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FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012
Kent man allegedly drunk, driving at high speed when he struck motorcyclist BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
An 18-year-old Kent man charged with vehicular homicide in connection with the death of a 55-year-old Kent motorcyclist allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of .12 and traveled at “freeway speed” when his car collided with the motorcycle.
Justin Jerald Cordova, 18, drove a 1986 Nissan coupe eastbound in the 12100 block of Southeast 223rd Drive in the Panther Lake area when his car reportedly crossed the centerline and collided with a westbound 2006 Suzuki motorcycle driven by David Daniel at about 6:44 a.m. on Aug. 22, according to charging papers filed by King County prosecutors. The two
Olympian Courtney Thompson, joined by her father, Steve, flashes the silver medal she earned from the London Games.
lived just one-half mile from each other and a few blocks from the accident scene. Cordova is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Sept. 6 in Courtroom GA at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. He remains in custody at the county jail [ more FATALITY page 4 ]
TRACEY COMPTON, Kent Reporter
COURTNEY
COMES HOME Thompson savors silver moment at London Olympics BY TRACEY COMPTON tcompton@rentonreporter.com
Let it shine
more photos online… kentreporter.com
Keith Shoemaker puts the final touches on his 1936 Chevrolet Sports Master Deluxe during the second annual Kent Downtown Partnership Rod & Custom Car Show last Saturday. About 100 classic cars were on display in downtown along Railroad Avenue North between Smith Street and Meeker Street. CHARLES CORTES, Kent Reporter
Courtney Thompson is still getting used to being called an Olympian. Thompson, an accomplished setter in volleyball, is back home after doing her part in Team USA’s silver-medal finish at the London Olympics. “This has been such a fun summer and so surreal,” Thompson told the Kent Rotary Club at a luncheon Tuesday. “Going to the Olympics was amazing.”
Troupe dazzles on unicycles The King Charles Troupe has been performing the high-energy basketball on unicycle comedy routine for more than 40 years. COURTESY PHOTO
Touring group to perform at ShoWare BY MARK KLAAS mklaas@kentreporter.com
Growing up in the Bronx, Kim Anthony “Kip” Jones was exposed to many influential artists and athletes.
A New York Knicks fan, Jones enjoyed basketball but preferred a different sport. Gifted athletically as an emerging gymnast, the adventurous teen soon would discover the opportunity to combine the sports and perform on a brightly lit stage.
On a whim, Jones accompanied a friend to a unique tryout off the New York streets. “They were playing basketball on unicycles,” Jones recalled, “so one afternoon I tried out. … I fell in love with it ever since.” [ more TROUPE page 2 ]
Born in Bellevue and raised in Kent, Thompson starred at Kentlake High School and the University of Washington before embarking on an international career that includes her first Summer Games experience. She was invited to speak to the Kent Rotarians, of which her dad, Steve, is a member. Thompson, 27, spoke about her unforgettable experiences, passed around her silver medal and posed for pictures. Dawn Colston, a Rotarian and one of Thompson’s first coaches, introduced [ more OLYMPIAN page 6 ]
FBI busts man for allegedly leading major drug ring BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
A federal grand jury indicted a 43-year-old Kent man as a ringleader for allegedly distributing thousands of oxycodone painkilling pills that led to the arrests [ more BUST page 4 ]