SEATTLE — If Barack Obama wins Washington in November, a Lynnwood man possibly will become the first Muslim presidential elector in U.S. history.
Jeff Siddiqui is a native of Pakistan and one of 11 Democratic electors in Washington state.
Siddiqui speaks to schools and community meetings about the image of Muslims. He said he wants to counteract the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists or extremists. He was selected for the Democratic Party position in February. Electors cast votes in the electoral college.
Smog alert issued for Puget Sound region
A smog alert is in effect for Snohomish, King, Pierce and Kitsap counties until Wednesday night.
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency said people with asthma or heart disease should limit outdoor activities in the hot, hazy weather.
The agency said air quality could be unhealthy Wednesday for sensitive groups in some areas. Authorities say hot weather creates an inversion that traps air pollution.
Trial begins in police use of stun gun
Jury selection is beginning in federal court in the case of a Tukwila man accusing five Seattle police officers of excessive force.
Michael D. Watson said police repeatedly used a stun gun on him three years ago during a Mardi Gras festival. He was arrested after a street vendor accused him of stealing a necklace. Police said he was resisting arrest.
Criminal charges were dismissed in municipal court and Watson never filed a complaint against the officers. Now he is seeking damages to cover his medical expenses and missed wages.
Deconstruction of old buildings encouraged
The city of Seattle may revise its building permit process to encourage old buildings to be deconstructed and salvaged instead of demolished and thrown away.
Sandra Mallory, with the Department of Planning and Development, said a revised permit would give contractors more time to salvage building materials for reuse.
Currently builders in Seattle are issued a demolition and new-building permit at the same time. The proposed revision would allow builders to get a deconstruction permit within a few days without having to wait for the building permit to be issued.
The department plans to ask the mayor and the City Council by the end of the month to give a head start to deconstruction.
Seattle Symphony violinist dead at 91
Ralph Victor Heino Sr., a Seattle Symphony violinist, composer and longshore worker, has died of a stroke at age 91.
Heino continued to play the violin in retirement until his stroke. He died a week later, on July 26, symphony spokeswoman Beth Ferlic confirmed on Tuesday.
A native of Butte, Mont., Heino served in Army Air Force during World War II and played violin with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra before beginning a 40-year career with the Seattle Symphony in 1949.
He also was an award- winning composer whose work was often featured by the orchestra on tours.
To make ends meet, he took a second job on the docks in 1957 and remained a longshore worker until he retired in the 1980s.
Camas man one of top political contributors
An investment manager from Camas is one of the top contributors in Washington to political campaigns.
The 55-year-old man, David Nierenberg, and his wife Patricia have donated $466,000 in the past five years. He said he gives to independent thinkers.
Most of the money has gone to Democrats, but Nierenberg also was the national finance chairman for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Nierenberg once worked for Romney at a Boston management consulting firm.
Nierenberg has been appointed to the governor’s Council of Economic Advisors and the Washington State Investment Board.
Tacoma: Corrections officer shoots fugitive
A Washington state Department of Corrections officer has shot and wounded a fugitive wanted on a federal parole violation.
Corrections spokesman Chad Lewis says the unidentified officer fired after a man tried to run over the officer with a car during an arrest attempt Tuesday in Pierce County.
The man was later captured and taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Belfair: Baristas ruled erotic entertainment
Mason County officials have decided the scantily clad baristas at a Belfair espresso stand are erotic entertainers.
Officials said the women will have to cover up or Espresso Gone Wild will have to go.
The stand opened last month and drew complaints at the July 30 meeting of the Mason County Board of Commissioners.
Commissioners sent the owners a letter saying the coffee stand is not zoned for erotic entertainment. The owners said they didn’t expect the backlash and will comply with regulations.
Moses Lake: Two dead in explosions
Two explosions killed two people within 10 hours in Grant County, and authorities were investigating whether they were connected.
One man, William Arleigh Walker, 69, was found dead of severe trauma to his neck and chest in his shop outside Moses Lake on Saturday, Undersheriff John Turley said.
On Sunday, Javier Martinez Adame, 53, was found dead on the floor of his kitchen with wounds to his chest and stomach. The home smelled of sulfur, and authorities determined “an explosive device Adame may have been handling at the time had exploded, killing him almost instantly,” Turley said.
The cases were being investigated by the Grant County sheriff’s office, Washington State Patrol, Army explosives experts and 18 FBI agents. They were trying to determine whether the explosions were connected to each other or to a pipe bomb that blew up a truck near Soap Lake two weeks ago.
Friday Harbor: Carcass of baby orca found
The carcass of a baby orca born prematurely was found July 26 just off San Juan Island.
The San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network from Friday Harbor is studying the 5-foot carcass to determine if it’s from a Puget Sound pod of orcas or from a group of transient killer whales.
The organization said the amount of decomposition makes it difficult to link the carcass to a pod or determine the cause of death.
Ellensburg: Repairman accused of raping girl
A phone repairman accused of raping a 15-year-old girl at a Cle Elum home pleaded not guilty in Ellensburg.
The 27-year-old man, Rafad Reyna of Ronald, also pleaded not guilty Monday to an indecent liberties charge involving a 19-year-old woman at another Kittitas County home where he went to repair a computer.
The 15-year-old was home alone at the time of the July 22 incident. The 19-year-old came forward after Reyna’s arrest and said she was assaulted April 7 during the computer repair call.
Associated Press
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
