Northwest Briefly: King County reports swine flu death

Published 11:59 pm Thursday, October 15, 2009

SEATTLE — King County has had its first swine flu death of this flu season. Public Health-Seattle and King County says a man in his 20s died Wednesday from complications of H1N1 influenza and his underlying health conditions. That brings to four the number of deaths in the county blamed on swine flu. From April 25 through Oct. 2, 82 people in the county were hospitalized with swine flu, and three of those people died. Public health spokesman Matias Valenzuela says that because of privacy rules, the agency is not releasing further information on the man, including what his other health conditions were.

Edmonton seeking police cadets

Police recruiters from Edmonton, Alberta, are in Seattle this week trying to sign up cadets.

One of the frequently asked questions Wednesday was, Where is Edmonton? Some would-be applicants get the Canadian city confused with the Seattle suburb of Edmonds. Constable Keane Block told The Seattle Times he tells them it’s just north of Montana and has the West Edmonton Mall, which has 800 stores. Keane and Constable Tina Klenke are handing out applications. Those passing the written test will have to go to Edmonton for the physical. Starting pay is $50,000 Canadian a year, about $48,500 U.S.

New weather station watches for big rain

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is installing a mobile weather station at Westport to help forecast heavy rain in the area between the southern Olympic Mountains and Chehalis. Weather Service meteorologist Brad Colman in Seattle said the the “precipitation profiling radar” looks straight up to watch for intense rainstorms known as the Pineapple Express. If funding becomes available, Colman told The Seattle Times the Weather Service would like to install two more such observatories to help predict heavy rain in the Green River watershed. There’s an increased risk of flooding in the Green River Valley because the weakened Howard Hanson Dam cannot hold back a full reservoir.

$2.9 million in aid for agriculture

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Washington will receive $2.9 million in federal aid to promote and market the state’s specialty crops. Murray said Thursday that the money from a Department of Agriculture grant program will help growers of such crops as sweet cherries, apples, raspberries and Concord grapes. Washington’s share is among the largest of the $49 million in grant money distributed nationally under the USDA program.

Supreme Court says man deserved hearing in code enforcement

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that a Tacoma property owner was entitled to a hearing before being fined for code violations. The 7-2 ruling Thursday reverses decisions in Pierce County Superior Court and the state Court of Appeals in the case of Paul Post. He was fined after 24 of his properties were repeatedly found to violate city ordinances. Post made some repairs and claims he paid more than $140,000 in fines before challenging the city on due-process grounds in 2005.

Tacoma’s building code allows an appeal hearing only on the first violation notice and the first civil penalty. The lower courts ruled that Post’s appeal was barred under the state’s Land Use Petition Act, but the Supreme Court ruled that code enforcement falls outside the law’s provisions.

Aberdeen: Cobain concert sells out

All 1,200 tickets have sold out for Saturday’s Lounge Acts Concert in Aberdeen. KXRO radio reports the event is sponsored by the Kurt Cobain Memorial Foundation and funds will go towards a youth center built in memory of Aberdeen’s most famous musician. The concert at the landmark D and R Theater will feature the groups Candlebox, Before Cars, Godfed Static and Audrey’s On Fire.

Anacortes: Fire burns trestle converted to trail

A fire has heavily damaged a former railroad trestle that was converted into a footbridge across Fidalgo Bay in Anacortes. Anacortes Fire Department Assistant Chief Dan Harju said more than 200 feet of the Tommy Thompson trestle burned Thursday afternoon. The Skagit Valley Herald reported that flames were knocked down by late afternoon and crews were putting out a containment boom to hold back debris and contaminates. The cause of the fire on the 2,000-foot-long trestle was not immediately known.

Kent: Free sandbags handed out

The cities of Kent and Auburn are handing out free sandbags to residents, urging them to protect their property from flooding. Up to 100 bags per household are being distributed Thursday at Kent’s city operations facility. Residents have to fill them themselves with sand at five “filling stations” in the city.

Auburn is limiting residents to 30 bags per trip at two locations and providing tools and sand. Officials have been warning residents along the Green River to protect their homes because of a 1-in-3 chance of flooding this winter. The Corps of Engineers said the weakened Howard Hanson Dam will be unable to hold a full reservoir during a heavy rain.

Sammamish: Upset woman drowns

The King County Sheriff’s Office said a woman who was upset after arguing with her husband walked into Beaver Lake near Sammamish and went under water. She did not know how to swim. Divers recovered her body. Sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart told KOMO-TV the Wednesday night death is believed to be accidental.

Spokane: Three die of likely swine flu

Three Spokane County residents have recently died from complications linked to Influenza A, and health officials say they are likely victims of the swine flu. The dead include a man in his 40s, a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 60s. None of three had any known underlying health problems. Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Joel McCullough said the deaths show the flu virus can have very serious consequences. He said people in high risk groups should get vaccinated.

Spokane County asks employees for new concessions

Spokane County officials are asking public employee unions to renegotiate contracts they signed last year. The Spokesman-Review reported that without concessions the county could have to cut as many as 250 jobs to close a budget gap of nearly $11 million. The county said sales and property tax revenues are lower than expected. Officials hope union members will agree to give up next year’s cost-of-living adjustments, which are 2.5 percent for most employees. County CEO Marshall Farnell said some layoffs and furloughs would still be needed.

Rape sentence likely life term for man, 61

A former security supervisor for The Spokesman-Review was sentenced to at least 18 years in prison for raping two girls over a period of years. Robert Robel pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced Wednesday in Spokane County Superior Court. His lawyer said the 61-year-old has health issues and will likely die in prison. Robel was suspended from his job at the newspaper in September 2008 after his arrest.

Prosser: Mom said man hit her autistic boy

A 76-year-old man faces a misdemeanor assault charge after he was accused of hitting an autistic boy in a library. Frank Teverbaugh appeared in Benton County District Court on Wednesday. His case was continued until December to give his lawyer more time. The Tri-City Herald reported that Teverbaugh is accused of striking the 7-year-old boy who was having a “meltdown” in the Richmond library Aug. 14. The boy was kicking and screaming as his mother and caretaker were trying to take him outside. The mother said Teverbaugh backhanded her son, giving him a bloody nose, then hit him a second time on the back. The retired coach said he did not hit the boy in the face, but only tried to swat the boy on the rear after the boy struck him first.

From Herald news services