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Win $100 in The Mirror’s coupon challenge Want to win $100 just for saving money? The Mirror is sponsoring a contest in April to find the most coupon-savvy shopper in Federal Way. Throughout the month of April, whoever saves the most money using coupons found anywhere in the Federal Way Mirror will win a $100 giftcard to the local store of your choice. Save your receipts for proof, and we’ll tally them up. Check The Mirror’s print edition every Friday for the best coupons for local restaurants, groceries, retail, auto services and more. The winner will be announced May 18. The Mirror will report how much money the winner saved and how it was done, all thanks to your local newspaper. Questions? Please contact Mirror publisher Rudi Alcott at ralcott@ federalwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565. Delivery change: Your Mirror will arrive between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Fridays. If you do not have your paper by 6 p.m., contact (253) 872-6610 or circulation@ federalwaymirror.com.
CRIME BLOTTER | Man runs with pants around his ankles at local Walmart [2]
VOL. 14, NO. 14
Mirror
F E D E R A L WAY
division of Sound Publishing
OPINION | Roegner: Race heats up for vacant District 30 state rep. seat [4] Johnson: Spread the word, not the disease [5] CARDIAC ARREST | Referee at Decatur basketball game survives heart attack [7] TOP SHOT | Update on Federal Way cop’s progress on The History Channel show [9]
SPORTS | High school teams lose soccer FRIDAY, April 6, 2012 stars because of new rules [14]
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CALENDAR | Coming up: Easter egg hunt, Rollermania and concert for tots [10-13]
Federal Way draws the line on last call Petition to liquor board is called ‘horrendously bad public policy’ other establishments past the customary 2 a.m. closing time. While the process is still ongoing on whether Seattle will be allowed to extend those hours, Federal Way announced its opposition to
By Greg Allmain gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
Recently, the city of Seattle petitioned the Washington State Liquor Control Board to push serving hours for bars and
this idea at the April 4 city council meeting, citing a number of concerns. Federal Way Police Chief Brian Wilson outlined what he perceives to be the problematic nature of Seattle’s request.
“There are potentially negative impacts to public safety as a result of this policy change to the WAC (Washington Administrative Code) rules. There could be higher levels of intoxication associated with longer hours of operation, more drunk drivers on
the road during peak early morning commute times, and greater demand for law enforcement services over that extended period of time,” Wilson warned. Wilson believes any change could lead to an increase in alcohol-related [ more ALCOHOL, page 21 ]
Woman turns MS diagnosis into advocacy By GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@federalwaymirror.com
Tobacco Station in Federal Way allows customers to buy tobacco and roll their own smokes in a special machine at the store. A state bill would change taxation for 65 such tobacco shops, likely putting them out of business. ANDY HOBBS, The Mirror
Cigarette tax targets roll-your-owns
machine available on site. With this method, 200 selfeditor@federalwaymirror.com rolled smokes — the same numA proposed state tax on rollber in a standard carton — sell for your-own cigarettes could put about $34. That’s less than half dozens of small tobacco the cost of prepackaged retailers out of business. cartons of cigarettes. NEWS Roll-your-own tobacco This do-it-yourself retailers avoid Washingapproach offers a cheaper ton’s lofty cigarette taxes alternative to smokers. because, by definition, they However, tobacco corporadon’t manufacture cigarettes tions and convenience stores for sale. Customers purchase the say this tax loophole creates an tobacco and paper tubes, then roll unfair market advantage. Rollthe cigarettes themselves, using a your-own retailers even have their By ANDY HOBBS
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own parlance for legal reasons, referring to the finished product as “smokes” instead of cigarettes, and avoiding terms like carton and pack. In Washington, prepackaged cigarettes cost about $7.50 per pack, although some stores mark up the price to more than $9. Washington’s excise tax is $3.025 per pack or 15 cents per cigarette, which ranks fifth among all states. New York’s excise tax of $4.35 per pack of cigarettes is the highest, [ more SMOKES, page 20 ]
With National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Month having just ended in March, and the MS Walk coming up in Tacoma on April 14-15, there’s one Federal Way woman who is well acquainted with the disease. Deanna Kirkpatrick, 44, was diagnosed with the debilitating condition six years ago. For Kirkpatrick, it started with the onset of transverse myelitis, one of the rarest neurological Deanna Kirkpatrick conditions. “I was diagnosed six years ago, in April, with transverse myelitis, which is a very rare onset to multiple sclerosis. And in a number of days, I became paralyzed up to my earlobes. There was a 24-hour period where they didn’t even think I was going to make it,” she said. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, transverse myelitis is an inflammation across both sides of one level, or segment, of the spinal cord. This can damage or destroy myelin, the fatty insulating substance that covers nerve cell fibers. That damage leads to nervous system scars that [ more MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, page 21 ]
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