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.

SPOOK TOURS BOOKED SOLID An expanded schedule of “spook tours” at the former St. Ignatius Hospital on the south hill has been sold out, according to Val Gregory, Colfax multi-agency executive secretary.

After an initial offering, Gregory expanded the tour offering for another seven days with 20 people allowed in each group.

The tour total is now at 550 people with about 60 of them locals.

Gregory said she has booked groups from as far as Florida.

Thirty-minute tours of the building will be conducted Oct. 29 and 30.

Three-hour ghost hunts were offered for Oct. 27 and 28.

When those slots were quickly filled, at a fee of $45 each, Gregory added more dates starting Oct. 21.

Many of the groups plan to bring their own ghost hunting equipment as they tour the building.

Gregory said they have discovered 600 hospital gowns in storage, and each tour participant will be issued a gown when they are officially “admitted” to the hospital at the start of their tour.

ASBESTOS CHECK DUE AT FAIR Palouse Empire Fair Manager Bob Reynolds reported to the fair board Monday night that an inspection for asbestos will be done on the community building Sept. 30.

The check will be made in preparation for the remodeling which is expected to be done on the building this fall.

Reynolds said the fair is expected to get a report on the presence of asbestos within seven days of the inspection.

The fair needs to know what type of abatement, if any, needs to be done in the building before work continues on the expansion project which was stopped during the run of the fair Sept. 10-13.

A 20-foot addition has been added to the building and will house a relocated kitchen and office space.

Continued work this fall will connect the two structures.

The addition includes a covered patio segment which was put to good use by fairgoers three weeks ago.

Reynolds reported the community building has been shut down this fall because of the construction project.

He noted one place where asbestos could be present in the building is in the ceiling tile.

MOSCOW MAN DIES IN COLLISION The driver who was fatally injured in the head-on collision on the Albion-Pullman Road Monday morning has been identified as Daniel Lewis Popp, 38, Moscow, according to Pullman Police Commander Chris Tennant.

The driver of the other car was identified as Christopher Coffman, 29, Pullman.

According the accident report, Pullman police were notified of the collision at 8:27 a.m on the Albion-Pullman Road near the driveway to the USDA station about two miles west of Highway 27.

The accident was just inside the Pullman city limits.

Popp was driving westbound in a 1996 Honda Accord and collided with a 1998 Ford Explorer driven eastbound by Coffman.

Investigation at the scene indicated the Honda driven by Popp had crossed into the oncoming lane of the roadway which was separated by double lines at the location of the accident.

Popp had to be extracted from the Honda and was taken by ambulance to Pullman Memorial Hospital where he died from his injuries.

Coffman was also taken to Pullman Memorial Hospital and later reported to be in stable condition.

Albion Road was closed from Highway 27 to the Banner Road intersection during the investigation.

The road was opened to normal traffic at about 1:30 p.m.

DEER ACCIDENT NEAR DUSTY Paul J. Kimmel, Viola, was unhurt Sunday night when the 2015 Audi Q3 he was driving collided with a deer on Highway 26 west of Dusty.

Kimmel was driving eastbound at 7:33 p.m when the deer came onto the highway at mile marker 113.

HIGH BOND ON PROWL SUSPECT A $25,000 bond for pre-trial release of Michael Carter, 37, Troy, Idaho, was set Friday after the court was informed Carter had a record of 17 warrants issued over the previous 10 years.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Daniel LeBeau told the court Carter had compiled a extensive criminal history during that time.

Carter was arrested Sept. 24 evening after Pullman Police responded to a report of a possible car prowl on NE Terre View.

A resident there said he heard a loud noise coming from a truck and saw two people with flashlights in the parking lot.

A 1984 Ford 150 truck was found stopped in the area, and police recognized the truck as belonging to Carter.

Carter explained the truck had run out of gas, and he had used a bicycle to ride to a gas station.

Meanwhile the man who had made the first report said he had discovered building materials had been taken from his truck back in the lot.

He was brought to the scene but did not see any of the construction materials among items in the back of the truck Carter had been driving.

The man later reported he had located the missing construction materials which had been dumped in bushes near the parking lot.

The police report said they later received two subsequent reports of thefts, and one of them involved the bicycle that Carter had in back of the truck.

Carter was convicted here last January on a charge of possession of stolen property.

He was sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but 14 suspended.

The case involved tires and tools which were missing from a parked utility trailer at an apartment on Westwood Drive in Pullman last September.

A padlock on the trailer had been cut to gain access.

DEFENDANT FOUND IN CONTEMPT Brandon Holibaugh, 27, Kettle Falls, was found in contempt of court Friday and remanded to custody of the sheriff for making gestures from the defense table and continually interrupting the judge during his short hearing.

Holibaugh was arrested on a warrant and his first appearance in court Sept. 18 was also filled with interruptions.

Judge David Frazier this Friday said he had been patient with Holibaugh in the first round last week, but found him in contempt in the second round Friday.

At the start of each hearing, Holibaugh, who was handcuffed, elevated his hands over his head and gave a signal to the bench.

He later contended it was a peace and love signal.

Last week, Holibaugh told the court he did not have any identification or a social security number, and argued the court had no way to ascertain that he was the person listed on the arrest warrant.

The warrant was issued because Holibaugh allegedly failed to comply with court orders following a conviction on a 2011 drug case.

At the start of Friday's session, Prosecutor Denis Tracy said he had planned to prosecute Holibaugh for contempt because of his failure to comply with the order which was issued when Holibaugh was convicted in January of 2012.

Tracy reported Holibaugh was ordered to pay a total of $2,200 in fines and fees at that time and has since paid $1,648.

He contends the nonpayment was willful.

That announcement was made before Judge Frazier found Holibaugh in contempt for his actions in court. REMODELING AT PNW Pacific Northwest Farmer’s Cooperative received a city building permit Sept. 23 for remodeling of their office at 200 N. Main.

Estimated cost of the project is $40,000.

Work is planned for changing walls and spaces in the McCoy Elevator section office on the Wall Street side.

Jason Avery of Colfax is contractor for the project.

W. SIDE CODGERS SET FOR PAINT Painting for the west side of the Codger Pole is expected to be done next year as more funds become available for the project.

Painting and restoration work on the east side of the pole, which faces Main Street, has been completed by Pullman contractor Allen Cuddy who started on the pole last week.

Cuddy used a Sun Rentals lift to reach the Codger faces, which depict players from the 1988 Codger Bowl game at Colfax.

The pole was also cleaned and treated as part of the project.

City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello said the west side of the pole, which faces the flood control channel, will be painted next year.

He said the $9,700 contract for Cuddy consumed most of the funds which have been budgeted for the project this year, and he intends to make a similar entry for next year's budget.

Revenue for the project derives from proceeds on a room rental surtax at the Colfax Best Western.

The Sun Rentals lift extended 66 feet to reach the Codger carvings.

The lift, which was topped by a fenced platform, is capable of reaching Codgers carvings on the west side of the pole.

“A lot of people have said they like to see something being done for the pole,” Rizzitiello said.

Lone prior maintenance on the pole, which was installed in 1991, was a preservative coating which was applied by the fire department using their ladder truck.

Part of the brick walkway around the pole was repaired earlier this summer as part of the Eastern Washington University work party visit to Colfax.

Residents who wish to support the project can send a donation to city hall with a Codger Pole designation, Rizzitiello noted.

ALLEGE EGG TOSS AT DORM TV Derek Swanson, 19, Issaquah, has been summoned to appear in court Oct. 16 after being charged Sept. 17 with malicious mischief in the second degree.

According to the police report, Swanson has been charged with damaging a television screen in WSU's Community-Duncan Dunn Hall.

The report alleges the suspect was identified on a SnapChat video which shows him throwing an egg at the television screen.

Date of the alleged toss was May 8.

The report said the wall-mounted screen sustained an impact depression about the size of an orange.

Estimated cost for repair was placed at $1,207.