SEATTLE — The city of Seattle may restrict the number of street parking permits for residents of crowded areas. The permits exempt residents from the time limits in parking zones.
In dense areas, such as near the Seattle Center, residents would have to make do with only one permit. Currently there’s no limit on the number of permits per household and that has led to complaints of some people hogging parking places.
The Seattle Transportation Department is taking public comment on the proposal until Oct. 20.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no:Couple accused of scamming elderly
King County prosecutors say a couple scammed three elderly men out of $200,000 by having the 31-year-old woman talk them into paying for cars and jewelry or turning over cash.
The couple, Yana Ristick and Michael Evans Jr., pleaded not guilty Thursday in Seattle to theft charges involving men in their 80s and 90s.
Prosecutors said Ristick would romance the men and take them to banks and stores to open lines of credit.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no:Two charged in McNeil Island crack conspiracy
Federal and state authorities say they’ve foiled a conspiracy to bring crack cocaine into Washington’s sex offender lockup on McNeil Island.
Two people have been arrested this week — Paepaega Matautia Jr., a 39-year-old employee of the Special Commitment Center, and Lawrence Williams, a 50-year-old resident.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle said Matautia delivered the cocaine to Williams in the facility’s mail room on eight occasions, and that the case was cracked with the help of a confidential informant.
Matautia made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday on a charge of attempted cocaine possession with attempt to distribute. Williams, who was arrested Friday, was expected to appear Monday on a charge of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no:Former judge censured for affair
The state’s Judicial Conduct Commission has censured a former Federal Way Municipal Court judge who resigned after having a sexual encounter with a public defender who routinely appeared before her.
Judge Colleen Hartl quit Dec. 19, less than a week after playing host to a holiday party at which she drunkenly told other court employees that she had slept with public defender Sean Cecil. She showed her guests a text message in which Cecil complimented how she looked in tight jeans.
The Judicial Conduct Commission said Friday that Hartl’s behavior broke several tenets of the conduct code for judges, including those that require judges to uphold the integrity of the court system.
Hartl agreed that she won’t work as a judge again without first getting approval from the commission.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no:Accidents block I-5 in Tumwater, Tukwila
Two early morning accidents backed up traffic for miles on I-5 northbound at Tumwater and Tukwila.
The Transportation Department said all lanes have been reopened at Tumwater where a truck overturned about 2 a.m., spilling 20 tons of drywall. No one was hurt, but it took hours to clean up the mess in the rain. The crash backed up traffic eight miles and snarled Friday morning traffic in Olympia.
All northbound lanes have been reopened at Tukwila where a fuel tanker trailer overturned about 5 a.m. after colliding with a taxicab. There were no serious injuries or significant spills. Workers pumped out the diesel so the trailer could be righted and moved to the side.
Tacoma: Lawsuit filed over school shooting
The family of a student who was shot to death at Foss High School has filed a lawsuit against the Tacoma School District.
The family of the student, Samnang Kok, is seeking $35 million.
In the wrongful death lawsuit filed Thursday, the family said the district should have known that the teen accused of the shooting in January of last year was dangerous. The school district has denied it was negligent.
The student, Douglas Chanthabouly, had attended four high schools, had a history of psychiatric hospitalizations and suffered from hallucinations.
He’s been charged with murder and has spent time in Western State Hospital.
Federal Way: Principal visits all student homes
The principal of a Federal Way middle school is visiting the homes this summer of all 600 students.
Principal Damon Hunter sent a voice message to the parents of students at Saghalie Middle School saying he’d stop by.
He’s dropping off back-to-school information, but he said his real goal is to get parents more involved in their children’s education.
The Tacoma News Tribune reported that by Thursday Hunter had stopped at 375 homes. He expects to complete the home visits by mid-August. To save gas, Hunter rides a scooter that gets 110 miles per gallon.
Montesano: Five years for theft from parents
A 34-year-old Hoquiam man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for taking about $8,000 from his parents.
Edward B. Clifford III was sentenced Monday for identity theft. He apologized in court to his father, and they embraced before Clifford headed for prison.
Police say Clifford used his parents’ credit cards to buy items and take cash advances to buy drugs.
Yakima: Open fire hydrants flood property
Fifteen fire hydrants were opened in Yakima, flooding properties and at least one basement and causing several thousand dollars in damage.
Police and firefighters responded to reports about 4 a.m. Friday in the West Valley area. Police stopped a car and arrested two men for investigation of malicious mischief.
Omak: Wildfire threatens 50 homes
A wildfire in north-central Washington near Omak has burned 1,000 acres and is threatening about 50 homes.
State Department of Natural Resources spokesman Bernie Jones said some residents have been warned they might have to leave if the fire grows, but no mandatory evacuations have been issued.
Jones said a handful of people have left on their own.
No structures have been lost and no one has been injured.
The fire broke out about 5 p.m. Thursday, reportedly in a pump house, but the cause is still under investigation. About 180 firefighters are on the scene about seven miles northwest of Omak.
Associated Press
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