Student expelled after assault on security guard

Herald staff

KENT — A ninth-grade student injured a security guard in a fight Tuesday at Meeker Junior High School.

The female security officer was taken to Valley Medical Center, where she was treated for head, neck and back injuries and released.

King County sheriff’s deputies were called and arrested the boy, who was booked into the youth center for investigation of assault, said sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart.

The boy was expelled from school, Kent School District spokeswoman Becky Hanks said.

  • State teachers’ pay low in comparison: Pay for starting teachers in Washington state’s three largest cities ranks in the bottom 10 in a survey of the nation’s 100 largest cities. Tacoma was ranked 91st, Seattle 92nd and Spokane 95th in the ratings based on Defense Department data from 1998-99 and compiled by the American Federation of Teachers. Among the cities with higher pay in the survey were Baton Rouge, La., Oklahoma City and Omaha, Neb.

  • Courthouse evacuated: Fumes that sickened one worker and prompted an emergency evacuation of the King County Courthouse’s basement and first floor Tuesday apparently came from cleaning fluid, a Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman said. Several workers were using cleaning supplies in the basement when one reported feeling sick. No spill was reported. The worker was treated at a local hospital and released later in the day. Third Avenue between James Street and Yesler Way was closed temporarily.

  • Plane makes emergency landing: A TWA airliner flying from Seattle to St. Louis made an unscheduled landing Tuesday after a smoke detector light went on. The plane was at Great Falls International Airport for about 90 minutes and resumed its flight to St. Louis after being checked by mechanics, airport manager Cynthia Schultz said. The pilot decided to land when flight attendants could not find any sign of smoke, yet the indicator light would not go off. The plane carried 108 passengers.

  • School cafeteria shooter sentenced: A 13-year-old Renton boy who fired a gun into the cafeteria ceiling at his school was sentenced Tuesday to 65 weeks in juvenile detention. Josh Warnock will enter a rehabilitation program when he is released. He pleaded guilty to assault and other charges for the shooting last July at Dimmitt Middle School.

  • Suspicious package halts ferries: A suspicious suitcase found aboard the state ferry Walla Walla prompted ferry officials to take both Seattle-Bremerton car ferries out of service for about two hours Tuesday evening. The suitcase was X-rayed by a bomb squad and found to be empty, said Trooper Glenn Tyrrell of the Washington State Patrol. The second car ferry on the route, the Kitsap, also was pulled from service as a precaution, but service by both ferries resumed about 8:15 p.m. Bremerton also is served by passenger-only ferries.

  • Man crushed in compactor identified: Woodburn police have identified the body of a man found crushed in a recycling center earlier this month. Police believe Jose Adame Salgado, 29, crawled into a cardboard recycling bin for warmth on Nov. 6. The next morning, a truck picked up the bin and dumped its load at Willamette Resources in Wilsonville. Workers at the recycling center found the body under pieces of cardboard.
    Talk to us

    > Give us your news tips.

    > Send us a letter to the editor.

    > More Herald contact information.

  • More in Local News

    Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

    Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

    Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
    Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

    Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

    Jasmine Donahue talks about being a place for people leave messages when looking for family members, friends or loved ones on the street on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Everett extends deadline for homeless service facing closure

    Hope ‘N Wellness must now comply with city zoning laws by April 30. The organization is “grateful,” its owner said, but still hopes for a permanent solution.

    New Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce CEO CEO Wendy Poischbeg speaks at a kick off event on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    ‘Everett Rising’: Wednesday’s chamber luncheon to showcase a new era of growth.

    The Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce is beginning its efforts… Continue reading

    The Edmonds School District building on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Edmonds School District faces estimated $8.5 million deficit

    The shortfall is lower than previous years, but the effects are “cumulative,” Superintendent Rebecca Miner said.

    Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

    Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

    People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

    The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

    Hundreds rally against Trump on Presidents Day in Everett

    People lined Broadway with signs and flags, similar to other protests across the country.

    The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

    The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

    The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
    Northshore School District bond improvements underway

    The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

    Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

    Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

    Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    ‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

    Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

    Support local journalism

    If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.