Issaquah man dies crossing highway in Central Washington
September 8, 2012
NEW — 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8, 2012
Police said a 42-year-old Issaquah man died after a tractor-trailer struck him as he walked across a Central Washington highway Friday.
Washington State Patrol investigators said William A. Hegstrom was crossing state Route 223 at Bailey Avenue in tiny Granger at about 9:05 p.m., when he failed to yield to oncoming traffic, and a southbound Kenwood tractor-trailer struck and killed him.
(Granger is about 30 miles southeast of Yakima in rural Yakima County.)
The tractor-trailer driver, 46-year-old Donald J. McShane, of Zillah, was not injured in the accident.
The state patrol said no charges will be filed in the incident. Investigators said drugs and alcohol were not involved.
Man with children in vehicle arrested under revised DUI law
August 28, 2012
The state patrol arrested a 32-year-old Issaquah man under the state’s revised driving under the influence law Aug. 19 — 18 days after the beefed-up law took effect.
The arrest marked the initial known use of revised rules for mandatory blood draws on felony DUI arrests in King County. The driver, Wiyual Rut, also faces enhanced penalties for having three children younger than 3 in the vehicle during the traffic stop.
Prosecutors later charged Rut with felony DUI, with notice of three child enhancements. The enhancement adds 12 months to the felony DUI sentence for each child.
Investigators said a Washington State Patrol trooper stopped a black Nissan Pathfinder on eastbound Interstate 90 for lane travel violations just before midnight.
Press Editorial
August 28, 2012
School begins with need for volunteers
Next Tuesday, parents across the Issaquah School District will walk their kids to the school bus or to school for the start of a new school year.
Ahhhh, finally, a bit of free time for a second cup of coffee!
But wait, your school needs you! The volunteer jobs at school are endless. The playground needs monitors, the library can use assistance, the front office might need your organizational skills, teachers almost never have enough helpers and the nurse’s office is often in need of a mother’s touch to watch over a sick child.
Issaquah Police Department, other agencies continue DUI crackdown
August 28, 2012
Issaquah police officers continue to target drunken drivers as summer heads into the Labor Day weekend.
The agency is participating in the Drive Hammered, Get Nailed campaign through Sept. 3.
During the Drive Hammered, Get Nailed campaign last year, officers on routine and extra patrols arrested 452 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in King County, and statewide, law enforcement officers arrested 1,824 drivers for DUI.
Besides the Issaquah Police Department, the Drive Hammered, Get Nailed campaign includes the nearby Bellevue, Newcastle, North Bend, Sammamish, Snoqualmie and Renton police departments, in addition to the Washington State Patrol.
Issaquah man with young children in vehicle arrested under revised DUI law
August 23, 2012
NEW — 3:25 p.m. Aug. 23, 2012
The state patrol arrested a 32-year-old Issaquah man under the state’s revised driving under the influence law Sunday, 18 days after the beefed-up law took effect.
The arrest marks the initial known use of revised rules for mandatory blood draws on felony DUI arrests in King County. The driver, Wiyual Rut, also faces enhanced penalties for having three children younger than 3 in the vehicle during the traffic stop.
Prosecutors later charged Rut with felony DUI, with notice of three child enhancements. The enhancement adds 12 months to the felony DUI sentence for each child.
Investigators said a Washington State Patrol trooper stopped a black Nissan Pathfinder on eastbound Interstate 90 for lane travel violations just before midnight. The trooper arrested the motorist for DUI. Rut then underwent a special evidence blood draw.
Inaugural bus ride-along gets kindergartners ready for school
August 14, 2012
Issaquah School District kindergarten students and their parents line up to board a school bus Aug. 8 at Issaquah High School to become familiar with part of their new school experience. By Lillian O’Rorke
Standing in line next to a row of big yellow school buses, a flock of incoming kindergartners squirmed and jibber-jabbered as they awaited their maiden voyage.
Issaquah Police Department joins regional DUI crackdown
August 14, 2012
Issaquah police officers plan to join a regional push to pull drunken drivers from local roads in the run-up to Labor Day.
The agency is joining other police departments in King County, Washington and across the United States from Aug. 17 to Sept. 3 in the Drive Hammered, Get Nailed campaign.
Troopers join regional effort to prevent tired motorists
July 17, 2012
Washington state troopers and authorities in Oregon and California have joined forces to combat fatigued commercial drivers.
In the effort, Washington State Patrol troopers and officials in the other states check drivers’ hours of services and cite drivers for exceeding the limit.
The states plan to share data during the emphasis period to verify hours of service recorded by drivers of commercial vehicles traveling among the states.
In many crashes, driver fatigue is a factor. The federal government limits the number of consecutive and cumulative hours a commercial driver can operate a vehicle without a rest period.
Washington, Oregon and California troopers and officers check vehicles and drivers at inspection sites. In addition, roving patrols inspect vehicles and drivers attempting to avoid the inspection sites by traveling on bypass routes.
King County leaders laud fingerprint lab for international accreditation
July 17, 2012
NEW — 9 a.m. July 17, 2012
King County leaders recognized the Automated Fingerprint Identification System on Monday for achieving international accreditation.
The system provides criminal fingerprint identification services to law enforcement agencies throughout the county, including the Issaquah Police Department. The regional Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or AFIS, received the accreditation for the Latent Print Unit.
The unit responds to major crime scenes and processes evidence in a lab by using chemicals, photography and other means to find fingerprints left at crime scenes. Investigators then enter the prints into the regional database to search for matches.
“AFIS is an invaluable law enforcement tool that plays a vital role in crime detection throughout the region,” Issaquah-area Councilman Reagan Dunn said in a statement. “The system’s accreditation recognizes the expertise and knowledge of the county employees responsible for the operation of the program.”
Washington State Patrol joins regional effort to prevent fatigued drivers
July 10, 2012
NEW — 4 p.m. July 10, 2012
Washington state troopers and authorities in Oregon and California joined forces to combat fatigued drivers.
In the effort, Washington State Patrol troopers and officials in the other states check drivers’ hours of services and cite drivers for exceeding the limit.
The states plan to share data during the emphasis period to verify hours of service recorded by drivers of commercial vehicles traveling the Interstate 5 corridor from Blaine to Northern California.
In many crashes, driver fatigue is a factor. The federal government limits the number of consecutive and cumulative hours a commercial driver can operate a vehicle without a rest period.
The emphasis period started Sunday and runs through Thursday.
Washington, Oregon and California troopers and officers check vehicles and drivers at inspection sites. In addition, roving patrols inspect vehicles and drivers attempting to avoid the inspection sites by traveling on bypass routes.
