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CRIME BLOTTER | Man gets ticketed for spitting near police officers [2]
VOL. 14, NO. 29
Mirror
F E D E R A L WAY
division of Sound Publishing
OPINION | Editorial: Primary election endorsements for Legislature [4] Johnson: The rainbow connection in Federal Way [5] SCAMMERS | Affordable Care Act prompts criminals to prey on the elderly [8] ARTS CENTER | City seeks proposals from two developers for future project [9]
SPORTS | Twin Lakes summer swimmers. CALENDAR | Federal Way Symphony hosts FRIDAY, JuLY 20, 2012 | 50¢ Plus: Local Little League update [15-17] its annual garden tour on Saturday [18-19]
I-5/SR 18 ramps open for traffic
City lauds impact of dive trials, manager’s leadership
editor@federalwaymirror.com
By Greg Allmain gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
Mike Dunwiddie, the only manager the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center has known in its 20-plus years of existence, was honored with a proclamation by the Federal Way City Council. Councilmember Jeanne Burbidge had the honors of introducing Dunwiddie at the July 17 council meeting, saying the aquatic Dunwiddie center’s manager is a tireless promoter of his facility and Federal Way. “Tonight we’re recognizing an individual who plays a very key role in bringing events like this to Federal Way,” Burbidge said, referencing the U.S. Olympic diving trials held last month. “For the past two decades, Mike has developed the aquatic center into the best facility in the nation for high-level aquatic competitions. [ more AQUATIC, p. 23 ] NEWSPAPER RACKS: To see a list of rack locations for the print edition of The Mirror, visit federalwaymirror.com/about_us.
known as the Triangle Project, where I-5, SR 18 and SR 161 converge. The project A new flyover ramp at will reduce congestion and Interstate 5 and State Route collisions at the heavily 18 officially opened traveled exchange. Monday in Federal With a price tag Way, six months of $112 million, the NEWS ahead of schedule. project’s original The ramp takes completion date drivers from westwas April 2013. bound SR 18 to southMowat Construction bound I-5. More than broke ground on the project 20,000 vehicles are expected in August 2010. to use the ramp daily. A second ramp, which Economic impact opens July 23, will take A collaboration among drivers from eastbound SR federal, state and local 18 to northbound I-5. A leadership made the project ramp from SR 18 to SR 161 possible. Congressman is still under construction Adam Smith (D-District 9) and will open in September, secured funding at the fedaccording to the Washingeral level, while State Sen. ton State Department of Tracey Eide (D-District 30) Transportation. The entire interchange is [ more FREEWAY, p. 23 ] By ANDY HOBBS
UPDATE
Valley SWAT arrested an arson suspect in a standoff Tuesday in Federal Way. The standoff began about 8:40 a.m. and ended with the suspect’s extraction from a condo at about 1:30 p.m. Pictured: Medics and rescue crews prepare to load the suspect into an ambulance. PHOTOS BY ANDY HOBBS, The Mirror
Arson suspect arrested after hours-long standoff State spreads vaccine for whooping cough
By ANDY HOBBS
editor@federalwaymirror.com
Valley SWAT apprehended an arson suspect during an hours-long standoff at a Federal Way condominium complex. At 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, Federal Way police were called to the 100 block of South 340th Place at the Heritage Condos, just off 1st Avenue South. The caller reported witnessing a physical assault. The suspect retreated into his apartment and did not comply with requests to surrender, police said. Surrounding apartments were evacuated. The Valley SWAT team was called to the location and extracted the suspect from the building at about 1:30 p.m. July 17. The suspect was loaded into an ambulance for medical treatment. The suspect, who had prior contact with Federal Way police, was wanted on a felony arson warrant in Pierce County. According to Federal Way police, the
34415 16th Ave. S. 253-927-1159
By Greg Allmain gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
suspect was transported to a local hospital for treatment for minor injuries from K-9 contact, and for a mental evaluaton. He was expected to be arrested upon his release from the hospital. Police identified the man as Kyu-Chang Park. The suspect faces first-degree attempted arson charges for a Feb. 9 incident, in which he allegedly set fire to a mattress at his Tacoma apartment, according to media reports.
On April 3, Washington State Secretary of Health Mary Selecky declared a whooping cough epidemic. Since then, more than 2,000 new cases have been reported, bringing the total up to 2,883, according to the Department of Health (DOH). State health officials urge citizens to get the whooping cough vaccination and take other preventative measures. “Infants are most at risk for very serious illness from whooping cough, and many
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are made sick by an adult who didn’t know they were carrying the illness,” said State Health Officer Dr. Maxine Hayes. “All teens and adults should go get the Tdap shot. Even people who don’t have close contact with babies can spread the illness to babies when they’re in public.” The DOH ordered 14,000 more doses of whooping cough vaccine for uninsured adults, on top of the 27,000 doses already sent to local health partners —and bringing the total number of doses ordered [ more VACCINE, page 23 ]
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