Whidbey News-Times, August 30, 2014

Page 1

News-Times Whidbey

LIVING

Injured cyclist on long road to recovery A10

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2014 | Vol. 124, No. 70 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢

Whidbey man arrested for bank heists By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter

A former Whidbey Island resident made a name for himself this summer. They call him the Alabama Band Bandit. King County prosecutors charged Michael R. Hardesty Jr. last week with first-degree robbery for a heist at a Whidbey Island Bank in Seattle July 11. Hardesty is also the suspect in four other bank robberies in three counties during the month of July, court documents show. A spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Hardesty will likely be charged in federal court next week. Hardesty didn’t go into the banks guns a-blazing, but used what King County prosecutors called the “note job” technique, according to court documents. He allegedly passed demand notes to the tellers and fol-

North Whidbey resident Mathew Gordon smokes some “Old Toby,” a strain of medical marijuana he developed over the last decade. Photo by Jessie Stensland/Whidbey News-Times

Best bud?

SEE ROBBERY, A9

Recount confirms Grone moving on to general election

Pot grower claims he’s developed beneficial strain By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter

MATHEW GORDON experimented on himself to perfect what he claims is a medicine that can cure everything from hepatitis C to bee stings. He calls it “Old Toby.” It’s a strain of marijuana he created by selectively breeding plants in small woodland plots near his North Whidbey home.

By JANIS REID Staff reporter

Former chief deputy treasurer Wanda Grone will face her former boss during November’s general election after a close primary. After the results of a state-mandated recount were released Tuesday, Grone inched out Escrow Manager Christa Canell by a mere 11 votes. In the final count, incumbent Ana Maria Nuñez took 45.24 percent with 7,847 votes, Grone had 27.41 percent or 4,754 votes, and Canell took 27.35 percent with 4,743 votes. Grone said she watched the recount process herself and was encouraged by the voter participation in that race.

It’s a project that’s taken a decade, but the amateur botanist and part-time philosopher said it’s paid off. He claims that his strain, named after the “pipe weed” in the “Lord of the Rings” books, is the first one bred specifically for its medicinal qualities. Gordon and Old Toby have attracted national and even international attention from the large and SEE BEST BUD, A9

SEE RECOUNT, A9

ONE DAY ONLY!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 HOT SEAT DRAWINGS

Hourly, 2 – 6 pm

7 PM GRAND PRIZE DRAWING IN CASH AND

PRIZES!*

CASH

Owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe

theskagit.com On I-5 at Exit 236

*Must be a Rewards Club Member–Membership is FREE! Visit the Rewards Club Center for details. Management reserves all rights. Must be present to win. Casino opens at 9 am. Must be 21 or older with valid ID. WNT


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.