Happy Fourth of July Events in Everett
Events in Arlington
Events in Stanwood
11 a.m.: Parade starts at Colby and Wetmore avenues; 1 to 11 p.m.: festival with kids activities, live music and food at Legion Memorial Park; 10:20 p.m.: fireworks start.
Celebrations at Haller Park start at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast. The grand parade is at 5 p.m., the Stilly Duck Dash is at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks at Quake Park are at 9 p.m.
The parade starts at 11 a.m. at the Josephine Sunset Home and ends at the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center, where it will be followed by an ice cream social and games for kids.
More events See Page A3 for more celebrations around the county.
FRIDAY, 07.04.2014
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EVERETT, WASHINGTON
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WWW.HERALDNET.COM
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75¢ (HIGHER IN OUTLYING AREAS)
Eyes in the sky
Clinic opens in Smokey Point
State Patrol looking for drunken drivers from the air
The University of Washington-based clinic focuses on healthcare for pregnant women. By Kari Bray Herald Writer
The latest assessments are supposed to reflect property values as of Jan. 1, 2014. The county mailed assessment notices in late June. The overall value of taxable property in Snohomish County increased by $8.4 billion this year
SMOKEY POINT — The fast-growing community of Smokey Point is gaining a university-based medical clinic that specializes in healthcare for women with difficult or dangerous pregnancies. A University of Washington Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic officially opened Tuesday on the second floor of the Cascade Skagit Health Alliance building at 3823 172nd St. in Arlington. A handful of people came in last week, prior to the clinic’s formal opening, for ultrasounds and other prenatal tests, said Dr. Jane Hitti, a maternal fetal medicine specialist and professor at the University of Washington. The clinic accepts referrals from doctors throughout northwest Washington. It offers early genetic screening and coordinated care for both mother and child through Seattle Children’s Hospital, two resources that most local healthcare providers do not have access to, Hitti said. Some of the most common pregnancy complications that doctors at the clinic handle are diabetes, hypertension, birth defects and multiple pregnancies, meaning twins, triplets or more. The clinic accepts most insurance plans, and there are options for women who are uninsured or low-income, Hitti said. “We’re committed to being able to provide access to everyone, and we’ll look at ways we can do that,” she said. Doctors rotate shifts at the clinic, which generally have a physician and a genetic counselor working at the same time. Genetic counselors specialize in screening for diseases or other complications, Hitti said. For example, one blood test can detect Down Syndrome as early as 12 weeks into a pregnancy. Currently, the clinic can handle between eight and 12 patients per day.
See VALUES, back page, this section
See CLINIC, back page, this section
IAN TERRY / THE HERALD
State Trooper Paul Speckmaier operates a high definition camera to look for aggressive drivers on I-5, visible in the background, from the back seat of a Cessna 206 airplane during a DUI emphasis patrol Wednesday near Lynnwood. State law enforcement will have 20 extra troopers on DUI patrol in Snohomish county from July 1-13.
By Brenna Holland Herald Writer
The Washington State Patrol is taking flight to stop impaired drivers. Through July 13, aircraft are patrolling highways in Snohomish County to remove drunken drivers from the road. The State Patrol’s use of fixed-wing aircraft to spot impaired driving, or to verify reports from other drivers on the road, is somewhat unique. Two planes are equipped with a Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) camera. “It helps out a lot,” Trooper Paul Speckmaier said.
While on DUI patrol, the Cessna 206s can receive calls from any 911 dispatcher. The pilots estimate that a third of all calls to 911 reporting DUIs on the road are accurate in their assessment. “We get calls from everyone,” said Speckmaier, who works as a pilot or spotter. “It shows how in-demand the program is.” When someone reports erratic driving, or the plane’s crew spots a possible drunken driver, the FLIR technology is used to view and record the vehicle’s See PATROL, back page, this section
A FLIR Star SAFIRE 380 HD camera is shown affixed to the wing of a Cessna 206 State Patrol airplane. The camera is used by troopers to spot aggressive drivers from the air.
Assessed home values increase in county By Noah Haglund Herald Writer
the buzz
EVERETT — If you received a letter recently from the Snohomish County Assessor, chances are it informed you that your home is worth more than it was a year ago. Average assessed values for houses and condos in the county
increased by more than 12 percent this year. That puts the typical home value at $275,000, compared to $245,000 a year earlier. It was the second straight year of higher values, following a post-recession dip. The new figures will be used to calculate taxes due in 2015. It won’t be until early next year
Kibbles and bits Beggin’ Strip? A pet store owner in Kennewick plans to eat only the dog, cat and bird food she sells for a month to prove its nutritional value. The woman says the pet food is surprisingly
tasty (Page A6). Not only that, her digestion has improved, she’s eating less, her coat is shinier, and her nose is wet. Where’s the beef: You likely paid more for the hamburger you’re grilling for the Fourth of July, thanks to a 23 percent increase
that county number-crunchers will know more. “We can’t predict what property taxes will be for individual properties,” Assessor Cindy Portmann said. “We don’t know what will happen yet.” Local governments first have to pass budgets for next year. Voter-approved ballot measures also could change the equation.
in wholesale beef prices this year. Drought in Texas has dwindled the U.S. beef herd to its smallest in 63 years (Page A15). If you’re looking to economize, take a hint from our Kennewick pet store owner. The dog food already comes in that handy cylindrical shape. Just slice and grill. Better leave a good tip: Shooters restaurant in — of
course — Rifle, Colorado, is encouraging its customers and its waitresses to openly carry firearms. A sign at the cafe advises: “Please keep all weapons holstered unless need arises. In such cases judicious marksmanship is appreciated.” (Page A18). But the restaurant already had the same sign hanging in the men’s bathroom above the urinal.
—Jon Bauer, Herald staff
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