Bulletin Column: April 12, 2018

--Sharon Lindsay photo

Eagles return to N. Palouse

The eagle couple is back at their nest along the North Palouse River east of Colfax. They are busy adding sticks and appear to be sitting on eggs. The male is pictured at the river's edge and has been seen carrying sticks back to the nest. Both male and female eagles spend time sitting on the eggs.

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.

FIRE DISTRICT MERGER OFF

The proposed merger of the Colfax City Fire Department and Rural Fire District 11 is now off. Colfax Mayor Todd Vanek at the April 2 city council session read a letter from Larry Batterton of Steptoe, secretary of the District 11 board, which said they decided not to pursue the proposal. Batterton's letter noted District 11 at this time has issues it needs to address before undertaking a merger with the city fire department.

Development of a Rural Fire Authority was proposed.

Councilman Jim Kackman commented he believed considering a merger was a valid option to pursue, but added he has been pleased with the way the fire department is now operating.

The fire department has operated without a city chief on staff since Steven Thime resigned from the post in 2017. Craig Corbeill, head of the fire volunteers, now serves as chief of the department, and Fire Capt. Tim Tingley heads the day-to-day operations of the department.

DEMOLITION STARTS ON HOUSE

Demolition work has started on the house in the 800 block of S. Main which was gutted by fire two days before Christmas. Fire crews responded to the scene in the afternoon and battled the fire in sub-freezing conditions.

The house is the last structure on the east side of Main Street before the curve to Pullman, and traffic restrictions were needed during the fire battle to protect firefighters.

Extensive damage was sustained to the back of the house where the fire started. Cause of the fire was later determined to be a faulty power service box.

The fire displaced the Robyn and Jeremiah Tachell family who were renting the house.

Palouse River Rock has been contracted to do the demolition and a sub-contractor is now removing asbestos siding from the house. The lot is expected to be turned into a parking lot.

CAMPUS WINDOW KICKING CHARGE

A charge of third degree malicious mischief with domestic violence was filed Monday in superior court against Levi J. Doss, 21, Enumclaw. He was booked into the county jail here early April 4 after allegedly kicking in an exterior window pane at WSU's McEachern South Residence Hall at Washington State University. An arrest report by WSU Officer Brock Westerman said he responded at 1:53 a.m. April 4 to the scene after getting a call from the hall's resident advisor. Westerman's report said he actually saw the suspect kicking the window.

The report said Doss ignored orders to get down on the ground and Westerman grabbed his shirt and forced him down. The report said the officer was concerned that Doss was bleeding after cutting himself with glass from the broken window. Doss was later discovered to have cut one of his fingers.

Doss reportedly had allegedly become upset with a girlfriend who resided in a unit on the first story of the residence hall, according to the arrest report. An order to have no contact with the occupant of the room was ordered by the court.

STATE PLANS LANES EVENT

Washington State Department of Transportation plans to highlight construction details of the upcoming passing lane construction phase of the Highway 195 project between Colfax and Spangle at 10 a.m. next Wednesday, April 18, at the Horn School rest area south of Rosalia. Contractor N.A. Degerstrom of Spokane Valley is scheduled to start work on the four passing lanes the following Monday, April 23.

Degerstrom's successful bid for the state project was $4.07 million.

The event next week will also celebrate the completion last year of the two passing lane projects in the Steptoe area as phase one of the project to make Highway 195 safer.

Degerstrom crews now are working on bridge restoration projects north of Steptoe and north and south of Rosalia.

Three of the new passing lane segments, two northbound and the one southbound, are located in Spokane County near Plaza. A new northbound section is near the Trestle Creek Road intersection south of Rosalia.

People traveling through the work zones should be prepared to slow down, as vehicles will alternate through a single lane at a reduced speed. Other construction activities will be on the shoulder of the highway and won’t affect traffic.

The project was funded through the 2015 Connecting Washington transportation package and is scheduled to be completed before fall.

Parking is expected to be limited at next week's event, and attendees are encouraged to carpool to the Horn School site.

ACCIDENTS ON 23, 195

Amanda Stallman, St. John, was transported to Whitman Hospital Tuesday morning after being injured in an accident on Highway 23, 11 miles north of St. John. According to the report by Trooper Bruce Blood, she was driving a 2014 Jeep Patriot northbound at 2:30 a.m. and drifted off the right side of the highway. The Jeep came to a stop on its passenger side. She was transported to the hospital in a private vehicle.

Elizabeth Henry, Colfax, was injured Sunday when the 2016 Toyota Corolla she was driving collided with a deer on Highway 195, 5.81 miles south of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving northbound at 3:05 p.m. when the deer entered the roadway.

DRUG ARREST IN COLFAX

Mikale N. Pinson, 61, was booked into jail late last Thursday after police made a search of his residence in the S. 1000 block of Main Street and allegedly discovered drug evidence. Pinson was booked on probable charges of maintaining a drug premises, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of methamphetamine.

According to the report by Colfax Officer Cory Alcantar, officers went to the residence after getting a tip from an informant that Pinson had purchased a sixteenth of an ounce of methamphetamine for $125.

The arrest report said officers found five $20 bills in a cabinet, a scale with drug residue, several glass pipes and scale calibration weights which are used to confirm small weight quantities.

The report alleged Pinson also had a large amount of cash on his person.

Pinson was allowed release from jail on his own recognizance the next morning. Formal charges have not been filed by the prosecutor's office as of Monday morning.

CANDIDATE FILING SLATED

Filing for office by mail will begin April 30 and continue through May 18, and filing in person will begin May 14 at 8 a.m. and run until May 18 at 4 p.m. On-line filing will also be during the May 14-18 week (www.secstate.wa.gov).

Except for superior court judge, all courthouse elected officials and the district-three commissioner seat now held by Michael Largent will be on the ballot. All county precinct committee offices will also be up for election. Candidate filing forms are available at the county elections office, 304 N. Main, from 8 to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.

MALDEN POST OFFICE HIT

Undersheriff Ron Rockness April 3 responded to a report of mailboxes being forced open at the Malden Post Office. Rockness said approximately 10 of the mail boxes in the building were forced open by some type of prying device.

Postal Inspector Shannon Saylor at Spokane issued a notice to residents which advised them to report any checks, credit cards or packages which they expected to receive to the local office. The notice pointed out the more information provided to the inspection office the greater the likelihood that they can catch the perpetrator.

Rockness noted the Malden post office is not locked at night to allow access to Malden residents.