Honoring the Life and Work of Educator Dr. Rex Fortune

was a mentor to many young educators and a friend to all. He was dedicated to making sure every student had access to quality education and the support they needed to succeed. He also created the Parenting Practices Academy, a resource empowering parents to become more involved in creating an environment that results in children being prepared for college.

Fortune published several books on education including “Bridging the Achievement Gap: What Successful Educators and Parents Do,” and “Leadership on Purpose: Promising Practices for African American and Hispanic Students.”

He is survived by his wife, three children and two grandchildren. He will

On Dec. 7, 2018, DeSimas and others traveled to Lynnwood on the way to visiting the site of a Whidbey Island cabin where Robert Jay Mathews, the neo-Nazi leader of the violent hate group The Order, died in a gunfight with federal agents on Dec. 8, 1984. It has become a far-right holiday, known as Martyr's Day.

That night, DeSimas attended a gathering with other white supremacist sympathizers, prosecutors said. Shortly after midnight, about a dozen of them went to the Rec Room Bar and Grill. Some wore jackets with patches indicating their white supremacist beliefs and some had similar tattoos, including some depicting swastikas, prosecutors said.

At some point, Stanley messed with Smith's DJ equipment. Smith pushed him away. In response, DeSimas and others surrounded Smith, using racist slurs while kicking, punching and stomping on Smith, prosecutors said. Witnesses who tried to intervene were also attacked.

The men then left the bar and went to Whidbey Island, where they attended the Martyr's Day event.

Federal prosecutors indicted the men in December 2020. Citing insufficient evidence, Snohomish County prosecutors declined to charge six other men who were at the tavern the night of the attack.

DeSimas wrote in a letter to the judge that he was “ashamed'' of his actions, saying he no longer shared the views he previously held.

Dorson wrote in a similar letter that he was “disgusted by the fear I took part in creating.''

Nick Brown, the U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, said seeking consequences for the attack was a high priority for the Justice Department and the FBI.

Rick Collodi, the FBI's special agent in charge of Seattle's field office, said the defendants tried to conceal their actions, but the truth came out.

“The four defendants admitted to being members of a white supremacist group,'' Collodi said. “While they have the right to believe what they want, they do not have the right to commit a crime.''

Smokey Robinson, ‘King of Motown,’ to Release New Solo Album

NEW YORK (AP) – It’s been nearly a decade since Smokey Robinson’s last album, but new music from the King of Motown is on the horizon.

Robinson will release the nine-track album “Gasms’’ on April 28, the music legend behind hits like “My Girl’’ and “The Way You Do the Things You Do’’ announced Friday. “Gasms’’ features new songs produced and written by Robinson himself. The former vice president of Motown Records released his last collaborative album nine years ago, “Smokey & Friends,’’ which featured musicians like Elton John, John Legend, Steven Tyler and Mary J. Blige.

The upcoming album’s first single, “If We Don’t Have Each Other,’’ is now available on streaming services. Robinson is a legendary music producer, songwriter, record label executive and solo musician who’s penned over 4,000 songs and been inducted into the the Rock `n’ Roll and Songwriters’ halls of fame.

The musician has worked with other historic Motown artists like the Temptations, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway and Marvin Gaye.

Robinson will soon be honored alongside fellow Motown musician Berry Gordy as the 2023 “Persons Of The Year’’ at the Recording Academy’s annual MusiCares event on Feb. 3 in Los Angeles.