Here's the press release from WSP:

The Washington State Patrol Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the double fatality collision that occurred on Interstate 5 north-bound in Federal Way on October 30, 2008. Detectives are seeking witnesses to the collision as well as the events leading up to it. Investigators would like to speak with motorists if they saw the white Chrysler 300 prior to the Interstate 5 collision. If you have any information or know someone who has, please call Trooper Detective Sergeant Moate at 425-649-4370 ext 146 or Detective Ruth Medeiros at 425-649-4370 ext 119.

A long-haul trucker charged with kidnapping and assaulting a Tacoma-area exotic dancer was booked into the Pierce County Jail early this morning, according to jail records.

Bobby Lawson was being sought on a warrant charging him with one count of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of second-degree assault.

Lawson most likely will appear in court Monday for arraignment.

According to court documents, he abducted the 19-year-old woman, who he knows from Foxes strip club, shocked her with a stun gun and made her take off her top and bra in his truck last month.

The woman told police she jumped out of the semi and sought help from strangers after the attack.

Lawson then fled the area, reportedly to Oklahoma.

Here's the press release from the state Liquor Control Board. The list of the business is after the jump.

 
TACOMA - On October 24, 11 businesses in Tacoma failed liquor compliance checks conducted as part of a joint enforcement effort by the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) and the Tacoma Police Department. Officers checked 46 businesses during the operation.
 
The 11 businesses were cited for selling alcohol to investigative aides working with police and liquor enforcement officers.
 
The WSLCB and local authorities regularly conduct compliance checks of area businesses licensed to sell alcohol. These businesses include spirits, beer and wine restaurants, grocery stores, neighborhood markets, taverns, wine bars and sports/entertainment facilities. Compliance checks are proven tools to reduce the sale of alcohol to minors.
 
Liquor enforcement officers conduct compliance checks assisted by investigative aides. These individuals are from 17 to 20 years old. They must present their true identification if asked by a clerk. However, they may attempt to be evasive if asked their age but not asked for their I.D.
 
Liquor enforcement officers are empowered to issue Administrative Violation Notices to businesses that fail compliance checks. Fines or temporary license suspensions can be issued depending on the severity of the infraction or the frequency with which a business has been cited. Clerks who sell can also receive a criminal citation.

=> Read more!

Law enforcement officers will hit the streets of Fife and its surrounding area on Saturday night for a drunken-driving emphasis patrol.

The Tacoma-Pierce County DUI Task Force selected the night for its monthly emphasis because there's an expectation of more alcohol-fueled, Halloween-themed parties.

Officers from several Pierce County agencies, including the Washington State Patrol and Pierce3 County Sheriff's Department, will participate. They'll be looking for impaired drivers, the task force reported.

In addition, agents with the Washington State Liquor Control Board and Fife police officers will be conducting compliance checks at local stores, bars and restaurants to see who is selling alcohol to underage customers.

"We won't just be arresting drivers Saturday night," said Mike Mitchell, Chief of the Bonney Lake Police Department and chair of the Tacoma Pierce County DUI Task Force, in a press release. "We'll be handing out candy to any sober, designated driver whose drinking friends made the right choice by planning ahead for a safe ride home."

During last year's Halloween DUI-emphasis patrol, officers focused their attention along State Route 410. They arrested 13 adults and one teenager on suspicion of impaired driving, the task force reported. Four other minors were arrested on suspicion of possessing or consuming alcohol or marijuana.

Tacoma police officers did arrest one student after the commotion at Mount Tahoma High School on Thursday.

The 16-year-old boy was booked into Remann Hall juvenile jail on Thursday afternoon on suspicion of possessing a weapon on school property and harassment, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

Students had reported the teen flashed a gun. However, officers found no weapon on him, Fulghum said. Nonetheless, the teen was booked on the possession charge based on witness statements, Fulghum said.

Mount Tahoma High School was locked down for several hours on Thursday after a fight broke out during a lunch period. A student reported seeing another student flash a weapon, prompting a large police response.

Officers and school officials slowly released students at the end of the school day.

QUESTION No. 1: Two readers asked about police activity about 7:45 a.m. today near South M Street between 40th and 42nd. Both reported seeing several police cars at the scene.

ANSWER: Officers responded to a shots fired call at a house. Occupants of the house claimed someone had shot at the house, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum reports. The occupants then armed themselves and were not cooperative with law enforcement officers.

QUESTION No. 2: Another reader asked about what the issue was about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday when there were about 5 or 6 fire engines off of 104th street.

ANSWER: According to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, there was a report of a possible electrical fire at a house near the intersection of 107th and 86th Avenue East. Firefighters found no smoke or fire damage but did smell an electrical-type odor. They shut off the power until the owner could fix the issue. Red Cross volunteers were called to help the tenants.

The Pierce County sheriff's deputy is resting at home today after he was injured in a collision Thursday morning while responding to a pursuit of a bank robber.

The deputy was released from the hospital Thursday evening, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer reported today. He's banged up and will be off work for an as-yet undetermined amount of time.

The deputy and a Tacoma police sergeant collided Thursday morning at the intersection of South 19th Street and Tacoma Avenue. They were both responding to an on-going police pursuit of a bank robbery suspect.

From my inbox on Thursday afternoon:

I'd love to know why I saw ~ (5) City of Tacoma police cars and (2) Puyallup Nation police cars at an (Puyallup Nation?) apartment complex on 21st St. NE near our neighborhood in NE Tacoma. As I had kids in the car, I didn't slow down to ask...

Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum provided the answer to Lights & Sirens.

The location is near 21st street and 63rd avenue. It was a burglary in progress call. Since it is on/near tribal property Tribal PD was notified. The same suspicious vehicle was involved in a burglary (in the county) earlier in the day. One in custody and his vehicle was impounded. He is also suspected of burglaries in the King County area.

Thanks dear reader and thanks Mark.

The neighbors of a Gig Harbor family whose home was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning have set up web site to raise money to help the family and the Gig Harbor fire department.

People who want to help can go to web site and donate via a PayPal account, said Angela Schellenberg, who lives next door to the Banales family. The family has insurance, but they lost everything in the blaze and will likely have immediate needs for clothing and other essentials, Schellenberg said.

Any money the Banales family doesn’t use will be donated to the fire department, Schellenberg said.

Schellenberg praised the firefighters for their efforts not only to douse the flames, but also to save the family cat and some of their possessions, including photos.

The fire was reported at 9:02 a.m. in the 7800 block of Beardsley Avenue.
Fire marshals determined than an overturned fish smoker sparked the blaze.

"The smoker was found on its side and could have been tipped over by an animal which had entered the garage through an open door," a news release said.

(Submitted to Lights & Sirens by TNT reporter Jason Hagey)

East Pierce firefighters doused a mobile home fire Thursday night.

The fire was reported sometime before 10:30 p.m. near 86th Street East and Riverside Drive East, Pierce County Fire Communications reported.

No other information was immediately available.

The state Department of Transportation reports that all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 are blocked between 272nd and 320th streets in Federal Way right now by a multiple vehicle wreck.

KIRO-TV is reporting that at least two people are dead.

Traffic is backed up for miles in both directions.

The collision occurred about 6 p.m.

UPDATE: (as of 7 p.m.)Trooper Curt Boyle reports that the accident occurred when someone headed north on I-5 crossed the median into southbound traffic and collided with several cars.

Two people were killed and two seriously injured, Boyle said from the scene.

Investigators still are trying to sort out what exactly happened.

Halloween + Friday night = potential for problems.

That's why AAA is urging young trick-or-treaters, parents and those attending festive parties to take precautions this year.

"With Halloween on a Friday this year, most festivities are expected to take place that evening putting a large number of adult partygoers on the road the same night as trick-or-treaters," said Jennifer Cook, manager, AAA Public Relations, in a press release.

According to national stats, two out of every three adults ages 18 to 24 plan to throw or attend a Halloween party. Combine that with 93 percent of children expected to go trick-or-treats and you have heavy car and foot traffic in the neighborhoods.

Read more below from the AAA, including tips for partygoers and trick-or-treaters.

=> Read more!

In the middle of everything this morning, three juveniles reportedly broke into a house in the area of South 52nd and Fawcett streets.

A police dog and officers searched for the suspects.

Two of the three teens were arrested, Tacoma police officer Mark Fulghum said.

LATEST INFORMATION:

Students at Mount Tahoma High School were slowly being released today after a fight and possible gun sighting prompted a lockdown.

A large contingent of Tacoma police officers responded to the high school to investigate. They have found no gun and made no arrests, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum reported.

No students or staff were injured during the ordeal.

The fight broke out shortly after 11 a.m. A student reported seeing another student possibly pull a gun on another person, Fulghum said.

School security and an off-duty Tacoma police officer were at the school during the fight and called for additional backup.

A majority of students were kept in the school auditorium, while others were in classrooms as Tacoma police officers tried to sort through what happened and tried to calm down students involved in the incident.

"Some kids were agitated," Fulghum said.

A few students were being talked to further.

Students were released at the normal dismissal time but were released in a staggered manner.

Here are previous posts:

There's a sizeable police presence at Mount Tahoma High School right now.

According to the radio scanner, the high school is in lockdown.

We're awaiting more details on this incident.

UPDATE: The school is in lockdown as a precautionary measure, Tacoma Schools spokeswoman Leanna Albrecht said.

A student reported seeing another student flash a weapon. That's what prompted the large police response. It wasn't immediately known whether the weapon sighting occurred inside the school or outside.

Albrecht said the school is secure and no one is injured.

Police officers are investigating.

UPDATE 2: Per Albrecht, the school remains in lockdown as of 1:40 p.m.

Students will be released at the normal dismissal time. However, it will be a controlled release, Albrecht said.

There is no update, yet, from the Police Department about what officers are doing and what they have learned about what sparked this incident.

Local law enforcement officers are looking for a possible bank robbery suspect in the Tacoma area.

The robber hit a Gig Harbor bank sometime after 10 a.m.

According to radio scanner traffic, the suspect was spotted on the Tacoma side of the bridge.

As part of the pursuit, two officers collided at South 19th Street and Tacoma Avenue.

No other information was immediately available.

UPDATE: It appears the suspect has been taken into custody along the railroad tracks in the Tacoma-Fife area, Tacoma police reported.

He had gotten out of his vehicle at some point.

TRAFFIC NOTE: South 19th and Tacoma Avenue would be a good spot to avoid for the next little bit given the investigation into the accident involving the officers.

UPDATE No. 2: Here's a few more details.

The Kitsap Bank branch at 7109 Pioneer Way was robbed. The bandit was seen leaving the branch on a bicycle, Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said.

After the bank robbery in Gig Harbor, the suspect's description was distributed to area law enforcement officers, Troyer said. At some point, the bike was abandoned and the robber got into a car.

A Tacoma police officer spotted the suspect's vehicle in the area of South 10th and Ferry streets. The suspect took off.

Law enforcement officers got behind the suspect in Tacoma. Tacoma police, Gig Harbor police, Pierce County sheriff's deputies and Washington State Patrol troopers were involved in the pursuit.

The officers temporarily lost the car but found it again along Pacific Avenue.

A Tacoma police sergeant and Pierce County sheriff's deputy responding to assist in the pursuit collided at the intersection of South 19th Street and Tacoma Avenue, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The sergeant was going south on Tacoma Avenue, while the deputy was headed east on South 19th Street. The Tacoma car struck the driver's side of the deputy's patrol car, Fulghum said. The deputy was more seriously injured. Both were taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma for treatment.

"They are both hurt but will survive," Troyer said.

Meanwhile, officers continued to pursue the suspect. He reportedly bailed out of his vehicle in the Tideflats between one of the bridges near the Puyallup River and ran into the woods.

Using DOT cameras and a KIRO news helicopter, a Washington State Patrol trooper found the suspect hiding in the bushes and took him into custody at gunpoint, Troyer said.

Some suspected stolen money was recovered.

Troyer reported that officers are searching for an abandoned bicycle in the area of the bank. If anyone spots it, they should leave it alone and call police.

(The top photo is from KIRO-TV's Web site; the other two photos are from University of Washington Tacoma student Ingrid Barrentine.)

Here's a map with pinpoints on the beginning and end of this incident. This played out in less than 45 minutes, from bank robbery to capture.

It appears a man suspected in at least one of hotel robbery is going to make his first court appearance today.

The 22-year-old was booked into Pierce County Jail just after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree robbery and is on this afternoon's in-custody arraignment list.

The man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after a tip to Crime Stoppers.

Tacoma Police believe they've caught the man behind a recent spree of hotel robberies in Tacoma and up and down Interstate 5.

Police spokesman Mark Fulghum confirmed that after the suspects arrest earlier this afternoon following a tip to CrimeStoppers, a witness from one of the robberies identified him.

Someone tipped CrimeStoppers that he was on a bus in Tacoma Wednesday afternoon.

For more details, read Thursday's paper.

There was one piece of good news from Wednesday's house fire in Gig Harbor: Tava the cat was found unhurt in an undamaged front room. Neighbor Angela Schellenberg holds Tava as she tries to comfort homeowner Denise Banales and her son Chad (both with backs turned). Listening in are Gig Harbor firefighters and neighbor Stephanie Ward, Wednesday, October 29, 2008. (Drew Perine/The News Tribune)

Came across this interesting tidbit among my prison mail today.

A McNeil Island inmate writes:

Tonight we roared when Obama sent my $5 donation back saying, "We accept no money from prisoners!"

Staff reporter Jason Hagey is on scene of a raging house fire in Gig Harbor.

Hagey spotted the flames while on his way into work.

He reports the fire is in the 7800 block of Beardsley Avenue.

"It's really cooking," Hagey reported.

Firefighters were on the scene.

UPDATE: Hagey reports no one was in the home at the time.

UPDATE, PART 2: Lee Giles III, a photographer with the Peninsula Gateway, says the blaze was initially reported as a garage fire, but the attached garage and home soon were fully involved. No injuries were reported.

Lee Giles III/The Peninsula Gateway
Gig Harbor firefighters work to put out a house fire on the 7800 block of Beardsley Avenue in Gig Harbor Wednesday morning.

UPDATE No. 3: It appears a recently-fueled fish smoker that was tipped over by an animal sparked this devastating blaze, according to Gig Harbor Fire officials.

The fire was first reported at 9:02 a.m. Twenty eight firefighters from Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula battled the flames and got them under control by 9:45 a.m., according to a press release.

When the first firefighters arrived, they found half the house, including the garage, fully involved in fire.

The family - a husband, wife and their two children - were not home at the time. Their pet cat was found safe in the living room, according to the press release.

Fire marshals determined that a fish smoker that had been refueled at 8:30 a.m. sparked the blaze.

"The smoker was found on its side and could have been tipped over by an animal which had entered the garage through an open door," the press release states.

Deputy Fire Marshal Bob Skaggs estimated the loss to the structure was $250,000 and to its contents $125,000.

"It is recommended that all heating/cooking equipment always be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and not be left operating un-attended," the press release states.

Local law enforcement officers say the suspected hotel robber struck twice again last night. He's up to 10 hotel robberies by our count.

Here's the breaking news story on our web site.

Below, you'll find a map of the robber's 10 robberies.

Our news partners, KIRO TV, has surveillance video footage from several of the robberies. You can find links to those videos here.

The right lane of southbound Interstate 5 in Tacoma was briefly blocked this morning for a crash.

The lane was blocked just prior to the South 38th Street/westbound Highway 16 exit from 7:15 to 7:20 a.m., the state Department of Transportation reported.

No other information was provided.

According to radio traffic, a woman was using an ATM near 6th and Mildred about 7:15 p.m. when she was grabbed from behind and robbed.

She didn't get a good look at the suspect, who was wearing a ski mask.

Police had a caught a possible suspect who ran away from them in the area, but it wasn't clear if they were able to link him to the robbery.

MORNING UPDATE:

The suspect that was arrested turned out to be an escapee from Western State Hospital. He did match the robber's description but the victim didn't return to the area for a confirmation, police reported this morning.

The escapee was returned to Western State.

Here's the press release from the Kent Police Department:

KENT, Wash. – October 28, 2008 – Efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies October 24th resulted in the arrests of 23 known gang members. In an emphasis from Federal Way to South Seattle, law enforcement officials focused on gang members with outstanding warrants and those under supervision by the Washington State Department of Corrections.

Those arrested were taken into custody for suspected murder, narcotics violations, attempted robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle, and other outstanding warrants.

This collaboration also assisted in the arrest of homicide suspect Edward Cobb for the shooting death last summer of Chezaray Bacchus at a South King County fast food restaurant.

“This emphasis was the first of several coordinated efforts planned in this area to address criminal gang activity,” said Kent Police Chief Steve Strachan. “We’re sending a strong message that law enforcement, corrections, and other agencies are working together.”

Agencies participating in the emphasis included:
King County Sheriff’s Office Des Moines PD
Federal Way PD Port of Seattle PD
Seattle PD Tukwila PD
Kent PD King County Jail
Washington State Department of Corrections
US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
US Immigration Customs Enforcement

An 19-year-old Tacoma man was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of eluding police, cocaine possession, reckless endangerment and DUI after a Washington State Patrol airplane helped track him, the agency said in a press release Tuesday.

According to it:

Smokey 4, a WSP airplane, spotted a recklessly driven vehicle headed east on Highway 18. It gave updates to troopers on the ground, who attempted to stop the it. The lights and sirens weren't enough to get the suspect to stop.

During the pursuit, the driver left the road and tore a front wheel off his vehicle, but still he kept going. Smokey 4 continued to keep an eye on things.

The suspect pulled into a condominium complex and ran away. A passenger was taken into custody.

But Smokey 4 was keeping an eye on the suspect while the Auburn Police started to track him with a K-9. At one point the suspect tried to bribe someone in the neighborhood to hide him for $100.

Thirty-seven new firefighters - including two destined for Pierce County - will graduate from the state fire academy next month.

The graduation ceremony is slated for 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 inside the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Auditorium, 19010 First Ave. S., in Burien.

The 37 firefighters will be serving nine different agencies. East Pierce Fire & Rescue and Graham Fire & Rescue each have one firefighter in the academy class, according to a press release. South King Fire & Rescue has eight firefighters graduating and the U.S. Army has two.

Each has completed a 12-week course at the Washington State Patrol Fire Training Academy.

A security company has donated $2,100 to area Crime Stoppers organizations.

The donations from Sonitrol Pacific, a Sound Security, Inc. company, are "in recognition of the 21 incidents that resulted in the apprehension of suspects at facilities protected by a Sonitrol Pacific security system during the third quarter of 2008," the company stated in a press release.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers received a $700 donation, while Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound received $600.

For each Sonitrol Pacific-assisted capture, the company donates $100 to Crime Stoppers, the press release stated.

So far this year, Sonitrol Pacific has helped with the arrest of 139 suspects. This is up from 134 assists last year.

"Since 1978, the electronic security company has assisted law enforcement in the apprehension of 4,979 suspected criminals," the press release states.

The hotel robber suspected in at least eight robberies in Tacoma, Fife and Federal Way may have some competition.

Federal Way Police are asking for the public's help identify a robber that hit the EconoLodge at 1505 S. 328th St. at 10:40 p.m. Saturday. It doesn't look the they're the same guy -- the man wanted in the earlier spree is black and this robber is white, according to police reports.

The new robber, estimated to be 25- to 30-year-old, entered the lobby and rang the bell on the front counter. When an employee opened the office door, he brandished a gun and demanded money. The employee shut the door and he fired into it. No one was hurt. The robber then ran away.

Three South Sound law enforcement agencies made 19 arrests over the weekend as part of a national effort targeting child sex trafficking.

Tacoma police officers, Lakewood police officers and Pierce County sheriff's deputies participated. One underage prostitute and three suspected pimps were among the 19 arrested locally, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said.

All were taken to Pierce County Jail, administratively booked and then released, Troyer said. Law enforcement officers did interviews with each.

The investigation targeted online ad postings.

"The main crackdown is to find people involved in trafficking," Troyer said.

The action was part of Operation Cross Country II, a three-day effort by the FBI, Department of Justice and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to combat sex trafficking of children.

The agencies worked with more than 92 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in 29 cities, according to an FBI press release today.

Total, 642 arrests were made and 47 children removed from "the cycle of victimization," the press release states.

In 2003, the FBI, Department of Justice and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children formed the Innocence Lost National Initiative to address the criminal enterprises involved in trafficking children for sex within the United States.

As part of the initiative, federal, state and local agencies train together at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

To date, 265 indictments have been returned, 365 convictions entered, 46 criminal enterprises disrupted, 36 enterprises successfully dismantled and 575 child victims recovered, the press release states.

A man robbed a North End fast-food restaurant late Sunday.

Officers responded to the Dairy Queen, 3001 N. Pearl St., just after 10 p.m., police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

According to the police report, a man wearing a ski mask came in through a corner door. He walked around the counter and grabbed one of the employees, Fulghum said.

The robber demanded cash. He implied he had a weapon, though employees didn't see a gun, Fulghum said.

The robber fled after the robbery.

Several officers set up containment around the business and a police dog searched for the robber. The dog had no luck.

The robber was described as a light-skinned black man. He wore a ski mask, dark jacket and dark pants.

The investigation into an intentionally-set fire at a Puyallup veterinary clinic is continuing.

A fire marshal has officially ruled the fire at Farris Veterinary Clinic an arson, Puyallup police Lt. Dave McDonald said Monday. A vapor-sniffing dog found two spots of accelerants inside the clinic.

A blaze ravaged the clinic, 2401 W. Stewart Ave., early Wednesday. Investigators found the business had been burglarized overnight. Cash and checks were stolen from the office, police reported.

No arrests have been reported.

The Farris' daughter has set up a donation account for her parents. Donations can be made at any Washington Mutual bank branch under the name of Dr. Richard Farris or Farris Veterinary Clinic. The account number is 4012229252.

Donations also can be mailed to: P.O. 11144; Tacoma, WA 98411.

Rheana Foster said her parents have insurance for the clinic but it can take a couple of weeks to get reimbursements.

The lobby of the Tacoma Police Department's headquarters has a new fixture - a replica police paddy wagon.

The old-style wagon arrived last week.

Tacoma police historian Erik Timothy said the wagon is a vintage milk wagon and at least 100 years old.

In the 1930s-1940s, Sgt. Carl Sohmer converted the milk wagon into a replica of the Tacoma Police Department's 1890s horse-drawn paddy wagon.

(The department bought a horse-drawn wagon in May 1890 and hired three men as wagon drivers. That one was replaced in 1908 by an automobile.)

The replica wagon was used in the Jubilee parade and other events until about 1973, Timothy reports.

The wagon then was donated to the Washington State History Museum, where it sat in storage in recent years.

Timothy, always on the prowl for historical artifacts, said he negotiated to loan the wagon from the museum to use as a centerpiece in the headquarter's lobby.

Timothy has worked for years on bringing to life the department's history. Part of that history is being incorporated into the headquarters and substations.

Plywood covered four of the picture windows in the Wells Fargo home mortgage office in Old Town Tacoma on Sunday. Inside a woman with a purple vacuum strapped to her back sucked shards from the carpet.

The vandalism of the storefront at 2215 N. 30th St. appears to be part of a larger social protest rather than a random act of mischief.

Vandals have targeted the San Francisco-based financial services company’s offices and ATMs in several states in opposition to its stake in The GEO Group – a private company that operates prisons including the Northwest Detention Center, a federal immigration lockup on the Tacoma Tideflats.

The News Tribune received an e-mail Saturday, claiming the weekend attack was “done in solidarity with the 13 people recently detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Shelton, WA and the people recently detained in San Francisco, CA.” It’s not clear if any other local branches were hit, but the e-mail only mentioned one.

“They are blinded by their greed and will allow the most dreadful things to arise in their quest for profit,” the e-mail continued. “... While the bankers count their money, the jailers in the detention center treat the people inside like subhumans.” (The full e-mail is posted after the jump.)

Attempts to reach officials with Wells Fargo and GEO Group’s corporate offices Sunday were not successful. Tacoma police took a phone report on the incident, spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

Wells Fargo owns 8 percent of GEO Group’s stock, making it the third largest shareholder, according to federal Securities and Exchange Commission filings and fatpitch.biz, a Web site that compiles stock ownership information.

Wells Fargo held more than $51 million in GEO Group stock in its Advantage Small Cap Value fund at the end of September, according to the bank's Web site.

In July, a study – released by the International Human Rights Clinic at Seattle University’s law school and the Seattle-based group OneAmerica, With Justice for All – alleged mistreatment at the Tacoma facility ranging from excessive strip searches and overcrowding to a lack of due process, the Associated Press reported.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement called the report “a work of fiction.”

Throughout the summer vandals have smashed windows, spray painted polemics and destroyed cash machines at Wells Fargo branches in California, Oregon and Washington, according to the September/October issue of Earth First!

The article says a branch in Tacoma was hit June 10 and “stop prisons” was spray painted on the wall. An independent media Web site also listed an August attack in Minneapolis.

=> Read more!

A suspect wanted in a July shooting at a Kent Arby's was arrested Friday night, KOMO-TV is reporting.

Edward Earl Cobb, 18, of Seattle, was booked into the King County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, third-degree theft and a juvenile parole violation.

Bail was set at $1 million for the murder and at $1,100 for the theft charge. But bail was denied for the parole violation.

Cobb was arrested Friday night after a woman called police and told them he had stabbed her and where he could be found.

Follow the link to read the rest of KOMO's story.

Here's some info on a career fair in Seattle this week:

The Second Annual Washington State Public Service Career Fair, Tuesday, October 28, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., at the Seattle Center will provide job seekers with an opportunity to meet with more than 50 employers and attend career planning workshops.

The event also features four workshops to help job seekers develop their professional development plan. Carol Vecchio, executive director, Centerpoint Institute for Life and Career Renewal, will present "The One, Most Important Thing You Need to Know to Make Your Job Search Successful," at Noon. Attendees will learn how to develop a specific, concise work vision statement and have the opportunity to test it before meeting with employer representatives.

=> Read more!

Here's the press release from the U.S. Attorney's office:

LARRY EDWARD TARRER II, 35, of Tacoma, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 10 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Distribute MDMA/Ecstasy, Possession of MDMA/ Ecstasy with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Crack Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. TARRER was arrested in May 2007, following a series of drug deals with a confidential informant working for the Tacoma Drug Enforcement Administration/ Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (DEA/TNET). TARRER pleaded guilty on the first day of trial in May 2008. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said TARRER presented a “clear and present danger to the community... and there is a frightening and compelling justification for a sentence of ten years.”

=> Read more!

The Thurston County Sheriff's Office announced it was unveiling a new sex offender Web site. You can see it by following this link. The full press release is after the jump. You can visit the Pierce County sex offender Web site here.

=> Read more!

A celebration of the lives of the three Ballard sisters killed last weekend in a house fire will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at Bethel High School.

The high school is located at 22215 38th Ave. E. in Spanaway.

A Tacoma police officer was justified in shooting to death a 25-year-old man who ran at another officer with a large knife, Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Gerald Horne said in a news release Friday.

Independent investigations by the prosecutor's office, the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office and the Tacoma Police Department all concluded that officer Jared Tiffany, 26, was within his rights when he fired a single shot at Tony Lamont Clay on July 25, Horne said.

"Officer Tiffany had reasonable cause to believe that Mr. Clay posed an immediate threat of death of serious physical harm to others," according to the news release.

Officers were called to the Spanish Hill apartments in the 6400 block of South 12th Street about 10:25 p.m., according to police. Clay was fighting with at least one other person in the parking lot.

Officer Ben Logan was the first to arrive and saw Clay holding a large butcher knife. He ordered Clay to drop it, then called for backup when Clay didn't comply.

Clay then approached Logan, who used his Taser to try to subdue him. The stun gun had no effect, and Clay – who had a history of mental illness – charged Logan. Tiffany then shot Clay, who died an hour later at Tacoma General Hospital.

The Tacoma Police Department's use of force review board will be looking at the incident, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. The board, comprised of officers, supervisors and two citizens, reviews all applications of deadly force and determines whether the incidents fall within department guidelines.

The board also can make recommendations to the chief on whether there were training or equipment issues.

The reviews are typically conducted after the criminal investigation by the Prosecutor's Office and Medical Examiner's Office is completed.

Authorities are looking for a long-haul trucker accused of kidnapping a Tacoma erotic dancer, shocking her with a stun gun and threatening to kill her, according to court documents.

Superior Court Judge Vicki Hogan issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Bobby Lee Lawson on Wednesday. The warrant charges him with first-degree kidnapping and two counts of second-degree assault.

Local detectives believe Lawson, 48, may be headed to Oklahoma in his big rig.

According to court documents, Lawson met the 19-year-old stripper at Foxes in Parkland about six months ago. The two struck up a friendship of sorts but never were sexually involved, the documents state.

At one point, Lawson gave the woman – who said she's a student – $2,000 for school, according to the court records.

On Saturday, Lawson came into town and called the woman, and they arranged to meet at the Tacoma Mall, the records state.

Lawson forced the woman into his truck by threatening to kill her then drove her to secluded area in Fife where he shocked her with a stun gun, told her to take off her shirt and bra then made her drink something orange, according to the documents.

He then shocked her several more times before choking her into unconsciousness, the records state.

When the woman regained consciousness, she told Lawson to take her back to the mall. He drove in the direction of the mall but passed it and appeared headed onto southbound I-5, the documents state.

The woman told investigators she then jumped out of the truck and sought help from passersby.

A sexual-assault nurse at a local hospital examined the woman and found marks left by a stun gun on her neck, chest and back, the records state. She also had other injuries suggesting a struggle.

Lights & Sirens was unable to find any criminal record for Lawson, outside of a speeding ticket from the East Coast some time ago.

Lakewood police are searching for a man and his accomplice after they assaulted a woman, tied up her young son and tried to rob them earlier this month.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of James Lozan (pictured here), 57, the department announced today. Pierce County prosecutors have charged Lozan with two counts of first-degree kidnapping, one count of first-degree burglary and attempted first-degree robbery.

Investigators have not yet identified the accomplice but released a composite sketch of him today.

Lakewood police investigators suspect Lozan knocked on a woman's door in the 8500 block of Forest Avenue Southwest about 4:05 p.m. Oct. 4. He claimed to be soliciting donations for a church.

The woman said she wasn't interested, according to court documents.

Lozan allegedly displayed a handgun and demanded cash, police reported. He hit the woman on the head with the gun, court documents state.

The woman fought back and even grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed Lozan in the lower face. Lozan grabbed the woman's neck and threatened to kill her, court documents state.

The accomplice entered the home and helped Lozan tie up the woman and her 7-year-old son. The two suspects then fled shortly before police arrived, police reported.

The woman and police found the son hiding under the bed, his hands bound with duct tape, court documents state. The victim was bleeding from her head and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

A police dog found Lozan hiding in a nearby shed, court documents state. He was detained, court documents state.

It appears Lozan was booked into Pierce County Jail on Oct. 4. He was released pending further investigation. Charges were filed against him on Oct. 10.

Lozan has several previous felony convictions.

"Lozan may be classified as a persistent offender and subject to a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole," court documents state.

Lozan is black, 5 feet 10 and weighs 180 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Investigators believe he has ties to the Lakewood area and are actively looking for him, police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said.

His accomplice has been described as a black man in his 30s and 6 feet tall with a slender build. He was last seen driving a blue SUV.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to arrests and charges filed in this case. Callers may remain anonymous.

Reach Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959.

Kids can get a free pumpkin and learn about fire safety at the Lakewood Fire Department's annual safety pumpkin patch.

The event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Station 21, 5000 Steilacoom Blvd. S.W.

Besides getting a pumpkin, kids can:

Custom Fit Helmets (Cash Only)

Bike $7, Multi-sport style $10 and Ski Helmets $15

Car Seat Check from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Spin the Wheel of Safety

Learn about Fire & Life Safety

Play in the Lakewood Parks Jumpy Castle

Practice Calling 9-1-1

A young Spanaway man is among those who died when a Seattle-based fishing vessel sank in chilly Alaska waters earlier this week.

Katmai Fisheries Inc. released the names of those who died late Thursday. Among them is Joshua Leonguerrero of Spanaway.

On his myspace page, Josh described himself this way:

"And I'm about five foot seven ... I have black hair and dark brown eyes ... about a carmel skin color ...

"Oh and by the way I'm Chamorro which is a Pacific Islander ... I am a very aggressive person ... so don't piss me off!!! As long as your not on my bad side I'm a pretty kool person ...

"I like to work out so I stay fit and I like to play football, wrestle and well I like to play all sports."

He had a fiancee and enjoyed working on cars.

Leongurrero attended Naches Trail Elementary, Spanaway Junior High, Challenger Secondary and Spanaway Lake High schools, according to the Bethel School District. He withdrew from the district in 2005.

(Photo is from one of Josh's myspace page)

The U.S. Coast Guard has released new video of the rescue of four survivors from a sunken Seattle-based fishing vessel off the Alaska coast.

Five others died in the incident and two crew members remain missing.

Find the video here.

Here's the accompanying press release from the Coast Guard.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk and crew from Air Station Kodiak rescued four survivors from the 93-foot fishing vessel Katmai 100 miles west of Adak in the Aleutian Islands on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008.

The Coast Guard received a signal from a 406 Mhz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) at about 1 a.m. on Wednesday registered to the Katmai. There has been no sign of the vessel.

Of the 11 crew members on board four were rescued from a life raft by the Coast Guard, five were located by the Coast Guard and Good Samaritan vessels deceased and two remain missing. Coast Guard assets continue to search for the missing.

The marine casualty, the sinking of the vessel and loss of life, is under investigation by the Coast Guard. Coast Guard investigators anticipate taking initial statements from the survivors in Anchorage today.

In a press release the Kent Police Department made a plea for drivers not to text behind the wheel.

KENT, WA – October 23, 2008 – The driver of the bottom red car had promised the parents not to text and drive. The first comment to the responding officer was: “But officer, I just looked down to read a text from my boyfriend.” She was lucky not to have been seriously injured. The driver in this case in was 16 years old. But distracted driving effects any age.

Betty Cochran of Tacoma called to let us know about an incident on Pierce Transit's No. 1 route this afternoon.

Another passenger was having health problems, Cochran said, and a Pierce College nursing student, Natasha Gutierrez, came to her aid after other passengers seemed reluctant to help.

Betty said Gutierrez and the bus driver called 911 for aid for the woman, who apparently was having a diabetic problem. Gutierrez then ministered to the stricken woman until paramedics arrived a little before 5 p.m.

A man suspected in a string of Tacoma hotel robberies appears to have struck again.

Investigators suspect the man robbed two hotels Wednesday night. He was already believed to be responsible for four hotel robberies in Tacoma and one in Federal Way in recent weeks.

The most recent robberies were:

* 7:22 p.m. Wednesday at the Days Inn, 6802 Tacoma Mall Blvd., in Tacoma.

* 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at Guest House Suites, 5805 on Pacific Highway E., in Fife.

Investigators also believe he's responsible for:

* Sept. 26 at 11:57 p.m. at LaQuinta Inn, 1425 E. 27th St., in Tacoma.

* Sept. 27 at 10:52 p.m. at Extended Stay America, 2120 S. 48th St., in Tacoma.

* Sept. 28 at 8:29 p.m. at Best Western-Tacoma Dome, 2611 E. E St., in Tacoma.

* Oct. 1 at 9:05 p.m. at Holiday Inn, 8601 S. Hosmer St., in Tacoma.

* Oct. 2 at 11:47 p.m. at Quality Inn, 1400 S. 348th St., in Federal Way.

In each case, the robber has jumped over the counter, forced the clerk to give him money and flees. In some robberies, he's assaulted the clerk before running way, police reported.

Witnesses have described the robber as black, 25 to 30 years old, 5 feet 8 to 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds. He has black hair and has worn a black puffy jacket with fur trim and gloves during each robbery.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges filed in the case. Callers may remain anonymous.

Reach Crime Stoppers 253-591-5959.

KING 5 is reporting that Bernadette Vohs is in trouble again.

Vohs is the Graham dog breeder who got into trouble with the legal system last year after customers complained she delivered sick pooches or dogs that didn't match those she advertised for sale. She eventually pleaded guilty to multiple crimes in a deal that allowed her to avoid jail time.

Pierce County taxpayers wound up spending more than $100,000 to board a passel of Vohs' dogs after they were seized while the investigation moved ahead.

KING 5's investigative team now says Vohs is selling dogs again in violation of a court order forbidding her to do so.

According to court documents filed last week, Vohs sold a woman a sick chihuahua last month. Prosecutors have charged her with one count of second-degree theft in the case.

She's been summoned to court Nov. 7 to answer the charge.

Vohs also has been summoned to court next month for a hearing as to whether she violated the terms of her probation in the case from last year. She could face jail time if Judge Beverly Grant finds a violation.

A 16-year-old boy suspected of shooting three men during a pair of marijuana-related robberies is expected in court today to be arraigned on a slew of felony charges, including the state's highest crime – aggravated first-degree murder.

Phillip Kiyoshi Otto was booked into the Pierce County Jail yesterday after being extradited from California, according to jail records.

The aggravated murder charge stems from the death of Joshua Thomas Gatbunton, who died Sept. 3 after being shot when he answered the door to his apartment in Tacoma's South End. His roommate also was shot in the face but survived.

Otto's also charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary, among other things.

Prosecutors contend Otto and six other teenagers conspired together to rob marijuana peddlers of money and drugs. Otto opened fire with a handgun in both cases.

All the teenagers are being prosecuted as adults.

UPDATE: Not guilty pleas were entered on Otto's behalf at his arraignment this afternoon. Superior Court Judge Lisa Worswick ordered him jailed in lieu of $5 million bail at the request of deputy prosecutor Jerry Costello, who called Otto "extremely dangerous."

Otto is next scheduled in court Nov. 13 for a pre-trial hearing.

A reader e-mailed this morning with this what was that?

Do you know what happened at the Lakewood Towne Center around 5pm on Wednesday, October 22nd? A lot of police activity (approximately 15 cars responding code 3). I was hoping to see something on it in Lights and Sirens today.

Lakewood police Lt. Heidi Hoffman provided L & S with the needed information. Here's what she wrote:

One of our traffic officers observed a vehicle at a high rate of speed and when he turned on it, it was going so fast (approx. 90-100 MPH) that it had disappeared. One of our Animal Control officers then observed the vehicle a few minutes later weaving in and out of traffic near 100th and Gravelly Lake Dr. Officers in that area began looking for the vehicle. As it was located, the driver was still driving recklessly, traveling south bound in the north bound lanes. As the vehicle entered the intersection of Gravelly Lake Dr. and Alfaretta, it struck a vehicle pulling out into the intersection, rotating around, and striking two other vehicles. The driver then fled on foot and was taken into custody several blocks later after a short struggle. Fortunately no one was injured. Traffic investigated the collision.

Thanks to Brian, the reader, for the question and Heidi for the quick answer.

Man, traffic is nasty out there.

Four blocking collisions have been reported on Interstate 5 - three around Tacoma City Center and another down by Fort Lewis. (I got stuck in the disabled semi blocking one of the lanes of southbound I-5 at the Tacoma Dome. Back ups from that extended to the King-Pierce county line.)

No major injuries have been reported, according to the Washington State Patrol.

"Just gumming up the works," a State Patrol dispatcher said.

Crews have cleared a multi-vehicle crash from the right lane of northbound I-705 near the SR 7 extension.

Our news partners, KIRO TV, reported there was a five-car pileup on Highway 167 shortly after 6 a.m.

Pierce County Sheriff's deputies arrested Michael Anthony Webster, 41, yesterday on an indecent liberties charge he pleaded guilty to when he was 19.

Court records don't say where Webster has been or what he's been doing for the past 22 years.

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest in May 1987 after he stopped reporting to his community corrections officer and for sex offender treatment. He pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching a 9-year-old girl.

According to Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer he came to court to try to get the old warrant against him quashed and the judge had him locked up instead.

He is currently being held without bail.

The Seattle Police Department has released a composite sketch of a man suspected of breaking into a Wallingford home and sexually assaulting a young woman as her young children slept.

The sketch was released today. The attacker was described as a tall, thin white man, between 25 and 30 years old.

Here's some background on the Monday incident from the Seattle Police Department:

SPD Sexual Assault Unit (SAU) detectives are investigating a burglary and sexual assault that occurred during the evening hours of October 20th in the Wallingford neighborhood of North Seattle. The female victim was home with her young children, who were sleeping. Her husband had just left the house on a brief errand. The suspect entered the home and confronted the victim. He threatened her and sexually assaulted her. He stole some items from the residence before fleeing.

The victim immediately called 911 and North Precinct patrol officers responded. A K9 officer responded to the scene as well, but was unable to establish a successful track. SAU and CSI detectives responded to the scene to investigate and to process the crime scene for evidence.

Next to murders, these are the most terrible crimes that we investigate. According to SAU detectives, this incident does appear to be isolated. We would like to remind everyone to always keep their doors and windows locked, even while at home. We ask that citizens be mindful not only of their own personal and property interests, but also that of their neighbors.

At this time, we are not releasing a suspect description. Instead, we ask that anyone who saw anything suspicious or out of the ordinary between 9 and 9:50 PM in the 1600 block of N 52nd Street call our SAU detectives at 684-5575. We will provide a sketch to the public when and if one becomes available.

This one was just too good to pass up ...

U.S. border patrol agents in Blaine discovered a woman hiding in the trunk of a car over the weekend as the car came back into the states from Canada.

And it turns out both the woman and the driver were U.S. citizens.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped the 2004 Honda Civic on Sunday at the Peace Arch Port of Entry for further examination. The car was registered in Virginia, the agency reported today.

Officers opened the truck and found the 20-year-old woman hiding in the trunk.

All of the car's occupants were immediately removed and handcuffed, the agency reported.

The driver and woman told officers she hid the in the trunk because they thought she needed a passport to get back into the country.

That's not true, the agency says.

"All travelers are reminded that any smuggling of persons or contraband is a serious offense and subject to criminal and civil penalties," Port Director Margaret Fearon warned in the press release.

The driver received a $500 fine for failing to present all the people for inspection in the vehicle, the agency reported.

This morning's fire at a Puyallup vet clinic is the not the first suspected arson in Pierce County this month.

On Oct. 8, a fire destroyed a portable classroom at Clover Park Technical College.

Investigators have said they believe that fire was likely set in the storage sheds behind Building No. 39, then spread to the building.

There's no indications the two fires are anywhere related but it is noteworthy that Pierce County has had two arsons in this month.

Fire and police were on the scene of a car versus metro bus crash this morning at South 60th Street and South Puget Sound Avenue.

The car driver was injured in the T-bone accident, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. Two people on the bus also were injured.

The crash was blocking, Fulghum added.

Tacoma police responded to a shots fired called just after 9 p.m. Tuesday night, the department reported.

They found three homes were hit in the 3700 block of South L Street. No injuries were reported, however there was some property damage.

No suspects have been arrested, the department reported.

The investigation was continuing.

Police are searching for several men who barged into a home in the 9000 block of East E St. and took a purse, according to police radio traffic.

A shot was fired inside the house, but no one was hit.

Police were looking for three men in their 20s, one of which the victim knew as a friend of a friend, according to radio traffic.

MORNING UPDATE: There's not too much new.

The suspects are known. They fired one shot in the home in an attempt to scare the victim, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The suspect(s) was not located.

A caller wondered what a bunch of fire truck were doing at the Tacoma Schools administration building.

Fire spokesman Dan Crotty said there had been an electrical panel which was smoldering and smoking, but no actual fire.

Olympia – Drivers traveling I-5 on Oct. 22 and 23, will see more Washington State Patrol Motorcycle troopers out conducting speed emphasis patrols. WSP Motor units will be out in force patrolling from Vancouver the Bellingham, looking for speeders and aggressive drivers.

One of WSP’s primary objectives is to reduce the number of collisions caused by speeding and aggressive driving on our state highways. An effective resource available to the Washington State Patrol is working speed enforcement in the urban areas using motorcycle troopers.

“We continue to see speeding and aggressive driving as a main cause in traffic collisions in our state,” said Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste. “We are using these speed emphasis patrols as a way to change driver’s behavior, we want drivers to slow down and drive safely.”

WSP has 44 motorcycle troopers assigned to work throughout the state, 37 of which are assigned to work this two-day speed emphasis. Motorcycle troopers are routinely utilized to work spot enforcement throughout the state and often concentrate on identified problem areas.
For more information on what Washington State Patrol is doing about speeding and aggressive drivers. Go to WSP’s web site at www.wsp.wa.gov.

Here's the press release from the U.S. Attorney's office:

JOHN MALCOLM STEWART, 45 , of Black Diamond, Washington, was sentenced today to 76 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and $205,419.94 in restitution for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. STEWART was first arrested in February 2007, when Black Diamond Police executed a search warrant and found more than 20 phony Oregon and Washington State Drivers Licenses with STEWART’s picture and other people’s identifying information. In addition, investigators found all manner of forged documents including employee badges, press passes, military identification cards and a fake United States Customs badge. STEWART had even forged business cards identifying him as a Detective in the King County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Unit. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez said, “victims of identity theft do nothing to place themselves in a position to be victimized,” yet they end up with a “mess on their hands to sort out in the future.”

According to records filed in the case, STEWART has a lengthy history as a forger for a variety of bank fraud rings. In various interviews with law enforcement, STEWART told investigators he had supplied fraud rings with hundreds of fake IDs. STEWART indicated that meth-addicts were bringing him stolen mail two to three times a week, so that he could use the stolen information to make counterfeit documents and checks. STEWART also obtained information from insiders at a pawn shop and mortgage company. STEWART used the counterfeit documents to open lines of credit at various retailers so that he could purchase items for his own use. STEWART said he has used the counterfeit U.S. Customs badge to reassure a hesitant clerk that his identity was legitimate. Following his initial arrest and interview, STEWART returned within months to fraud activities. In June 2007, his new home in Auburn was searched and additional forged documents were recovered. Investigators learned STEWART had used a forged check just the day before to purchase more counterfeiting supplies.

STEWART supplied documents to other fraud rings prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Everett James was the leader of one such ring. James was sentenced January 18, 2008, to 65 months in prison and $190,947 in restitution. STEWART’s sentence includes 52 months for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and an additional consecutive 24 months in prison for Aggravated Identity Theft as required under federal law.

Assistant United States Attorney Norman Barbosa asked for a lengthy sentence for STEWART noting that “it is clear that he poses the highest degree of danger to the community. By his crimes, he has virtually raped scores of people of their most personal possessions: their good names, their good credit, their standing in the community, and their emotional well-being. He has systematically victimized scores of merchants and banks spanning at least four states. His life of criminal conduct and his pride in his accomplishments provide convincing proof of the serious danger he poses to the community.”

The case was investigated by the Black Diamond Police Department, the Enumclaw Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Secret Service and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG).

Donations to the Ballard family for funeral expenses can be made at any Washington Mutual branch.

The fund is in the name of Judith Mitchell-Ballard for the benefit of Katelyn, Emily and Michaela. The account number is 4942646592.

A reader called our reader representative today with a question about police activity Monday afternoon.

She wondered why police had the intersection of South 55th and Cushman blocked off on Monday about 3:15 p.m. They had police dogs out, but officers wouldn’t tell her why.

Here's what happened, according to Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum.

An officer happened upon a hit-and-run crash at South 56th and Cushman. One of the drivers had fled.

It turns out that driver was wanted by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department for assault with a gun.

Officers set up containment and a Puyallup police dog searched for the driver.

He was not located.

A judge has rejected Pierce County’s request for a new trial in Barbara Corey’s wrongful-termination lawsuit.

King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Heller also said no to the county’s request to throw out a jury verdict that found Prosecutor Gerald Horne wrongfully terminated Corey in 2004. In addition, Heller declined to reduce the more than $3 million in damages awarded to Corey.

Heller issued the decision Friday.

In August, the jury found Horne had wrongfully fired Corey – who worked as the chief of his felony division – and inappropriately damaged her reputation by making disparaging remarks about her to the press.

The county claimed Horne had the right to fire Corey and that he was within his rights when he commented about her discharge to reporters.

On Oct. 6, a Seattle law firm hired by Pierce County to appeal the verdicts filed motions asking Heller to reject the jury’s finding that Corey was wrongfully terminated, “reduce the excessive and duplicative damages awarded” or order a new trial.

Pierce County is expected to continue to appeal the verdicts.

The county already has spent more than $440,000 to defend against the lawsuit.

A Tacoma man was found shot to death on Fort Lewis last week and now Army criminal investigators want the public’s help in determining what happened.

Searchers found Vong Lam, 56, dead in the western area of the post’s training area Wednesday night. An autopsy determined he’d died of a gunshot wound, Army officials announced today.

Lam was a civilian. His family members reported him missing to the Fort Lewis Emergency Coordination Center early Tuesday, Oct. 14. He’d last been heard from about 11:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 13, and family members believed Lam was somewhere on Fort Lewis, military officials reported.

Military police started searching for Lam on Tuesday and continued their effort into Wednesday.

Searchers found Lam’s truck in the Fort Lewis Training Area 4 about 9 a.m. Wednesday. They concentrated on the surrounding area and found Lam’s body about 6 p.m., officials reported.

More than 150 military police officers, seven police dog teams and volunteers from Pierce County Search and Rescue, Tacoma Mountain Rescue and Thurston County Search and Rescue participated in the effort.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command is now looking into Lam’s death. Investigators would like to talk with any information in the case. Tipsters are encouraged to call investigators at 253-967-3151 or e-mail them at crimetips@conus.army.mil. Tipsters can request to remain anonymous.

There have been stories in the news of late about the budget cutbacks in King County and how it will impact public safety services.

King County Sheriff Sue Rahr will be speaking to the County Council this morning about what her agency is doing to handle a smaller budget.

Here's what's on the table, according to the Sheriff's Office:

The Sheriff's Office will take budget reductions in 2009 totaling $8.8 million. This is in addition to over $2.5 million in on-going reductions passed in prior years but carried forward. That means the true reduction that must be managed in 2009 is $11.3 million.

"The cuts required for 2009 are real," said Sheriff Sue Rahr. "No accounting tricks, no re-shuffling of staff. Jobs are being cut, and the impact is real. Citizens should expect a dramatic loss of services and an erosion of public safety."

79 personnel cuts:
• 29 Detectives
• 24 Deputies
• 20 Admin Staff
• 4 Sergeants
• 2 Courthouse Marshals

That means:

• Blue Ribbon Panel reforms eviscerated, leading to less professional accountability
• Eliminate investigation of drug trafficking organizations and participation in most regional task forces
• Eliminate specialized gambling and vice investigations
• Eliminate specialized investigation of Domestic Violence
• Eliminate investigation of property crimes under $10,000
• Cut detectives apprehending suspects with arrest warrants
• Cut detectives serving civil papers
• Cut detectives on the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
• Redeploy K-9 to Patrol duties
• Eliminate Storefront deputies
• Cut outreach to neighborhoods
• Eliminate District Court armed deputies
• Cut major accident detectives
• Eliminate detectives investigating parental kidnapping cases
• Voicemail only at most worksites
• Limited walk-in times for access to services
• Recruiting, background investigations, and training will suffer, therefore on-going professional training will barely meet state standards
• Oversight of pawnshops will be reduced or eliminated
• Victim assistance for families in crisis, non-English speaking victims, etc.

The Seattle Police Department's PIOs are joining the ever-expanding blogosphere.

They publicly launched the SPD Blotter on Monday. The blotter will be news and notes from the Seattle Police Department's Media Office, according to a press release.

"Typical entries might include details about major crimes investigations, wanted suspect bulletins, announcements regarding high profile arrests and the latest police/community partnerships," the press release stated. "The hope is that by providing information in this new format, the Seattle Police Department will have an opportunity to engage many more citizens who rely on getting their news via the Internet or their hand-held electronic devices."

The site already has several posts up. Each has a good amount of information and photos when appropriate. There's also an option to subscribe to the blog if you're interested.

Event for the Ballard family, which lost three girls in a devastating fire early Sunday in Graham.

What: Inni’s, a new jazz and blues club, will be having its grand opening with a concert by "Chicken Joe"

When: Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Where: 6008 Mount Tacoma Dr. S.W. in Lakewood

Cost: $5 cover

Donations for the Ballard family can be made at the door or during the event.

In light of Sunday's deadly house in Graham, Graham Fire & Rescue offers these fire-safety tips

* Install working smoke alarms. Have at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your house.

* Change the alarm batteries twice a year. Time it to when the clocks change.

* Devise two ways out of every room in the house.

* Put a collapsible ladder in every bedroom for every child who is able to climb up and down ladders.

* Practice escaping from the house four times a year.

It was a busy weekend for Tacoma police officers. Here's a few of the major highlights. (This is in addition to the homicide Sunday afternoon.)

Four people were taken to the hospital early Saturday after a stabbing at an apartment complex in the 4700 block of South Pine Street, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

Two Fort Lewis soldiers reported they were stabbed by two others. The fight appears to have stemmed from a party gone bad, Fulghum said.

The two suspects were found and arrested. It turns out, they were also injured.

The injuries were described as serious.

---

A woman was struck by a stray bullet inside Rudy's Restaurant and Lounge, 6324 E. McKinley Ave., early Sunday.

A witness reported seeing a dark SUV shooting at a person on the sidewalk, Fulghum said. One of the rounds went into Rudy's and hit the victim, who was seated on a barstool at the time.

She was treated and released at the scene, Fulghum said.

---

Tacoma police twice went to a large party and confiscated weapons early Sunday.

They first responded to reports of shots fired at the house in the 3100 block of South 17th Street shortly after midnight, Fulghum said. The house was reportedly the scene of a large going away party for soldiers.

Officers were told two suspects were firing rounds from a shotgun and handgun. Both had fled before officers arrived, Fulghum said.

Officers spotted the vehicle at South 56th and South Cheyenne streets. The driver was taken into custody without incident, Fulghum said.

The passenger, however, slid into the driver's seat and took off. Officers pursued the car.

For an unknown reason, the car became disabled and the driver ran. A police dog tracked down the driver and he was arrested after a Taser application, Fulghum said.

The handgun and shotgun were found in the car and confiscated.

A while later, officers were again called to the house for shots fired. They arrived to find a person in the front of the house, holding a sniper rifle. The suspects who'd fired the weapon were gone, Fulghum said.

Tacoma officers notified Fort Lewis military police officers of the incident.

No injuries were reported in either incident.

Updated story:

A man who was stabbed and killed by his stepfather Sunday was a competitive “strongman” who struggled with mental health issues and drug abuse in recent years, his parents said Monday.

Ten years ago, the son, going by the name Mawr Wallace, was featured in a front-page story in The News Tribune as he prepared for a strongman competition in St. Louis. Wallace, who was identified by the Medical Examiner’s Office as Marcos Sanchez-Youngblood, also went by Marc Walker Wallace in some court records.

His mother, Ann Carlsen, said her son changed his name as his personality changed due to his illness.

“Up until the onset of his schizophrenia, he was just this wonderful young man,” she said. “He didn’t drink, he didn’t drug. He was a youth group leader and all the kids just adored him.”

Wallace’s delusions included animosity and threats toward his stepfather, she said.

“My husband is the victim here,” she said. “And Mark is the victim as far as the mental illness is concerned.”

Carlsen said her husband resorted to protecting himself with a knife only after being attacked.

In the newspaper story, Wallace talked about his feat of pulling a 23,000-pound dump truck. “It’s nothing mythical or magical,” he said then. “I guess I’m pretty strong. But when I really go in deep, the power comes into me and I blank out. Then I see what happened when I come back.”

Friend Steve Potter said watching Wallace’s decline was painful, but retained fond memories.

“My son & I stood with him at his wedding years ago, a day we will never forget, Marc in a bear skin, and his beautiful bride in a white wedding gown,” he wrote in an e-mail. “The ceremony was held in a Llama pasture. Only Marc!”

The last several years were a nightmare for Wallace’s family, however, stepfather James Paul Carlsen said.

“We’ve been to court numerous times,” he said. “He busted down the door. He took stuff from the house.”

Ann Carlsen said she felt like the court system didn’t help him get the treatment he needed or punish him for violating court orders.

A restraining order granted in 2005 gives a glimpse into his family’s fear.

According to the document, Wallace knocked on his parents’ door and said, “I am no longer afraid to fight you and am I am ready to kill you.” He broke down the door and stole a parrot, which was later recovered.

Carlsen said Wallace, 38, showed up at his door again Sunday. After being asked to leave, he turned to go, but then wheeled around and “started wailing on me,” Carlsen said. Carlsen, who had armed himself with a knife, ended up killing his stepson.

Police spokesman Mark Fulghum said no arrest was imminent and that it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether to pursue charges.

Update: I got an e-mail from a friend of Wallace, who wished to remain anonymous. There was another side of him, too, the friend wanted to share.

"Marc, had so much potential. Everyone knew him to be eccentric but we loved him for living and embracing a much larger life that inspired those who befriended him," it said.

The ferry terminal in Steilacoom has been evacuated for some type of security incident, according to Pierce County.

This rider alert was sent out shortly after noon.

A security incident is in progress at the Steilacoom Landing. The terminal has been evacuated. We hope to have this incident resolved by the ferry's scheduled arrival at 1:10 p.m. Please expect possible delays. A follow-up Alert will be issues once the incident is resolved.

As of 1:30 p.m., the incident was still ongoing.

Washington State Patrol and Steilacoom Department of Public Safety were handling the incident.

UPDATE: The incident - reportedly an unattended cooler that raised suspicions - has been cleared.

Here's the rider alert from Pierce County:

The Steilacoom dock has been cleared. The Rhododendron has begun to load vehicle/passengers at the Anderson Island dock and will depart at 2:30 p.m. The ferry should be back on schedule by the 3:40 run.

Apparently, it's National School Bus Safety Week.

Here's a little story from the AP about the event.

OLYMPIA (AP) — Washington celebrates National School Bus Safety Week this week. More than 400,000 Washington state students ride yellow buses to school each day.

The theme of safety week this year is "Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm."

The director of pupil transportation at the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction says this is a good time for everyone in the community to work to ensure the safety of children.

Allan Jones says school buses are the safest way for students to get to and from school. But the most dangerous time is when they are getting on and off the school bus.

Jones says parents need to teach their children the proper way to get on and off the bus. And motorists need to watch for school buses and obey the warning lights.

Grief counselors are at the schools that three sisters killed in a fire early Sunday attended.

Counselors are at Bethel Junior High School, where 13-year-old Katelyn Ballard was an eighth-grade student, and at Pioneer Valley Elementary School, where 10-year-old Michaela and 11-year-old Emily Ballard were fifth and sixth graders.

The counselors will “assist any students and staff who need help with their grief,” said Krista Carlson, director of communications for the Bethel School District. The district also will be sending letters home this afternoon to parents of students at the two schools.

The Ballard sisters were killed early Sunday when a fire broke out at their father and stepmother’s home in the 25300 block of 103rd Avenue East in Graham. Flames quickly engulfed the house. Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes of receiving the call but were unable to save the girls.

The father and stepmother, who were sleeping in the master bedroom in the basement of the house, escaped. The father tried to get to his girls but was not able because of the heat and flames.

Investigators were searching for the cause of the fire.

Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said deputies were posted at the scene over night. Detectives and fire investigators are back at the house today to find out what sparked the blaze.

The so-called Bam Bam Bandit is reported in custody.

Brandon J. White was booked into the Seattle Detention Center just after 10:30 p.m. Saturday. His bail has been denied and he was booked on a U.S. Marshal hold, according to the King County Jail roster.

An FBI spokeswoman told the Seattle P-I that White turned himself into officers after seeing his photo in the media in connection with the case.

Investigators suspect White in a string of bank robberies, including two in Tacoma and one in Bellevue, in the past several weeks. He's also suspected in a holdup at a pharmacy store.

UPDATE: Here's what I've learned ...

A 28-year-old man wanted in connection in a series of bank robberies – including at least two in Pierce County – turned himself into police Saturday night.

Brandon J. White called 911 from a pay phone in the Capitol Hill area about 6:30 p.m. Saturday. He knew he was wanted by federal authorities and that his photograph had been appearing on the local news, FBI spokesman Robbie Burroughs said today.

White waited at the phone booth until Seattle police officers arrived to arrest him.

"It was the safest of all possible results," Burroughs said.

White, who had been sought under a federal warrant, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle this afternoon.

Law enforcement investigators believe he’s responsible for bank robberies in Tacoma, Puyallup, Seattle and Bellevue and a pharmacy robbery in Bellevue.

The crimes took place between Sept. 12 and Oct. 2. In each incident, he threatened to use an explosive device. In one of the Seattle robberies, the bank had to be evacuated and surrounding streets closed down so officers could investigate.

Law enforcement officers had nicknamed White the "Bam Bam Bandit" because of the frequency of his robberies.

"It was bam, bam, bam," Burroughs said.

A crash involving a rolled over semi-truck was blocking the right lane of the eastbound Highway 16 ramp to northbound Interstate 5 in Tacoma this morning.

Drivers were getting by in the left lane, the state Department of Transportation reported at 5:35 a.m.

The crash occurred about 4:45 a.m. Washington State Patrol troopers and transportation crews responded.

A tow truck also was headed to the scene. The semi-truck needs to be unloaded first before it is righted and cleared, transportation officials reported.

Drivers should expect heavier-than-normal traffic at the eastbound Nalley Valley interchange.

(Photo is courtesy of Chopper 7 from our news partners KIRO TV.)

UPDATE: Here's a photo from WSDOT of the truck, which split open and spilled some of its load after being uprighted.

I don't have any details yet from Tacoma Police, but according to the Pierce County Medical Office a 38-year-old Tacoma man named Marcos Sanchez-Youngblood was killed Sunday in a possible homicide.

More details as we get them.

Update: Here's the brief I wrote for tomorrow's paper:

A conflict between a stepfather and his stepson in Tacoma turned deadly Sunday afternoon, police said.

The son went his parents house at the corner of North Pearl and North 45th Streets about 3 p.m., police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. The father met him at the door of his home a armed with a knife.

The parents had a previously obtained court orders protecting them from him, Fulghum said.

The two men struggled and the son was killed. The Medical Examiner’s Office identified him as Marcos Sanchez-Youngblood, 38, of Tacoma.
The father was treated for minor injuries. It was not clear Sunday whether charges would be sought against him.
Ian Demsky, The News Tribune

I looked for court records online, but was unable to find anything.

Residents on Martin Luther King Jr. Way were helping some neighbors fix a roof when the torch they were using started a fire that destroyed a room, displaced a family and caused at least $50,000 in damage.
Tacoma Fire assistant chief Dan Crotty said workers were using a torch to seal leaks in the roof when it started a fire underneath the roof's surface. No one noticed it until it burned through the roof. Crews arrived at about 1 p.m. Saturday. No one was injured.
Three families were living in the home, and one was displaced because of damage from the fire. The Red Cross is assisting the two adults and child.

A 32-foot recreational boat caught fire this morning in Brown's Point, sending a column of black smoke over the water in north Tacoma, but no injuries were reported.

Tacoma fire assistant chief Dan Crotty said multiple calls came in at about 11:20 a.m. for a boat on fire in a slip at Tyee Marina, 5618 Marine View Dr. Crews were able to contain the fire to the one boat and, as of about noon, it has been put out.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the blaze.

Here's the press release from the State Fire Marshal's Office:

Currently, fire agencies in Washington State have reported 31 fire deaths in 2008. In comparison to the same time period as previous years, this number is down 28% from 2007 and 39% from 2006. “We are pleased to see the declining trend, but in the wake of the deadly fire that claimed the lives of four people in Snohomish earlier this month, it is clear that Washington State residents must remain vigilant toward preventing fires,” says State Fire Marshal Michael Matlick.

In review of deadly fires that have occurred this year, we know that 71% occurred in residential properties, 19% in vehicles, and 10% occurred outside. Nine people died in three separate residential fires: in June, three died in an intentionally set apartment fire in Burien; in July, two died in a mobile home fire in Spokane Valley; in October, four died in a mobile home fire in Snohomish.

Reports reflect that smoke alarms either were not present or did not work in the majority of the deadly residential fires. It is a fact that fire sprinklers are effective life safety devices designed to suppress fires, but in rare cases, such as smoldering fires, fatalities may occur before enough heat is generated to activate a sprinkler head. One fire this year indicated fire sprinklers were present and operated. A person did not survive the fire because it started in the area where the individual was located and then spread to their clothing.

“Most fires and related deaths can be eliminated through prevention, but it is necessary for everyone to take precautions,” states Matlick. “Our office offers the following tips in hopes that lives will be saved, burns will be avoided, and fires will be reduced.”

· Install and maintain smoke alarms and fire sprinklers in your home.
· Develop and practice a home escape plan.
· Be aware of what can burn and keep ignition sources well away.
· Never leave cooking food unattended.
· Keep children and pets away from open fires.
· Store matches and lighters out of reach of children.
· Maintain and inspect home heating systems in accordance with manufactures instructions.
· Avoid smoking where you sleep and use sturdy non-combustible ashtrays.
· Contact a professional when making modifications to electrical wiring.

Tacoma firefighters fought two house fires Friday, assistant chief Dan Crotty told Lights & Sirens this afternoon.

The first broke out about 12:14 p.m. at duplex in the 700 block of South Yakima. The blaze, which apparently started on a second-story deck, caused $60,000 to the duplex and also damaged buildings on either side, Crotty said.

Three people who lived in the duplex were displaced.

The second blaze started about 3:30 p.m. at a house in the 3400 block of North 8th.

Two residents of the house escaped without injury, but the fire still was smoldering about 6:30 p.m., Crotty said. The cause had not been determined.

The continuing search for Teekah Lewis, one of Tacoma's long-missing children, is going on the road.

She will be the latest missing child to be featured as part of the Homeward Bound program. The program was launched in 2006 by the Washington State Patrol and Gordon Trucking of Pacific to help bring missing children home.

Under the program, the photographs of 15 missing children have been featured on the sides of Gordon Trucks, which travel the nations' highway.

The new Teekah poster will be unveiled Saturday at a child safety fair in Federal Way, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. Lenoria Jones, the 4-year-old girl who went missing from Tacoma in 1995, also has been featured.

Teekah has been missing since Jan. 23, 1999. Then 2 1/2 year olds, the little girl was last seen about 10:15 p.m. at New Frontier Lanes bowling alley, 4702 S. Center St., in Tacoma. She was last seen playing near a coin-operated racing game as her family bowled nearby.

Family members and law enforcement officers have been searching for her since. No trace of her has been found in more than nine years.

The child safety fair is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 34630 - 11th Ave. S. in Federal Way.

Among the offerings at the fair:

* Members of the Washington State Patrol will be fingerprinting children.

* Dr. Emily Sabbagh, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, will take free panoramic X-rays. The X-rays will be sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

* Fire crews from East Pierce Fire & Rescue will talk about fire safety.

* Speed pitching and a jumpy house.

* McGruff the Crime Dog.

* Performances by the banks "Windowpane" and "Temperedcast."

A 71-year-old man was killed overnight in a car crash in the Bonney Lake area, the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office reported.

The crash occurred around midnight off Forest Canyon Road East.

Lee Wilson died in the wreck.

No other information was immediately available.

Our news partners, KIRO TV, is reporting the car left the road and hit a pole. The passenger was killed and the driver injured.

The driver was taken to the hospital. Alcohol was suspected.

Pierce County Prosecutor Gerry Horne and others in his office will have their heads shaved today as part of breast cancer awareness.

The office raised more than $1,600 in observance of Lee National Denim Day on Oct. 3. Horne and others will shave their heads "in solidarity with a fellow prosecutor who is battling breast cancer," according to a press release.

The shaving begins at 3 p.m. today on the 11th floor of the County-City Building. Barbering students at Bates Technical College will do the honors.

A man on the run from authorities for 15 years pleaded guilty today in federal court in Tacoma to participating in a drug ring that authorities contend smuggled 50,000 pounds of hashish into the United States in the 1990s.

Frank Falco, 58, entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2009. Falco faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine.

According to federal prosecutors, Falco (seen here) was one of several men who teamed up to bring hashish into the country from Pakistan in the early 1990s. The men hired a fisherman, Robert Tillitz, to rendezvous with a freighter in the Pacific and bring the hash into South Bend, Wash.

They then arranged to have the hashish shipped by truck to points east, according to a 1997 indictment filed against Falco and others.

A Spanaway truck driver named Donald Carpenter drove at least 30,000 pounds of the hash from South Bend to Brooklyn, N.Y. in August 1992, the indictment indicates. Carpenter received at least $300,000 for his services, the indictment states.

Carpenter was convicted in 1995 of interstate travel in the aid of racketeering and served more than three years in federal prison, according to court records.

Falco, a Texas native, admitted in court today that he "coordinated sales" of the hashish and dispersed money and paid people involved in the smuggling. Federal prosecutors contend he laundered more than $8 million in proceeds from sales of the hash.

He fled the country in 1993 and reportedly spent the last 15 years living in various areas of Mexico, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle.

Falco said in court today that he speaks nearly fluent Spanish.

He surrendered at the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico, in March, the news release states.

"Those who turn to the drug trade to profit at the expense of others should know that we will never stop in our pursuit of them in order to hold them accountable," said Kenneth J. Hines, the IRS Special Agent in Charge of the Pacific Northwest whose bureau helped bust Falco.

Appearing relaxed, Falco joked with Judge Bryan during today's court proceedings.

Falco said he was born in the same Texas county as former Texas Gov. John Connally – who was wounded during the assassination of President Kennedy – when Bryan asked the defendant if he was a U.S. citizen.

"Well, I guess you're a citizen then," Bryan said.

"And a Democrat also, yes sir," Falco replied.

Several other men involved in the smuggling case have pleaded guilty this year.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

An interesting tale from the Pierce County wastewater treatment plant this week. This is the press release from Pierce County.

Operators at Chambers Creek Wastewater Plant find a lot of surprises during their sewer system work. But a 41ž2 foot-long snake captured everyone's attention, especially Jason Robinson's.

The wastewater maintenance specialist/mechanic was performing a monthly lubrication at the plant's headworks this week. When he opened the cover of a screening device, he saw the snake but thought it was fake. He touched it with his radio's antenna to make sure and flicked its tail to see what the rear end looked like. Mistake.

"The snake awoke and stood up, assumed the strike position and began watching everyone closely. Jason carefully moved away from what was later determined to be a white Corn Snake. Supervisor Scott Roth arrived and walked up to get a look, and the snake struck at him. It made him jump a little, and everyone backed off a bit after that," said Chief Plant Operator Steve Hanenburg.

"I've seen many things come into wastewater treatment plants during the past 33 years, but this was a first," Hanenburg said.

Other employees began showing up to take a look, and George Molinaro took photos. The snake was removed with a rake and placed in a bucket.

The reptile subsequently was turned over to University Place Community Service Officer Travis Lyons. His office kept the snake for a day and a half to see if a snake rescue organization or zoo would take it. It was turned over to the Humane Society. "I have been called to pick up snakes twice before, but they came out of toilets," Lyons said.

An Internet search found that corn snakes make beautiful, docile pets and are an ideal first-reptile purchase. They are highly variable in color and pattern. They can be found in wooded groves and meadows, on rocky hillsides, along waterways and in urban habitats such as wooded lots, barn yards or abandoned houses. Corn snakes can be seen at Woodland Park Zoo's Day and Night Exhibits building in Seattle.

Tacoma police have arrested three men in connection with the Sept. 3 shooting death of a young man inside a South End apartment.

Investigators booked two men into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree assault in connection with the case shortly after 3:30 a.m. today. A third man was booked into the jail just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary in connection with the same incident.

The News Tribune is not naming any of the men because they have not been charged in the case.

Josh Thomas Gatbunton, 20, (pictured here) was fatally shot early on Sept. 3 inside an apartment in the 9300 block of South Steele Street. Another man was shot and injured when the suspects broke into the apartment. Both victims were graduates of Mount Tahoma High School.

Gatbunton attended St. Martin’s University and ran track.

Investigators had indicated the motive for the deadly break-in and shooting might have been robbery.

One of the murder suspects also has been arrested in connection with another case. Two others also were arrested and booked into jail on first-degree robbery and first-degree assault in connection with that case.

Gatbunton's homicide had been the only unsolved homicide for the Tacoma Police Department this year. In the other 10 cases, arrests have been made or the incidents have been ruled justifiable.

Here's the news release from the Oregon State Police:

News Release from: Oregon State Police
INVESTIGATION OF INJURY CRASH INVOLVING JUVENILE IN STOLEN VEHICLE ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE OFFICERS NEAR ASHLAND
Posted: October 15th, 2008 7:22 PM

Oregon State Police are continuing the investigation into a traffic crash involving a 15-year old male who crashed the stolen vehicle he was operating into the back of parked ODOT vehicles while attempting to elude Jackson County Sheriff's Department and Ashland Police Department on Interstate 5 near Ashland. The juvenile male received serious but non-life threatening injuries in the crash.

On October 15, 2008 at approximately 1:20 p.m. Jackson County Sheriff's Office, with the assistance of Ashland Police Department, attempted to stop a reported stolen 2004 Ford Expedition operated by a 15-year male from Tacoma, Washington, northbound on Interstate 5 near milepost 14. The juvenile operator refused to yield and continued northbound at a high rate of speed, but due to erratic driving and the approaching construction zone the officers backed off and kept the vehicle in sight as it continued to elude.

Near milepost 16 the operator lost control and crashed into the rear of an ODOT dump truck and backhoe parked on the right shoulder of the freeway. ODOT workers were in the vicinity near the collision but were not injured.

On impact, the vehicle caught fire with operator still secured in the driver's seat by safety restraints. Police and other rescue personnel extinguished the fire and removed the operator who was subsequently transported to Rogue Valley Medical Center with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

OSP is continuing the investigation. Ashland Fire and Rescue, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Medford Police Department, Ashland Police Department and ODOT assisted at the scene.

To go along with my story in Thursday's paper about the campaign expenditures of Robert "The Traveller" Hill, I put together this photo montage.

It shows what Traveller watchers are already well aware of -- Hill's ever-changing appearance.

The central image is Hill's campaign photo, the others are screen grabs from Hill's appearances at Tacoma city council meetings. Thanks to R.R. Anderson, who allowed me to use images he captured for his blog.

Not much info available, but the ferry from Tacoma to Vashon has been temporarily canceled.

WSF Route Bulletins
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 2:19 PM

Point Defiance/Tahlequah Cancelled - Update
The Hiyu has been cancelled until further notice due to necessary repairs. For an alternate route to Vashon please use Fauntleroy or Southworth. Updates will occur as conditions change.

Update:

That didn't take long.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 4:11PM

Point Defiance/Tahlequah The Hiyu returns to service
The Hiyu has returned to service and will operate a late 3:40pm departure from Point Defiance. We thank you for your patience.

UPDATE:

Tacoma police have confirmed that they're looking for Brandon J. White, pictured here, in connection with two Tacoma bank robberies. He's believed to be involved in several other robberies in the South Sound area.

"We just want to get him off the street before anyone gets hurt," said police spokesman Mark Fulghum.

Initial Post:

Our news partners at KIRO are reporting that police have identified as suspect wanted in connection with several Pierce County bank robberies.

We're looking into it -- in the meantime, here's KIRO's story:

SEATTLE -- Tacoma police and FBI agents say they have identified a wanted bank robber who has become known as the Bam Bam Bandit.

[The robber]*, 28, is wanted on a federal warrant in connection with eight robberies at seven banks over the last month and one drug store.

His robberies took place in Tacoma, Puyallup, Seattle and Bellevue.

Police said * enters banks and hands the teller a note claiming he has a bomb in his back pack, demanding cash and threatening to detonate the bomb if the tellers don’t do as he says. The threat to detonate a bomb earned the robber the Bam Bam Bandit moniker.

* is believed to be behind robberies at:

Sept. 8 at unknown - Union Bank of California - Tacoma
Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. - Sound Community - Seattle
Sept. 18 at 5:30 p.m. - US Bank - Puyallup
Sept. 24 at 12:25 p.m. - Heritage Bank - Tacoma
Sept. 28 at unknown - Bartells Pharmacy - Seattle
Sept. 30 at 9:15 a.m. - Washington Federal Savings - Seattle
Oct. 2 at unknown - US Bank - Bellevue
Oct. 11 at unknown - Washington Mutual Bank - Seattle

* is from the Pierce County area and has ties to Tacoma, Puyallup and the Bonney Lake areas.

CrimeStoppers of Tacoma and Pierce County is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to his arrest for phone calls to 253-591-5959. Additional rewards offered by banks and the FBI total close to $5,000.

* The News Tribune is not naming the robber at the request of the FBI, who says it might damage their investigation.

I checked in with Lakewood police on Tuesday to see if there was any news on the suspected arson at Clover Park Technical College or the investigation into the death of 3-year-old Autumn Franks.

On both fronts, there is nothing new to report, police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said.

The Associated Ministries will hold a Moment of Blessing ceremony Thursday for a man who was hit and killed by a passing car earlier this month.

The short, spiritual ceremony for 53-year-old Ronald McKellar begins at 3 p.m. Thursday at the scene of the deadly crash at Pacific Avenue and South 72nd Street. Bamboo poles laced with red and purple ribbons will mark the site.

McKellar was killed early on Oct. 5 as he tried to cross the street. A driver hit McKellar, dragged his body for several blocks and then fled the scene.

No arrest has been made. McKellar's family members have pleaded for someone with information to come forward. Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is also offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges filed in the case.

The Associated Ministries holds Moment of Blessing ceremonies at the sites of all homicides in Pierce County. The ceremonies are intended to provide comfort to the victim's family and friends as well as the neighborhood where the crime occurred.

The ceremonies are open to the public.

Here's the top of a story I'm writing for tomorrow about one of Pierce County's most notorious sex cases:

A state Court of Appeals panel has overturned the convictions of a Fircrest man who once called himself “Master Thorn” and two years ago was found guilty of sexually exploiting a 14-year-old girl.

It remains to be seen whether Stanley Scott Sadler will face another trial.

In a 2-1 decision issued Tuesday, Division II justices ruled Sadler’s constitutional right to a public trial was violated when Superior Court Judge Vicki Hogan moved a 2006 hearing over jury selection out of her courtroom and into an adjacent jury room.

The panel also ruled Hogan erred when she allowed prosecutors to introduce evidence against Sadler that detectives gleaned through use of a possibly faulty search warrant, according to the decision.

Justices David H. Armstrong and Elaine Houghton threw out Sadler’s eight convictions for sexual exploitation of a minor and sent the case back to Pierce County for further proceedings.

Justice J. Robin Hunt dissented, arguing that Hogan’s decision to move the hearing was not a fatal error.

Sadler, 51, has served two years of a 10-year sentence. He’s currently incarcerated at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, according to Department of Corrections records.

It was unclear Tuesday whether he will be released pending his next hearing in Pierce County or when that hearing will be.

“We will take our time and determine what we need to do,” Pierce County deputy prosecutor Mary Robnett, who supervises the sexual assault unit, said Tuesday.

You can read the entire Court of Appeals decision here.

And below is a story TNT reporter Sean Robinson wrote about the case a couple years ago:

=> Read more!

Lakewood police responded to an armed robbery this morning at the Dollar Tree.

A reader reported seeing several police cars in the area on Steilacoom Boulevard.

No other information was immediately available.

Traffic was moving along northbound Interstate 5 near Federal Way this morning after a collision clogged up the commute.

The collision was cleared from the scene just before 6:30 a.m.

The crash was reported on northbound I-5 at State Route 18 at 6:10 a.m.

A 17-year-old was shot in the back Saturday night by a friend during a robbery attempt, according to court records.

According to a prosecutor's affidavit:

Pierce County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a broken down car in the 14600 block of Highway 162. In the car they found a 19-year-old, three 17-year-olds and 16-year-old.

One of the 17-year-olds had "suffered a severe gunshot wound." Initial reports were that the teen had been wounded in a drive-by shooting, but it later emerged he had been shot by a friend during a home invasion robbery.

The 19-year-old believed he was owed money from someone in the 15400 block of 188th Street East and took three friends along to collect the debt.

The three 17-year-olds went in armed with a gun while the 19-year-old stayed outside.

While one teen got the victim in a headlock, the other tried to hit him with the gun butt. That's when the gun when off.

They tried to drive the teen to a hospital, but ran out of gas.

The older teens are being charged as adults with various crimes including burglary, attempted robbery and assault. The 16-year-old, whose role in events wasn't clear in court records, is being treated as a juvenile.

A 24-year-old man was sentenced to 20 months in prison Monday for his part in a 2006 crash that killed two teens in University Place, court records say.

Joseph Rasay Wolfert Jr. entered a guilty plea last month to one count of vehicular homicide. Another charge of vehicular homicide and well as charges of failure to remain and the scene of an accident resulting in death and vehicular assault were dismissed in the deal.

The other driver in the crash, Christopher Smith, pleaded guilty in May 2007 to causing the wreck that killed his friends Apichai Noppakovat and Nicholas Morales, both 18.

Charging documents give this account of the incident:

The surviving passenger in Smith's Toyota Corolla told a Pierce County sheriff's deputy that a yellow car passed their car and a van on the shoulder near where two lanes merge into one on 67th Avenue West.

Smith became upset, speeding to 65 mph in a 35-mph zone, as he passed the van and tried to catch the yellow car, driven by Wolfert.

After passing a pickup truck on the shoulder, Smith tried to pass Wolfert's car on the shoulder, but Wolfert steered his Nissan Sentra toward the Corolla, the passenger said.

This caused Smith to lose control of the car, crash into an oncoming Honda Accord and hitting a metal light pole. The impact killed Noppakovat and Morales. The Accord driver suffered minor injuries. Wolfert drove away from the crash.

The next night, an investigator talked to Wolfert and a woman riding in his car. He appeared nervous, the investigator said, and said the other vehicle cut him off, lost control and crashed. He said he saw the crash and drove away because he was scared.

Smith gave investigators a statement similar to his passenger's. He said Wolfert steered his car toward his when he tried to pass, which caused him to lose control and crash.

A truck has crashed into a lingerie shop at 107th and Pacific, our news parters at KIRO-TV are reporting.

Here's the press release from the Kent Police Department:

KENT, WA – October 12, 2008. At about 2:25 AM, Kent Police Officers responded to a serious injury collision at the intersection of S. 212th Street and 84th Avenue S. A 30 year old Renton man driving a pickup truck was struck by 31 year old Kent man who was driving a sedan. Eye witnesses report that the driver of the sedan ran a red light at the intersection. The driver of the sedan was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup was taken to Valley Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The Kent Police Collision Analysis Response Squad (CARS) was called out to the scene to conduct the investigation. Both speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors in this collision.

The City of Tacoma is taking an active part in national Crime Prevention Month, which is October, and wants its residents to do the same.

"Crime prevention and safety takes a community to be successful; it is being aware that a crime can occur, anticipating how, when, where and who might be the victim, and taking action to reduce the chances of it happening. Crime prevention is using instinct, common sense, and action to eliminate or greatly reduce the criminal’s opportunity," a press release from the city states.

To do your part, the city wants you to turn on your front porch light and pick up the litter around the block where you live. Pretty simple, actually.

The city is working toward a lofty goal of reducing crime by 50 percent in 14 months. Find out more about the effort here.

An Ashford woman was killed in a one-car accident between Graham and Eatonville on Friday night, the Washington State Patrol reported.

Corey Morford, 23, was speeding on southbound Highway 161 near Kapowsin Highway when her 1993 Honda Civic hit a light pole. The car then rolled, hit a tree and came to rest upside-down.

Morford died at the scene. She was wearing her seatbelt, but drugs or alcohol were involved, the report said.

The Tacoma Police Department has posted the August monthly reports for the four sectors and several specialty units on its web site.

Here are some of the highlights.

Sector 1: Two men armed with guns robbed the Stop & Mart, 1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, on Aug. 17. A police dog tried to find the robbers but was not successful.

Officers arrested four men on suspicion of breaking into a home Aug. 20. Investigators were looking into whether they were involved in other burglaries.

Residents around Peck Park have come together to form a new group, Peck Park Neighbors.

Sector 2: Officers stopped a taxi driver who turned out to be on the FBI Terrorist Watch List. The stop was Aug. 5 in the 2600 block of North Orchard Street. The driver provided officers with an address in Sector 3 where he'd moved into that day. Officers completed a field report and flagged it for Homeland Security. The department also contacted the Terrorist Screening Center, as requested.

An officer was instrumental in arrested a man suspected in a string of crimes in the sector. The crimes occurred in the area of North 37th and Pearl streets. Officers say they cleared several reports of vandalism, dining-and-dashing, an attempted robbery of a newspaper carrier and a deli robbery. The man was found in possession of a Ford Taurus stolen in Bremerton and a bb gun.

Sector 3: The South 47th and Oakes area continues to be a problem spot. In August, an officer had a rock thrown at (and hit) his patrol car while he was trying to disperse juveniles from the area. In addition, two juveniles were robbed and assaulted by seven males and females in the same corridor. The victims didn't have serious injuries.

Sector 4: The Jennie Reed community-based services group is now working with Safe Streets to improve and organize their area. The number of residents participating in the group has increased.

The lower Portland Avenue community also continues to combat crime and blight issues. The group is working with the Puyallup Tribe to create a new park area now known as the T Street Gulch. As part of the effort, the park would be renamed to honor its first Puyallup Indian name. Biking and walking trails could be part of the new park.

Gang Unit: Members of the unit arrested 70 people during August, confiscated five guns, drugs and seized $1,390 cash.

K-9 Unit: The three dogs and their handlers made three felony arrests and one misdemeanor arrest for the month. They assisted with 23 other arrests and completed 22 tracks.

Traffic Unit: Officers issued 995 traffic citations in August, with drivers in Sector 2 getting the most (276) and drivers in Sector 1 coming in a close second (272). Officers arrested 10 suspected drunken drivers in Sector 1 and eight in Sector 3.

There were 2,960 citations issued from the red light cameras.

Marine Services Unit: Officers completed 54 vessel safety inspections and wrote 19 citations. They handled 22 complaints about water activity and had 10 calls for service.

Tacoma police - actually, the explosives experts - are checking out a slender device wrapped in duct tape with a fuse at one end.
The object was found in an alley off South 11th Street between Ainsworth and Grant avenues, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

UPDATE: Fulghum tells us the device has been dismantled and "rendered safe," as police like to say. Yes, it was a real explosive - tube wrapped in tape, black powder inside, fuse on the end.

Police don't know how it got there, or who left the thing behind. "All we have is the neighbors found it, saw it laying there next to a recycle bin in the alley – called us and kept everybody away until we got here."

Here's the latest on the investigation into last weekend's death of 53-year-old Ronald McKellar, who was killed by a passing vehicle as he tried to cross Pacific Avenue.

This comes from Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum:

The red pick-up truck has been located and the driver interviewed by detectives. The driver saw the request on the news and contacted the department. Thank you for the assistance. The gray Jeep has not been located and detectives would still like to talk with the driver. The driver, a potential witness to the accident, is a white male approximately 50 years old. On the night of the accident he was wearing a red jacket w/gray liner.

This Sunday, October 12th, the victim’s family will hold a small memorial service at the scene of the accident. They plan to gather near 64th and Pacific at about 1:00PM and have a brief ceremony.

Here's a little bit more about that stabbing last night that we featured, well, last night.

This comes from Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum:

The stabbing took place about 10:20 PM at Les Davis Pier. The victims (2) were with some friends hanging out at the pier. While they were talking with a fisherman the suspects (3) approached and began ‘talking trash’. The suspects were inquiring if the victims had gang ties. One of the suspects then stabbed victim # 1 in the left side. Victim #2, not seeing the knife and thinking his friend had been punched, stepped in to separate the two and was cut on the neck.

The suspects then fled in a vehicle. The vehicle eventually stopped at 104th and ‘A’ street. The driver/suspect # 1 fled but was caught by K 9. The other two refused to get out of the vehicle but eventually were removed by officers.

The 3 suspects were booked for assault 1. Injuries were serious but not life threatening.

A convicted 34-year-old Puyallup methamphetamine dealer will spend more than 11 years in federal prison.

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald B. Leighton sentenced Sergio Acevedo Silva to 11 years, three months in prison and five years of supervised release Thursday. Silva was convicted of possession of meth with the intent to distribute and being an alien in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.

Silva will likely be deported at the end of his prison sentence.

Law enforcement officers arrested Silva on July 5, 2007 as part of an investigation by the Puyallup Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration, according to a press release.

Officers had seen Silva load items into a rented storage locker and then make what appeared to be several drug sales.

When officers stopped him, Silva had more than $7,000 cash and a loaded handgun in his car, according to a press release. During a later search of the car and storage unit, officers found small quantities of meth, cocaine, heroin and marijuana as well as several flat screen TVs.

Silva had a previous conviction in Pierce County for meth possession. After his release from custody, he was deported.

Recruiters from the U.S. Border Patrol will be in Seattle this weekend as part of a recruiting blitz.

They'll be at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Here's a little bit more from the U.S. Border Patrol:

In 2006, President George W. Bush announced his commitment to add 6,000 additional Border Patrol agents by the end of 2008. With more than 17,300 agents on board today, CBP is working toward a total of 18,000 agents by the end of this year. This is the largest expansion of the Border Patrol in history.

Hiring an unprecedented number of Border Patrol agents sparked efforts to expand recruiting efforts. National outreach includes the second year of a NASCAR Nationwide Series Racing #28 car sponsorship, a Professional Bull Riders sponsorship, applicant study guide and complementary study DVD, revamped web site at www.borderpatrol.gov that includes agent testimonials, simultaneous Border Patrol-initiated recruitment events across the country in under-recruited areas, along with advertising and recruiting at U.S. military installations in the continental U.S. and abroad.

Recruiters consider military veterans a fertile source as they make up 25 percent of CBP’s workforce.

On Saturday, on-site recruiters will offer:

Answers to applicant questions;
Application assistance and online application submission;
Test-taking tips, practice testing and evaluation; and
Accounts of their career experiences protecting our nation's borders.
Five things a Border Patrol recruit can expect:

1. Border Patrol recruits earn between $36,000 and $46,000 in their first year, with the potential of earning up to $70,000 per year within three years of service.

2. Benefits include federal health insurance, life insurance and retirement, and up to 25 percent additional pay in overtime opportunities.

3. Successful Border Patrol candidates will complete a rigorous screening process, which includes a written examination and structured interview, language aptitude or Spanish proficiency test, along with a physical fitness test and medical examination.

4. Training is provided and includes a 55-day basic training program upon successfully passing a Spanish proficiency exam in the academy; all others will complete a 40-day Spanish immersion course upon completing basic training. All training is conducted in Artesia, New Mexico.

5. Initial assignments will be in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

Border Patrol Snapshot

The Border Patrol is specifically responsible for patrolling almost 7,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian international land borders.

One of the most important activities of a Border Patrol agent is line watch. This involves the detection, prevention and apprehension of terrorists, undocumented aliens and smugglers of aliens or illegal goods at or near the land border.

For recruiting event information, dial toll free (877) 277-9527 or apply online at www.borderpatrol.gov and enter recruiting code: SCGA.

It's about that time of the year again when adverse weather can cause floods, ice storm and snow us in.

Pierce County officials want residents to be prepared.

Next weekend (Oct. 18), teams of people will be visiting households in the flood-prone neighborhoods of Orting, Riverside, Sumner and Fife to drop off information about preparing for winter weather-related emergencies. These are areas that experienced serious flooding in November and December 2006.

The teams will be made up of emergency management staff, volunteers, fire officials and police officers.

Information on winter storm preparation also is available here.

Six Tacoma fire stations will open their doors to the public on Saturday as part of Fire Prevention Week.

Each station will be open and have its equipment on display from 1 to 4 p.m. Firefighters will be available to answer questions about escape planning, fire safety and disaster preparedness.

The stations hosting open houses are:

Station 3: 206 Browns Point Blvd., NE Tacoma.

Station 4: 1453 S. 12th, Hilltop.

Station 11: 3802 McKinley Ave., McKinley Hill.

Station 13: 3825 N. 25th, Proctor.

Station 16: 7217 6th Ave., Skyline/West End District.

Station 17: 302 Regents Blvd., Fircrest.

Refreshments will be served at each location.

Tacoma police used spike strips and a K-9 unit late Thursday to apprehend three suspects in a stabbing.

Officers spotted a dark, full-sized SUV linked to a stabbing at a Ruston Way restaurant, but its driver refused to stop and fled south, eventually crossing into the city's East Side.

At one point, officers managed to use spike strips to deflate at least one of the SUV's tires, police radio traffic indicated. The pursuit reached speeds of 80 miles per hour.

The driver stopped at 104th Street East and A Avenue and fled from the SUV. A police dog quickly caught up and the man was taken into custody at 10:41 p.m., radio reports indicated.

Two other people, who remained in the SUV, also were taken into custody, radio traffic indicated. The SUV's driver, believed to be the main suspect in the stabbing, suffered bite wounds.

A man charged in the 2007 slaying of two Tacoma men pleaded not guilty Thursday in Pierce County Superior Court.

Judge Bryan Chushcoff ordered Tyreek Deanthony Smith jailed in lieu of $5 million bail.

Smith is one of three men charged with aggravated first-degree murder in the Sept. 22, 2007, deaths of Ruben Doria Jr. and Abraham “Warren” Abrazado. Doria and Abrazado were killed in their South End apartment in an apparent robbery, according to court records.

Pierce Thelberg Spencer III, 27, and Darrell Kantreal Jackson, 22, also have pleaded not guilty in the case.

Smith, 23, fled Washington after the killings and was arrested in Georgia earlier this year. He fought extradition, which delayed his return to Tacoma until earlier this week.

Aggravated murder is the only crime in Washington punishable by the death penalty, but Prosecuting Attorney Gerry Horne has decided not to seek it in this case.

Federal Way police have arrested a man suspected of stabbing another man after a confrontation last month on a King County Metro bus.

Officers arrested the 19-year-old man early today at the Federal Way Transit Center, the police department reported. He was reportedly wearing the same clothing as he wore during the Sept. 30 incident and carrying the same backpack.

The man was booked into King County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault.

The stabbing occurred shortly before 5 a.m. on Sept. 30. The suspect and victim had boarded the 174 Metro bus, then got into a confrontation.

They were asked to leave and got off the bus. Moments later, the suspect stabbed the victim. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment. He was expected to recover.

Jennifer Leigh Rice has yet another new lawyer and yet another new trial date.

Rice's trial was scheduled to begin today on charges she kidnapped and had sex with two boys last year, including a then-10-year-old she taught at a Tacoma elementary school.

But Superior Court Judge D. Gary Steiner postponed Rice's trial until May, according to court records.

The continuance comes after Steiner allowed defense attorney Gary Clower to take over Rice's case.

It's unclear from the record what prompted Clower to step in last month, but it's the second time this year Rice has gotten a new defense team.

Tacoma police officers caught three would-be burglars in the act late Wednesday.

The three men were arrested in the 1700 block of Pointe Woodworth Drive Northeast shortly before midnight, police reported.

They were allegedly inside a secure, fenced area where RV units were stored. They were attempted to steal equipment.

The men were booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary, second-degree possession of stolen property and malicious mischief.

Just after 8 p.m. shots were fired from an alley in the 1900 block of South Yakima into a home, according to police radio traffic.

One person was hit in the arm. Witnesses reported hearing 10-12 gunshots and seeing a small turquoise car speed off.

Here's the most up-to-date story on the fire this morning at Clover Park Technical College.

The fire began in the storage sheds behind the portable, then spread to that building, the fire department just reported.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Lakewood Police Department.

Puyallup police are looking for information and warning residents about a home burglary last week.

The burglar broke into a house in the 600 block of Fourth Avenue Southwest on Oct. 1. The intruder pried open a back sliding glass door.

The burglar took credit cards, computer equipment and electronic items, the department reported.

Neighbors reported seeing a dark-colored, four-door sedan backed into the victim's driveway. A man was seen carrying items from the house.

Detectives are following leads and processing evidence for more tips.

There has not been a rash of daytime home burglaries in that area, police reported.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Puyallup Police Department at 253-841-5415.

Lakewood firefighters were called to a fire in a portable at Clover Park Technical College early today, according to Pierce County Fire Communications.

They responded shortly before 5 a.m. to the 4500 block of Steilacoom Boulevard Southwest, portable No. 39.

No other information was immediately available.

UPDATE: The fire was burning in the roof of the portable, which houses early childhood education classes and offices, Lakewood Fire Capt. Jenny Sharp reported.

Because the fire was in the roof, firefighters are having some difficultly getting the flames out. Thirty to 35 firefighters are on scene right now, trying to get to those flames.

No injuries have been reported. No one was inside the portable at the time the fire was reported.

Here's a screen shot from our news partners, KIRO TV.

UPDATE 2: Classes are in session today at Clover Park Technical College.

The fire is on the back side of the campus. Fire crews and equipment occupy a few parking lots around the fire scene but traffic is otherwise unaffected.

UPDATE 3: I just talked with Lakewood Fire Capt. Jenny Sharp.

There's not too much new to report. The fire crews still have their aerial ladder up to get to the tricky flames.

There is less smoke now, Sharp said.

UPDATE 4: Fire was out as of 9:48 a.m.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

The Washington State Patrol and Lakewood Police Department have rolled out new web sites recently.

Here's the WSP site.

Here's the Lakewood Police Department's site.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information in a deadly hit-and-run crash early Sunday in Tacoma.

A vehicle struck and killed 53-year-old Ronald McKellar (pictured here) as he tried to cross Pacific Avenue about 12:25 a.m. He was crossing near the intersection of 72nd Street.

McKellar, of Tacoma, was dragged several blocks by the vehicle. The suspect then fled the area, police reported.

Investigators want to talk with anyone who might have witnessed the crash. That includes the drivers and passengers of a gray Jeep Cherokee and a red full-sized pickup truck that were scene in the area at the time of the crash.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges filed in this case. Callers may remain anonymous.

Reach Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959.

Submit anonymous tips to the Tacoma Police Department here.

UPDATE: Verne McKellar doesn’t care why someone hit and killed his brother early Sunday on Pacific Avenue.

He just wants people to come forward to help solve the crash.

“This is really tough and it’s horrible,” said Verne McKellar, Ronald McKellar’s younger brother. “Nobody deserves anything like that.”

Ronald moved around a lot and had a big family, Verne said. He worked as a laborer and enjoyed fishing.

"I just wish that somebody would come forward," Verne said from California. "There's no excuse. I can't believe somebody is so callous."

No this isn't a repeat from July 22.

Dark horse Pierce County Sheriff's candidate Robert "The Traveller" has been arrested again -- his fourth arrest this year, according to our records.

According to Pierce County jail records Hill was arrested by Tacoma Police on Sept. 30 on suspicion of driving on a revoked or suspended license.

He was arrested in July on suspicion of a similar offense: driving without a valid license.

Tacoma police have arrested a woman in connection with four recent robberies at hotels.

Officers found the vehicle believed to be associated with the robberies, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The car's owner was contacted. Officers then arrested the woman Monday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree robbery in connection with the spree, Fulghum said.

Investigators suspect she drove the getaway car.

They were still searching for the man who committed the robberies.

Pierce County sheriff's deputies arrested three men early Saturday after a robbery at a convenience store.

Store clerks told deputies that two men entered the 7-Eleven store in the 13700 block of Pacific Avenue just before 2 a.m. Saturday, according to court documents.

One of the men brought two cases of beer to the front counter and declared he had no money. The man, along with the second man, left the store with the beer in hand, court documents state.

One of the clerks approached the two men outside the store. One of the suspects lifted his jacket and exposed two guns tucked into his waistband, court documents state.

The two robbers got into a waiting Ford Explorer and fled.

Several deputies stopped the Ford Explorer a short time later in the 9500 block of South Steele Street, court documents state.

The three men inside were taken into custody. Deputies found two cases of beer (the same kind as was stolen) inside the vehicle. One case had been opened and an open bottle of beer was in the cup holder of the center console, court documents state.

The deputies did not find the handguns.

Prosecutors filed a first-degree robbery charge against each on Monday.

Pierce County prosecutors have filed charges against a man who tried to rob a Puyallup sandwich shop Friday but turned away after the clerk picked up the phone.

Christopher Xavier Beck, 23, was arraigned on attempted first-degree robbery on Monday.

Court documents provide the following account.

A man walked into the Subway store in the 1100 block of River Road shortly before 8:30 a.m. Friday.

A clerk told Puyallup police the man, later identified as Beck, wore a beanie over his face with eye and mouth holes cut out. He showed the clerk a gun in his waistband.

The clerk backed around the corner wall and called police. The would-be robber hung around for a minute, then left in a small vehicle. The clerk gave police the vehicle's license plate number.

Officers stopped a car matching the would-be robber's vehicle's description in the 6600 block of River Road several minutes later.

The license plates on the car had been reported stolen.

Beck was behind the wheel and the only one in the car. The clerk positively identified him as the would-be robber.

Officers found a beanie cap, cap gun and a bag inside the car.

Beck told officers he was having financial problems and had decided to commit a robbery.

"Beck stole license plates and put the (sic) on his car," court documents state. "Beck said the mask and stolen plates were to prevent identification. Beck said he entered the Subway store with the grip of the gun showing. The clerk appeared scared and nervous. Beck thought the clerk was calling police so Beck left."

Beck was being held in Pierce County Jail in lieu of $15,000.

This warning comes from a couple in University Place:

There was a door to door salesperson who knocked at my door at 7:30 pm in the evening, she is very savvy. She claimed she was a student from UCLA who exchanged homes with a U or W student for the summer. She is selling scholastic books for a sum of $450. She wanted to be invited into our home, and was asking for food. Luckily we did not purchase anything from her. However, she knew everyone in the neighborhoods names, she has been in the neighborhood more than once after we talked to neighbors this evening.

We confronted her after she left and was driving away (we also got her license number) and she gave us an order sheet to confirm her company. We promptly google’d the company name and there is a long list of scam alerts from all over the country regarding this company, the details of each scam alert posting was identical to our experience.

Just wanted people to know they are in University Place and Tacoma. We notified the Pierce County Sheriff Department as soon as she left and gave them all of the information we were able to.

This Wall Street Journal article looks at how tins of mackerel are being used as currency at some prisons now that cigarette bans are in place across much of the country.

When Larry Levine helped prepare divorce papers for a client a few years ago, he got paid in mackerel. Once the case ended, he says, "I had a stack of macks."

Mr. Levine and his client were prisoners in California's Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex. Like other federal inmates around the country, they found a can of mackerel -- the "mack" in prison lingo -- was the standard currency.

"It's the coin of the realm," says Mark Bailey, who paid Mr. Levine in fish.

The Medical Examiner's Office released the name of the man who was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Pacific Avenue early Sunday. He was Ronald A. McKellar, 53, of Tacoma.

Update: Police spokesman Mark Fulghum sent out this update this afternoon:

Tacoma police detectives would like to talk with the occupants of two vehicles seen in the area of the hit and run that occurred about 12:25 AM Sunday near 72nd and Pacific. The vehicles occupants may have witnessed the accident and are not believed to be involved. The first vehicle, a gray Jeep Cherokee, stopped in the area just after the accident but left before officers could make contact. The second vehicle is a full size red pickup truck. It was seen driving around the area just after the accident was reported. The occupants of these vehicles are asked to contact the lead detective at 253-591-5922.

A man believed to be between 30 and 40 was struck and killed early Sunday on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma, police said.

Several people heard the 12:25 a.m. crash, but no one got a good look at the vehicle, which left the scene, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The man was struck somewhere between South 64th Street and South 72nd Street and dragged, he said.

Flags will be lowered today at all federal buildings across the country in honor of firefighters who have died in the line of duties.

State and local authorities also are taking part in this national observance. Among those participating will be the Valley Regional Fire Authority.

"This allows us a chance to reflect upon the brave men and women who died protecting their communities and remember the sacrifices that are part of our chosen profession," Assistant Fire Chief Michael Gerber stated in a press release.

The fire authority encourages other businesses and homeowners to participate.

The Mason County Coroner determined that the Parkland cancer patient who died after being mauled in a Shelton nursing home died of natural causes.

Michael Warner, 55, died on Sept. 12 after puppies mauled him and used him as a "food source." Warner's daughter and caretaker were arrested and 27 dogs were taken from the home. Warner was dropped off at Tacoma General Hospital, where doctors discovered his injuries and called police.

Coroner Wes Stockwell said in a statement that a forensic pathologist performed an autopsy and determined Warner died from cancer-related natural causes and not from the injuries caused by the dogs. The autopsy results will be turned over to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office which is investigating.

Calling all poker players.

Puyallup police, Let it Ride Casinos and Special Olympics Washington are sponsoring a Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament Saturday night at the Elks Lodge, 314 27th St. N.E., in Puyallup.

The buy in is a $60 donation. More than $3,500 in prizes will be awarded.

The festivities begin at 4 p.m. with a social hour until 5 p.m. Dinner will be served from 5 to 6 p.m.

The poker tournament begins at 6 p.m.

Participants much be at least 21 years old.

One hundred percent of the donations will be donated to Special Olympics Washington athletes.

To kick off domestic violence awareness month, advocates, law enforcement officers and others in the criminal justice system gathered at Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma this afternoon.

In the driving rain, speakers talked about the seriousness of domestic violence and the need for the community to understand that.

Ann Eft, executive director of the Pierce County Commission Against Domestic Violence, wanted to put some attention on the perpetrators of domestic violence.

"We are talking about those people who chose to use violence against a family member," she told the sizable crowd. "Domestic violence is not about having a bad temper.

"It's not caused by your partner. The violent behavior is a choice."

As part of an awareness campaign for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, officers at the Friday press conference put purple ribbon magnets on their patrol cars. Each ribbon states: "Everyone deserves to be safe."

More magnets are being distributed to Tacoma police, Sumner police, Puyallup police, the state Department of Corrections and Community Health Care.

The Tacoma Police Department investigated more than 3,500 domestic violence incidents in 2007. In addition, all of the officer-involved shootings last year started out as domestic violence calls the officers were responding to.

Over the past five years, the Tacoma Police Department has handled 73 homicides. Of those, 13 were domestic violence.

"Domestic violence is not acceptable," Capt. Charles Meinema said. "Domestic violence is a crime. Domestic violence is not excusable."

(The photos pictured here were taken by yours truly after the press conference.)

Pierce County prosecutors have charged four men in connection with a shooting on the East Side last month.

Charges were filed Tuesday. Two men - Brennan Morford, 18, and Demarco McGown, 19 - have been arrested and appeared in court for arraignment. The other two - Monteece Brewer, 19, and Derrick Johnson, 27 - remain at large and warrants have been issued for their arrest.

All four have been charged with first-degree assault, driveby shooting and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Court documents give the following account.

Tacoma police officers were called to the 6200 block of East McKinley Avenue at 8:15 p.m. Sept. 4. They found a man who'd been shot several times in the torso.

The victim told officers he'd been shot while standing nearby. He was then taken to a hospital for treatment. (Charging documents don't

Several witnesses were not cooperative with officers. Investigators did determine that three shots were fired, most likely from a car.

Detectives reviewed surveillance video and found that a Dodge Intrepid was likely their suspect vehicle. They tracked down the car's registered owner, who told officers McGown (the owner's son) was using the car at the time of the shooting.

A witness told officers that McGown, Morford, Brewer and another man were together. The victim identified Johnson as the driver. He said the driver told another one of the car's occupants to shoot.

"At that point the front seat passenger pulled a handgun and fired several shots that struck (the victim)," court documents state.

Court documents indicate McGown was the shooter.

Puget Sound Energy crews are out trying to find the source of a gas smell reported in parts of Tacoma this morning.

Tacoma fire dispatchers got a call about the smell from Wilson High School at 9:46 a.m. today, Deputy Fire Chief Jolene Davis said.

More calls came in from the Stadium area and near the Narrows Bridge and airport.

"It quickly came clear it's all around in the area," Davis said.

Fire crews have no emergency situations that prompted a gas leak.

Charges have been filed against a 24-year-old man accused of trying to flee Lakewood police while in a stolen car.

Nicholas Bodner was charged Thursday with unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, attempting to elude a pursing police vehicle, making or possessing car theft tools and obstructing a police officer. He was in jail in lieu of $28,500 bail.

The incident took place Wednesday.

Charging documents give the following account.

A Lakewood police officer spotted a white Honda Civic pass him in the 10800 block of South Steele Street. (Charging documents do not provide a time.) The officer ran the car's license plate and discovered it had been reported stolen to Tacoma police.

The officer followed the Civic. The driver, Bodner, accelerated to 80 mph in a 60 mph zone on Highway 512.

The officer turned on his emergency lights and sirens but the Civic just kept speeding.

The Civic got onto northbound I-5, then got off at South 84th Street. The car crossed into oncoming lanes and the driver accelerated as he drove the wrong way.

A bystander vehicle was coming toward the Civic and officer's vehicle. The Civic quickly pulled into a driveway and ran off into a brushy area.

A police dog tracked and found Bodner. The Lakewood officer identified him as the driver of the Civic.

Officers noted the Civic's ignition was heavily damaged and part of the steering column had been removed. A screwdriver was in the center console.

I got this inquiry from a reader earlier this week:

I'm wondering if you or anyone else could find out what happened out here by my brothers place? The area is 46th & McKinley Ave. & the time was about 5:30am - 6:30am. The intersection was blocked about 2-3 blocks up & down from this location. I believe that the car accident happened right in front of the fire station that is located on that corner. When brother returned from bring me to the airport, he said that he seen 2 plastic yellow sheets covering bodies. Is there any info that you might be able to find out. Just want to know what kind of accident it was.

Here's what Lights & Sirens found out:

A suspected drunk driver hit a Tacoma police patrol car at the intersection of East McKinley Avenue and East 38th Street, police spokeswoman Gretchen Aguirre said.

The officer was north on McKinley and had the green light. The other driver was west on East 38th Street and struck the patrol car on the passenger side. The officer was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries and was later released, Aguirre said.

The other driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI. This occurred about 3:45 a.m. on Monday. Only minor injuries, though.

A teen was injured and another jailed after a shooting Thursday night in Tacoma.

The shooting occurred just before 6:30 p.m. in the 600 block of MacArthur Street, Tacoma police spokeswoman Gretchen Aguirre reported this morning.

The injured teen was shot in the thumb and jaw. He was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center for treatment, Aguirre said.

The suspected shooter was booked into Remann Hall juvenile jail on suspicion of first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, Aguirre said.

Investigators don't know what sparked the confrontation. They were waiting to talk to the injured teen about what happened, Aguirre said.

It appears the two know each other, she added.

Both were described as older teens, though they are both under 18.

Pierce County prosecutors have charged a man suspected of robbing a Puyallup bank on Monday.

Larry Duane Wright, 48, was arraigned on charges of first-degree robbery and attempted second-degree robbery Thursday afternoon.

Puyallup police reported 1st Security Bank, 307 W. Stewart St., was robbed Monday at 11:35 a.m.

According to charging documents, Wright waited outside the bank until customers left. He went in and handed a teller a note that demanded money and indicated he had a gun.

The teller gave him an undisclosed amount of cash. The robber then left the bank and the teller triggered the alarm, court documents state.

On Tuesday, prosecutors contend Wright tried to rob a check-cashing store on Portland Avenue East. He gave a teller a note that, again, demanded $50 and $100 bills and indicated he had a gun, court documents state. The clerk told Wright the store didn't have bills that size.

Wright became suspicious and left, court documents state.

Puyallup police released surveillance images of the bank robber to the media Tuesday. They quickly generated tips as to the robber's identity.

Officers arrested Wright at his home on Wednesday. Wright reportedly confessed to robbing 1st Security Bank and trying to rob the check cashing store.

Wright told investigators he'd spent the money from the bank on food, gas and rent, court documents state.

Officers later found some of the bank bills with Wright's landlord.

Law enforcement officers and victims advocates will join together today to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Officers from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department and Bonney Lake, Lakewood, Puyallup, Sumner and Tacoma police departments will be putting purple ribbon magnets on their patrol cars as part of the awareness campaign. The campaign is a collaboration between the agencies and the Pierce County Commission Against Domestic Violence.

Law enforcement officials, prosecutors, probation officers, advocates and representatives of the Washington State Department of Corrections will talk at a press conference this afternoon about what their agencies are doing to fight domestic violence.

"Their message is that domestic violence is not acceptable in Pierce County and domestic violence offenders are being held accountable," a press release states.

Tacoma police are looking for a man suspected in a string of hotel robberies over the past week.

The robberies were:

* Sept. 26 at 11:57 p.m. at LaQuinta Inn, 1425 E. 27th St., in Tacoma.

* Sept. 27 at 10:52 p.m. at Extended Stay America, 2120 S. 48th St., in Tacoma.

* Sept. 28 at 8:29 p.m. at Best Western-Tacoma Dome, 2611 E. E St., in Tacoma.

* Wednesday at 9:05 p.m. at Holiday Inn, 8601 S. Hosmer St., in Tacoma.

In each case, the robber jumped over the counter and forced the clerk to give him money, police said. During some of the robberies, the man assaulted the clerk before leaving.

During the first robbery, a second person is believed to have served as a lookout, police said.

Police describe the robber as black, 25 to 30 years old, 5 feet 8 to 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds. He has black hair and has worn a black puffy jacket with fur trim and gloves during each robbery.

Tacoma police release surveillance images of the robber today in hopes of identifying him.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges filed in the case. Callers may remain anonymous.

Reach Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959.

Stacey and I had a story this morning about that deadly boat collision on Lake Tapps earlier this week.

We reported in the story that the man accused of causing the crash declined to take a breath test at the scene, even though police suspected he'd been drinking prior to the collision.

That prompted this comment from an online reader:

If he had been driving a car and done this the Police would not take no for an answer, they would have made him submit to a blood draw, so why not for killing someone with a boat?

I put the question to deputy prosecutor Kevin Benton.

Benton said the state's so-called "implied consent" law – which basically says car drivers must submit to breath or blood tests in order to keep their driver's licenses – does not apply to watercraft operators. (You don't need an operator's license to drive a boat in Washington).

However, Benton said, police always have the option of requesting a search warrant to get a sample of someone's blood.

"All they have to do is say, 'We believe a crime has been committed and evidence is inside this person's body,'" he said.

Bonney Lake police used a search warrant to get a sample of Neil Richard Larsen's blood in this case, Benton added. Toxicology reports are pending.

Federal Way police have released bus surveillance images of a young man suspected of stabbing another man earlier this week.

The images were released this morning in an effort to identify him.

The stabbing occurred Tuesday just before 5 a.m. The suspect (pictured here) and another man boarded the 174 Metro bus at the Federal Way transit center, police reported.

A short time later, the two started fighting. The fight and the suspect were captured on the bus' on-board camera system, police reported.

The driver tried to stop the fight, then asked for help. The suspect and victim got off the bus.

The suspect then stabbed the victim, then fled the scene, police reported. The victim was taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black man in his late teens to early 20s, police reported. He has a thin build, reddish brown hair in a ponytail. He wore dark clothing and a red backpack.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the Federal Way Police Department at (253)852-2121 or 9-1-1 or detective Douglas P. Laird at (253)835-6724.

A bomb threat this morning and the discovery of a letter containing white powder this afternoon disrupted activity at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, the King County Sheriff's Department reported.

The building was closed from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., while it was searched with bomb dogs.

Then, about 2:30 p.m., a clerk opened an envelope containing a white powder that later turned out to be a dietary supplement.

It's not yet clear if the two threats are related.

Read the full press release after the jump.

=> Read more!

Three teenagers girls spent two days recently scrubbing down Green View Park, where they'd been caught spray painting graffiti earlier in September.

At the insistence of their mothers, the girls (ages 14 and 15) spent several hours Sunday and Monday scrubbing the paint from equipment, a retaining wall and the street, the Kent Police Department reported.

Kent police arrested the girls on Sept. 19 after a citizen reported seeing them vandalizing the playground equipment and sidewalks of Green View Park. The girls ran but were captured.

Police investigators have forward their case to King County juvenile prosecutors for possible charges.

The recent clean-up is part of the Kent Police Department's new graffiti removal program. The program focuses on prevention, enforcement and removal within 24 to 48 hours, the department reported.

A team of volunteers goes out two times a month to paint over graffiti on private property. You can request the help of the Kent Volunteers In Police Service (VIPS) graffiti team by calling Sara Wood of the Kent Police at 253-856-5851.

The police department has received $9,000 in grants to help in removing graffiti.

Here are some phone numbers to call:

Citizens are urged to call 9-1-1 if they see graffiti vandals or observe suspicious activity.

Call the 24-hour graffiti hotline at 253-856-GRAF (4723) to report graffiti that has not been removed within 48 hours.

Victims of graffiti vandalism may report incidents to Kent Police through the
ON LINE REPORTING SYSTEM at www.ci.kent.wa.us/police.

More information is available at www.kentgraffiti.com or contact Sara Wood, program coordinator at 253-856-5851, e-mail swood@ci.kent.wa.us .

The City of Kent and the Kent Police urge involvement with community clean ups and “Adopt-a-Spot”. Resources, supplies, and paint may be available to assist with graffiti clean up.

Ron Scott (pictured here) took Monday off - his first day away from work in weeks - and decided to take his boat out to enjoy the unusually nice weather.

He gathered five friends and put his 18-foot Bayliner in the water at his waterfront home on the south end of Lake Tapps.

"He was enjoying the last of the summer weather," said Alan Smith, Scott's best friend for the past 10 years. "They were just putting around in the little cove."

Shortly after 10:30 p.m., another boat hit the back of the Bayliner and flew over the top. Scott, 49, was knocked into the water between Interlake and Inlet islands. His body wasn’t found for nearly two hours.

The other five people on his boat were injured. Four remained hospitalized Wednesday, Smith said. Four people on the 21-foot Supra also were injured.

Prosecutors were preparing to charge the other boat driver with homicide by watercraft and four counts of assault by watercraft. Investigators have said speed and alcohol appeared to be factors in the violent crash.

Smith remembered his best friend Wednesday as a man who enjoyed making others laugh.

"He was really just the life of the party," Smith said. "If he and I were in the same room at a party, no one would know I was there."

Scott, who was recently divorced and had no kids, worked for the past 10 years as a real estate agent. He was stationed in the John L. Scott Lake Tapps office.

In February, Scott and Smith decided to go into business together and become bar owners. They opened Wilkeson Saloon in later that month.

"We were trying to live the dream of owning a great bar in a small little town," Smith said. "He loved being the host."

Smith recently chided Scott because he hadn't taken a day off from either the real estate business or the saloon in weeks.

"He was out there every night," Smith said of the saloon, located 11 miles from Smith's house. Smith lives a few doors away from Scott.

Scott had recently taken his boat out of the water for the season but the sunny, hot forecast prompted him to go out on the vessel one last time or two.

"It was very common for him to come home from work and go out for an hour or two," Smith said. "His idea of fun was getting some friends together and just going out and cruising out on the lake."

After two busy days to start the week, I am hoping to catch up a bit.

Among the things to report ....

A young man was killed Friday night in a motorcycle crash.

Brandon Kaiser, 21, was riding a motorcycle when he was involved in a crash with a van at 200th Street East and 46th Avenue East about 8:30 p.m.

Kaiser, of Spanaway, died a short time later at Madigan Army Medical Center.

A reader reported there was a memorial to Kaiser at the spot where the crash happened.

No other details were available from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, who is investigating.