Did you miss your news last week? Here’s a selection of the week’s top news items from across Snohomish County as they appeared in The Herald. For the full stories, go to www.heraldnet.com.
Sunday, March 26
Man kills 6, self in Seattle. A gunman opened fire Saturday morning in a rental home occupied by about 20 young partygoers, killing four young men and two women and critically injuring at least one other person before committing suicide when confronted by police on the steps outside. Some of the guests had their faces painted and hair dyed for a “zombie party” held Friday night.
Associated Press
Monday, March 27
Pit bull attack upends life. Ora Dean Gordly was watching the ground for signs of a dog as she walked through the Mountlake Terrace apartment complex. She never saw the pit bull lunge from above until it was too late. Gordly, 61, of Spanaway remains in stable condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle more than a week after she was mauled by a pit bull while conducting a survey in Mountlake Terrace. Since the attack, her life has been turned upside down.
Scott Pesznecker
Tuesday, March 28
Three work to save Machias man in fire. Armed with a fire extinguisher and garden hose, two men and a teenage boy fought to save a man inside a burning house Monday morning. The trio doused the flames, but the man was unable to escape the smoke-filled house. Firefighters found the man’s body just feet from the front door. It is the second fatal fire in Snohomish County in about a week. “I wanted to get in there. I just didn’t know he was so close. I didn’t want to chance it,” said Jesse Felton, 17, who helped extinguish the fire.
Diana Hefley
Wednesday, March 29
New tool to track criminals in county. Should a serial burglar strike or a child disappear suddenly from a street corner near a school, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office thinks it will have the upper hand with a new software program. Officials say they intend to use the new crime-mapping tool to send patrol cars where they’re most needed. Criminals are creatures of habit, and the software can track the habits and patterns of criminals and prevent crimes. A $93,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant will be used to purchase the software.
Jeff Switzer
Thursday, March 30
Any water fears are buried deep. Water worrywarts can put their fears to rest for now – the mountains still have plenty of snow. True, the Snohomish County PUD workers who measure the snowpack expected to see a bit more snow on Wednesday. But they’re not worried. The average snowpack depth for the past 20 years has been 91.9 inches. Wednesday’s depth was 103.5 inches.
Scott Morris
Friday, March 31
Road rage victim recovering. The bullet bounced through Graham Magee’s truck, struck the back of his head and nearly shattered his dreams. Magee, 21, of Arlington was trying to get hired by the Marysville fire district when he was shot in the head Feb. 23 by an apparently enraged driver on Highway 9. Now his plans are on hold. “This was a huge incident in my life,” Magee said.
Scott Pesznecker
Saturday, April 1
Deal spares girl’s killer. In the end, it was all about three sisters. The eldest was 12. The youngest 5. The middle girl, 7-year-old Roxanne Doll, disappeared from her south Everett bedroom 11 years ago. Her body was found a week later. She had been raped and murdered. Roxanne’s sisters, one now 23 and a mother, the other a well-spoken 16, said that over the years they had tortured thoughts that maybe they could have done something to have saved their sister. On Friday, Richard Mathew Clark, 37, stood up in a Snohomish County courtroom and said he alone was to blame for the March 31, 1995, killing.
Scott North and Jim Haley
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.