Bulletin Column: December 19, 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 OFFICIALS TAKE OATH

All four city council members who were elected in November and mayor-elect Jim Retzer took the oath of office as a group at Monday night's city council session. The oath was administered by City Clerk Linda Kramlich.

Incumbents who were elected to another term included Mark Mackleit in seat four, Jim Kackman in seat six and Thomas Huntwork in seat seven.

Retzer and Ben Miller, who won the race for council seat five which was vacated by Al Vorderbrueggen, also took the oath. Both have been monitoring recent council sessions.

The elected officials this year received certificates of election forms from the county auditor's office which required them to take an oath and submit a certificate.

PARKS ACCEPTS VINTAGE LIGHTS

Colfax Parks Board Monday night moved to accept the two vintage street lights which have been offered by the hospital district. The two lights stand in the yard of the house which is owned by the hospital district.

Martin Marler, a member of the hospital board, offered the two vintage lights at a previous city council session.

Councilman Al Vordergbrueggen said the parks board discussed possibly locating the vintage street lights at the Perkins House which particularly needs lights in the parking area. The board also reasoned the vintage appearance of the lights could possibly fit in better with the vintage appearance of the Perkins House.

Marler had suggested the city could install the lights at Codger Park.

Public Works Director Matt Hammer noted one of the concrete light standards is split at the top, and the other standard lacks a metal access plate on its base.

He suggested the city could assemble one useable light from the two that are offered.

The concrete light standards at one time lined Main Street in Colfax. Marler said the two lights were installed at the house by the late Henry Savage, former Colfax attorney who resided there.

The hospital district has been attempting to sell the house to a party which would move it off the site so the property can be used by the hospital. The house adjoins the hospital on the south side next to the parking lot for the medical clinic.

CITY CREW ADDS DECORATIONS

Colfax Public Works crew members have fabricated 10 lighted miniature trees and nine candy canes to mount on the corner streetlights in downtown Colfax. The ornaments will augment the snowflake designs which are mounted on street poles in the center of the downtown blocks.

The custom ornaments were mounted along Main.

Cost of the custom built ornaments are estimated to be a fraction of the cost of manufactured ornaments which are purchased by towns and cities.

K-9 LILLY AIDS IN ARREST

Kyle Ann Eslick, 56, Moses Lake, was booked into the jail here Monday night on a probable charge of possession of methamphetamine. Eslick was stopped by Deputy Tyler Langerveld after he noticed a vehicle going approximately 25 miles an hour on Highway 195 near Prune Orchard Road. Langerveld reported the vehicle crossed the centerline of the highway four times and crossed the fog line onto the shoulder of the road three times.

After the car was stopped, the report said the deputy learned Eslick was sought on a Spokane County warrant. Eslick refused to consent to a search of the vehicle, and Sgt. Keith Cooper brought K-9 Lilly to the scene. She gave a positive sitting indication for drugs outside of the vehicle and the deputies obtained a search warrant. The report alleges they found a plastic baggie of methamphetamine inside of a wallet which was in a pocket on the driver's side door of the vehicle.

COLLISON BLOCKS 270

A head-on collision on the Pullman-Moscow Highway late Sunday left one driver hospitalized and caused the highway to be blocked for a short period of time. Jedidiah D. Byers, 19, Pullman was taken to Pullman Regional Hospital and then to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane for treatment of injuries sustained in the collision.

Caleb D. Pearce, 36, and Elizabeth N. Pearce, 28, were taken from the scene of the accident to Pullman Regional Hospital where they were treated and released.

According to the accident report by Trooper Jim Retzer, Byers was driving a 1993 Toyota Camry westbound at 6:16 p.m. in winter driving conditions and lost control. The Camry went into the eastbound lane and collided with a 2003 Cadillac Esclade being driven eastbound by Caleb Pearce.

Both cars were totaled in the accident which was approximately six miles west of Pullman.

Cause of the accident was driving too fast for the conditions on the highway.

WINTER WEATHER CAUSES CRASHES

A Colfax ambulance crew was dispatched Saturday at 9:49 a.m. to a report of an accident on Highway 272, four miles east of Colfax. They determined no one was hurt in the slide-off accident. A Washington State Patrol trooper responded to the scene.

In addition to the head-on collision on the Pullman-Moscow Highway, troopers Sunday responded to six other accidents, all non-injury.

The first accident was at Dusty at 9:50 a.m. and the second was at 12:45 p.m. at mile 27 on Highway 195 in the Round Barn hill area.

Three accidents were investigated on Highway 195 later Sunday in the area of the Whitman/Spokane County line. The first was at mile 66 at 4:44 p.m., and the second was at mile 64 at 5 p.m. The last accident involving property damage was right at the county line at 5:25 p.m.

ACCIDENTS IN S CURVES

Colfax ambulance and rescue crews responded Friday morning to a report at 4:59 a.m. of a rollover accident in the S curves area of Highway 195. The site was near mile marker 36 just outside of Colfax.

Two occupants of the car in the rollover accident had managed to climb out and were not injured, and the driver in the slide-off accident was not injured.

The crew waited on scene until a Washington State Patrol trooper arrived to investigate the accident.

Driving conditions on Highway 195 at the time of the early morning accident were reported to be very slick.

CODGER TREES GET LIGHTS

Christmas lights have now been strung on the large trees at the Codger Pole for the holiday season. Addition of lights to the Codger trees move the total of decorated trees along Main Street to four.

Colfax city crew members, who have also decorated the streetlights in the downtown area, applied the lights to the Codger Pole trees.

The Codger trees join the large Potlatch One Federal Credit Union blue spruce tree which was decorated with a community effort. Also back on the Main Street scene is the McGregor Christmas tree on the lot between US Bank and Dusty Attic.

Tony and Judy Roberts now have their extensive display of lights in operation in front of their house along Main Street in the S. 400 block next to the laundromat.

Another almost Main Street decoration are the long stings of green lights which make up a simulated Christmas tree in the back yard of a residence on south Mill Street. It can be spotted by motorists driving on Main.

SWANNACK NOTES COUNCIL ROLE

Whitman County Commissioner Art Swannack sent a note to say he welcomes the addition of former Pullman Mayor Karen Kiessling to the Washington State Council on Aging board.

Swannack noted a report in the Gazette last week on Kiessling's appointment to the board failed to mention that he has served on the council since 2017 and has been elected chair of the council for a two-year term. His second term will end in September of next year.

CHARGES FILED IN DRUG ARREST

Charges of possession of heroin and methamphetamine were filed Dec, 12 in superior court against Brandy M. Brooks, 39, former Potlatch resident. Brooks was arrested on Sand Road Dec. 10 after the vehicle she was driving was observed to be parked in a turnout along the road.

Deputy Tyler Langerveld in his arrest report said when he approached the vehicle he noticed the windows were fogged up. He said the driver, Brooks, attempted to start the vehicle and he ordered her to stop.

After initial questioning the deputy ordered Brooks out of the vehicle. The arrest report said Brooks appeared to be showing symptoms of heroin use. The report said she eventually gave consent to search the vehicle. Black tar substances were found in a container and in a hypodermic needle. The report said the deputy also located a paper bag in the car which contained needles. Some of them had been used and some of them had not been used.

A male passenger who had been in the vehicle was interviewed and said all the contents in the car except his coat and phone belonged to Brooks.

The report said Brooks eventually confessed to purchasing heroin in a parking lot along North Grand in Pullman for $20.

Brooks also faces charges for violating terms of drug court in Latah County. A warrant for her arrest has been issued by district court in Latah County.

Brooks was allowed release on her own recognizance after a first appearance in court here, but she remained in jail under the arrest warrant issued by Latah County. A $10,000 bail was set on the Latah County warrant.