Issaquah marks 9/11 anniversary
September 18, 2012
City leaders lowered flags to half-staff at Issaquah City Hall and other municipal buildings Sept. 11 to commemorate 11 years since the 9/11 attacks.
The federal government and local governments across the United States lowered flags at public buildings for the day — officially Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and Remembrance.
U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and other elected leaders marked the anniversary.
Dump expired, unused medication at Issaquah City Hall
September 18, 2012
Saving unused or expired medication can lead to improper and illegal use.
So the Issaquah Police Department is offering residents a chance to dump leftover medication. The agency is hosting a medication take-back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 29 at City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way.
Issaquah residents can also drop off expired or unused medications anytime from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at the police department.
State policy change dings county jails, but not Issaquah facility
September 11, 2012
Officials said a recent change in state policy means fewer inmates in King County-run jails — and $9.4 million less for county jails next year due to fewer bookings from the state Department of Corrections.
King County officials said the drop contributes to a projected $13 million shortfall next year in revenues to support operations at the King County Jail in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The shortfall could lead officials to eliminate 40 or more positions in the proposed 2013 jail budget.
The state corrections agency contracts with the county to house thousands of felons released from prison who then violated their conditions of release. The so-called “DOC violators” go back to jail to await administrative hearings.
City lowers flags to mark 9/11 anniversary
September 11, 2012
NEW — 10 a.m. Sept. 11, 2012
City leaders lowered flags to half-staff at Issaquah City Hall and other municipal buildings Tuesday to commemorate 11 years since the 9/11 attacks.
The federal government and local governments across the United States lowered flags at public buildings for the day, officially called Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and Remembrance.
The flags should remain at half-staff until late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
“More than a decade later, the world we live in is forever changed,” President Barack Obama said in a proclamation to commemorate the anniversary. “But as we mark the anniversary of Sept. 11, we remember what remains the same: our character as a nation, our faith in one another, and our legacy as a country strengthened by service and selflessness.”
Issaquah unveils salmon-centric city logo
August 21, 2012
The triangle is out. The salmon is in.
Issaquah leaders plan to phase out the longtime city logo — a triangle and stylized As meant to evoke the Issaquah Alps — and use a salmon-centric emblem instead.
Issaquah’s updated city logo (above) replaces 11 former logos used to represent the city, and municipal departments and boards.
The shift comes as the city and a contractor complete a monthslong effort to overhaul the dated municipal website and forge a more modern image for city government.
Issaquah burglary offers lesson in vigilance
August 14, 2012
The call from the Issaquah Police Department interrupted dinner at Pogacha for Fred and Mardi Nystrom, longtime residents in the Sycamore neighborhood south of downtown.
The officer on the line asked if the Nystroms expected any family members to leave their home through a bedroom window.
“I told him, ‘Not our family, man, we wouldn’t fit through that window,’” Fred Nystrom recalled Aug. 13.
They rushed home July 6 to discover their home had been burglarized. The thief shimmied into the home through a small bedroom window left open in the July heat, and stole jewelry, computers and family heirlooms.
“Most of what she stole from me were memories,” Fred Nystrom said.
Police later identified the suspect as Jackie Jean Johnston, 45, a SeaTac resident with a long rap sheet.
City Council hosts public retreat on Central Issaquah Plan
August 14, 2012
Citizens can learn more about the historic proposal to transform more than 900 acres near Interstate 90 and state Route 900 in the decades ahead.
The far-reaching Central Issaquah Plan is a step closer to implementation, but before city leaders act on the plan, City Council members will have a retreat Aug. 27 to discuss the proposal.
The retreat is open to the public. The council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the Eagle Room at Issaquah City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way.
The long-term Central Issaquah Plan is meant to guide redevelopment from shopping centers and low-rise office buildings to a taller neighborhood meant for businesses and residences.
Central Issaquah encompasses 915 acres — including retail destinations, such as Pickering Place, and the Meadows and Issaquah Commons shopping centers. The area does not include historic downtown Issaquah.
Survey: Issaquah is headed in right direction
July 31, 2012
Most respondents in a recent survey — 74 percent — claim Issaquah is headed in the right direction and 57 percent gave the city a positive rating for spending taxpayer dollars.
The information comes from a telephone survey conducted last month. Though the survey focused mostly on municipal parks and recreation facilities — and a possible $10 million park bond measure — other questions addressed City Hall’s performance.
Overall, 68 percent of respondents gave the city a positive job rating and 23 percent gave the city a negative rating. On the question about the direction of Issaquah, 13 percent said the city is headed in the wrong direction and 13 percent said they did not know.
Celebrate National Night Out with local police officers, and a hot dog
July 31, 2012
Local residents can meet officers from the Issaquah Police Department, obtain valuable safety information and munch on free hot dogs at the city’s National Night Out event Aug. 7.
The nationwide event heightens neighborhood crime awareness, generates support for local anticrime efforts, and strengthens neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. Some 15,000 communities and 36 million people around the country are expected to participate in their local neighborhoods.
Voter education emphasized as deadline approaches
July 31, 2012
Elections administrators used the last days before the Aug. 7 primary to remind voters to follow proper ballot instructions.
