Bulletin Column: November 28, 2019

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.

WOLFE WINS BY ONE VOTE

Endicott council incumbent Andrew Wolfe picked up one vote in Monday's final ballot tally to break the tie 49-49 tie in the race for town council seat five. Wolfe had been challenged by Greg Burns and the lead changed before it was locked in after the final count.

The last count, however, did produce a tie in another close town council race in Uniontown. Jack Espy and Jonathan Musson both finished with 57 votes, and the tie will require a hand recount of the ballots. Espy had a slim lead in the early returns, and Musson took a small edge in the previous count.

Pullman Hospital District's request for a $29,000,000 levy to finance a bond issue gained ground on the last count, but finished at 59.7 percent yes on a count of 2,741 in favor and 1,850 opposed. A swing of 14 yes votes would have passed the measure.

Lamont School District's request to lift the local school levy lid to $2.50 from $1.50 was the only other local funding measure to fail. Final count was 21 yes and 24 no for just 46.67 in favor.

Rosalia's $95,000 street levy proposal passed with 62.77 percent approval on a return of 118 yes and 70 no. The levy request of $4.62 per $1,000 of assessed property value was the steepest request listed on the ballot.

The county road levy lid request, which required just 50 percent approval, passed at 53.7 percent with a count of 1,356 yes and 1,169 no. The measure will increase the county road levy in rural areas from $1.4525 per $1,000 to $2.25 per $1,000 assessed. The proposal went out to voters in rural areas of the county.

Final count in the Colfax city council races were Mark Mackleit 641-Andrew Stewart 202 for council seat 4, Ben Miller 445-Sarina Robert 361 for seat five, Jim Kackman 654-Dominic Villereal 182 for seat six and Thomas Huntwork 439-Jeremiah Roberts 392 for seat seven. Mackleit, Kackman and Huntwork are incumbents, and Miller will take the seat being vacated by Al Vorderbrueggen.

The 10,737 in the final count marks a voter turnout of 44.39 percent of the 24,185 registered voters in the county.

CHRISTMAS TREE TO RETURN

A crew of volunteers will gather Monday at Potlatch 1 Federal Credit Union to place lights and decorations on a tree that was planted on the south lawn by the late Tom Pennell. Branch manager Anne McRae said the tree had not been decorated in several years, and PIFCU has opted to return Christmas lights and decorations on the tree.

The late Tom Pennell, Garfield area farmer, was a tree enthusiast and planted the small tree on the lawn along Main Street when Lincoln Savings was located at the site. Roger Pennell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Pennell, now farms the Pennell place on Clear Creek Road, and he plans to visit the site Monday while the decoration project is underway. The operation is scheduled to get started at noon.

City Parks Director Steve Larkin and Diane King are among others who planned for the project. Colfax FFA members and Avista will also assist, and West Side Pizza is slated to provide nourishment for the volunteers.

ROLLS VAN SOUTH OF COLFAX

Benjamin Mukoma, Lakewood, was uninjured Saturday morning when he lost control of the van he was driving and went into the ditch just south of Colfax. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Mukoma was driving southbound at 7:40 a.m. when the van began to slide on the icy highway surface.

The 2004 Econoline van slid across the oncoming lane and came to halt on its side in the northbound ditch. Site of the accident was approximately a half mile south of the Poplar Street intersection.

COUNTY PARKS MEETING

Whitman County Parks Board will meet next Thursday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m. in the Public Service Building. On the agenda will be reports on Klemgard, Wawawai, Elberton and Klemgard parks and the Colfax trail, Kamiak Butte and the Bill Chipman Trail.

FACES REVOCATON OF RAPE SENTENCE

Daniel Humphries, 22, former Tekoa resident, could face more than 30 months in prison under a motion filed with the court by Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau. The motion is set for hearing Dec. 20.

The motion alleges Humphries has failed to adhere to conditions which were set when he was sentenced Aug. 8, 2018, after pleading guilty to two charges of rape of a child.

Humphries was sentenced to 34 months in state prison with all but 45 days suspended under provisions of the state's Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative program.

LeBeau asked the court to modify the sentence or revoke the alternative option which suspended most of the prison time.

Filed with the motion was a 12-page report by a Department of Corrections supervisor which alleged Humphries has missed several of the required group sessions, treatment sessions in Lewiston and changed his place of residence without advising his supervisor.

Humphries at one time told his supervisor he was residing in a hangar at the Colfax Airport where he was employed. The report said when the supervisor went to the hangar he learned Humphries no longer resided there. Humphries pleaded guilty to the two rape charges in June of 2018 and received the SOSA sentence Aug. 8 of that year.

The charge involved his having sexual contact with a girl in the 14 to 16-year age bracket during September and October of 2017.

NAME CAR PROWL SUSPECT

The alleged suspect in the Nov. 15 Colfax car prowl episodes is the same suspect who was been in court here for an alleged farm shop burglary case on Hay-LaCrosse Road last July. According to an affidavit for the suspect's arrest, he actually made a short appearance in court here Nov. 15, the day he was identified as a suspect on the Colfax car prowl cases.

The report notes the suspect was wearing a white and black camo outfit when he appeared on surveillance videos of the prowl reports at Rosauers and Les Schwab Tires. When officers relayed the distinctive description of what the suspect was wearing, the deputy who was working courtroom security that morning noted one of the defendants, Dustin A. Ashlock, 32, wore a black and white camo outfit in court that morning.

Ashlock is a suspect in a July 16 burglary of a farm shop on Hay/Lacrosse Road. According to the affidavit, photos of him on the surveillance recordings match up with booking photos when he was arrested in the July burglary case.

Colfax Officer Joseph McCullom in his affidavit for a warrant said he was notified of a suspected auto prowl case Nov. 15 at Rosauers. When he arrived at the store the victim and store manager were reviewing the surveillance recording and noted the black and white camo outfit.

The victim noted she had made a quick stop at Rosauers and when she returned to her car a purse and items of clothing were missing. Value of the missing items was estimated at $850.

McCullom and Undersheriff Ron Rockness responded the same morning to Les Schwab Tires where the same man appeared to have smashed in the passenger window of a vehicle owned by an employee at the tire shop.

Court records show Ashlock was scheduled on the docket in court that morning to check on the status of his legal representation which had delayed resolution of the July burglary charge filed against him.

A warrant has also been issued for his arrest on first charge filed against him .

The affidavit for the warrant in the first case alleges Ashlock has violated conditions of pre-trial release by committing a crime.

Bond for pre-trial release had been set at $10,000 cash after he was arrested last summer. The report on that case said Ashlock had been residing in the neighborhood at the time of the alleged shop burglary.

Ashlock at one time had been set for a Sept. 6 trial, but the date was moved back to Jan. 12. He was in court Nov. 15 to report on status for his legal representation.

The initial $10,000 bail required on the first case was later reduced to $2,500 on condition that he reside with his father in Kennewick and refrain from any criminal behavior.

SANCTION NETS 20 DAYS

Tia Gilpatrick, 41, Garfield, was sentenced to 20 days in jail Friday as a sanction for failing to follow requirements of drug court. She was found to not be meeting treatment requirements as part of the drug court process.

Gilpatrick was admitted to the drug court program June 19. She faces a charge of possession of methamphetamine which would be dropped if she completes the two-year drug court program.

A motion for sanctions filed by Senior Deputy Prosecutor Wendy Lierman relayed a report from Gilpatrick's counselor said he had not heard from her for an extended period of time.

The petition said Gilpatrick was ordered to serve 48 hours in jail as a sanction Aug. 2 and again Sept. 13 and did not report either time.

The charge against Gilpatrick alleges she came to visit an inmate at the jail Dec. 23 and brought him a sweat suit. Jailers allegedly discovered a packet of methamphetamine sewn into the waistband of the pants. She was arrested as she departed Colfax after the jail visit.

ROLLOVER CRASH ON AIRPORT ROAD

Alexa Parrish, a WSU student from Poulsbo, had to be extricated from an overturned car at an accident scene on Airport Road west of Colfax early Friday morning. Parrish was a passenger in the car which was driven by Madison Tufts, also of Poulsbo. Both were taken to Whitman Hospital and treated for minor injuries, according to a report from Sheriff's Sgt. Dan Brown.

Colfax ambulance and rescue crews responded to the scene.

According to Brown's report, Tufts lost control of the vehicle on the road which was covered by ice and snow. She was driving westbound on the road at about 6:30 a.m.

The report said the car slid out of control and struck an embankment along the roadway before it went over. The location was near the Airport Road intersection with the Flight Line Drive entry road into the airport.

Friday marked the start of Thanksgiving vacation for WSU students. Classes will resume next Monday.

Saturday night's WSU-Oregon State football game at Martin Stadium reduced the student traffic departure tally.

HAZING COULD BE FACTOR IN DEATH

Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins Friday reported the department is now looking at hazing as a possible factor in the death of Samuel Martinez, 19, a WSU freshman who was found dead at the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity the morning of Nov. 12.

In a report issued the next day, police said initial interviews with witnesses determined hazing was not involved in the student's death.

Chief Jenkins Friday said additional investigation with witnesses has led officers to believe hazing could have been a factor in the student's death.

Earlier last week, Whitman County Coroner Annie Pillers reported Martinez died at approximately 4:30 a.m. Nov. 12, about four hours before Pullman Police and fire department EMTs were called to the scene at the fraternity house on Linden Street.

The EMTs determined Martinez was deceased.

The first Pullman Police report noted the probable cause factors which could lead to a misdemeanor charge of hazing could not be determined in the initial interviews.

Coroner Pillers report on the unintended death noted alcohol was a suspected cause of the student's death. She has not released an official cause of death finding pending outcome of toxicology tests. Pillers noted it could take up to two months before she can issue a formal cause of death finding.

Martinez was a graduate of Newport High School in Bellevue where he played on the school's soccer team.

After the student's death, all fraternities and sororities on the WSU campus dropped all social events for the rest of the semester.

WSU President Kirk Schultz last week announced Alpha Tau Omega has been placed on an interim non-recognition status with the university.

The fraternity in September of last year celebrated starting the school year after a $2.8 million renovation project which was funded with $2.3 million in donations from alumni and $500,000 from the fraternity's national organization. The remodel was the first major work on the building in more than 50 years, according to a report at the time by the WSU campus newspaper.

The report said ATO alumni transferred the deed of the property to the national fraternity's property group.