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.

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REPAIRS WILL BLOCK 26 BRIDGE

State Department of Transportation crews began work this week on the Highway 26 bridge at the north end of Colfax. Work was slated to start on new support structures under the bridge.

Starting Monday, the Highway 26 bridge will be blocked off while work gets underway on restoring the sidewalk. Traffic flaggers will be in place to assist southbound traffic to make the sharp turn onto 195.

The Highway 26 bridge will be open at night when the crews finish work for the day. Work on restoration of the sidewalk could continue as long was two weeks, according to Al Gilson, spokesman for the highway district.

Estimated cost of the project done by state crews is expected to be $120,000. The first stage of work this week will involve installation of eight support brackets for a 113-foot beam which will be installed under the sidewalk.

The sidewalk on the bridge has been fenced off because of concern about the sagging support system under the sidewalk. Earlier DOT reports said the bridge structure under the actual roadway is sound.

POLICE HARLEY SALE TABLED

A proposal to sell the Colfax Police Department’s 1948 Harley Davidson motorcycle and use the proceeds to help purchase another patrol car was tabled Monday night at the Colfax City Council session. The five council members present at the session decided to check out the views of two other members who were not present at the meeting.

The proposal was made by Police Chief Rick McNannay who is pursuing a plan to upgrade the department’s patrol cars and reduce the number of vehicles in the department.

McNannay asked the council for permission to declare the vintage three-wheel motorcycle and two squad cars as surplus with the intent of selling them. He said the proceeds would be used to purchase a second Ford Interceptor which is now on the market for approximately $19,000.

After an extensive debate on the proposal, which included four people who objected, Mayor Todd Vanek’s call for a motion was greeted by silence. Councilman Steve Holberg then suggested they wait to hear the views of two absent council members, Albert Vorderbrueggen and Tom Huntwork.

Former Colfax Police Chief Barney Buckley gave a rundown of the history of the three-wheel motorcycle, which was purchased by the police department new in 1952, later went to the public works department and was then returned to the police department where it was restored. Buckley noted a recent report of the city’s move to restore historic buildings in the downtown area and said he views the plan for selling the three-wheel motorcycle, which he considered an historic artifact, “a little discouraging.”

He noted the city also has its 1919 American LaFrance pumper and a 1938 American LaFrance fire truck which are considered the same historical class of equipment.

Fire Chief Clark Capwell pointed out the proposed solution to assist the police department in the short term could have long term consequences. He noted once the Harley in gone, “it’s gone forever.”

Former Chief Ralph Walter said he understood the city was concerned about costs of insuring the cycle, and he offered to pay the cost on his own.

Walter also presented the council with a petition opposed to the plan. He said after the meeting the petition included 40 signatures which were collected in two days.

The vintage motorcycle is part of a fleet coverage policy and the listing for its part of the policy is approximately $1,000 a year.

Councilman Jim Kackman pointed out the proposed plan didn’t involve the fire department trucks. Kackman also pointed out that the city is approaching some “hard decisions” in the future because annual revenues are not keeping up with increased costs of operation.

Former Fire Chief Jim Krouse, who gave a report on the history of the fire trucks, later pointed out the motorcycle sale has been proposed to purchase a squad car which will be used for five or six years before it has to be replaced. He asked where the city intended to get another motorcycle at that juncture to replace the worn squad car.

Chief McNannay reported he had listed the motorcycle on Craig’s list to test the market and the purchase bid went up to $8,500 in three days. He had placed a $7,000 reserve on the listing.

McNannay at the last city session received city approval to purchase a 2013 Ford Interceptor patrol car which had been traded in by a police department in Utah. The car came with most of the police equipment installed. McNannay said two other Interceptors are being offered for sale. His proposal Monday night included also selling off two of the department’s 10-year-old Ford Crown Victoria squad cars.

McNannay said he aims to drop the department’s drive-it-home policy for officers because the department now has 24-hour coverage and officers do not have to respond to emergencies from home. That policy could cut the on-line fleet from six to four cars, he said.

PULLMAN FAMILY INJURED

Four members of a Pullman family were injured in a one-car rollover accident on Highway 195 2.2 miles south of Pullman Saturday afternoon. Three ambulance crews were called to transport them to Pullman Memorial Hospital.

All the injured were listed with head and neck injuries.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, Scott M. McGrew, Pullman, was driving a 2009 Toyota Scion northbound on Highway 195 at 3:55 p.m. when he drove off the right side of the highway. The Scion came back onto the highway and rolled before coming to a halt in the northbound lane.

Anna McGrew was taken by ambulance to Pullman Memorial and later flown to Spokane for treatment.

The driver and two youngsters, a boy and a girl, were treated at Pullman Memorial.

Two of the ambulance crews were dispatched from Pullman Fire Department and one crew was dispatched from Rural Fire District 12.

FEBRUARY

RAINFALL LAGS

A small setback for precipitation on the rainfall ledger was logged for February. Total rainfall for the month was logged at 1.82 inches which is .12 short of the 1.94 normal for the month, according to the records at the NRCS office at Colfax.

Precipitation was logged for nine days during the month with two blockbuster days. The reading for Feb. 9 was .62 inches and the reading for the next day was .37. Other big days were .20 for Feb. 2 and .24 for last Friday.

The February setback added to a slight deficit for rainfall totals for the crop year since Oct. 1. The total now is 10.78 inches compared to 10.95 normal for the five months.

ADMITS

WALMART THEFT

Kelsey Davis, 23, Colfax, was ordered to complete 112 hours of community service in lieu of 14 days in jail after she pleaded guilty in Whitman County Superior Court to an amended charge of third degree theft. Davis was also ordered to pay fines and fees and $777.76 in restitution to WalMart in Pullman.

According to the Pullman Police arrest report, Davis was one of two people observed taking a television set from WalMart Feb. 16, 2014. They were identified on surveillance videos. The report said Davis was also identified as taking an Ipad two weeks earlier and then returning it to the store for reimbursement.

A March 16 trial date has been scheduled for the co-defendant in the case who has entered a not guilty plea.

FIRE DESTROYS ALBION HOUSE

A house on Front Street in Albion was destroyed by fire Saturday afternoon. Fire crews from Albion, Colfax, Steptoe, Diamond and Pullman responded to the scene.

Crews responded after the fire was discovered at about 1:20 p.m. Albion Assistant Chief Jeremy Peterson said six fire units responded from Rural District 11 and three from Pullman Rural District 12.

Fire crews had to cut into the roof to get to the fire which destroyed the one story house.

Peterson said an electrical malfunction is believed to have been the cause of the fire. Pullman’s fire investigation unit was at the scene Saturday night and returned again to the scene Sunday to search for the cause.

Fire crews from the other stations were discharged around 4:30 Saturday, but the Albion crew remained on the scene until after 8 p.m., the assistant chief said.

The Red Cross assisted the two residents of the house who were displaced by the fire.

PULLMANITE FACES SENTENCE

Jordan A. Ternes, the 22-year-old Pullman resident who was found not guilty by a jury on drug charges involving minors at Lincoln Middle School in Pullman Jan. 21, pleaded guilty in superior court Friday to an unrelated charge of sexual exploitation of a minor. The amended charge related to the investigation of a 2011 case in Pullman.

Pre-trial release for Ternes was revoked, and he was remanded to the jail with sentencing set on the case for March 27.

Ternes was originally charged with child rape in the second degree. The charge alleged the female victim was between the ages of 12 and 14 years.

The court directed the state Department of Corrections to prepare a pre-sentence report. According to the arraignment papers filed in the court, Ternes could face a sentence of between 31 and 41 months.

SCHOOL OUT TWO DAYS

Colfax schools will be closed Thursday and Friday for a mid-winter break. The two days coincide with the state basketball tournament which starts today, Thursday morning, in the Spokane Arena.

ORDER 120 HOURS OF WORK

David Jennings, 29, Pullman, Friday pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of methamphetamine. He was ordered to complete 120 hours of public service work. He faced up to six months in jail because of his prior record, but prosecutors offered to recommend the 120 hours of work in lieu of 15 days in jail.

Jennings told the court he had not used meth since last June. He was fined $1,000 on the drug conviction but allowed to work off the fine with public service work. He was also ordered to pay $800 in fees and costs.

ICE ON 195 TAKES TOLL

Douglas E. Edwards, Coeur d’Alene, was unhurt early Feb. 26 when he lost control of the 2006 Cadillac SRX he was driving on Highway 195 3.98 miles south of Uniontown. According to the Washington State Patrol report, he was driving north at 3:30 a.m. when the car went out of control on the ice-covered highway. The car went across the centerline and struck an embankment.

THE CANADIANS STAYED HOME

One February event has apparently gone off the boards for Colfax this year. The visit by high school jazz band musicians from Revelstoke Secondary School, in Revelstoke, B.C., did not take place this year. The group of approximately 35 musicians, teachers and parents had a pattern of staying in Colfax every other year while they took part in the Lionel Hampton Jazz festival in Moscow.

The group stayed at the Siesta Motel and breakfasted at the Top Notch before commuting to Moscow on their charter bus to participate in the festival.

The school secretary at Revelstoke Friday morning reported that not enough interest was generated from the band members to warrant the trip this year. She added she has made three trips to Colfax as a chaperone for the group and she missed not being able to get to the jazz festival this year.

The topic of making the trip comes up every year at Revelstoke Secondary, so maybe the band will be back to compete at the festival next year.

CAR THEFT LEADS TO PRISON

A warrant of commitment for Kyle Dean Matthews, who was convicted of theft of a motor vehicle, was filed in Whitman County Superior Court Feb. 23. Matthews was sentenced to 12.75 months in the state prison system. He was credited for 82 days already served in jail as of Feb. 23.

Matthews admitted taking a 1972 Volvo from the lot at Rosauers in Colfax after he had been released from the jail in Colfax and walked north on Main Street to where he found the Volvo. The arrest report noted the owner of the Volvo, Steve Passmore of Dusty, observed his car heading north as he walked along N. Main.

Matthews was sentenced to the prison term Feb. 20 under a plea agreement which called for merging charges that had been placed against him in Snohomish County.

Matthews, who had an offender score of seven at the time of sentencing, also faced disciplinary measures for violations of jail rules while he was in the jail here.

CHAMBER LAUNCHES

WEBSITE

Colfax’s Chamber of Commerce recently launched a new website, colfaxchamber.org, that hosts online ticket purchases for luncheons and events, videos of the chamber luncheon guest speakers and a news blog. The website also links to a public community events calendar, Google+, Youtube, and Facebook. Members and the public alike can subscribe to the calendar events, luncheon videos, news updates and Facebook updates. At events, on-site ticket sales will soon be able to accommodate credit and debit cards in addition to cash, according to Jeanelle Miller, Chamber of Commerce president.

Colfax METH ARREST NETS

6 MONTHS

Nathan Murray, 22, one of two Elk residents who were arrested in Colfax Jan. 22 on charges of possession of methamphetamine, was sentenced to six months in jail Friday morning after pleading guilty to the charge. Murray changed his plea to guilty under a plea bargain agreement in which the state offered to drop a second charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Defense attorney John Hart said Murray was a passenger in the car, and there was some question about whether or not the gun found in the center console of the car belonged to him.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau said Murray had logged three convictions in 2014 which had advanced his offender score to four.

Judge David Frazier said an offender score of four is high for a defendant who is just 22 years of age. He told Murray if he committed another crime he was likely to be sent “off to the big house.”

Murray was initially arrested here on outstanding warrants, one for violations of community custody supervision and one from Pend Oreille County.

He was fined $2,000 for a second drug conviction plus ordered to pay $800 in costs and fees.

Chelsie Anderson, 23, also Elk, the driver of the car, was also arrested with Murray. She has been allowed pre-trial release on her own recognizance.