Published: Thursday, September 3, 2009
Northwest Briefly: Judge rejects R-71 challenge; new suit expected
SEATTLE — Secretary of State Sam Reed may have accepted tens of thousands of invalid signatures before he certified a November referendum on expanding domestic partnership benefits, a King County judge said Wednesday.
But state law requires that any challenge to Reed’s decision be brought in Thurston County, where the state capitol in Olympia is, King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector said in rejecting a lawsuit that sought to block Referendum 71 from the ballot.
Supporters of expanded legal benefits for gay couples said they’d file a new lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court on Thursday — the same day a federal judge in Tacoma was scheduled to hear arguments over whether the R-71 signature petitions should be made public.
Man charged in gunfire that closed I-5 in Seattle
A 31-year-old man has been charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a firearm after gunshots forced police to close I-5 in North Seattle on Friday night.
Authorities arrested Richard Blake at the scene of the shooting near North Seattle Community College after witnesses and police saw illuminated tracer bullets streak across the sky. They say they found him with an AK-47-style rifle, and he’s not allowed to possess firearms because he’s a felon.
King County prosecutors filed the charges Wednesday, and said they could file additional charges if they learn more about Blake’s motives, but at this point they have no information that he was specifically targeting anyone.
If convicted, Blake faces up to 27 months on the weapons charge, which is a felony, and up to a year for reckless endangerment, which is a misdemeanor.
County libraries open during Seattle closure
The King County Library System wants to remind people that while Seattle city libraries are closed this week, there’s plenty of room at the county branches.
Library Director Bill Ptacek said he was at the branch in suburban Burien last night, and business was slower than usual. He said people may mistakenly think that Seattle’s closure also is affecting the county system.
The King County library, with more than 40 branches, is entirely separate from the Seattle Public Library. The city’s libraries are shut until Tuesday to help meet city budget cuts.
Richland: Shot fired during border training
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is investigating the accidental discharge of a pistol during a class on international border protection.
The class was being taught to 23 people from Tajikistan as part of a U.S. State Department program offered to help prevent smuggling of weapons of mass destruction. During one session, students were shown firearms and allowed to handle them to see how they might be concealed.
Laboratory spokeswoman Staci West says a .45-caliber pistol, believed to be empty, discharged when the student handled it Friday. The bullet ricocheted off a table, into a ceiling tile. No one was hurt.
Vancouver, Wash.: Alligator on the loose
Clark County animal control officers have baited a trap with raw chicken and hamburger, trying to catch a 2-foot-long alligator in Salmon Creek.
Officer Trisha Kraff told The Vancouver Columbian the abandoned pet has been in the creek at least a week. But if it is not caught soon it likely won’t survive the coming colder weather.
Associated Press
But state law requires that any challenge to Reed’s decision be brought in Thurston County, where the state capitol in Olympia is, King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector said in rejecting a lawsuit that sought to block Referendum 71 from the ballot.
Supporters of expanded legal benefits for gay couples said they’d file a new lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court on Thursday — the same day a federal judge in Tacoma was scheduled to hear arguments over whether the R-71 signature petitions should be made public.
Man charged in gunfire that closed I-5 in Seattle
A 31-year-old man has been charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a firearm after gunshots forced police to close I-5 in North Seattle on Friday night.
Authorities arrested Richard Blake at the scene of the shooting near North Seattle Community College after witnesses and police saw illuminated tracer bullets streak across the sky. They say they found him with an AK-47-style rifle, and he’s not allowed to possess firearms because he’s a felon.
King County prosecutors filed the charges Wednesday, and said they could file additional charges if they learn more about Blake’s motives, but at this point they have no information that he was specifically targeting anyone.
If convicted, Blake faces up to 27 months on the weapons charge, which is a felony, and up to a year for reckless endangerment, which is a misdemeanor.
County libraries open during Seattle closure
The King County Library System wants to remind people that while Seattle city libraries are closed this week, there’s plenty of room at the county branches.
Library Director Bill Ptacek said he was at the branch in suburban Burien last night, and business was slower than usual. He said people may mistakenly think that Seattle’s closure also is affecting the county system.
The King County library, with more than 40 branches, is entirely separate from the Seattle Public Library. The city’s libraries are shut until Tuesday to help meet city budget cuts.
Richland: Shot fired during border training
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is investigating the accidental discharge of a pistol during a class on international border protection.
The class was being taught to 23 people from Tajikistan as part of a U.S. State Department program offered to help prevent smuggling of weapons of mass destruction. During one session, students were shown firearms and allowed to handle them to see how they might be concealed.
Laboratory spokeswoman Staci West says a .45-caliber pistol, believed to be empty, discharged when the student handled it Friday. The bullet ricocheted off a table, into a ceiling tile. No one was hurt.
Vancouver, Wash.: Alligator on the loose
Clark County animal control officers have baited a trap with raw chicken and hamburger, trying to catch a 2-foot-long alligator in Salmon Creek.
Officer Trisha Kraff told The Vancouver Columbian the abandoned pet has been in the creek at least a week. But if it is not caught soon it likely won’t survive the coming colder weather.
Associated Press
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