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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Saturday, July 4, 2009 Northwest briefly Testimony may help Knox's case ROME -- News reports say a police official and defense consultant has testified in the murder trial of a U.S. student in Italy that no break-in was staged in the apartment where a Briton was slain in 2007. The testimony casts doubt on a key prosecution argument. Prosecutors say Amanda Knox and co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito killed Knox's roommate, Meredith Kercher, and then broke one of the apartment's windows from the inside to stage a burglary. A stone was found in one of the bedrooms, with shattered glass on the floor. The ANSA news agency said Francesco Pasquali testified Friday in Perugia, central Italy that the window was broken from the outside. Connell: Inmate in coma after fight The sister of a Coyote Ridge prison inmate says he lost his left eye and remains in a coma after a beating at the prison in Connell. Laurie Ingram of Pasco told The Tri-City Herald that 45-year-old Scott William McDonald underwent seven hours of surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The hospital reports him in serious condition Friday. His cell mate, 32-year-old Kenneth Smith, is accused of beating him with a smudge pot in a pillowcase. A smudge pot is used in some religious ceremonies to burn incense or sage. Smith was sentenced in 1996 in Snohomish County to a 26-year term for assault. Seattle: Man dies in King County Jail An inmate has died in the King County Jail in Seattle. The jail says guards found the man at 2:26 a.m. Friday during a routine security check and efforts to revive him failed. The inmate had been booked into jail Oct. 29. The King County medical examiner's office will conduct an autopsy. Officials are seeking the family's permission to release details of his medical history. Olympia: Amtrak to add B.C. train A second daily Amtrak train will operate between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., through the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Washington Transportation Department said Friday the Canadian government approved the second train as a pilot project that will be evaluated after the February games to determine if it will continue. Service could begin as soon as August. Cascades trains connecting Eugene, Ore., Portland, Ore., Seattle, Bellingham and Vancouver, B.C., are operated by Amtrak in partnership with the Washington and Oregon transportation departments. Associated Press Muzzle the cannon fire on the Fourth The state fire marshal's office says forget about firing homemade cannons to celebrate the Fourth of July. They're not safe. An explosion the last Fourth in Rochester injured two people, and an explosion on July 4, 2007, in Littlerock, caused a fatal injury. Another cannon explosion caused an injury in October 2006 in Snohomish. Deputy Fire Marshal Karen Jones told Aberdeen station KXRO those accidents should serve as a reminder to people that homemade cannons are not to be taken lightly. Associated Press READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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