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EDUCATION | Microsoft wants to have computer science in every high school [17]
Sports | Bellevue stays perfect, wins sixth straight 3A state football title with 52-20 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 victory over Eastside Catholic [14]
Crime | Bank offers reward, police seek help catching ‘Cyborg Bandit’ [2]
Bellevue police officer faces DUI charge BY BRANDON MACZ BELLEVUE REPORTER
This art rendering shows the planned look of the Bellevue Transit Center Station. COURTESY OF SOUND TRANSIT
Council gets update on light rail plans BY BRANDON MACZ BELLEVUE REPORTER
Bellevue city councilmembers say they generally approve of design plans for an extended City Hall Plaza to provide connectivity to the future site of the Bellevue Transit Center Station on Northeast Sixth Street, but cautioned the unknown cost may require scaling back. Sound Transit staff provided the council
with an update Monday of its East Link extension project, including progress on design work, property acquisitions and challenges ahead for bringing light rail to Bellevue. The agency is confident its track bridge, which will span a portion of I-90 and the floating bridge into Bellevue, will be able to correctly adjust to the changes in water elevation at Lake Washington following
testing in Pueblo, Colo., said Ron Lewis, deputy light rail director. Testing will continue as the project moves forward. Sound Transit expects to submit its 60-percent plans for the South Bellevue Station and downtown tunnel to the city later this month, and Lewis said all Bellevue alignments should be received by the SEE LIGHT RAIL, 8
The Bellevue Police Department continues to investigate two of its officers following a Nov. 20 traffic stop where one off-duty patrolman was allowed to go home despite suspicions he was driving while intoxicated and the judgement of the officer who let him go has been called into question. Bellevue Police Ofc. Andrew Hanke was charged Dec. 5 with DUI in Issaquah Municipal Court following a criminal investigation prompted after a fellow officer reported to two superiors he'd stopped Hanke for reportedly driving drunk on I-90 near Issaquah. However, instead of arresting the 37-year-old man, the officer allowed Hanke's wife to pick him up and take him home. Bellevue Ofc. Doug Brennan, whose report filed with charging documents, states he made the traffic stop in his marked patrol car after observing a Jeep Cherokee speeding and swerving eastbound on I-90, though he was also off-duty at the time. "As I followed the vehicle, it donned on me that the vehicle was similar to Officer Hanke's personal vehicle, which I had seen him driving in the parking garage in the past," states Brennan in his report. Brennan reported smelling alcohol on Hanke when he rolled his window down, and Hanke told him he was returning home from the Sideline Sports Bar in Bellevue. Hanke allegedly slurred his speech and had a "glazed look." "I was upset by my contact with Andy in SEE INVESTIGATION, 8
Bellevue College appoints new dean for student success Bellevue College has appointed Ana Hernandez Blackstad as the new dean for student success. In this role, she will provide leadership and supervision for all student services and programs. The appointment was effective Nov.18.
“I am very excited Ana is joining the Bellevue College family,” said Ata Karim, vice president of student services. “She brings a great resume of diverse experience, a creative mind, and an optimistic perspective to our team. Her deep commitment to PASSPORT PHOTOS •
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student success and social justice makes her a great fit with the future direction for our student services.” In addition to providing leadership and supervision for student services and programs, Blackstad will lead college planning
and implementation for a comprehensive retention plan. She will also help to implement a code of student conduct and will provide leadership and coordination for SEE COLLEGE, 18