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.

END NEAR ON PAVING PROJECT

Final work on the Colfax segment of the Poe paving project is expected to be finished this week, City Administrator Mike Rizzitiello reported to the city council Monday night.

Painting of lane stripes, parking markers and crosswalks remains on the work list. Also, some work remains to be done on the railroad crossing on the north end of the project, he said.

Councilwoman Jeannette Solimine said she was impressed by the improvements which were made to the Highway 26 bridge on the north end.

INSPECTOR RESIGNS

Chris Korando, who was appointed as Colfax building inspector June 15, has resigned for personal reasons, City Administrator Mike Rizzitiello reported at Monday night’s city council session. Korando, who has resided in Colfax for approximately a year, was in the contracting business in southern Illinois before he moved to Los Angeles and later to Colfax. He was officially appointed as Colfax Building and Community Development Associate to replace Andy Burgard who retired.

Mayor Todd Vanek said he has arranged building inspections to be done on a temporary basis by the county building inspector and possibly Burgard. He said the Rosalia building inspector will also be available.

CITY GETS CODE OFFICER UPDATE

Colfax Police Officer Matt Malakowsky Monday night updated the city council on work being done under the new law for property upkeep. Malakowsky’s written report included before and after photos of five different locations around Colfax.

The sites included an alley on Oak Street, and yards on Upper A Street, Rock Street, Cedar Street and Morton Street. The report also included a photo of ducks which have been removed from Oak Street.

Malakowsky said the key for most enforcement actions is whether or not progress is being made at each particular site. He said after serving a notice, he sets a deadline for residents to correct the problem. When residents fail to meet the deadline, he said they can be granted a continuance if they have made some progress.

“I grant a lot of continuances,” Malakowsky told the council.

Most of the problems deal with uncut grass and brush, garbage and rubbish around residences. He said since the program started six months ago he has issued just one ticket of $150 for a civil infraction. That ticket was for one day when he returned to the site and found nothing had been done after the resident had been allowed a continuance.

Asked by Councilman Al Vorderbrueggen how much time he spends on code enforcement, Malakowsky said it can range from eight to 20 hours a week. He added he also spends a lot of off-duty time helping residents comply.

Police Chief Rick McNannay said most of the enforcement now is done in response to complaint calls made by residents. He said the department at present is under-staffed, and officers do not patrol in search of code violations.

Malakowsky also said other officers in the department can enforce the code and he has relayed some of the complaints to other officers.

TWO HURT ON HIGHWAY 26

Two people were injured on Highway 26 Friday in a rear-end collision about twelve and one-half miles west of Colfax. Raul Rodriguez, Moxee, driver of a 2003 Mazda Protégé, and Lupita Garfias-Soto, Union Gap, a passenger in the Protégé, were injured.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, Rodriguez was driving westbound at 6:15 p.m. and approached a cloud of dust from a 1999 Kenworth tractor trailer which had been driven onto the highway from a farm access road by Howard Ulrich of Colfax. Rodriguez slowed the Mazda, but it hit the back of the loaded semi truck.

The two were transported to Whitman Hospital by the Colfax ambulance for treatment.

—Alexander White, Endicott, was unhurt Friday when he lost control of a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado pickup on Highway 272 10 miles east of Colfax. According to the WSP report, he was driving eastbound with a combine header trailer in tow and drifted onto the shoulder of the roadway. The header and trailer were damaged.

CRASH ON MAIN STREET

No one was injured when this 1999 Volkswagen Jetta struck a 2011 Toyota Avalon in Colfax Monday.

The driver of a car which collided with a parked sedan in front of the Top Notch Monday morning was unhurt in the accident. Colfax Police Chief Rick McNannay reported Stephen Sickles, 66, Colton, was driving northbound at about 8:20 a.m. when the 1999 Volkswagen Jetta he was driving veered into the parking lane and struck the back of a 2011 Toyota Avalon owned by Donald Henderson.

The Jetta veered back into the northbound lane of traffic and both of its front air bags deployed.

Henderson had parked the Avalon in front of the Top Notch for the morning coffee crew session, and members of the coffee group were among the first to check out the accident scene.

Sickles told the chief he was distracted by spilled coffee while he was driving northbound.

Deputies and the Colfax fire truck responded to the scene. The smoke reported at the scene was actually powder which is used inside the airbag cartridges.

THREE NEW ACT 2 CLASSES

Three new Act 2 classes will be offered in an adult education program offered by Community Colleges of Spokane at the Whitman County Library in Colfax.

Bread baking basics by Kelli Collins of Joseph’s Grainery will be Oct. 16 for a three hour session starting at 12:30 p.m.

Dr. Peter Haug of Colfax will instruct a course on climate change for two Thursdays, Oct. 8 and 15 starting at 6 p.m.

Karen and Chris Hoch, who operate an eBay company which they started from scratch, will teach a class on eBay basics Sept. 30 from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Scott Hallett of Colfax will return with his Introduction to the Ukulele class which will run four consecutive Wednesdays beginning Oct. 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

HIGH BAIL IN DRUG CASE

A $200,000 bail was set Friday in superior court for pre-trial release of Tyler J.T. Lankford, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession of more than 40 grams of marijuana. Lankford, who was arrested last Monday, had been ordered held without bail in a preliminary hearing after his arrest.

Prosecutor Denis Tracy Friday asked the court to set a high bail because of what he called an alarming nature of Lankford’s conduct and statements.

He said Lankford, who was arrested at a Pullman motel, had been making threatening calls to relatives in the area, and one of the relatives recorded the calls.

The prosecutor also said when Lankford was arrested earlier as a suspect in a marijuana case in Texas he was wearing a pistol on his hip. Lankford allegedly jumped bail after his arrest in Texas, but authorities there do not intend to travel here to take custody of him at this time.

Tracy told the court he believes Lankford could also be a flight risk.

After setting the high bail, Court Commissioner Howard Neill ordered Lankford to not have contact with three individuals in the event he actually posts the bail and is released.

Trial date was set for Sept. 14. Lankford was advised a firearm enhancement factor, which could extend the sentence he would face in the event of a conviction, could be added to the charge.

THREE HURT NEAR THORNTON

Three people were injured July 30 afternoon in a one-car accident on Highway 195 near Thornton.

Elizabeth McNally, College Place, driver of the car, and her infant son, Rowan A. McNally, were taken by ambulance to Whitman Hospital and Medical Center. Teresa Lynn Selby, Walla Walla, a passenger, was taken by helicopter to Providence Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, McNally was driving a 1993 Honda Accord southbound at 5:40 p.m. when she started to pass another southbound vehicle. She saw oncoming traffic in the northbound lane and swerved sharply back into the southbound lane and lost control of the Honda which went off the roadway and rolled. The car came to a stop on its top in a drainage ditch.

The site was two-tenths of a mile north of mile marker 55, about 16.2 miles north of Colfax.

A Colfax ambulance crew and rescue truck responded to the scene.