This week’s watchwords Mariners
Regionals
Register
Fair
With the M’s on the brink of contention, their moves before the trade deadline Thursday will be closely watched.
Pacific Little League begins play Friday at regionals in California, hoping to earn a spot in the World Series.
Today is the last day to register to vote if you want to participate in the Aug. 5 primary election.
The StanwoodCamano Community Fair is Friday through Sunday, with livestock judging, music, a carnival and more.
MONDAY, 07.28.2014
●
EVERETT, WASHINGTON
●
WWW.HERALDNET.COM
●
75¢ (HIGHER IN OUTLYING AREAS)
$1.3M settlement in grievance Snohomish County union employees were “overpaying for benefits they were receiving,” says a union president. By Noah Haglund
$1.3 million. The dispute stems from how the county has been administering health-care benefits. The AFSCME-affiliated Washington State Council of County and City Employees filed a grievance last year. County leaders
Herald Writer
EVERETT — Leaders from the union that represents most Snohomish County employees say they received their largestever settlement this month for
finalized the settlement in early July. For the union, the overriding issue is poor management of employee benefits: health, dental and long-term disability insurance. “They were overpaying for the benefits they were receiving,” union president Chris Dugovich said. The union started scrutinizing
benefits in October 2011 after undergoing layoffs, furloughs and a wage freeze since 2008. At the union’s insistence, the county changed its carrier for long-term disability insurance, for an annual savings of $120,000 and better coverage, Dugovich said. The county also changed dental providers to cut costs and is looking into ways to more efficiently manage healthcare.
Donations to nonprofits curbed Citing safety concerns, ‘Free Coffee’ signs are pulled from rest stop areas
In August 2013, the union lodged its complaint about the county under-funding its selfinsured healthcare plan by $1.3 million. County Executive John Lovick’s administration agreed with the union’s position. “To the credit of this administration, they were willing to work with us,” Dugovich said. See SETTLE, back page, this section
Phone scam relies on new trick Scammers pose as sheriff’s deputies during calls that show phone numbers to be from the sheriff’s reception office at the county courthouse. By Rikki King and Scott North Herald Writers
Herald Writer
SMOKEY POINT — Free coffee flows at rest stops on I-5 near Smokey Point but the stream of donations to nonprofits that provide the liquid pick-me-up has dried up. Volunteers say travelers aren’t aware they can get a cup of joe because a lighted “Free Coffee”
Your trusted source for local deals brings you...
sign went out awhile back and the state hasn’t — and won’t — fix it. “The truckers look for (the sign). The drivers look for it. Now, nobody is interested in the coffee,” said Mary Davenport of Everett, who volunteers at the coffee kiosk for several different groups. “(The state) put it there. They should maintain it.”
o Up T
50% OFF
ucts, Prod ment ocal in On L, Enterta es! Food nd Servic a
Go to HeraldNetDailyDeal.com to see today’s deal.
the buzz
By Jerry Cornfield
VOL. 114, NO. 168 © 2014 THE DAILY HERALD CO.
INSIDE
Business . . . . .A8 Classified . . . . B5
Comics . . . . . . B2 Crossword . . . B3
The drop in coffee drinkers can add up to hundreds of dollars less in donations for churches, fraternal organizations, youth clubs, veteran groups and other nonprofits which sign up a year in advance for a tour of duty at two of the state’s busiest rest areas. “We definitely noticed a difference,” said Linda Henson, co-founder of Harvest Vision
A role with teeth Part of this delicious breakfast: Mike Tyson is in talks with actor Jamie Foxx about portraying the retired prizefighter in a biopic. Foxx, who is slimmer than Tyson, will need some time to prepare. “He doesn’t have the physicality, but he will,” Tyson said (Page B4). Dear Abby. . . . B3 Horoscope . . . B6
Ministries in Sedro-Woolley. “It’s cut everybody’s donations about in half.” It is not a situation exclusive to Smokey Point. Metal signs emblazoned with “Free Coffee” are no longer in use at the other 35 rest stops in Washington where urns of coffee are brewed up for weary travelers.
Tyson said he’ll help train Foxx and bulk him up with a special diet that includes the ears of other boxers. Channel surfing the vast cultural wasteland: On TV Monday, Kelly Osbourne, famous for being the daughter of Ozzy, will host the CW channel’s “2014 Young Hollywood Awards,” honoring
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Obituaries. . . .A6
See SCAM, back page, this section
See SIGNS, back page, this section
Opinion. . . . . .A9 Short Takes . . . B4
entertainment’s young stars (Page B4). But most of the stars will miss hearing their names called as winners because they’ll be looking down at their phones and texting. Take me out to the ball game: A minor league baseball general manager in South Carolina had a Sports . . . . . . . C1 Your Photos . . B1
prostate exam in front of a stadium packed with fans to promote prostate cancer awareness. The GM stuck his head out of the press box while a doctor performed the procedure (Page A2). Calling the play-by-play, the radio announcer said the exam ended with two balls and no strikes.
—Jon Bauer, Herald staff
Thermal 81/56, C6
DAILY
IAN TERRY / THE HERALD
Anita Prinzing, a volunteer from the First Baptist Church in Everett, serves Kevin Hornback a free cup of coffee at the rest stop near Smokey Point on July 19. “I usually drop a few dollars in the pot,” Hornback said of the service, which relies on donations, “I’m on the road almost every weekend.”
EVERETT — The reports are still coming in, two or three times a day. Scammers call potential victims, posing as Snohomish County sheriff ’s deputies. They demand money and threaten to arrest victims with a warrant. Victims should call 911, officials say. So far, there haven’t been any reports of anyone falling for the scam, sheriff ’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said. The suspects use simple technology tricks to make victims’ caller ID devices show the number for the sheriff ’s reception office at the county courthouse in downtown Everett. Most of the reports have come into the Everett office, Ireton said, though Darrington and south county have one reported incident each. The new scam is similar to a jury-duty-themed ruse earlier this year. Several people sent money in that case. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Michael Downes
6
42963 33333
9