Week in review

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, July 3

I-5 cables fail to stop deaths: It’s a deadly mystery. Something is happening along I-5 north of Marysville that is causing cars and trucks to cut across the median separating the northbound and southbound lanes. Too often, the vehicles are blasting through the 30-inch-high steel cable barriers the state Department of Transportation has installed to prevent head-on crashes. People are dying. The barriers are being blamed.

Scott North

Monday, July 4

A fair limit of fowl sought: Six chickens could be all you get in Arlington. This isn’t the sticks anymore. The city’s animal control law is facing a 22-page overhaul that includes chicken limits, dangerous dog rules and noise no-nos. Gone are the cow-town days when having a dozen chickens, several cats and a few dogs would hardly raise an eyebrow across the neighbor’s fence. The new law proposes limits of no more than six fowl per residence.

Scott Morris

Tuesday, July 5

Paine Field boosters press on for airlines: Snohomish County is not aced out of the race for regional jet service. The race might just be getting started. Even as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport builds its third runway, and Southwest Airlines ponders moving to King County’s Boeing Field, supporters say Paine Field remains a candidate for passenger air travel service. When and whether flights will start coming to Paine is the big question.

Lukas Velush

Wednesday, July 6

Fireworks flub: Thousands of people were disappointed Monday night when a slow tugboat caused Everett’s Thunder on the Bay fireworks display to roll in nearly an hour late and way past bedtime for many spectators. The Everett Symphony, which was scheduled to accompany the 23 minutes of kabooms, played every song it knew as people waited. And waited. The $39,000 fireworks show, paid for by the grass-roots Everett July 4th Fireworks Foundation, was intended to be the city’s grand finale to a day of holiday events. Instead, Orion Pyrotechnics and business owner Joel Starr are taking heat for the late display.

Jeff Switzer

Thursday, July 7

Worried dog owner hires detective: Trisha Howell didn’t hesitate to pay $450 to hire a pet detective and a search dog to track down her beloved Rocky. Rocky, a Pekingese, and his sister, Addie, mean a lot not only to Howell but also to hundreds of schoolchildren in Snohomish County, as she has taken them to schools to educate children about pet ownership.

Yoshiaki Nohara

Friday, July 8

Security heightened after London attacks: Security will get tougher and tighter throughout transit systems in the Puget Sound region, with delays likely to be felt especially among state ferry riders, after a terrorist attack in London that appeared to target commuters. Though heightened security would affect all types of commuters, ferry riders might begin to feel more like airline passengers as officials on Thursday called for drivers to arrive at ferry terminals at least 30 minutes ahead of sailing. Those arriving late may not be allowed to board.

Lukas Velush

Saturday, July 9

Company drops sawmill plan: A California company has scrapped plans for a $100 million sawmill and power plant on the Everett riverfront, suggesting city requirements were too harsh. Sierra Pacific Industries will be taking its project to another Washington community, company officials said. “Kiss $24 million goodbye,” said Jim Shaffer, a Port of Everett commissioner. The $24 million refers to what Sierra agreed to pay for the 78-acre industrial park on the Snohomish River. The city will also be losing 200 family-wage jobs.

Mike Benbow