Bulletin Column

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.

RITES SET FOR COMMISSIONER WIDOWS

Two long-time county residents who were widows of former Whitman County commissioners have died. Aileen Henley, 89, a long-time resident of Hay, died last Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, at Whitman Health and Rehab in Colfax. A memorial service will be Dec. 28 at 1:30 p.m. in the LaCrosse Methodist Church.

A native of Monroe, Wash., she and John Henley, Jr., were married in Seattle in 1944 and moved to Hay to take over the family ranch in 1945. Among survivors are her daughter, Jeannine Larkin of Hay, and two sons, Randy Henley of Coeur d’ Alene and Gary Henley of Puyallup.

Mr. Henley died in 2004.

Etta Wegner, 94, Pullman, died early Friday, Dec. 10, at City View Adult Family Home in Pullman. A member of the 1935 class at Pullman High School and a 1941 graduate of Washington State College, she and Harry Wegner were married in 1945 and operated the Wegner farm in the Pullman area for 35 years.

A memorial service will be today at 2 p.m. in Trinity Lutheran Church at Pullman.

Mr. Wegner died in 1979.

Surviving are two sons, Alan and Eric, and two grandsons.

ROTARY AUCTION NETS $2,630

Colfax Rotary Club members conducted their annual Christmas gift exchange and auction at last Thursday’s meeting and the net was $2,650 which will go to the Firemen’s Toybox Fund and the Community Action Center Giving Tree. The Rotarians conduct a gift exchange and then open the floor to an auction to allow members to buy out each other’s gifts.

The club also received a $750 donation from Bank of Fairfield with $250 to go to the Toybox Fund and $500 to go for the Community Action Center gift trees which provide clothing needs for area youngsters.

PRINCIPALS SELECT MOORE

Area elementary school principals have selected Principal Brian Moore of Pullman as one of 18 regional recipients of the Distinguished Principal award. He will be considered for the state’s Distinguished Principal Award, and that winner will compete for the national award.

Moore has been a principal at Franklin for eight years. He was selected by his peers for the learning environment he creates and his “what’s best for kids” philosophy.

DEER COLLISION N. OF COLFAX

Rachel M. Sanchez, 26, Pullman, was unhurt Saturday at 3:30 p.m. when the 2001 Chevrolet Lumina she was driving struck a deer on Highway 195 about three miles north of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving southbound when the deer came onto the roadway and struck the left front fender of the Lumina.

FACES 364 DAYS IN HOOD CASE

James M. Poesy, 23, Lewiston, was sentenced to 364 days in jail Friday morning in superior court after he entered a plea of guilty to a reduced charge in the April 22, 2010, robbery case involving Larry Hood, Pullman area resident. Judge David Frazier rejected the state’s recommendation that Poesy be sentenced to 30 days with 334 more days suspended.

Poesy pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of third degree theft as the result of a plea bargain agreement. Terms of the agreement called for him to testify against other suspects in the case and the state reserved the right to re-file the original robbery charge against him.

The trial of Michael D. Thompson, 20, Lewiston, who has been charged with robbery and theft, has been scheduled for next Monday, Dec. 19.

Judge Frazier Friday opted to sentence the full 364 days after Poesy told the court he was involved in the incident as a driver and wasn’t aware that others involved in the case intended to rob Hood. Poesy said he became involved because he thought it would impress a girl.

Police investigation reports in the case allege Hood was pulled out of his pickup truck as he was about to leave his Pullman area residence and robbed of more than $2,500.

Hood managed to get into his truck and drive to the Pullman Police station where he arrived with an injured elbow and blood on his shirt.

Posey and two others in the group allegedly dropped two others off near the Hood residence and then drove into Pullman to meet up with the two who went to Hood’s residence.

After hearing the sentence, Poesy said he had no idea that morning the two suspects who allegedly attacked Hood were going to do what they did. He said he felt horrible that Hood was injured.

Judge Frazier ordered Poesy to pay $2,500 in restitution to Hood. Before signing the actual judgment order, the judge said he would be willing to reconsider the 364-day sentence after the $2,500 in restitution was paid to Hood.

The $2,500 was ordered paid “joint and several” with other defendants in the case, some of whom have yet to go to court.

Hood was actually the alleged victim of two crimes at his residence. Two weeks after the April robbery case in which Poesy was involved, another group from the Lewiston area drove up to the residence in the early morning hours, found out Hood was not home and reportedly took a television from the house.

TAX PROPERTIES SOLD AT PLUS

Last Friday morning’s sale of tax foreclosure properties sold in excess of the sums due at a treasurer’s auction which drew a standing-room-only crowd in the commissioners’ chambers at the courthouse. County Treasurer Robert Lothspeich said the total bids on the six foreclosed properties was $39,840 which exceeds the amount due in taxes, fines and fees by $16,930.

Sums received in excess of the amount due to the county go back to the owners of the foreclosed property. All but one of the sales after bidding Friday morning were done in cash.

The properties landed on the sale bill after a Nov. 18 court judgment. Foreclosure action is taken by the county after taxes on a property are not paid over a period of three years.

One of the items on the sale bill, a house on Meadow Street in Colfax, did not go up for bid after the $5,420 judged due on the property was paid before the sale deadline.

Assisting Lothspeich at the sale were two office staffers and two deputies for security because of the cash transactions required.

Top price for the session was $20,000 bid on a house in Farmington by Billie Wolfe and Kirby Kiehle of Hayden, Idaho. The county’s minimum for taxes and fees due on the property was $5,030. During the bidding Kiehle bumped the bid process up to $1,000 increments after Lothspeich was calling for $100 increments.

A house in Endicott sold to Gregory and Lorna Burns of Endicott on a top bid of $7,500 compared to the $2,600 due the county, and a house in Winona sold to John Troia and Larry Cristy of Everett for $4,000 compared to $1,940 due.

Other properties selling at the minimum were a house in Tekoa to Bert Hughes of Spokane Valley, $4,910; two lots in Malden to Sonja Coleman for $1,370, and seven lots in Lamont for $1,640 to Lane Slater.

BBB WARNS AGAINST SCAM

Colfax businesses have received via e-mail a “complaint activity report” said to be from the Better Business Bureau. It advises recipients that a complaint has been filed concerning their business relations and urges them to “click here” to receive more information.

A telephone call to the Council of Better Business Bureaus in Arlington, Va., activates a recording which advises recipients that the message is a scam and urges recipients to refrain from a “click here” response which can result in a computer system virus.

CREDIT CARD CASE ARREST

Police from several agencies arrested a Woodinville resident Dec. 6 in connection with credit card cases in Pullman. The suspect was identified as Michael Patrick Bell, 41, who is alleged to be a suspect in at least five credit card cases from Pullman.

Pullman officers, Woodinville police, King County deputies and the US Secret Service Electronic Crimes task force assisted. A search warrant was served on Bell’s residence. He was arrested on a charge of identify theft. The report from Pullman Chief Gary Jenkins said the alleged compromised credit cards were used at multiple locations around King County.

Bell was taken into custody in King County where he was expected to undergo a first court appearance.

The chief said the Pullman investigation into this fall’s fraudulent use of credit cards continues.

Pullman Police Commander Chris Tenant said the number of credit card fraud cases reported to the department this fall now totals approximately 600. Tenant said Bell is suspected of using the compromised card numbers. Tenant said they are still working to locate the key suspect in the cases, the person or persons who compromised the card numbers which made them available for fraudulent use.

Colfax Chief Bill Hickman this week said credit card cases reported here have been relayed to the Pullman Police Department because they are the lead agency in the investigation. Some of the Colfax cases have included charges made on credit cards overseas and in Latin America.

PARKS PLANNER ISSUES UPDATE

Washington State Parks regional planner Bill Fraser reports he continues to check out options for trailheads for the John Wayne trail at Rosalia and Tekoa. Fraser issued his summary report after conducting meetings at Malden, Rosalia and Tekoa last month on developing a plan to improve the trail. Its administration has been transferred to the state parks department from the Department of Natural Resources.

Fraser’s summary of the meetings said the plans for a trailhead at Malden were generally well received, but the proposal for the trailhead at Rosalia drew a mixed response. Concerns about the impact of the trailhead site to neighbors and the Rosalia rodeo grounds were expressed at the Rosalia session.

Fraser’s report also noted potential sites for a trailhead at Tekoa were limited because former depot lands and other property were sold off by the Milwaukee Railroad or the DNR. One option is to possibly use part of the land at the Tekoa rodeo arena.

The summary noted some of the attendees at the sessions suggested the trail property be sold off to adjacent landowners and others suggested state money should be used elsewhere because of the state of the economy.