Results tagged “piercecounty”

A new corrections officer in Pierce County has been charged with second degree assault for freaking out on the road in Burien and pulling a gun on some civilians. It wasn't an official Department of Corrections gun; the man was carrying his own weapon, which he pointed at a couple (and their kid!) when their existence on the road pissed him off. So soon after watching the horrifying footage of the BART shooting in California earlier this month, we have zero tolerance for cops gone wacko. Corrections officers especially need to be able to keep cool, fair and calm, on the road or on the job; people's lives and the reputation of the local corrections system depend on it. And after reporting on thousands of lay-offs in the region, it's frustrating to hear about "paid administrative leave" for the officer who had what sounds like an psychotic break. Get that man out of the force and into heavy-duty therapy, and make him pay for it himself. Bah.

The summer fire safety burn-ban will be lifted in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Mason Counties at 8 a.m. this Friday. According to local fire marshalls, the ban is being lifted because area forests have enough moisture to "considerably reduce the risk of fire." That means if you've been partaking in President Bush's one-time favorite summer vacation activity--clearing brush down on the ranch in Crawford--you are now free to burn that brush bonfire style. But no tossing tires, dead animals, plastics or other waste into your fires. Happy and safe burning folks!

• Capitol Hill Seattle has found the answer to the "graffiti problem"--passive aggressive semi-anonymous notes. Because passive aggressiveness has worked so well at solving everything else in Seattle.
• If you like mojitos as much as we do, you might be tempted by this Belltowner post. Apparently, the failed Mojito Cafe is selling their big neon sign on Craigslist.
• Lights & Sirens brings us the sad and disturbing story of a Tacoma woman who is reportedly suing the city of Tacoma, Pierce County, and a retired Tacoma police officer, after videos of her sexual abuse were found in the disgraced officer's private collection. The officer, who illegally kept the video of her abuse, has recently been sent to jail for first-degree child rape.

Not only will you be voting for a new president in November (finally!), but a few new measures have been added to the local ballot.

The Tacoma soldier who is accused of killing a fellow army couple and kidnapping their infant has been transferred to the custody of the United States Army. The Army will prosecute Specialist Ivette Gonzalez Davila for the murders of Army medics Timothy and Randi Miller, who were doused in acid after being shot. Davila was transferred yesterday from Pierce County Jail to the brig at Bangor's sub base. The Army is expected to charge Davila with the Millers' murders within the next 48 hours.

WSF is still dead to us, but Governor Gregoire could make our "holiday card" list if she keeps it up. First the viaduct course correction, now she's scrounged up $100 million to pay for three new ferries. Budget, schmudget! She's all action! Plus, the Port Townsenders, come January, will be reunited with their cars on ferry trips, says the P-I:

Pierce County has agreed to loan one of its boats to the Washington State Ferries, beginning in January, to resume car service between Keystone and Port Townsend.

No. But that doesn't make this factoid from a political campaign article in today's any less disturbing:

Seattlest just got done attending the press conference for the re-opening of the Downtown Bus Tunnel. After two years of work, it's set to reopen next Monday. That's exactly two years (as King County Exec. Ron Sims was fond of repeating over and over today) after it closed. We have to say, we're pretty impressed with what they've done.

Some people like going to the Eatonville Pioneer Farm Museum to see the genuine 1880s cabin. For others, it's the chance to participate in the craft instructions or walk the nature trail.

We're not sure if some airborne lead has made its way into the Tacoma aroma, or if the apocalypse is coming, but this must be a sign of one or the other:

The police log entry said it all: "Deceased fawn was dressed up like an infant and abandoned at the Pantages" Theater.

Continue reading "Someone in Tacoma is...Well, Let's Just Say They're Five Runs Short of a Jeff Weaver Start"

--The L.A. Clippers signed former Husky Will Conroy, late of Memphis, to a 10-day contract. The Clippers play in Seattle tomorrow Thursday night.

In non-holiday tree related Port news, all of the Seattle-Tacoma International Taxicab Association (STITA) taxis will run on compressed natural gas by this summer (the press release says "Aug. 31, 2006" but we're guessing they meant 2007). In fact all of the sedan-style STITA cabs already burn natural gas. The Port had to hunt around for sedans that use the alternative fuel, and purchased a bunch from California fleets that were retiring the cars. Ford stopped making CNG Crown Victorias in 2004 ("Who Killed The Compressed Natural Gas Car?"), but there are companies out there that convert standard petroleum cars to CNG.

Ikea is planning a monstrous warehouse and distribution center near the port of Tacoma to handle incoming freight, indicating that the company is confident that every new condominium development built in Seattle requires forty or fifty Billy book and CD shelves from Asia. The first step is an 840,000+ square foot facility in unincorporated Pierce County which should be completed by 2008. Another 220,000 square feet will be added after that's completed. One hundred and fifty Pierce County residents will be hired to man the facility.

Thirteen teams turned out for Seattlest trivia last night at the Old Pequliar. Want to see how you'd do? Here are all the questions. We'll post answers later today, along with a list of team standings and anything else interesting we find to say about the event.

-Green Tortoise Hostel's time is up. Who won the dead pool on that block going condo?

Brown Bear Car Wash is so happy that media and public attention has helped them retrieve 25 of more than 40 bear statues stolen from its Fife location that it's washing cars for free today at these 19 drive-thru locations:

Festival season is starting, and that's Seattlest's favorite time of year. Elephant ears, funnel cakes, deep fried twinkies, strawberry shortcake, and any number of more savory foods abound, and then there's whatever the festival is actually celebrating. Our neighbors to the south in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting are having their annual Daffodil Festival this weekend, which looks to provide an interesting mix of activities outside of the flower-gazing.

-Smith Tower, Seattle icon and Seattlest logo participant, was sold today for $44M by the Samis Foundation to a Chicago investment group.

-The two high school kids who were killed by a train this week in Pierce County were apparently listening to a boom box when they were struck in the back. Man, that thing must go to eleven...

Did you know there was passenger ferry service from Kingston to Seattle (and vice versa, of course)? Apparently not enough of you did, or cared, because the private passenger-only ferry service provided by Aqua Express will have a big "Out of Order" sign on it as of October 1 (last day of service is September 30). It was carrying only half the projected ridership, and that combined with ever-rising fuel costs, made it a harder sell when compared to the Washington State Ferry, which doesn't charge on the eastbound routes.

Seattle smokers are breathing a little, uh, easier, today after the state Supreme Court struck down a Pierce County smoking ban, stating that banning smoking from Pierce County bars, restaurants, and casinos is in conflict with state law.

Election stories are sill finding the front page one week after the election- What? Oh. It's a month later and- Are you kidding me? The year is 2005 and the dalies are still paying homage to our electoral process in the form of front page stories. I'm sure they're very proud of this reporting legwork, but there have got to be some reporters getting dog tired of this material.