 titles on hand at the shop.

The lentil pot from Pullman’s Lentil Festival also received a mention in the magazine.

WSU crew motor gone

A new Honda 15 outboard motor was discovered missing from a coaches boat on the WSU crew docks at Wawawai. The motor was discovered missing last Thursday evening and reported to the sheriff’s office Friday morning.

Last known date when it was observed on the boat was the previous Saturday. A half-inch cable which secured the motor was also missing. The crew purchased the motor last January, according to the report in the sheriff’s office.

Family abandonment charge

A formal charge of family abandonment was filed Friday in superior court against Jessica K. Frunz, 42, Pullman. Frunz was arrested by Pullman police June 8 when she allegedly attempted to return home after she was missing for four days.

The arrest report alleges she left two children, ages 8 and 4, with her former boyfriend the evening of June 4 and said she was going to see friends in Moscow and would be back in 15 minutes. The ex boyfriend took the children to the Pullman police station the next day and they were placed in custody of Child Protective Services.

The investigation report alleged the police investigation determined the suspect had stayed with friends in Moscow, went to the Clearwater Casino in Lewiston and then visited a cousin in Nez Perce, Idaho, where she allegedly borrowed gas money to get home.

Trial set in chase case

A Sept. 13 trial date was set for John Taylor Hamre after he pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of first degree assault and attempting to elude. Hamre, 41, Spokane, was arrested after a car chase on Highway 195, the Thornton Road, Old 195 and the John Wayne Trail west of Rosalia. He was arrested after failing to negotiate an exit from the trail on the west side of Rosalia.

The assault charge alleges the suspect drove his car at Trooper Vince Power after he turned around and went north on the Thornton Road. The trooper avoided a collision.

Hamre, who hid in the brush after crashing the car, has been held in jail after a $25,000 bond was set for pre-trial release.

City hires attorney for chief’s appeal

Spokane Attorney Michael McFarland, Jr., has been hired to help represent the City of Colfax in the civil service appeal filed by Ralph Walter who was dismissed as fire chief July 2. Mayor Norma Becker said McFarland was hired after the Aug. 11 session of the civil service board. She added hiring an outside attorney had been discussed before the session.

The mayor said the city’s insurer, Cities Insurance of Ephrata, recommended McFarland to represent the city in the civil service appeal.

Walter’s attorney, Ross White of Spokane, filed a motion for the city to drop the termination at the Aug. 11 session, and the next session of the board has scheduled Sept. 9 as a hearing on the motion. A response to the motion will be filed by Sept. 2

Police, fire reports

Colfax Police early Saturday morning received a report of a bicycle theft. The bike was taken off a porch at a residence in the 700 block of N. Main.

Colfax fire crews Friday night received a report of smoke coming from a trailer of a hay truck which was approaching Colfax. They were unable to locate the truck and trailer.

Crews Saturday at 7:19 p.m. received an automatic report of fire at Riverview Apartments. They were unable to find a fire, but 33 minutes later the automated alarm sounded again with the same result.

Crews called to field fire at Rosalia

A fire that sparked off a combine Sunday burned more than 80 acres of stubble, standing grain and peas and lentils on the Jeff Pittmann farm south of Rosalia at about 3 p.m.

Crews from the Rosalia, Steptoe and Oakesdale responded to the scene on the L.D. Johnson Road. Rosalia Fire Chief Bill Tensfeld said the blaze was extinguished after about three hours.

McSweeney hosts Seabees

Allen McSweeney of Colfax Sunday hosted nine members of the Seabee Veterans of America, Island Six chapter. The group of World War II veterans toured the McSweeny collections and dined together at Eddy’s Restaurant.

Eight members came from the Spokane area in a motorhome, and one member drove over from Kahlotus. The gathering lasted for about five hours.

The Seabees name derives from Construction Battalions which served in the Pacific. The Island Six designation for the area club derives from the code system used during the war to avoid use of specific name locations.

Pasma pleads not guilty

Richard Pasma, 24, entered a plea of not guilty on felony hit and run charges Fruday morning in Whitman County Superior Court. Judge David Frazier scheduled a readiness hearing Nov. 5 for the trial which will begin Nov. 15.

Pasma has been charged with being the driver in the accident which left Kristen Grindley severely injured on the Pullman-Albion Road in the early morning hours of Nov. 11, 2009. Pasma was Grindley’s live-in boyfriend at the time.

The arraignment was scheduled for July 22, but was delayed while Prosecuting Attorney Denis Tracy and defense Attorney Timothy Esser ironed out differences on Esser’s request for a bill of particulars on the state’s charge.

Under the charges filed, the state has to prove Pasma was driving, knew Grindley was injured and fled the scene. Esser in July said he had seen nothing in the evidence provided him by investigators of what occurred the night of the accident.

He requested Friday an early omnibus hearing in order to review the state’s evidence. Judge Frazier set that hearing for Oct. 1.

Prosecutors filed the charge against Pasma July 1.

Updated election count

County election workers ran an updated count Friday morning of ballots received via mail after the Aug. 17 primary election day. The new count added 2,231 to the tally, bringing the total to 7,818, or a 41 percent return on the 19,227 mailed out.

Incumbent Auditor Eunice Coker held onto a strong lead over challenger Esther Wilson, 77 percent to 22 percent. State Rep. Joe Schmick kept an 82 percent to 16 percent lead over Glen Stockwell.

The race drawing the most interest was for U.S. Senator, where only 117 voters did not vote for one of the 15 candidates. Republican Dino Rossi held on to a 43 percent to 38 percent lead over incumbent Patty Murray.

Elections Supervisor Debbie Hooper estimated 225 ballots have been set aside either because they were postmarked after election day or had questionable signatures. Results of the election will be certified Sept. 7.

Fire crews respond to 4 calls outside city

City fire crews responded to four calls outside of city limits in the last month, according to a report given to the city council at its Aug. 16 meeting.

Lt. Tim Tingley told the council four calls were answered by city crews outside of the confines of the city. One of those was a mutual aid call, while firefighters were dispatched to incident locations that turned out to be just outside city limits on the other three.

Councilman Jeremiah Roberts requested the report. He and council member David Nails noted city policy mandates fire trucks stay inside the city limits unless called to help another department.

City Administrator Carl Thompson told the council firefighters have to make judgment calls when responding

Roberts said the city could be held liable if it violates the policy by responding to calls outside the city. He said members of the council’s public safety committee have been looking at changing the policy.

Tingley said crews were dispatched to the Corner Chevron on two of the three aid calls. The incidents were then found to be west of the city limits on Highway 26. The third was called in from Les Schwab and turned out to be further west outside the city limits.

At Monday’s meeting council member Jeannette Solimine asked if the problem could be a lack of knowledge of Colfax city limits from dispatchers at the Whitcom center in Pullman. She asked if having them come take an on-the-ground tour of Colfax would clear up the situation.

Tingley said the mistaken addresses were likely caused by faulty locators on automotive GPS units.

Rape charges dropped against Muskthel

Charges of attempted rape against a Walla Walla man were dismissed in Whitman County Superior Court Wednesday. Robert Muskthel was charged with attempted second degree rape for an incident that occurred in a bathroom stall at Stubblefields Bar in Adams Mall on College Hill in Pullman Oct. 10.

Defense Attorney Tim Esser of Pullman requested the state drop the charge after resting his case in Muskthel’s trial.

He contended the witness contradicted earlier testimony that said she was incapacitated by alcohol during the alleged rape attempt. The felony charge would have involved a prison sentence of 58 to 76 months.

Judge David Frazier granted the dismissal. The prosecution decided not to forward charges of third degree rape, which carry a lesser burden of proof.

Speed checks on River Road

Colfax police will be performing emphasis speed check patrols on the North Palouse River Road after receiving complaints from residents of high-speed traffic in the area.

Crews from Atlas Sand and Gravel laid oil on the road yesterday to suppress dust. Public Works Director Andy Rogers said high speed traffic on the freshly oiled road could create large chuckholes.

Posted speed limit for the road, which was annexed into the city in 2006, is 25 miles per hour.

Pool Will Close Sunday

Daytime swim sessons t the city’s swim pool were shut down Tuesday through Friday. Pool Manager Connie Ellis said the start of classes at WSU next week left the pool without enough lifeguards.

Ellis said evening swims will likely be open because lifeguards will return from Pullman to staff the pool. The pool will be open for day swims this weekend, Aug. 28 and 29. Last day for the pool is next Sunday, Aug. 29.