Latest Washington news, sports, business, and entertainment at 6:20 am PDT
HYDROGEN FUEL
Pacific Northwest officials consider hydrogen a fuel
OLYMPIA, Washington (AP) – More and more people in the Pacific Northwest are looking for hydrogen to see if it could be a viable substitute for diesel and gasoline. Potential converts include Everett to Eugene transit agencies and Boeing’s drone daughter in the Columbia River Gorge. A week-long hydrogen fuel cell electric bus demonstration tour started last week at Kitsap Transit and runs along the Interstate 5 corridor with eight other stops. A hydrogen fuel cell uses a chemical reaction between the hydrogen fuel and the oxygen in the air to generate electricity. However, it is more expensive than battery and diesel bus technology.
WASHINGTON LEGISLATION SENATE BUDGET
The Washington Senate passes the first draft budget
OLYMPIA, Washington (AP) – The Washington Senate has passed its proposal for two-year budget spending, which lawmakers say is aimed at helping those hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The budget was passed by the democratically run chamber with 27 to 22 votes. The house, also run by Democrats, is expected to vote on a similar plan on Saturday. A final plan will then be negotiated and adopted before the end of the 105-day parliamentary term on April 25. Democratic budget leaders said the roughly $ 59 billion spending plan meets needs highlighted by the pandemic and includes millions for the state’s public health system, childcare and early learning, as well as efforts to find affordable housing and efforts to reduce homelessness .
AP US PORTLAND SUSPECT KILLED
Flashback: Suspicious Portland murder likely fired at police
OLYMPIA, Washington (AP) – Investigators say a fugitive wanted for the publicly known murder of a right-wing protester in Portland, Oregon last summer probably first shot at Washington state police last summer, before they killed him. A task force attempted to arrest Michael Reinoehl near Olympia last September when four officers fired at him as he got out of his car. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said investigators believe Reinoehl fired first based on testimony from witnesses and officers and a used cartridge case that fits a gun Reinoehl was carrying. A sheriff’s spokesman told the Seattle Times that he could not confirm this with 100% certainty because the bullet was not found.
KING COUNTY DETECTIVE FIRED
Sheriff dismisses detective for tactics that led to the shooting
SEATTLE (AP) – King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht fired a longtime detective after discovering his aggressive actions resulted in the death of a man wanted for stealing a pickup truck and pet poodle. The Seattle Times reports that former detective George Alvarez was one of two undercover MPs who confronted and fatally shot and killed Anthony “Tony” Chilcott outside Black Diamond on November 25, 2019 after they killed the stolen vehicle he was driving. had rammed. In a March 25 resignation letter, Johanknecht said Alvarez had made a number of questionable tactical decisions that were unacceptable to a MP with his experience. A Seattle attorney representing Alvarez said Alvarez will contest his dismissal.
STATE PROSECUTOR MISCONDUCT-NEW TRIAL
Court grants new trial after public prosecutor’s misconduct
TACOMA, Washington (AP) – An appeals court in Washington state said this week that a man convicted of a 2017 gruesome attack that resulted in the death of his mother is being retried for prosecutorial misconduct. The News Tribune reported that Sebastian Levy-Aldrete was convicted of second degree murder in 2018 when his 77-year-old mother Maria Aldrete-Levy died. He was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Levy-Aldrete argued on appeal that he had not received a fair trial based on comments from a prosecutor during the final arguments. The Washington State Court of Appeals agreed on Tuesday.
FATAL SHOOTING STORE
Vancouver man police ID card as murder victim in Portland store
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police have publicly identified a man who was shot dead in a North Portland supermarket as a 53-year-old resident of Vancouver, Washington. Oregonian / OregonLive reporting police said they responded to reports of gunfire at a 7-Eleven store around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday and found Michael Arrington shot dead. Medics tried to help Arrington, but police said he died in a hospital shortly after arriving. Police say Arrington was shopping in the store when he was shot. Investigators have not stated whether anyone has been arrested and have not released any information about one or more of the suspects. The police asked anyone with information to contact them.
BC-WA-OIL SPILL SETTLEMENT
Everett maker is paying fines for oil spills of $ 222,000
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) – An Everett plastic sheet manufacturer pays more than $ 222,000 to pay fines for two oil spills that polluted a rainwater pond and polluted local wildlife near an Everett creek. The Daily Herald reported in July 2018 that an employee of Achilles USA at the company’s South Everett facility dropped a movable bag of lube oil, causing the container to burst and spill into the building’s rainwater system. The oil was then flushed into an outside retention basin. During the removal of this spill, the emergency services discovered that an overflowing sump in the facility also drained into the retention basin. A total of 340 gallons of oil was dumped into the pond. It took three weeks to clean up.
RACIAL INJUSTICE MASCOTS
Colorado is the latest to weigh in on the Native American mascot ban
DENVER (AP) – Colorado lawmakers are considering a proposal to ban Native American mascots in public schools and colleges. The Senate Education Committee clarified the measure on Thursday. After June 1, 2022, public schools, colleges, and universities that use Native American-themed mascots would impose a monthly fine of $ 25,000. According to a database from the National Congress of American Indians, more than 1,900 schools in the United States have Native American-themed mascots. Tribesmen testified in support of the law. The Southern Ute tribal leader said the “imprecise and gruesome portrayals” of Native American mascots were used as “strategic tools to marginalize indigenous communities.”
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL RECALL
Court: Recall against Seatttle councilor can proceed
The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that a recall against Seattle City Councilor Kshama Sawant can continue. The Seattle Times reports that the recall petition accuses Sawant of four different offenses: it delegated the employment decisions of its office to its socialist political party; She used the city’s resources to promote an election initiative “Tax Amazon”. She let protesters into town hall during a June night protest. and she spoke at a protest outside the home of Mayor Jenny Durkan (Durkan’s address is protected by a government confidentiality program due to her previous work as a federal prosecutor). The Supreme Court made its decision on Thursday. The petitioners now have 180 days to collect more than 10,000 signatures from residents of Sawant’s Council District.
CASCADES MOTORWAY CLEANING
Snow removal on Highway 20 over Cascades begins next week
MOUNT VERNON, Washington (AP) – The State Department of Transportation will begin clearing Highway 20 across the North Cascades next week. If everything goes as planned, the 37-mile snow-covered highway from the Skagit Valley to the Methow Valley should be cleared in four to six weeks. The crews on the east and west sides of the motorway section, which is closed in winter, will work to remove about three meters of snow from the motorway. A year ago, the motorway reopened on May 12, while in 2019 the gates opened on April 18. The earliest opening was March 10, 2005.