PDC closes second case against Othello School District

| January 30, 2020 8:43 AM

OTHELLO – The state Public Disclosure Commission has closed a second case of alleged violation of election campaign law involving Othello School District. The complaint, filed on Nov. 22, 2019, alleged that Othello School District officials misused the district board room when they allowed a former board member to film an election campaign video for his new school district.

After reviewing the evidence provided by both the complainants and the Othello School District, the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) determined that there was insufficient evidence to continue with a further investigation.

In a letter to the complainants, the PDC said that because the school district allows other community groups to use its meeting facilities, the use of the board room for filming a campaign video is not a violation of law. The former board member was allowed to use the board room on the same terms as others who use the room.

The case was closed on Jan. 21.

This is the second case involving the district to be closed by the PDC this month. The first case involved officials from Scootney Springs Elementary School who allowed school board election campaign signs on school property. The officials were given a warning and the case was closed.

“We are glad to bring closure to both issues,” said Dr. Chris Hurst, superintendent of the Othello School District. “We appreciate the diligence of the Public Disclosure Commission in examining all of the evidence, and we will work hard to ensure continued compliance in the future.”

RICHLAND — A Beverly man was cited for second-degree negligent driving after he crossed the center line and ran into another car about 20 miles west of Richland on Thursday afternoon.

Luis Aguilar Velasco, 21, was driving west on state Route 240 about 1:30 p.m. when he crossed the center line and hit a van driven by Guillermo Belmontes Navarro, 40, of Kennewick. Belmontes Navarro was injured in the crash and was transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, according to a press memo from the Washington State Patrol. Aguilar Velasco was not injured.

Troopers determined the accident was caused by inattention, the press release said.

Both vehicles, the 2018 Dodge Promaster driven by Belmontes Navarro and Aguilar Velasco’s 2008 Nissan pickup, were totaled.