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Wednesday, June 12, 2013 | 75 cents
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Fire district board member resigns seat
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Chris Ingham steps aside with two years remaining on term
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Sports...
Chinook Softball team plays for the championship
Weather The forecast for today, Wednesday, is mostly cloudy with highs near 60 and lows near 49. Thursday will be cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers, a high of 62 and low of 51. The cloudy trend will continue through the weekend.
Feeling just a bit Punchy
Punchy, a clown with the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus, entertained crowds during two Thursday shows in Buckley. The circus, sponsored by the Buckley Chamber of Commerce, brought wild animals, a unicycle act, trapeze artist and more. Photo by Kevin Hanson
Inattentive driving law considered
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Police Chief Jim Zoll asks council to pass new driving ordinance
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By Kevin Hanson
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ND A R G G N I N OPE
Senior Writer
Those who apply cosmetics or shave during their morning commute might want to take notice – the city of Enumclaw is taking steps to target such bad behavior. Police Chief Jim Zoll went before the Enumclaw City Council May 28, introducing an ordinance he hopes will be adopted and put on the local books. The proposed addition
June 22nd
is entitled “inattentive driving” and, if implemented, will carry a fine up to $250 for those who are cited. Zoll said creating the new driving offense simply gives police and the courts one more tool “to effectively educate, and correct, bad driving behavior.” The measure was initiated by the local court and has received the backing of Enumclaw Municipal Court Judge Robert Hamilton, City Attorney Mike Reynolds and members of the council’s Public Safety Committee. While the dangers of driving while chatting on a cell phone or texting have been clearly addressed, “inattentive driving” expands the menu to include anything that takes a driver’s attention away from proper operation of a
Chris Ingham, King County Fire District 28 commissioner, resigned his position effective Monday, June 10. Ingham submitted his resignation letter June 3 and did not give a reason for his decision. Ingham was elected in November 2009. He ran unopposed. There were two years remaining on his term. The district board has three members – Position No. 1 is currently filled by Dave Hannity, who serves as board chairman, and No. 2 is occupied by Ryan Terhune. Position No. 2 is up for election during the coming campaign season. Terhune decided not to run for another term and Angela Stubblefield and Elbert Reed will be on the ballot. A special meeting was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the district headquarters, 1330 Wells St. vehicle. According to a report offered by Zoll, it includes things like focusing on passengers or pets, eating, brushing one’s teeth and horseplay – “all of which we have seen in the city,” the chief said. Inattentive or distracted driving is a killer, Zoll’s report noted. According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, distracted driving was involved in nearly 26 percent of the state’s traffic deaths between 2004 and 2008. A majority of cities in the region have implemented ordinances similar to the one now under consideration in Enumclaw, Zoll said. It’s a lesser infraction than the “negligent driving” charge defined in state code and does not require that an offender’s insurance company be notified. The council heard of the ordinance for the first time May 28 and was expected to take final action during Monday’s meeting.
Where the Chicken Always Comes First.