Social Issues
Gay marriage opponents closer to qualifying R-74
OLYMPIA -- Opponents of gay marriage said Wednesday that they have reached the number of signatures needed to qualify a proposed referendum seeking to overturn a law legalizing gay marriage in Washington state, and could turn them in to the state as early as next Tuesday, ahead of a June 6...
Date: 05/30/2012 | Northwest
Your kids may not give you kudos, but I will
The other night after my kids finally drifted off to sleep, I watched the series finale of “One Tree Hill.” If you can ignore for the moment that I'm in my 30s and was watching a teen soap drama, then think about this: In the final episode one of the characters received a check in the...
Date: 05/30/2012 | I Brake for Moms
Couple acquitted in 'caged children' case
Associated PressVANCOUVER -- Jurors took just four hours Tuesday to acquit a couple who had been charged with unlawful imprisonment for keeping two young autistic boys in a dark room with a cage-like door.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Northwest
Children permitted at state prison powwows
WALLA WALLA -- Graysun Sherwood lay sprawled across his grandmother's lap, a red Kool-Aid stain ringing his mouth.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Northwest
Film and community talk take on bullying
EVERETT -- The public is invited to the screening of a documentary film and a community talk about bullying set for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave. The event is free.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Local News
Volunteers keep watch over court-appointed guardians
EVERETT -- Robert Bibb retired from the Snohomish Superior Court bench two decades ago, but he keeps coming back to the courthouse.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Local News
Community Extra: Applause
GIVINGEverett Christian School volunteersStudents from Everett Christian School fanned out into their communities May 18 for a Serve-a-Thon.Each class at the school of 98 students took on different projects.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Local News
Try 'carschooling'
Audio books put wasted time in the car to good use
Date: 05/28/2012 | I Brake for Moms
Eating well, exercising saves retirement nest egg
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Ruth H. Clark of Pompano Beach, Fla., is a 95-year-old aerobic wonder, working out seven days a week.But Clark is not just flexing her muscles, she's protecting her retirement nest egg by staying healthy.
Date: 05/27/2012 | Business
What's an American Indian? Warren case stirs query
What, exactly, makes someone American Indian? Even Indians themselves don't agree as they debate the case of Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, whose disputed claim of Native American identity is shining a rare spotlight on the malleable nature of Indian heritage and the long history of murky...
Date: 05/26/2012 | Nation & World
Census snapshot: Monroe
This is one of a series of looks at Snohomish and Island county communities based on data from the U.S. Census of 2010.
Date: 05/26/2012 | Need to Know
Ruling: Calif. pension fund must offer long-term care coverage to same-sex couples
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- In a major case involving gay rights at CalPERS, the nation's largest public pension fund has been ordered to offer its long-term care insurance program to same-sex partners of California workers.
Date: 05/25/2012 | Nation & World
Feds: Sex-trafficking ring used Backpage.com ads
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- A nationwide sex-trafficking ring run by a violent pimp and his associates used Backpage.com to solicit customers for prostitutes as young as age 17, advertising the women as "smokin' hot babes," according to a federal indictment recently unsealed in Iowa.
Date: 05/24/2012 | Nation & World
Brazil Senate committee OKs gay civil unions
BRASILIA, Brazil -- A measure allowing same-sex civil unions passed its first legislative step in Brazil's Congress, where it has lingered for 16 years.
Date: 05/24/2012 | Nation & World
Life jackets set out at county lakes, beaches
LAKE STEVENS -- Snohomish County's free life jacket loaner program starts back up on Friday.Life jackets will be available for day use by swimmers and boaters, kids and adults, at cabinets around the county's popular waterways, officials said.
Date: 05/24/2012 | Local News
Watch Monroe firefighter attempt record run
MONROE -- People are invited to watch a Snohomish County firefighter aim to beat a world record next week.Fire District 1 firefighter Tony Robinson, 44, of Monroe, is a lifelong runner.About seven years ago, he started doing one-mile runs in full firefighting gear, he said.
Date: 05/24/2012 | Local News
Illegal immigrants arrested in phony UPS van
NILAND, Calif. -- It was a special delivery indeed -- 13 suspected illegal immigrants from Mexico stuffed in a phony UPS van.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Nation & World
Obama team trumpets new polling on gay marriage
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is beginning to express some confidence that the president's historic, yet politically risky, embrace of gay marriage may not hurt him in the November election.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Nation & World
Investigation launched into veterans charity
HELENA, Mont. -- U.S. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana said Wednesday that the legislative finance committee that he chairs is launching an investigation into a charity it suspects may be exploiting veterans.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Nation & World
5 western states shielding part of executions
BOISE, Idaho -- A U.S. appeals court ruled in 2002 that every aspect of an execution should be open to witnesses, from the moment the condemned enters the death chamber to his or her final heartbeat.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Northwest
Scientist shares expertise with Puget Sound pollution
If you want a good idea of what kinds of pollution are lurking in Puget Sound, and whether to worry about them, talking to Lincoln Loehr would be a good place to start.
Date: 05/22/2012 | Local News
No proof of benefits of attachment parenting
The cover story in last week's Time Magazine is all about "why attachment parenting drives some mothers to extremes, and how Dr. Bill Sears became their guru."
Date: 05/21/2012 | Life
Ruling sought on split of military benefits in divorce
A disabled veteran has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider anew whether states violate federal law when they allow divorce courts to count a veteran's disability compensation in calculating spousal support.
Date: 05/21/2012 | Business
Attachment parenting
There's nothing trendy about child-rearing method
Date: 05/20/2012 | Local News
NAACP backs same-sex marriage as civil right
MIAMI -- The NAACP passed a resolution Saturday endorsing same-sex marriage as a civil right and opposing any efforts "to codify discrimination or hatred into the law."
Date: 05/19/2012 | Nation & World
Blind Chinese activist who fled house arrest arrives in U.S.
NEWARK, N.J. — A blind Chinese legal activist who was suddenly allowed to leave the country arrived in the U.S. on Saturday, ending a nearly monthlong diplomatic tussle that had tested U.S.-China relations.
Date: 05/19/2012 | Nation & World
Renewed life, renewed vows
Essay about husband’s cancer fight wins second trip down aisle
Date: 05/19/2012 | Local News
Everett church is new home for alcohol-free dance club
EVERETT -- It's been almost two years since Coyle Jefferson set out to create an alcohol-free dance club in Snohomish County. Saturday night,the 449 Club he envisioned will hold its first dance at a new home, Everett's
Date: 05/19/2012 | Local News
Front Porch: Lots of Masons, Sophias around
Top baby namesMason, Liam, Alexander, Jacob and Ethan for boys.Sophia, Olivia, Emma, Isabella and Emily for girls.
Date: 05/19/2012 | Local News
Man sentenced to 45 years for shooting death
EVERETT -- Brian Jones was executed and left to die in a cluttered south Everett apartment. His methamphetamine addiction led him to the apartment that morning on Jan. 2, 2011. It also put him in the path of Joshua Monson, an armed and violent meth addict.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Local News
Jury seated for couple accused of locking up boys
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A jury has been seated for the trial of a Vancouver couple accused of locking up two young autistic boys in a dark room.The Columbian reported that opening statements are expected Monday in the Clark County Superior Court case.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Northwest
A fire crew of neighbors
On Hat Island, firefighters volunteer for the love of it
Date: 05/18/2012 | Local News
New state law helps with immunization compliance
A state law that makes it tougher for parents to opt out of having their kids receive the immunizations required to attend school seems to have had an effect.Exemption rates have dropped significantly since the law was passed last year, according to the state Department of Health.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Local News
Amid evidence cache in Trayvon case, questions nag
ORLANDO, Fla. — Prosecutors in the Trayvon Martin case dumped a mountain of evidence on the public this week. In many criminal cases, that would bring clarity, start answering the basic questions.
Date: 05/17/2012 | Nation & World
Boy, 3, missing from Fircrest home; younger sibling hurt
FIRCREST -- Police are searching for a 3-year-old Fircrest boy after his 18-month-old brother was found severely beaten inside an apartment.
Date: 05/17/2012 | Northwest
Yakama tribal jail focuses on rehabilitation
TOPPENISH -- The focus of a new Yakama tribal jail in Toppenish is rehabilitation.It includes classrooms where inmates can study.Chief of Corrections Gene Fenton told KIMA that it will also hold juvenile offenders who previously have been sent to Spokane.
Date: 05/17/2012 | Northwest
Census: Minorities surpass whites in U.S. births
WASHINGTON — For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S., capping decades of heady immigration growth that is now slowing.
Date: 05/16/2012 | Nation & World
Paralyzed woman controls robot with her mind
NEW YORK -- Using only her thoughts, a woman paralyzed for 15 years directed a robotic arm to pick up a bottle of coffee and bring it to her lips, researchers report in the latest advance in harnessing brain waves to help disabled people.
Date: 05/17/2012 | Nation & World
Jackson High students organize food bank
MILL CREEK -- Hunger is a problem high school students often try to hide, especially when they live in Mill Creek.It's a community with a reputation for affluence, better known for its country club than its low-income housing.
Date: 05/17/2012 | Local News
Driving with kids, it's one block at a time
In a rare incidence of crooked parking, my husband was backing out and reparking our SUV at the Old Spaghetti Factory last night when our 2-year-old daughter piped up from the back seat: “Mommy does this all the time.”
Date: 05/16/2012 | I Brake for Moms
Welcome to 'I Brake for Moms'
My name is Jennifer Bardsley and I am one of those awful Californians you hear about who sells their itty-bitty condo near San Francisco and buys a beautiful house in Edmonds. But it's OK to still like me because #1) I'm really nice, and because #2) my husband has roots in Edmonds that run five...
Date: 05/16/2012 | I Brake for Moms
Shop aids Habitat for Humanity's home building
Sinks and dishwashers, hardwood furniture, picture frames and toilets, too.
Date: 05/16/2012 | Local News
Facebook is a passing fad, say half of Americans polled
Half of Americans think Facebook is a passing fad, according to the results of a new Associated Press-CNBC poll. And, in the run-up to the social network's initial public offering of stock, half of Americans also say the social network's expected asking price is too high.
Date: 05/16/2012 | Business
31 students earn scholarships
The Rotary Club of Everett hands out $161,500 in awards
Date: 05/16/2012 | Local News
Guatemala: U.S. refuses to return adopted girl
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala -- The U.S. government has told Guatemala it won't return a girl adopted in 2008 after allegedly being snatched from her Guatemalan mother, because the two countries had not signed the Hague Abduction Convention at the time of the kidnapping, a Guatemalan official said...
Date: 05/15/2012 | Nation & World
Front Porch: Adopt A Stream eagle show
The Adopt A Stream Foundation plans to host a show about eagles at 11 a.m. Saturday, featuring a large bald eagle named Freedom.
Date: 05/15/2012 | Local News
Caregiver classes: You are not alone
Caring for a loved one at home is tough.The task is often full of challenges, and caregivers can feel isolated, experts say.That's one reason why "Powerful Tools for Caregiving," classes offered at the Camano Center, can be a good idea for caregivers.
Date: 05/15/2012 | Life
Community Extra: Applause
GIVINGVolunteers plant a garden for food bank
Date: 05/15/2012 | Local News
Police raid Occupy camp on UC Berkeley land
ALBANY, Calif. -- University of California police raided a four-week Occupy encampment at a college-owned farm used for agriculture research early Monday, arresting nine people after protesters ignored yet another weekend deadline to leave.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Nation & World
Gov.: Rhode Island recognizing out-of-state gay marriages
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island's governor on Monday declared that the state will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, giving gay couples the same rights as heterosexual ones when it comes to health insurance and a slew of other benefits.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Nation & World
GOP kills civil unions in Colorado special session
DENVER -- A last-ditch effort by Colorado's governor to give gay couples in the state rights similar to married couples failed Monday after Republicans rejected the proposal during a special legislative session.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Nation & World
Police seek help locating missing Monroe man
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office is asking for help finding a Monroe-area man who has been missing for more than a week.David B. Savage, 57, left his home around noon May 6 to run errands. His family reported that he did not make it to any of his planned destinations.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Local News
American Indian women seek protections from abuse
WASHINGTON -- Diane Millich's ex-husband was never arrested for any of the more than 100 times he slapped, kicked or punched her before showing up at her Colorado workplace and firing a 9 mm pistol, wounding the co-worker who pushed her out of the way.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Nation & World
Children at play find body in Spokane
SPOKANE -- Police say children playing in a wooded area found a decomposing body Sunday in a wooded area in Spokane.Police said detectives were processing the scene overnight and into Monday morning.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Northwest
1 in 3 with autism lack jobs
CHICAGO -- One in 3 young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical school nearly seven years after high school graduation, a study finds. That's a poorer showing than those with other disabilities including those who are mentally disabled, the researchers said.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Nation & World
Yoga ideal activity for tweens
Question: Your tween daughter is begging to take a weekly yoga class with her friends. Should you steer her toward a sport instead?
Date: 05/14/2012 | Life
Teens find possible 900-year-old Indian artifact
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A group of New Mexico seventh-graders have found could be a significant archaeological discovery.
Date: 05/13/2012 | Nation & World
Milestones a time to reflect on mothers, families
On Mother's Day 1983 -- it was May 8 that year -- I was a new mom. I stood up in church holding our baby girl. She was dressed in a handmade christening gown.
Date: 05/13/2012 | Local News
Census snapshot: Arlington
This is one of a series of looks at Snohomish and Island county communities based on data from the U.S. Census of 2010.Historically a timber and railroad town, Arlington is situated 10 miles north of Everett.
Date: 05/13/2012 | Need to Know
A festival of caring
County churches gather for a day of volunteer work
Date: 05/12/2012 | Local News
Windows' screens aren't enough to prevent a fall
EVERETT -- Highs in the upper 70s are predicted for the weekend, prompting Snohomish County health and safety experts to remind parents to safeguard children around windows.
Date: 05/12/2012 | Local News
Lots to do this spring for nature lovers
Interpretive walks, Monte Cristo stewards, Weed Watchers, campground openings and hot property are samples of what's happening this spring in the outdoors.
Date: 05/12/2012 | Life
With no cell service; stuck elderly couple dies
ANDES, N.Y. -- An elderly Manhattan couple whose car became stuck near their wooded Catskills vacation home died after nine fruitless attempts to make a cellphone call for help and after the woman searched in vain for a neighbor.
Date: 05/11/2012 | Nation & World
Snohomish parents keep 550 students from test
SNOHOMISH -- More than 550 Snohomish School District students did not take state exams in the past two weeks, a revolt staged by parents who question whether the tests are worth the money. The parents also hoped to get the...
Date: 05/11/2012 | Local News
Letter carriers still driven to stamp out hunger
Saturday's forecast is sunny, but there are clouds of uncertainty for postal workers about to do a good deed on the job.
Date: 05/11/2012 | Local News
Romney denies targeting classmates for being gay
WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney apologized Thursday for "stupid" high school pranks that may have gone too far and moved quickly to stamp out any notion that he bullied schoolmates because they were gay. His swift response reflected the Republican presidential candidate's recognition that his record...
Date: 05/10/2012 | Nation & World
Franklin Graham: Obama is shaking his fist at God
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In another provocative comment aimed at Barack Obama, evangelist Franklin Graham on Thursday accused the president of having "shaken his fist" at God by changing his position on same-sex marriage.
Date: 05/10/2012 | Nation & World
Call for Social Security, Medicare changes to figure in elections
WASHINGTON -- Republicans are taking a bold political gamble by pushing historic changes in Medicare and Social Security.The popular programs, designed primarily to provide health care coverage and income security for seniors, have been politically untouchable for decades.
Date: 05/10/2012 | Nation & World
Analysis: President takes big risk in election year
President Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage is an election-year boost to his liberal base that comes with some risks.
Date: 05/09/2012 | Nation & World
Gay marriage opponents closer to qualifying R-74
OLYMPIA -- Opponents of gay marriage said Wednesday they have more than half of the signatures they need to qualify a proposed referendum seeking to overturn a law legalizing gay marriage in Washington state.
Date: 05/09/2012 | Northwest
Calif. may ban gay teen 'conversion'
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A first-of-its-kind ban on a controversial form of psychotherapy aimed at making gay people straight is speeding through the California statehouse.
Date: 05/08/2012 | Nation & World
Building a better future
Program teaches jobs skills, helps students earn a GED
Date: 05/08/2012 | Local News
Tailor your parenting style to child's personality traits
It's a concept that parents may not be familiar with, but experts say it can explain a lot about family conflicts: Is your child's temperament a good "fit" with yours?
Date: 05/08/2012 | Life
Judge tosses child porn count against Steve Powell
TACOMA -- A judge dismissed a child pornography charge against Steve Powell, the father-in-law of missing Utah mother Susan Powell, as his trial began with jury selection Monday.
Date: 05/07/2012 | Northwest
Body found in Long Lake may be missing airman
SPOKANE -- Officials are trying to identify a body found in Long Lake and determine whether it's the Fairchild airman who disappeared March 31 when he attempted to canoe in the fast-moving Spokane River.
Date: 05/07/2012 | Northwest
Ousted judges, ambassador get JFK award
BOSTON -- President John F. Kennedy's only surviving child is celebrating what would have been his 95th birthday this month by honoring three Iowa judges who were ousted after the court unanimously decided to legalize same-sex marriages.
Date: 05/07/2012 | Nation & World
A charitable seat
Auction of artistic chairs will support fund that aids new renters
Date: 05/06/2012 | Local News
Obama dives into campaign, rips into Romney (video)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Plunging into his campaign for a new term, President Barack Obama tore into Mitt Romney on Saturday as a willing and eager "rubber stamp" for conservative Republicans in Congress and an agenda to cut taxes for the rich, reduce spending on education and Medicare and enhance power...
Date: 05/05/2012 | Nation & World
Medical marijuana prices plunge in California
ARCATA, Calif. -- The pot market is crashing in California's legendary Emerald Triangle.
Date: 05/05/2012 | Nation & World
State Patrol to teens: Texting, driving don’t mix
EVERETT --The season of teenage freedom is ahead, and that means more young drivers will be on the road.The Washington State Patrol wants to remind young folks and their families about the dangers of texting while driving, Sgt. Kirk Rudeen said.
Date: 05/05/2012 | Local News
Secret Service hooker says agents were 'fools' (video)
BOGOTA, Colombia — A woman who says she was the prostitute who triggered the U.S. Secret Service scandal in Colombia said Friday that the agents involved were "idiots" for letting it happen, and declared that if she were a spy and sensitive information was available, she could have easily...
Date: 05/04/2012 | Nation & World
UN completes study of Native American rights
WASHINGTON — A United Nations fact finder surveying the lives of Native Americans and Alaska Natives said Friday he'll recommend in an upcoming report that some of the tribes' lands be restored, including the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Date: 05/04/2012 | Nation & World
Teen girls are using better birth control
ATLANTA -- More teen girls now use the best kinds of birth control, a new government study says.About 60 percent of teen girls who have sex use the most effective kinds of contraception, including the pill and patch.
Date: 05/04/2012 | Nation & World
Indian tribe reclaims ancient pot donated to Goodwill
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An Oklahoma Indian tribe is reclaiming what's believed to be ancient pottery that was dropped off at a Goodwill Industries donation trailer in western New York.
Date: 05/03/2012 | Nation & World
Six months since Bellevue boy disappeared
BELLEVUE -- It will be six months on Sunday since 2-year-old Sky Metalwala was reported missing in Bellevue.His father is still hoping someone will come forward with a tip that could bring him home.
Date: 05/03/2012 | Northwest
Occupy Everett has new mission
EVERETT -- It started with evening councils under streetlights and tents pitched on the grass at the Snohomish County Courthouse.Eight months later, Occupy Everett still maintains one tent near the courthouse -- although no one permanently occupies it.
Date: 05/03/2012 | Local News
Without a will, your family has no way to avoid chaos
My brother Ross recently died of complications from lung cancer. He was 40.Ross left a wonderful personal legacy. He was a good father, friend and coach. He was a dedicated educator who devoted his career to working with children with emotional, developmental and physical disabilities.
Date: 05/03/2012 | Business
107 charged in $452 million Medicare fraud
MIAMI — Federal authorities charged 107 doctors, nurses and social workers in seven cities with Medicare fraud Wednesday in a nationwide crackdown on unrelated scams that allegedly billed the taxpayer-funded program of $452 million — the highest dollar amount in a single Medicare bust...
Date: 05/02/2012 | Nation & World
Social Security starts providing online statements
WASHINGTON -- The Social Security Administration is now providing workers with online statements of the estimated benefits they will get when they retire, replacing the paper ones the agency used to mail out.
Date: 05/02/2012 | Business
Duvall farm fined $1M for hiring illegal immigrants
SEATTLE -- A Washington state organic herb farm must pay $1 million for firing, then rehiring illegal immigrants following a federal audit.
Date: 05/01/2012 | Northwest
Lawyer: Caretaker sent retirement money to men
KETTLE FALLS -- A caretaker charged with stealing nearly $1 million from the retirement account of a 106-year-old Kettle Falls woman found living in squalor last year wired much of the money to men he met online, a lawyer said.
Date: 05/01/2012 | Northwest
Community Extra: Applause
GivingForest volunteers build parking lotVisitors to the Trillium Community Forest this week can park their vehicles on a new parking lot.The new 14-vehicle lot replaces a four-vehicle parking area and will be available for public use during daylight hours.
Date: 05/01/2012 | Local News
Teddy bears for Ghana
Kamiak student recognized for his student-run charity
Date: 05/01/2012 | Local News
What parents should do when kids don't tell the truth
Question: Your 10-year-old lies. A lot. Is this normal?Answer: Normal? Extremely. A little annoying? Yep. Fixable? Totally.
Date: 05/01/2012 | Life
No reservations about traveling with no reservations
I like a getaway. The problem that I kept running into is that with all the online deals, recommendations, customer feedback, I found myself ending up in all the wrong places.
Date: 05/01/2012 | Life
Shake, rattle and goo: Take your baby dancing
Toddlers, waddlers and wee creepers can exercise those rhythmic little legs in the Everett Parks Department's dance, music and movement classes.Instructor Laura Harris teaches the dance classes designed to develop the tots' motor skills and coordination and promote parent-child bonding.
Date: 04/30/2012 | Life
Tribal group gets ancestral lands in California
SAN FRANCISCO -- A Northern California Native American group is getting its ancestral land back.
Date: 04/29/2012 | Nation & World
20 years after L.A. riots, some tensions ease
Henry Keith Watson remembers April 29, 1992, as if it happened just last week. History won't allow him to forget it.
Date: 04/29/2012 | Nation & World
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