Woman shot near Issaquah; suspect connected to Renton shooting
October 27, 2012
UPDATED — 9:15 p.m. Oct. 27, 2012
Police said a woman was shot just outside Issaquah city limits on Saturday afternoon and transported to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.
The man suspected in the shooting and another shooting in Renton, John L. McKay, was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound later Saturday in the Skyway area.
King County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 13400 block of 209th Avenue Southeast near Issaquah, just outside the southwest city limits off of Southeast May Valley Road, after the woman was shot.
Police said the incident could be connected to a shooting later in the day near Renton.
Investigators said the woman’s former son-in-law was the shooter.
Tuberculosis infection rate reaches 30-year low in King County
October 27, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. Oct. 27, 2012
Tuberculosis rates in King County have reached a 30-year low due to local efforts to fight the disease, public health officials announced Thursday.
Still, King County faces a higher risk for cases in the United States, due to the county’s status as a global crossroads.
The latest TB report from Public Health – Seattle & King County details the findings, as well as information about the agency’s efforts to fight the disease.
“TB control is an essential investment in the health of our communities,” Dr. David Fleming, director health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said in a statement. “We can’t afford to let down our guard — especially now that drug-resistant TB is on the rise worldwide.”
Local health officials urge vaccinations as flu season starts
October 26, 2012
NEW — 10 a.m. Oct. 26, 2012
Public Health – Seattle & King County is asking residents to receive flu vaccinations as flu season starts in Washington.
Influenza can cause significant lost time from work and school, plus the expense of visits to the doctor. The flu can also lead to hospitalization and even death in some cases. Though flu season peaks in the winter, it can start as early as October.
“Flu vaccine is the single best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from flu,” Dr. David Fleming, director and health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said in a statement.
Health experts recommend for everybody 6 months old and older to get the flu vaccine, especially people at high risk for severe influenza.
Planners steer dollars to Issaquah-area road upgrades
October 26, 2012
NEW — 8 a.m. Oct. 26, 2012
Issaquah-area road projects received a green light to proceed — and more than $3 million — Thursday, after planners approved a regional transportation program.
Puget Sound Regional Council leaders recommended funding for projects on Southeast May Valley Road, Issaquah-Hobart Road Southeast, West Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast and, on the Sammamish Plateau, 228th Avenue Southeast.
The lineup includes projects just outside Issaquah city limits, but none inside the city.
Some dollars for the projects come from $440 million in federal funds distributed by the planning authority for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. State gas tax revenue and local funds then cover the remaining project costs.
Regulators approve lower natural gas rates for Puget Sound Energy
October 26, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. Oct. 26, 2012
Puget Sound Energy customers can expect to pay less for natural gas as winter approaches.
The average residential natural gas customer using 68 therms per month is due to receive a 7.1 percent — or $5.82 — drop, after state regulators approved the change Thursday. The revised rate goes into effect Nov. 1.
The average residential natural gas customer should pay $76.59 under the revised rate. The rate is comparable to what PSE customers paid in 2009.
The utility provider for Issaquah and much of Western Washington asked state regulators last month to decrease natural gas rates. The wholesale price for natural gas is down due to abundant domestic supplies.
Panda Express to open Issaquah restaurant
October 26, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. Oct. 26, 2012
Chinese eatery Panda Express plans to open a restaurant in Issaquah.
The fast casual chain is due to open in a vacant space in Lake Sammamish Center near Fred Meyer and The Home Depot. Quiznos last occupied the space at 6150 E. Lake Sammamish Parkway S.E., Suite C.
Crews continue to renovate the space and a large banner in the window proclaims “opening soon” to passers-by.
Panda Express — launched in 1983 and based in Rosemead, Calif. — operates 1,500 restaurants in 42 states, plus Puerto Rico and Mexico.
Student Mock Election asks for future voters’ opinions
October 25, 2012
NEW — 9 a.m. Oct. 25, 2012
The minimum age to vote is 18, but the hurdle did not stop students throughout the Issaquah School District from casting ballots in the tight races for president and governor.
Educators on local campuses organized mock elections or joined the annual Student Mock Election overseen by the state elections office to educate students about the importance of participation in the political process.
Students at Issaquah and Tiger Mountain Community high schools, Issaquah Middle School, and Creekside, Endeavour and Sunny Hills elementary schools cast ballots in ersatz elections or plan to do so by the actual Election Day, Nov. 6.
Teachers involved in the mock elections said the exercise is about more than determining whether students support Jay Inslee or Rob McKenna for governor.
Let’s Go! for Oct. 25-31
October 24, 2012
Viva Italia! Skyline student learns American culture
October 23, 2012
Sampurna Basu
Skyline High School
Pietro Lodovichi Skyline High School
Pietro Lodovichi is Skyline High School’s newest exchange student from Pisa, Italy.
“I chose this program because I wanted to see another culture and open my mind. And since I’ve been here, I have learnt a lot,” Pietro said.
“The schools are completely different: American school is very easy compared to Italian ones,” he said. “Teachers don’t care about students wearing shorts, or pants, flip-flops or shoes. In Italy, long pants are required in school as a sign of respect.”
He also said Americans are very friendly and the culture is different.
Gubernatorial hopefuls support hatcheries, parks
October 23, 2012
Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna clashed in a recent series of debates, but the candidates vying to serve as Washington’s next governor share similar positions on local issues, such as support for the state parks system.
Jay Inslee
Rob McKenna
The race at the state level is focused on the candidates’ policies on education and transportation — hot topics on the docket as Inslee and McKenna met in recent weeks.
The Issaquah Press asked the candidates about funding for state parks, salmon restoration and growth management — key concerns in Issaquah and the surrounding area.
