Bicycle safety expert struck and killed by bus

ST. LOUIS — One of the country’s top experts on bicycle and pedestrian safety died when she was struck by a tour bus while crossing a downtown intersection.

Susie Stephens, 36, of Winthrop, Wash., was struck shortly after 8:30 a.m. Thursday. The Vandalia Bus Lines driver told police he did not see her as he made a left turn.

Stephens, a consultant, was in town to help stage a conference on innovative approaches to transportation sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, said William "Bill" Wilkinson of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking in Washington, D.C.

Last year, Stephens started a consulting business. Before that, she was managing director of Thunderhead Alliance, an international organization of bicycle advocates.

She also had been executive director of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and head of the Northwest Bicycle Federation.

Renton

Man accused of hitting boy who threw snowball: Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 48-year-old man for allegedly hitting a 10-year-old boy who had been throwing snowballs at his house during Wednesday’s snowfall, officials said. The man, who has not been identified, was later released after being arrested for investigation of fourth-degree assault, King County Sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Dymerski said Friday. The child told deputies he had been throwing snowballs at his neighbor’s house with his brother and two other boys when the man came out and demanded to know who had hit his house. The man grabbed the child when the others identified the 10-year-old and dragged him to confront his mother, deputies said. The man denied hitting the boy, but deputies said the child had a swollen mark on the side of his head and scratches on his chest.

Tacoma

Gays granted permission for Daffodil Festival parade float: Last year, Daffodil Festival organizers barred a gay rights group from entering a float in the Daffodil Parade. This year, with a different float, the festival board is saying yes. "We haven’t changed at all," Daffodil Parade coordinator Pete Monahan said this week. "They have." There were accusations of discrimination when the board rejected a proposed float for the Out in the Park Pride Festival last spring. "This year, they’ve got a park theme with a couple of park benches and flowers. We have no problem with that," Monahan said. "Last year they were going to have a float that had 10 couples in gay attire representing each decade of the 20th century," he said. "Well, let’s be frank. What’s that? We asked them what gay attire was, and they couldn’t tell us. We’re not going to go with that."

Seattle

Man charged with 11 burglaries, auto theft: A man who initially was charged with burglary and auto theft now faces 10 more charges of home burglary and may have committed 25 break-ins in three months, prosecutors say. Dan Donohoe, a spokesman for the King County Prosecutor’s Office, said more charges probably will be filed against Toby J. Massie, 31, in the coming weeks. Massie, released a few months ago after serving a prison term for trafficking in stolen property, is scheduled to enter a plea to the latest charges April 1.

Oregon

Whale watchers flock to Oregon coast: It’s a great time to go to the Oregon coast, particularly if you’re a whale. You’ll have lots of company. The peak of whale watching season begins Saturday and continues until March 30, when about 24,000 Pacific gray whales will pass the coast on their way to feeding grounds in Arctic waters. Visitors at observation points along the coast can see up to 30 whales an hour during the next week or so, experts said. About 250 volunteers will be available each day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 29 locations between Ilwaco, Wash., and Crescent City, Calif. Each of the observation points is marked with a sign that reads: "Whale watching spoken here."

From Herald news services