COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Practically a month after Idaho Legal professional Basic Lawrence Wasden introduced a settlement with North Idaho contractor Alex Welstad, Welstad’s former shoppers are nonetheless in search of justice.
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The AG’s workplace accused Welstad of taking greater than $790,000 from his prospects and that he violated the state Shopper Safety Act and Idaho Guidelines of Shopper Safety.
Welstad denied these allegations and agreed to the consent judgment “for the only real function of effectively and economically resolving the Legal professional Basic’s considerations about Defendants’ enterprise practices as of the efficient date of this Consent Judgment.”
Welstad did enterprise underneath the names NAA Companions LLC and Mammoth Pole Buildings.
Although this settlement requires Welstad to pay restitution to his affected shoppers, in accordance with the AG’s workplace, Welstad plans to file for chapter, which doesn’t sit properly along with his former shoppers who spoke to 4 Information Now.
“I’d like to have my constructing fastened. I’d like to have my cash returned and I might love Alex to be served justice,” stated Jennifer Bartley.
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Bartley says she entered into an settlement with Welstad’s firm final 12 months however is out $35,000 with no phrase on when or if she’ll get well that cash.
“The constructing funds that we had put aside to complete this constructing ended up going to paying for lawyer charges, authorized charges, submitting charges, all of that. It’s sort of left us in a gap,” stated Bartley.
Bartley stated Welstad began engaged on her store in August of 2021 however stopped working in November, solely abandoning a picket construction and supplies on her St. Maries property.
Bartley deliberate to reside within the store along with her household however says Welstad’s unfinished work left her, her husband and two teenage sons dwelling of their trailer all winter.
“The trailer is getting very small by the day. Our boys are rising, they’re youngsters and it was purported to be a brief state of affairs,” stated Bartley.
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The St. Maries mom confirmed us a 36-page report carried out by a forensic engineer by her insurance coverage firm, detailing “shoddy workmanship” and a number of defects all through the construction however she stated her insurance coverage declare was denied.
“I feel the quantity of those who have come ahead which have been victimized by him speaks volumes,” stated Bartley.
4 Information Now obtained public information with screenshots of Mammoth Pole Constructing’s web site, displaying Welstad claimed to be bonded in Washington, Idaho and Montana. The web site has since been taken down.
A report filed with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Workplace in January 2022 exhibits Welstad was underneath investigation.
But, a supplemental narrative report written by a detective on Might 6, 2022 says the Prosecutor’s Workplace indicated they had been declining prosecution and described Welstad as “a really poor businessman” however that “his conduct doesn’t rise to violation of Idaho legislation.”
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Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh declined to go on digicam however in an electronic mail between him and greater than 50 others dated June 7, 2022 says Sheriff Norris has assigned a detective to conduct an extra investigation and when that work is completed, “my workplace will evaluate the knowledge and make a charging determination.”
The e-mail chain was began by a realtor from Western Washington, Nathaly Burnett.
Burnett says her retirement property in North Idaho is now in limbo.
She even offered an audio trade between her, her husband and Welstad that she says occurred at Welstad’s workplace in Coeur d’Alene.
Burnett: No, you don’t perceive, this isn’t comfortable with us.
Burnett’s husband: We’re working class stiffs. That’s our retirement.
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Burnett: That’s half of what it’s costing us to place in–
Welstad: Yeah, however I’m jail time if I don’t offer you guys this sh*t again.
Burnett: Precisely.
Burnett believes the present legal guidelines favor contractors greater than customers.
“The contractor can put a lien on your home in the event you don’t pay them but when the contractor doesn’t do the work, you must spend extra money, you must sue them,” Burnett stated.
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Burnett posted her expertise on a Fb web page and says she has personally spoken to almost 55 individuals who declare to have been victimized by Welstad.
She says she plans to start out a non-profit to assist others who fall sufferer to shady contractors and intends to fundraise for Welstad’s neediest victims.
“I wish to see contractors required to place their deposits right into a belief account they usually’re solely allowed to take that cash out after they’re engaged on the constructing,” Burnett stated.
Legal professional Basic Wasden’s settlement says his workplace continues to be taking complaints in Welstad’s case till June 23, which will be filed right here or by calling 208-334-2424
When hiring contractors, the Idaho AG recommends customers to:
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Get contractor referrals from family and friends.
Learn the contractor’s enterprise profile on the BBB’s web site, paying explicit consideration to any unresolved complaints and damaging buyer feedback.
Verify with the Legal professional Basic’s Workplace for complaints and enforcement actions involving the contractor.
Learn shopper feedback posted on-line and on social media.
Get a number of bids for initiatives.
Perceive what info a contractor should disclose underneath Idaho Code § 48-525.
Confirm the contractor has legal responsibility and employee’s compensation insurance coverage.
Acquire a surety bond to cowl potential losses, together with prolonged title insurance coverage and a lien waiver to forestall unwarranted liens.
Use an escrow agent to disburse funds to the contractor as work is accomplished.
Acquire a listing of the subcontractors who offered items and companies for the venture.
Keep watch over the venture’s progress and the work being finished.
Residents in Washington can confirm a contractor right here or file complaints by this hyperlink.
Regardless of our makes an attempt to achieve out to Welstad by textual content, cellphone and e-mail, he has not responded to 4 Information Now on this investigation.
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REXBURG—U.S. Highway 20 Exit 332 for University Boulevard in Rexburg will fully close starting Monday, September 30, for crews to complete final paving and striping operations. Work is not expected to take more than a few days, and the exit will be re-opened as soon as it is completed.
This closure was purposefully scheduled during Madison School District’s harvest break to least affect traffic. Detours include Exit 328 (Thornton), Exit 333 (Main Street) and Exit 337 (North Rexburg). After re-opening next week, construction work at Exit 332 will be minimal and off the roadway.
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Construction does continue at Exit 333, with one lane running in each direction. These projects to create safe and efficient diverging diamond interchanges at both Rexburg exits are still expected to be complete later this fall.
For more information about this project, visit https://itdprojects.idaho.gov/pages/us20rexburg. Drivers can also use the 511 app to see current status on this and other Idaho projects.
NAMPA, Idaho — Nampa had its inaugural Downtown Wine Fest in 2024. I met with people in the wine community to learn how the art is growing in Idaho.
Local wine lounge owner Andrew Medina told us, “I’m starting to see, the last two years, more people popping their heads in, more people walking the streets in Downtown Nampa on 13th Street, on 1st Street.”
Local winery Veer Wine Project opened in 2016 and has grown quickly, opening two locations since the founding of the label in 2016.
“People moving here that know wine because of the industry of the states that they came from.”
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Yet another sign of Nampa’s growth. 2024 marks the city of Nampa’s inaugural Downtown Wine Festival. Just around the corner from Lloyd Square Park is Swirl Wine Shop & Lounge. Andrew Medina opened Swirl nearly three years ago.
“What has the change and growth look like in the patronage look like for you in that time?” I asked.
Medina responded, “I’ve already had a nice following working out at the wineries for the last 10 years. Now I’m starting to see, the last two years, more people popping their heads in, more people walking the streets in Downtown Nampa on 13th Street, on 1st Street. With more businesses opening up you’re just seeing more traffic down here.”
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It’s not just small business doing well in Nampa. Idaho wineries are beginning to make it big. Idaho Wine Commission data shows the number of wineries in the Gem State have grown 25% since 2017 to 65 total wineries. The workforce nearly doubling, and they expect it to continue.
The IWC sent me a message saying, “Most people don’t know that Idaho settlers first planted wine grapes and produced wine here in the 1860s, and today we have more than 65 wineries. The Idaho Wine Commission envisions significant growth in both the number of wineries and the quality of Idaho wines over the next 5 to 10 years. The state’s unique climate, with its high desert conditions and distinct terroir positions Idaho wines to continue standing out in the local and national market.”
Notoriety has been bolstered by consistent awards at local and national wine competitions, positive reviews in prominent wine publications and word-of-mouth from tourists and locals discovering Idaho’s wine industry. The growth of wine tourism in Idaho has further helped elevate the state’s reputation. As more wine lovers visit the state and share their experiences, Idaho wine has steadily built its presence in the market, and its reputation as an emerging wine region continues to gain momentum.”
“This is amazing for a town the size of Nampa to be able to sponsor a prestigious kind of event,” said wine festival guest Kathy Lacina.
Idaho is beginning to put itself on the map with vintners.
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Lacina adds on, “It’s actually starting to make a name for itself. We have begun to have some really outstanding wineries and wine selections.”
And Idaho has the data to back that up. Local winery Veer Wine Project opened in 2016 and has grown quickly.
“It’s been a lot of growth very quickly and then [we] opened the Caldwell tasting room in 2021 and expanded to Garden City just this spring in March we opened there so lots of rapid growth,” Veer Operations Manager Cheyenne Zumstein explained.
“It’s totally changed with the population growth. People moving here that know wine because of the industry of the states that they came from,” Medina concluded.
COEUR D’ALENE — When sheriff’s deputies were called to the northern Idaho home of distraught former state trooper Dan Howard, something didn’t seem right. Howard told investigators he found his wife, Kendy Howard, dead in their bathtub with a gunshot wound to her head.
Howard told police his wife took her own life. There was a gun found in the bathtub, though there were no prints or DNA that connected it to the trooper.
The case will be the focus of “48 Hours” this Saturday in a program entitled ‘The Bathtub Murder of Kendy Howard.’
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“From the beginnings, it looks odd,” Kootenai County sheriff’s detective Jerry Northrup tells correspondent Peter Van Sant.
Deputies on the scene noticed things out of place. A packed duffle bag was ready to go, and a clothes dryer was running full of clean bath towels. Howard also appeared to have recently showered and changed his clothes.
“Dan knows things that most normal people, ordinary people, don’t know,” says retired Kootenai County Sheriff’s Det. Sergeant Ken Lallatin. “Things like killing someone and staging it to look like a suicide.”
Two years after Kendy Howard’s death, Howard was charged with her murder.
“48 Hours” airs Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9-10 p.m. MDT on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
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Watch a preview of the episode in the video player above.
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