SERIAL NUMBER | Bothell, Kenmore participate in new tracking system for stolen property [12]
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HONOR | Northshore activist to receive Ralph W. Johnson Hero Award [5]
FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014
Trial delayed for Bothell man accused of killing wife BY SARAH KEHOE
skehoe@bothell-reporter.com
T
he trial for a Bothell man accused of killing his estranged wife has been moved for the third time.
At the end of May, Alan Smith’s defense attorneys told a Snohomish County Superior Court judge that they need more time to complete their investigation. The murder trial was
scheduled to begin this month, but it is now set for January. The public defenders cited the large volume of police and expert reports yet to be reviewed. So far, they’ve received nearly
9,000 pages of discovery. They said their investigator also needs to interview more than 20 witnesses. Smith remains locked up at the Snohomish County Jail on $1 million bail. He
is accused of killing his wife Susann Smith, 37, last year. Police found Susann on Feb. 12, 2013 face down, beaten and drowned to death in the bathtub of her Bothell home while her two
kids were away. She had defensive wounds on her hands and arms, a fractured skull, and 19 separate blunt force strikes, according to court documents. She [ more SMITH page 3 ]
Northshore resident, local news icon dies BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@bothell-reporter.com
Kenmore resident and longtime news commentator Ken Schram died on May 29 at Evergreen Health in Kirkland. He was 66. “Our family is deeply grateful for all the love and good wishes that have come our way during this time of incredible and devastating loss,” wrote Ken Schram’s wife Sandi on her Facebook page. Schram spent 35 years at KOMO TV as a reporter and commentator and wrote a column for the Reporter newspaper group from 2007 to 2009. He also hosted “Town Meeting,” a Seattle TV talk show, produced “Schram on the Street” and hosted “The Commentators” show on KOMO radio with John Carlson until 2010.
But Schram might be best known for his “Schrammie” segments, which pointed out some of what Schram deemed “the most bone-headed decisions and asinine behavior.” Schram received many Emmy Awards for his work on TV, along with the prestigious Peabody Award. KOMO has reported that he was battling with an internal infection and was “gravely ill” during the past few days. “Many of you know he had been battling a horrible infection for the past few months,” KOMO General Manager Janene Drafs said in a statement to KOMO staff. “Ken’s family was by his side when he passed, and in fact, he took his last breath just as his wife Sandi finished the final verse of a favorite song.” [ more SCHRAM page 8 ]
Bothell Hindu temple features rare idol Priests at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in Bothell stand in front of the new idol delivered to the building in May. The installation of the idol makes the temple the Pacific Northwest’s first formally consecrated Hindu temple shrine. For the full story see page 5. SARAH KEHOE, Bothell Reporter
Kenmore councilman takes leave, city interviews for replacement skehoe@bothell-reporter.com
The city of Kenmore interviewed candidates Tuesday night to fill in for an elected council member during his leave of absence.
Deputy Mayor Glenn Rogers is taking a leave of absence for four-to-six months for health-related reasons. During his time on the council, Rogers has been involved in Kenmore’s grass-
roots process as co-founder and past chairman of the Kenmore North Neighborhood Association and past chairman of Citizens for a Better Kenmore leading a successful campaign to limit
gambling in the city. Rogers said he was involved in a rear-end-collision in February on the way to his son’s wedding in New Jersey, which resulted in whiplash, pain throughout Rogers’
back and neck and sustained a traumatic brain injury. The pain resulting from the whiplash is subsiding, but he is dealing with symptoms of the traumatic brain injury on a daily basis.
“My leaving the council was self-initiated,” Rogers said. “As I tried to keep up with the daily work of the city, I found that I couldn’t do that. I felt I was not able [ more COUNCIL page 3 ]
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BY SARAH KEHOE