Bulletin Column: December 5, 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.

CITY TURNS DOWN LAND OFFER

An offer to give the city a parcel of land on the west hill was turned down after discussion by Colfax City Council members Monday night. Mayor Todd Vanek relayed the offer to the council for discussion. The parcel was offered by the trustee of the estate of Lia Berg.

The vacant land is located along the west side of Deanway, opposite the pullout along the street. The parcel includes a flat area and also extends up the hillside as far as Cherry Street.

Vanek said an access road goes into the site, but is now grown over with weeds and brush.

Councilman Jim Kackman said unless the city had a specific plan to make use of the property, he didn't see any reason to accept the offer. He noted the city would be better off to leave it on the tax roll.

City Attorney John Kragt noted a title search would have to be done on the parcel to make sure it was not subject to an easement or other encumbrance.

ALCANTAR WILL BE DEPUTY

Colfax Police Officer Cory Alcantar has resigned to join the Whitman County Sheriff's Department. Police Chief Rick McNannay reported at Monday night's city council session that Alcantar's last day of duty for the city will be Friday, Dec. 6.

Chief McNannay told the city council he has received two applications from officers who are serving in other departments to join the police force here, and he hopes to complete the hiring process soon. He noted the officers, if hired, would be lateral transfers who are already certified by the state.

Alcantar joined the department in July of 2016, began training in November of that year and has served as a certified officer since March of 2017.

McNannay said he believes Alcantar will be the fifth former Colfax Police officer now serving in the sheriff's department.

COLFAX MAN JAILED ON METH CHARGE

Dirck H. DeWitt, 48, Colfax, was charged with possession of methamphetamine Monday. According to the arrest report by Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Jordan, DeWitt was stopped after he was observed driving a vehicle without a license plate late on Thanksgiving. He subsequently showed physical signs of drug use and refused to allow the deputy to search the vehicle.

A warrant search was conducted on the vehicle by Jordan and two other deputies, and they allegedly located a meth pipe and two zip-loc bags containing methamphetamine.

INMATE JUMPS FURLOUGH

A warrant for the arrest of Mark E. Morgan, 33, a Whitman County jail inmate who failed to return from a furlough last August, was filed in Whitman County Superior Court Nov. 27. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau filed a formal charge of bail jumping.

The warrant affidavit noted jailers were notified Aug. 26 at 2:45 p.m. that the prosecutor's office had received a call from Morgan's mother in Spokane. She reported he had suddenly left her residence.

Morgan had been allowed furlough release that day from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. to have a dental appointment in Spokane. He was ordered to remain under the supervision of his mother while on release.

According to the report, Morgan told his mother in Spokane that he was going to go out and have coffee with a couple of friends, and his mother told him she didn't think that was a very good idea. She told the prosecutors office she was distracted for a short time, and later realized Morgan had left.

Morgan was believed to have left with two Spokane residents who have records for drug use.

He was in jail here serving a four-month sentence after being convicted July 2 for theft in the second degree. The charge stemmed from a July 15, 2018, theft of flower pots and other items from Pullman Building Supply.

A $50,000 bond requirement was listed on the warrant.

PARADE ENTRY NOW AT 20

Entries for Thursday's Colfax Winterfest parade now stands at 20 confirmed with possibly five more known to be in the works. The parade is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Thursday with staging to start on front of the Wheatland Apartments on Mill Street, according to Allie Cofer, coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce.

The parade will go south on Mill Street, west on Canyon and roll north on Main Street.

The fireworks display will launch from the east hill after the parade. The fireworks are sponsored by the Colfax Downtown Association.

TOYBOX COLLECTIONS UNDERWAY

Toys and donations for the Colfax Firefighters' Toy Box are now being accepted. The donated toys will be displayed at the fire station for families to make selections.

Deadline for families to participate has been extended to Friday, Dec. 13. They can register by going to the county Health Department in the Public Service Building, or by sending a message to colfaxtoydrive@gmail.com.

Donations can be made to Volunteer Firemen Inc. Toy Box, Box 226, Colfax, 99111. They can also be left at the fire station. New toy donations can also be delivered.

The volunteers use the donated funds to purchase toys prior to opening the store.

Toy distribution dates at the fire station will be Dec. 16, 17, 18 and 19.

TIEBREAKER SET DEC. 18

The election night ballot count tie for the Uniontown city council seat four race has been scheduled to be resolved Dec. 18, according to County Auditor Sandy Jamison.

Incumbent Jack Espy and challenger Jonathan Musson ended up with 57 votes each after the final count last Tuesday.

Jamison said state law requires a recount by hand of all the ballots from Uniontown.

Jamison said the project will require election staffers to go through all the ballots which were received and tabulated after the close of the polls Nov. 5. She said the ballots were placed in boxes and sealed as the count progressed during the count after the election.

The hand count mandate requires the election staffers to open each of the sealed ballot boxes and separate out the ballots for the Uniontown precinct.

They sealed the ballots in approximately 50 boxes. Each box contains between 100 to 200 ballots depending on how the count progressed.

Total number of ballots which went through the process is 24,185.

The Uniontown ballots will be placed in a separate box, sealed and then counted by hand starting at 9 a.m. Dec. 18.

The Whitman County canvass board will convene at 2 p.m. and certify the election. If the count remains in a tie, the names of the two candidates will be placed in some type of open container, and a member of the canvass board will be asked to draw out one of the names.

Canvass board members include Jamison, Prosecutor Denis Tracy and Commissioner Chairman Art Swannack.

The 114 votes counted in the Espy - Musson race plus three write-in ballots was the second lowest count for the four Uniontown seats up for election. Brian Davies, uncontested, received 103 votes for seat two which also had three write-in ballots.

The other two contested Uniontown races each drew a total of 121 ballots with Mike Shore 81-John Jacobs 38 with two write-ins for seat one and Sam Kimble 74-Ray Heitstuman 44 with three write-ins for seat five. Jacobs, Davies, Espy and Heitstuman are incumbents.