King County carves up rural communities into service areas
July 24, 2012
King County could carve unincorporated neighborhoods — including Four Creeks and Klahanie just outside Issaquah — into community service areas, if a plan proposed July 19 is put into action.
The proposal is the latest in a yearslong effort to change the way county government and unincorporated communities interact. King County Executive Dow Constantine characterized the effort as a reform measure to ease access to government for residents in rural and unincorporated areas.
Offer input about May Valley fire station at open house
July 17, 2012
Residents can learn about a fire station planned for May Valley at a July 19 open house hosted by Fire District 10.
The district is the Eastside Fire & Rescue partner serving residents in Klahanie, May Valley, Mirrormont, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County.
Plans call for EFR crews from Fire Station 78, at 16135 S.E. 113th Place near Renton, to relocate to a modern facility at a more central location at Southeast May Valley Road and 207th Avenue Southeast after construction is complete.
Construction on the May Valley station could start next year.
The open house is at 7 p.m. at EFR headquarters, 175 Newport Way N.W. Participants can offer input and ask district commissioners questions about the project.
In April, district officials completed the process to issue $5.5 million in construction bonds to build the fire station and complete other projects throughout the district.
The district encompasses about 130 square miles and about 28,000 people.
In February, 64 percent of voters in the district approved a bond measure to generate the construction dollars.
Offer input about May Valley fire station at open house
July 14, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. July 14, 2012
Residents can learn about a fire station planned for May Valley at a July 19 open house hosted by Fire District 10.
The district is the Eastside Fire & Rescue partner serving residents in Klahanie, May Valley, Mirrormont, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County.
Plans call for EFR crews from Fire Station 78, at 16135 S.E. 113th Place near Renton, to relocate to a modern facility at a more central location at Southeast May Valley Road and 207th Avenue Southeast after construction is complete.
Construction on the May Valley station could start next year.
The open house is 7 p.m. at EFR headquarters, 175 Newport Way N.W. Participants can offer input and ask district commissioners questions about the project.
Eastside Fire & Rescue experiences booming Fourth due to fireworks incidents
July 10, 2012
Fireworks-related incidents kept Eastside Fire & Rescue crews busy before, on and after Independence Day.
The incidents included a torched barn and a vehicle lost to a fireworks-related blaze. The agency did not report any injuries related to the mishaps.
The action started July 2 in downtown Issaquah at Front Street South and Newport Way Southwest, as firefighters responded to a smoke bomb at 9:40 p.m.
Just after midnight on the holiday, firefighters started the Fourth of July by responding to a garbage can fire started by a sparkler bomb at Southeast Belvedere Way and 266th Way Southeast in Sammamish.
Eastside Fire & Rescue experiences booming Fourth due to fireworks incidents
July 6, 2012
NEW — 10:15 a.m. July 6, 2012
Fireworks-related incidents kept Eastside Fire & Rescue crews busy before, on and after Independence Day.
The incidents included a torched barn and a vehicle lost to a fireworks-related blaze. The agency did not report any injuries related to the incidents.
The action started Monday in downtown Issaquah at Front Street South and Newport Way Southwest, as firefighters responded to a smoke bomb at 9:40 p.m.
Just after midnight on the holiday, Wednesday, firefighters started the Fourth of July by responding to a garbage can fire started by a sparkler bomb at Southeast Belvedere Way and 266th Way Southeast in Sammamish.
Celebrate Independence Day in Issaquah with parade
June 26, 2012
Fireworks are banned in Issaquah and surrounding areas, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways to celebrate Independence Day.
Internet fireworks sales remain illegal in Washington
June 19, 2012
In Washington, buying fireworks is not as simple as point, click, boom.
Internet sales of fireworks remain illegal, state fire officials reminded the public Monday. Fireworks must be purchased from a licensed retail fireworks stand during the legal sales period.
Sales of consumer fireworks start at noon June 28 and end at 11 p.m. July 5. People must be at least 16 and present a form of photo identification in order to purchase fireworks.
Under state law, orders for fireworks cannot be placed over the Internet or posted on websites, such as craigslist.
In Issaquah, discharging fireworks is banned on Independence Day and the rest of the year. Usually, Issaquah Police Department officers issue a verbal warning for fireworks and confiscate them for a first offense. If police catch revelers putting off fireworks again, a citation is issued.
Residents in unincorporated King County communities, such as Klahanie and Mirrormont, face looser rules, but some restrictions apply.
Internet fireworks sales remain illegal in Washington
June 12, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. June 12, 2012
In Washington, buying fireworks is not as simple as point, click, boom.
Internet sales of fireworks remain illegal, state fire officials reminded the public Monday. Fireworks must be purchased from a licensed retail fireworks stand during the legal sales period.
Sales of consumer fireworks start at noon June 28 and end at 11 p.m. July 5. People must be at least 16 and present a form of photo identification in order to purchase fireworks.
Under state law, orders for fireworks cannot be placed over the Internet or posted on websites, such as craigslist.
State: Licenses decline for retail fireworks stands
June 11, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. June 11, 2012
Independence Day could feature less bang and boom in Washington.
The state fire marshal said the number of retail fireworks stand licenses issued in 2012 is down 4.2 percent, or by 39 licenses, from last year. Before a city or county can issue a permit to operate a retail fireworks stand, a state license is required.
Counties issue the licenses. The number of licenses issued in King County dropped by five from 2011 to 2012. Snohomish County experienced the largest drop, at seven.
Sales of consumer fireworks start at noon June 28 and end at 11 p.m. July 5.
In Issaquah, discharging fireworks is banned on Independence Day and the rest of the year. Usually, Issaquah Police Department officers issue a verbal warning for fireworks and confiscate them for a first offense. If police catch revelers putting off fireworks again, a citation is issued.
King County executive appoints rural outreach adviser
May 8, 2012
The latest King County strategy to engage rural residents — including more than 16,000 people near Issaquah — earned early praise from a community leader in the unincorporated tract between Issaquah and Renton.
County Executive Dow Constantine appointed a top adviser April 4 to lead the outreach effort from county government to residents in rural and unincorporated areas. The announcement marked the latest step in a long-running effort to change how leaders and residents interact.
Alan Painter — Constantine’s former adviser on human services, health and housing policy — is the manager for the community service areas program. In the past 18 months, county officials carved unincorporated land into designated areas to coordinate on issues, such as crime prevention or potential development.
