January 2013

The Tukwila Police Department issued a statement Jan. 17 saying that all charges that officers used excessive force in the May 12 arrest of brothers Jahmez Amilli and Charles Chappelle are unfounded.

Here is the police department’s statement:

Description of Incident
The 12 May 2012 arrest of brothers Jahmez Amili and Charles Chappelle by Tukwila Police officers was a recent subject of news coverage. Selected portions of police in-car videos were aired on television news.

The brothers claimed officers used excessive force, sprayed water into their forced opened eyes, failed to provide medical aid and drove them around for five hours unnecessarily.

The police department was asked to comment; but at the time of the news stories, we felt it necessary to fully investigate before doing so. Providing information, which may be incomplete or inaccurate does not serve the interest of the public, or foster public trust.

On Jan. 17, King County Metro released a ton of information on feedback they received from West Seattle transit riders in a recent questionnaire regarding the implementation of the RapidRide C Line and other transit changes in September of 2012.

Metro said they received 499 questionnaires that boiled down to three main concerns riders would like resolved:

1) Relieve overcrowding

2) Make buses show up on time

3) Get more and sustainable funding to expand or increase services

To read more on their report, please check out the Metro Matters blog post and feedback summary PDF.

Here is a summary of the report:

“We wanted to hear all of it – the good, the bad, the ugly – after receiving reports of overcrowded buses on the RapidRide C Line and routes 21, 21X and 120, as well as service not arriving on time.” – King County Metro “Metro Matters” blog

Ask and you shall receive.

Press release:

A Des Moines man was sentenced this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

Gregory Sean O’Neall, 51, a convicted sex offender originally from Houston, Texas, was arrested in June 2012. He pleaded guilty in September 2012. Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman also sentenced O’Neall to lifetime supervised release including sex offender treatment and the use of special software to monitor his computer.

According to records in the case, O’Neall came to the attention of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force because of his postings on an online file sharing site.

A Homeland Security Investigation agent working undercover on the site observed sexually explicit images of children being distributed from the internet protocol address at O’Neall’s residence. The agent engaged O’Neall in an online chat.

O’Neall discussed various photographs. Further investigation revealed that O’Neall had posted other pictures in albums on a web site.

Update, Jan. 18, 4:30 p.m.: Here is what we learned so far. Crown Hill Lutheran Church, while no longer used for church service, is still being rented out for several programs, including a weekly hot meal program and a preschool. The Phinneywood Neighborhood Association has the lease according to PNA Executive Director Lee Harper, whom we spoke to on the phone.

Those programs will continue to run up until the end of the lease, which is in August. Preschool, since it's largely based on the academic year, may be wrapped up in June.

PNA is still looking for locations for both, and they want to stay in the Ballard/Crown Hill/Phinney/Greenwood area. If you know of a place, or are interested in hosting one or the other, you can shoot Harper an email at leeh@phinneycenter.org.

While Lee is sad to be leaving the space, she said PNA knew what they were getting into when they signed the lease.

For a select crew of third grade students from White Center Heights Elementary, Jan. 14 was a pretty sweet day as they met their new reading tutors for the next 8 to 10 weeks: High school students from the Evergreen campus.

That Monday was the kickoff of a new after-school reading tutoring program at Highline School District called Club Read, modeled after the non-profit Team Read operating since 1998 in Seattle Public Schools.

White Center Heights Principal Anne Reece said the program - a partnership between the Highline School District, King County Housing Authority and the Southwest Boys & Girls Club – is in its “gestation” period.

“Our goal is to be in talks with (Team Read) to perhaps be a part of the bigger non-profit organization,” Reece said. “They have an interest in getting into Highline Schools.”

“We haven’t done this before in Highline,” Reece told the students and tutors before the program began, “so you are really on the edge of things.”

Ever wanted to see the world's smallest otter species? You'll have your chance when the Woodland Park Zoo's new Asian tropical forest exhibit opens up this spring.

Of course, you already knew, that, because we already reported on that.

What you might not know is that the first male Asian small-clawed otter just arrived at the Zoo. A female otter will be joining him and calling the new exhibit home.

Of course, the Zoo still has to undergo examination and a weigh in, as is protocol for all animals. And until the exhibit opens, he'll be in a temporary off-view exhibit. So you'll have to wait.

A little about the little tykes: He's seven years old; she will be three. He arrived early January from Zoo Atlanta; she will be coming from the Bronx Zoo by the end of the month.

More info from the Zoo:

The City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) while not offering a final judgement appears to have given tacit approval to a proposed lot development in the "Benchview" neighborhood at the corner of 55th SW and SW Manning. DPD said the proposed plan, "appears to meet the applicable code standards," and since it does, "we have no choice but to approve it."

The development was the focus of a neighborhood rally and protest on Jan. 9 that the West Seattle Herald reported on last week. That rally became a minor confrontation with one of the developers, Ron Day, who made his case, if briefly, before those gathered.

Press release:

This flu season is shaping up to be one of the worst in decades – with the Centers for Disease Control already reporting widespread outbreaks in many states.

While anyone can get the flu, seniors are especially susceptible to the virus and are at greater risk for serious flu-related complications that can lead to hospitalization and even death. Ninety percent of flu-related deaths and more than half of flu-related hospitalizations occur in people age 65 and older.

“The flu can be very dangerous for seniors, so we are concerned about this recent outbreak,” said Jeff Huber, president of Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® franchise network. "We encourage seniors and their families to take extra precautions to protect themselves from the virus.”

To fight the flu, senior care experts recommend the following:

Get a Flu Shot: Experts strongly encourage all seniors and those in frequent contact with seniors to get vaccinated if they haven’t already done so. Medicare covers one vaccine per flu season.

I-5 - Spokane St Interchange Vicinity - Special Bridge Repair (information from WSDOT)

10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18 to 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21: Crews will close the ramps from S. Columbian Way to the West Seattle Bridge, 6th Avenue S. and southbound I-5.

The ramp from S. Columbian Way to northbound I-5 will remain open.

See what's open and closed (pdf 539kb)this weekend.

Get Jan. 18-21 weekend detour map (pdf 244kb).

Bothered by construction noise? Let us know: 206-440-4DOT (4368)
Need to get to the West Seattle Bridge ? Go south on 15th Ave. and turn around at Corson/Michigan and head north on I-5.

Or, take northbound I-5 to Edgar Martinez Way, head west toward First Ave. S. Go south on First Ave. S. to the West Seattle Bridge on-ramp.

Invitation from Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation, or AARF:

Bark n' Bowl

Come on down to HiLine Lanes in Burien on Saturday, February 2nd from 3pm-6pm for a fun and entertaining afternoon of bowling! The price is $20 and includes 3 games of bowling and shoe rental. We have a limited number of tickets available, so purchase yours now to guarantee your spot!!

Tickets can purchased through WePay

CHECK-IN STARTS AT 2:00PM, BOWLING STARTS AT 3:00PM.

Hiline Lanes
15733 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien