Liberty stuns Mercer Island in volleyball
September 28, 2010
NEW — 10:45 a.m. Sept. 28, 2010
The Mercer Island Islanders have usually had their way with the Liberty High School volleyball team in recent years. However, the Islanders’ dominance came to an end Monday when the host Patriots prevailed 3-2 in a dramatic 3A/2A KingCo Conference match.
Liberty won the tie-breaking fifth game 15-5 to hand Mercer Island its first loss of the season. Mercer Island won the first game 25-12 but Liberty bounced back to win the next two games 25-19 and 25-22. The Islanders sent the match into overtime by winning the fourth game 25-22.
The Patriots, 4-2 in league play, received outstanding efforts from several players. Megan Tsutakawa had a team-high 32 assists. Katie Walsh had a team-high 12 kills and four aces. Kristy Braunston had a strong defensive game with a team-high 15 digs. Aspen Winegar had eight kills and 10 digs, Sarah Hewitt had five kills and five blocks, Molly Culwell had six kills and four aces, and Jessica Pickering had eight kills.
Mercer Island, which entered the match in first place, is 5-1 in league play and 6-1 for the season.
King County releases data for smart phone apps
September 28, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Sept. 28, 2010
Information about transit and roads, floodplains, parks, trails, schools and the August primary election can be accessed online, as King County rolled out a website created to make research and application development easier.
Officials hope the access to data spurs applications to disseminate county information online and through smart phone apps.
Users can search and sort data, create and save personal, filtered views of data, submit comments and ratings, and share data with others. Users can also visualize data by creating charts, graphs and maps. Live county data can then be embedded in other websites.
“This launch is a key milestone in opening county data and increasing citizen participation and engagement in government,” County Executive Dow Constantine said in a news release. “We’re opening access to the high-value data sets that we’re already using in county government so that others can benefit from and create useful, publicly-available applications with that information.”
King County budget proposal includes deep cuts
September 27, 2010
NEW — 2 p.m. Sept. 27, 2010
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proposed employee layoffs and service cuts to county departments to bridge a $60 million budget shortfall.
Constantine proposed a $5 billion budget Monday — including $612.8 million for the general fund, the account used to pay for public safety and criminal justice services. Constantine has allotted more than three-fourths of the budget for safety services.
King County Council members said after years of deep cuts, only difficult decisions remain to close the spending gap. The council is due to approve a budget by late November.
King County plans to cut waits for building permits
September 27, 2010
NEW — 8 a.m. Sept. 27, 2010
The long waits for King County environmental and building permits should shrink next month, as the county permitting agency adopts a more user-friendly policy.
Beginning Oct. 18, the county Department of Development and Environmental Services will provide same-day or “over the counter” reviews for many permit types.
The “over-the-counter” permits include small residential remodels, tenant improvements to commercial spaces, building additions, decks, seismic retrofits and others. Complex development proposals still require appointments.
Other customers will still have the option to make appointments.
Emergency response classes for Issaquah residents start soon
September 26, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Sept. 26, 2010
Learn how to prepare for a disaster as a member of a Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT.
Registration is open for CERT fall training. The program starts Thursday.
In the aftermath of a disaster, professional emergency services personnel cannot help everyone immediately, so citizens can rely on CERT training to assist family members and neighbors.
The program typically includes evening classes from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and runs eight-weeks. Cost is $35. Learn more, and register online, here.
Issaquah High School soccer blanks Roosevelt
September 24, 2010
NEW — 11:40 a.m. Sept. 24, 2010
Audrey Thomas scored a goal at the 48th minute Thursday as the Issaquah High School girls soccer team defeated visiting Roosevelt 1-0 in a 4A KingCo Conference game in Gary Moore Stadium.
Thomas was assisted on the goal by Rachel Wheeler. Goalkeeper Brooke Miller recorded the shutout.
The victory was the sixth straight for Issaquah, 6-1-0 overall and 2-0 in league action.
In other games, Eastlake scored four times in the second half to overcome Redmond 4-3; and it was Inglemoor 2, Garfield 1, and Woodinville 2, Ballard 1.
Monthlong food drive kicks off at Issaquah grocers Saturday
September 24, 2010
NEW — 10 a.m. Sept. 24, 2010
Parishioners from several Issaquah churches kick off a monthlong food drive to benefit the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank at local grocers Saturday.
The push is part of the Eastside’s Month of Concern for the Hungry, a drive to encourage businesses, community leaders, faith-based organizations, hospitals, neighborhood associations and schools to host food drives and fundraisers.
Participants plan to distribute shopping lists to shoppers at four Issaquah stores to encourage them to pick up staple items for the food pantry. Shoppers then drop off the purchases at the store. The organizers collect and donate the food.
Rollover crash causes traffic headaches on I-90
September 24, 2010
UPDATED — 8 a.m. Sept. 24, 2010
Rescuers pulled three people from a minivan near Issaquah early Friday morning, after a rollover crash wrecked the morning commute on eastbound Interstate 90.
Traffic on both eastbound and westbound I-90 remains snarled. On the eastbound side, two right lanes remain blocked.
King County Metro Transit said the crash impacted Routes 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 554, 555, 556, 983 and 890. The traffic has caused delays of up to 30 minutes.
The accident occurred at about 6 a.m. just outside Issaquah near West Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. The occupants of the minivan suffered serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.
King County budget forum comes to library Saturday
September 24, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Sept. 24, 2010
King County has launched a round of forums dedicated to the county budget crisis.
The program, part of the Countywide Community Forums, comes to the Issaquah Library, 10 W. Sunset Way, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday.
The month-long effort focuses on the county budget. Organizers hope the forum provides a simple and enjoyable way for people to learn about the topic, share ideas and submit a survey to the King County Council.
During the effort, citizens will be asked to share their views on the topic: “Citizen Priorities for Government in Challenging Economic Times.”
Issaquah High School volleyball team spikes Bothell
September 23, 2010
NEW — 11:20 a.m. Sept. 23, 2010
Rachel Roeder had 17 kills and 10 digs, and Riley Sorenson 30 assists Wednesday as they led the Issaquah High School volleyball team to a 3-0 4A KingCo Conference victory against host Bothell. The victory was the second straight in league play for Issaquah, which is also 4-0 overall for the season.
Issaquah won the games 25-12, 25-18, 25-17.
Sarah Hanna had eight kills, Sam Rogers five kills and four aces, and Alexa Batiquin 12 digs for the Eagles.
