Word on the street

Our team of reporter/bloggers is always on the lookout for interesting people, places and news. Got a story idea or news tip? Send us an e-mail.

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Kathleen Merryman is a local news columnist for The News Tribune, where she's worked for a quarter of a century. Amazing, considering she is only 32. You're likely to find her fighting crime, righting wrongs or judging pies. You're less likely to find her in the newsroom. Call her at 253-597-8677 or e-mail her.

General assignment reporter Mike Archbold is a veteran Puget Sound journalist and a veteran veteran. He's ready to respond to your news tip. Call him at 253-597-8692 or e-mail him.

Brent Champaco is a communities reporter for The News Tribune, where he has worked since 2005. He covers areas west of Interstate 5, including Lakewood, and writes diversity stories. A native of the South Kitsap area, he has worked for newspapers in Eastern Washington, Idaho and the Bay Area. Call him at 253-597-8653 or e-mail him. You can also check out his Twitter page.

Steve Maynard is a communities reporter and religion reporter for The News Tribune. He covers Federal Way, Fife and Milton. He also has been the paper's religion reporter since joining The News Tribune in 1987. Maynard has reported for daily newspapers since 1979, previously in Walla Walla and Houston. Call him at 253-597-8647 or e-mail him.

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Here's what's happening around Tacoma, Pierce County and South Puget Sound today..
Sunday, October 12th, 2008
Posted by Scott Fontaine @ 08:29:35 am

Tammy Fitting entered the courtroom promptly at 8:30 a.m. Before the immigration judge sat down, she looked around the windowless room inside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

There wasn’t much to see. It was a standard Monday master calendar hearing last month. Eighteen detainees filled half the seats. Across the aisle, the pews were bare – except for Colleen Waterhouse.

Waterhouse, the chairwoman of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tacoma and Pierce County, has sat in the same spot in the back corner most Mondays over the past three years. She listens, takes notes and fills out stacks of surveys for the National Lawyers Guild’s court watch program.

The forms ask dozens of questions to ensure the judge and Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer are providing due process: Has the judge inquired into the detainees’ mental health? Does the government lawyer provide legal advice? Does someone adequately explain the process to the detainees?

“We always try to make sure we have someone here,” she said. “We make sure to keep an eye on what’s going on.”

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Categories: Tacoma, Tideflats