Four places you can go to meet the candidates

Herald staff

Today offers a multitude of places where voters can see and hear political candidates in person:

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the atrium of Verizon’s main office, 1800 41st St. in Everett. Four Republican candidates will be present: U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton; Dan Kristiansen of Snohomish, running for state representative in the 39th Legislative District; state Rep. John Koster of Arlington, running for the U.S. House in the 2nd Congressional District; and state Sen. Val Stevens of Arlington. For more information call 425-261-5950.

1 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 2731 Rucker Ave. in Everett. The first group of speakers will include representatives from health insurance companies such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Group Health and Mail Handlers. The second group will include representatives from the campaigns of U.S. Senate candidates Maria Cantwell and Slade Gorton and congressional candidates John Koster and Rick Larsen.

2 to 4 p.m. at the East County Senior Center, 824 Village Way in Monroe. The Snohomish County Council on Aging is sponsoring a forum for candidates in the 39th Legislative District, which includes all of eastern Snohomish County.

6:30 to 10 p.m. in the South Whidbey High School Commons. The forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters, and more than a dozen candidates are expected, including most of those running in the 2nd Congressional District, the 10th Legislative District and for Island County commissioner.

Jewel thief: Island County sheriff’s deputies are trying to find the butterfingered bandit who broke into a Freeland drugstore Saturday night and left behind a trail of stolen jewelry.

The break-in occurred sometime after 10 p.m. Saturday at Lind’s Freeland Pharmacy on East Main Street. An unknown suspect, or suspects, smashed in the front door and grabbed a jewelry case containing silver rings, and bracelets and earrings, Sheriff Mike Hawley said.

"Unfortunately, the alarm malfunctioned," Hawley said, and the break-in wasn’t discovered until the owner arrived at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

Deputies, though, found a trail of sterling silver jewelry stretching across the parking lot.

"They weren’t too careful as crooks," Hawley said.

Police later found a stolen 1983 Toyota pickup about a mile from the store in the Mutiny Bay area that was apparently used in the break-in. Eleven pieces of stolen jewelry were recovered, and deputies are trying to obtain fingerprints from the vehicle.

Approximately $1,000 in jewelry was taken, but the burglary could have been worse. "They bypassed tens of thousands of dollars of diamonds and drugs," Hawley said. "Luckily, the actual theft was minimal."

Bullet casings recovered: Island County deputies have recovered two .45-caliber bullet casings from the scene of an apparent drive-by shooting that happened just north of Oak Harbor Saturday night.

Three residents of a home in the Lazy Circle neighborhood escaped injury when two bullets broke a front window and lodged in the ceiling. The three were watching television just after 10 p.m.

"The occupants provided no reason why someone would be discharging a weapon at them," Island County Sheriff Mike Hawley said.

Even so, deputies are examining the possibility that the residents were targeted.

"It could have been a drive-by; it could have been someone out trying to poach deer," Hawley said.