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during Tuesday night’s primary election, as the perceived front-runners came in third and were disqualified in their respective races. Republican Tim Matthes drew the most votes in the South Kitsap commissioner’s race, followed by Democrat Charlotte Garrido. Monty Mahan, who was the first to declare for the seat and earned the endorsement of local mayors, came in third (See related story, page A3).
chasing it last spring. City Development Director James Weaver confirmed that Keehn received a conditional-use permit to operate a onechair hair salon out of her home, which he described as “pretty innocuous” and something that doesn’t typically reach “the level of intensive use,” as far as impacts on the neighborhood are concerned. However, since November of 2007, Cronan has filed multiple complaints with the city regarding traffic, noise and other
TIM MATTHES
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
Editor
and pension rates along with inflation as issues. In addition to the money saved on custodians, Patton said the district will dip into its reserve fund for $1.72 million. She said that’s not all bad because the district saved more than it anticipated in its last fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31. Patton said they also will save through not filling other vacant positions in the district, and through cutting expenses on supplies. The board unanimously adopted the budget. Patton warned in previous meetings that the “hard decisions” likely won’t end
SEE SCHOOL, PAGE A2
activities she reported as stemming from Keehn’s attempts to operate a business out of her home. Weaver said following an April 11 hearing with the city’s Hearing Examiner, certain conditions were placed on Keehn’s permit to mitigate Cronan’s concerns before she would be allowed to operate her business. “(Keehn) has addressed all but one of those conditions, with the last being the letter from the (Kitsap County) Health Department,” Weaver said, explaining that Keehn’s current sewer facilities are
SEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A2
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BRUCE DANIELSON
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
▼ Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
The South Kitsap School District is a little closer to closing its $2.9 million deficit for the upcoming school year. Terri Patton, assistant superintendent for business and support services, said at Wednesday’s school board meeting that the district won’t replace five full-time custodians who left the district after the last school year. She said that will save the district $250,000. Patton said the deficit stems from unforeseen circumstances when the district presented its last levy to voters in 2004. She cited escalating teacher salaries
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
Dannie Oliveaux / Staff Photo
Staff Writer
A Port Orchard police officer, along with SKFR emergency personnel and witnesses, attend to a female victim of a robbery and assault near the Port Orchard Library.
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
Editor
Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business. shot in three of her home’s windows. Cronan, who lives on the 200 block of Flower Meadows Street in Port Orchard, said she believed the attack was part of an ongoing dispute with Keehn, whom she alleges has been running a hair salon out of her home without a business license and in defiance of a city “stop-work” order. Keehn, 30, said she filed for permission from the city of Port Orchard to operate a hair salon out of her home on the 2300 block of Flower Avenue soon after purBy DANNIE OLIVEAUX
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By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN Staff Writer
Tensions between two Port Orchard neighbors that erupted after one attempted to open a home business last year led both women to head down to the Kitsap County Courthouse Monday and file restraining orders against each other. Shelia Cronan, 49, said she filed a restraining order against Amber Keehn after returning home from a camping trip Aug. 17 and discovering pellets had been
Good Samaritan helps pull victim from suspect’s vehicle
SEE IMPROV, A27
JEANETTE DALTON
Video posted on YouTube.com has more than 37,000 hits
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
SKHS improv group issues challenge to Jim Fallon
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SEE TRAP, A27
Cody Wright from Milford, Utah, got a mouth full of mud and a zero score after falling off Strawberry Delight in the Saddle Bronc Riding competition Wednesday night at the Kitsap County Stampede. The fair runs through Sunday.
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Man faces robbery, assault charges
Winter sports continues A15-17
SKHS theater teacher Scott Yingling, along with his improv group, issues a video challenge to The Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon.
SEE ROBBERY, A27
SK native explores culinary scene in book A14
South Kitsap High School theater teacher Scott Yingling has publicly issued a video challenge Jim Fallon, host of NBC’s The Tonight Show. The school’s Acting Ensemble’s challenge was posted Jan. 31 on YouTube.com. In the video, Yingling — with his ensemble behind him — announced the challenge from inside the South Kitsap High School Theatre. “Hey James, my name is Scott Yingling and I am a theater teacher at South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard,Washington,” Yingling remarks in the 67-second video clip. “And you host uh little show that’s quite popular and I host a show that is very popular. We have improv night here in
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when they called over the female victim to the driver’s side window. The victim told investigators that she leaned into the driver’s side window and the passenger grabbed
white Lexus sedan. They provided officers with a license plate number of the vehicle. Charging papers stated that the suspect and his passenger were parked in front of the Port Orchard Library, located on Sidney Avenue, and arrest the suspect, who apparently was involved in the incident about 3:15 p.m. Monday. He said witnesses told officer that the suspect and an unknown female passenger left the scene of the crime in a
Editor
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
South Kitsap band trip encompasses more than music A5
Trap set for cougar that killed horse
Staying young with a song INSIDE Washington Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (WDFW) agents have placed a trap for a cougar that was believed to be responsible for last week’s death of a horse in South Kitsap. “We do intend to trap it,” said WDFD Officer Jason Czebotar. Czebotar said his office came out to investigate the horse’s death Feb. 4 after authorities reported that a horse might have been killed in a cougar attack on a South Kitsap ranch along Southeast Lider Road. The owner, Elizabeth Lumsden, told Q13Fox News that her horse, Tina, was attacked about 4 a.m. “We went out to feed at 5 a.m. and we noticed we were minus a horse,” Lumsden told Q13. “We went out to the pasture to look and immediately saw her.” “There is no way to 100
A Port Orchard man faces charges in connection with a robbery and assault of a 25-year-old woman that occurred near the Port Orchard Library on Feb. 9. Aaron Nathan Habenicht, 24, was charged with one count each of second-degree robbery and second-degree assault Feb. 10, in Kitsap County District Court. According to Port Orchard Police Chief Geoffrey Marti, assistance from several witnesses help officers find
PORT ORCHARD