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FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014
Sharp takes council seat with theft charges looming BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Ken Sharp took an oath of office Tuesday night to begin his four-year term on the Kent City Council under the shadow of facing seven counts of first-degree theft charges. King County prosecutors charged Sharp in August for reportedly stealing $297,500 from his 93-year-old mother’s bank account and putting the money into his account. If convicted as charged, Sharp faces a prison sentence of 22 to 29 months. He also would have to give up his
council seat. Sharp pleaded not guilty to the charges on Aug. 29. Sharp, 66, the owner of Minuteman Press in Kent, has a hearing scheduled for Jan. 13 in King County Superior Court. At a hearing, a trial date can be set or attorneys can ask for more time to prepare the case and receive a new hearing date from the judge. Mayor Suzette Cooke asked Sharp near the end of the council meeting for a comment about his initial days as a council member. “I think in my short time here and the orientations I’ve had with the dif-
ferent department heads and meeting with the council members I’m really impressed with the quality and dedication of the people,” Sharp said. “I’ve got a lot to learn and I know I can get lots of help from them.” Sharp will serve on the Council’s Public Works Committee and the Parks and Human Services Committee, according to the assignments announced by new Council President Dana Ralph. Each committee has three council members and considers items for action before sending [ more COUNCIL page 3 ]
City Councilmembers Ken Sharp, left, and Dennis Higgins take the oath of office from City Clerk Ronald Moore. STEVE HUNTER, Kent Reporter
Mayor seeks new chief administrative officer City Council meeting. “He is doing an awesome job and I hear nothing but positives Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke from both staff, those of said she will begin a search you on the council that have for a new chief adshared your workings ministrative officer with Tom as well as (CAO). myself in working Cooke appointed with him. then City Attorney “But I do believe Tom Brubaker as a city of our size we interim CAO in May needs to look and see when John Hodgson what is possible for retired after seven us. I expect Tom to be Cooke years on the job. one of the applicants Brubaker will confor the position. He tinue in the interim role. has stepped up to the plate “My decision to advertise so admirably and in learning for the position does not areas where he had not any reflect negatively at all on expertise as our city attorney Tom Brubaker,” Cooke said [ more STAFF page 2 ] during the Tuesday night BY STEVE HUNTER
shunter@kentreporter.com
Green River Community College students, from left: Don Chaney, 49, Abdi Owjuma, 19, and Jennifer Barnes, 30, use the Master Achiever Center to help stay on track with their GED work. Chaney was a fourth generation stone mason, Owjuma dropped out of high school, and Barnes is raising her daughter and going to school at the same time. ROSS COYLE, Kent Reporter
RECONNECTION TO LEARNING GRCC programs help students who lost their first chance at an education back into the system
BY ROSS COYLE rcoyle@kentreporter.com
When Angela “Spunky” Robinson’s mother and uncle died in 2000, she couldn’t remain in her home state of South Carolina and left on a cross country trip, arriving in Federal Way in 2007. Having known little more than a life of minimum wage jobs, she took a class at Green River Community College to
become certified as a road flagger. But once on campus, Robinson realized she could attend school on federal funding and jumped at the chance. She had missed out on a large part of her education, so before she could take the information technology classes that would eventually secure her a stable job at the college, she had to get her GED. “I had never been to high school, so [ more PROGRAMS page 2 ]
Kent man charged with stealing $8,500 cash from woman he met online BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
A 24-year-old Kent man allegedly set up a Bellevue woman he met through an online dating service to steal $8,500 in cash from her for a trip to Las Vegas and a move to Florida. King County prosecu-
tors charged Efrem Addisu Menegesha on Dec. 31 with first-degree theft for reportedly taking $8,500 from the woman in September after the two had dated throughout the summer and planned to move to Florida, according to charging papers. Menegesha, who reportedly moved to Florida and has not been arrested, is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 14 at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. If he doesn't appear at the hearing, [ more CHARGE page 3 ]