Bulletin Column: Nov. 8, 2018

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.

CITY OKAYS DEPUTY PATROL PACT

Colfax City Council Monday night approved an agreement under which the sheriff’’s officers will fill duty shifts for the Colfax Police Department. The agreement was made because of ongoing problems with maintaining a full roster of Colfax officers to fill the shifts during the week.

The city police department still has one officer slot unfilled on its roster.

Mayor Todd Vanek reported the sheriff’s office at present would be filling three of the 12-hour shifts over the weekends.

The shifts will be filled by deputies who will drive sheriff’s cars.

They will be available to respond to complaints in the town during the shifts, but could respond to calls in the county if needed.

Any citations written by the deputies will be submitted to district court.

The negotiated price for each shift will be $360.

One problem with the agreement was knowing what the impact will be on the city’s budget. The agreement will extend until the end of next year.

Another concern was a provision which calls for a 10-day notice in the event the agreement will end. Council members decided to stick with that provision.

Mayor Vanek at the previous council session noted an agreement could be in the works. He reported to the council last week that the anticipated departure of one member of the police force did not happen, but another officer is expected to depart at the end of the year.

HANDLEY TAKES OATH

Former Palouse Officer Joe Handley was administered the oath of office at the start of Monday night’s city council session. Mayor Todd Vanek administered the oath after Handley was introduced by Assistant Chief Perry Tate. He noted Handley has a total of 12 years of police experience and has served as a part-time officer with the Colfax department since 2016.

He pointed out Handley is certified as a level-two firearms instructor and a field training officer.

CEDAR STREET EXCAVATION

An excavation slice had to be made across newly-surfaced Cedar Street because of a faulty sewer main connection. Contractor Motley & Motley made the excavation across the street between 10th and 11th streets at the north end of the street.

Mayor Todd Vanek told the city council Monday night the sewer line served a house which was vacant at the time of construction. New residents moved into the house after the street was surfaced and encountered problems with the sewer system.

The mayor noted the problem would have been caught if the change of occupancy had happened two weeks earlier.

HARGRAVES RELEASED ON BAIL

Pullman Police Sgt. Dan Hargraves was released from jail on his own recognizance Oct. 30 after a first appearance in Whitman County Superior Court. Retired Judge David Frazier, acting as court commissioner, ordered Hargraves to have no contact with the reporting party in his case and scheduled him for a next court appearance Nov. 9.

Hargraves was jailed at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 30 and was later formally charged the same day with custodial sexual misconduct in the first degree by Prosecutor Denis Tracy.

Hargraves was arrested on a warrant which was issued late Monday by Commissioner Frazier.

The charges allege Hargraves committed sexual misconduct with a WSU freshman girl which he took into custody early last March 31 in Pullman. Investigation of the case was done by the Washington State Patrol.

Pullman Attorney Roger Sandberg filed a notice with the court that he will represent Hargraves.

MOSCOW DRIVER SENT TO PRISON

Elizabeth T. Cramer, 30, Moscow, was sentenced to 15 months in state prison Friday after she pleaded guilty to three charges of vehicular assault. Cramer was assigned an offender score of four and faced a sentencing range of 12 to 16 months.

She was sentenced by retired Judge David Frazier, who presided Friday as court commissioner.

The charges were filed after a car driven westbound by Cramer Sept. 8, 2017, went across the Moscow-Pullman Highway at 11:47 p.m. and collided with two oncoming cars. The assault victims included the driver and passenger in the first car and a passenger in the second car. The collision was on a curve near mile marker nine. The report noted the car driven by Cramer went across a two-way passing lane before hitting the other cars in the eastbound lane.

All three victims were transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center. Cramer was also transported to the Spokane Hospital. The WSP report said a warrant was issued to take a blood sample from Cramer.

Results of the test showed residue of seven different drugs. The accident report said a witness who was driving westbound, the same direction as Cramer, noticed the Chrysler Town & Country she was driving didn’t have its headlights on. The witness account also said Cramer at the time appeared to be talking on a cell phone.

Commissioner Frazier ordered Cramer to pay $10,000 in restitution to each of the three victims and $3,900 to the driver of the second vehicle struck by her car. A hearing was scheduled for May 8, 2020, to set a payment schedule for the restitution amounts.

Prosecutor Dennis Tracy originally charged Cramer with four counts, but amended the charge to three counts Friday before Cramer entered a guilty plea. She was originally charged with the three vehicular assault charges and driving under the influence. The amended charge listed two charges of vehicular assault with disregard for the safety of others, and one charge of vehicular assault while under the influence.

CHASE BANK BUILDING SALE

Sale price for the former Chase Bank building at 505 S. Main was $275,000, according to a transfer tax affidavit filed Oct. 22 in the county treasurer’s office. JP Morgan Chase Bank of New York was listed as the seller of the bank property. It was purchased by Potlatch No. 1 Federal Credit Union.

Chase Bank announced it was closing its Colfax Branch and consolidating it with its Pullman branch in July of 2015. Chase at that time noted the Colfax shutdown was one of hundreds charted around the country as part of a $1.4 billion cost-cutting plan. Growth of online banking was cited by Chase as one of the reasons for the cutback in its branch bank system.