Whidbey News-Times, September 24, 2014

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News-Times Whidbey

SPORTS: Wolves shove aside Chimacum,

A11

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 | Vol. 124, No. 77 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢

Sheriff: Break-in suspect choked woman

Early tax revenues showing uptick for county

Departments look to reverse cutbacks By JANIS REID Staff reporter

Island County Sheriff’s Office said the 27-year-old woman didn’t know Byars very well before giving him a ride Sunday morning from her workplace in Everett to Whidbey Island. “He was a friend of a friend,” he said. “She didn’t know his name,

As Island County enters its annual budget cycle, preliminary numbers show rebounding tax revenue. Growing revenues over the last couple of years will likely allow the county to slowly add back services that were cut during the economic recession that began in 2008. Sales tax revenues are strong, mainly because of an increase in the house construction and remodel industry, said Budget Director Elaine Marlow. As a result, permit revenue is above estimates. In addition, sales tax the county receives from the City of Oak Harbor

SEE ATTACK, A9

SEE COUNTY, A15

By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter

A man is accused of attacking and choking an Oak Harbor woman after she gave him a ride to a vacant home on West Beach Road Sunday, according to a report filed by the Island County Sheriff’s Office. The man, identified as Larry T. Byars, 22, then allegedly broke into neighboring homes and was about to drive away in a stolen car when he was stopped by the Coupeville marshal, the sheriff’s report said. Byars appeared in Island County Superior Court Monday. Judge Vickie Churchill said she found probable cause to hold him

Photo by Jessie Stensland/Whidbey News-Times

Larry Byars appears in Island County Superior Court Monday after allegedly assaulting a woman on North Whidbey. The judge ordered him held on $100,000 bail. on suspicion of second-degree assault, two counts of residential burglary, attempted car theft and malicious mischief in the third degree. Island County Deputy Prosecutor David Carman asked the judge to set Byars’ bail at $100,000, based on his danger to the community and potential

flight risk. Churchill agreed. Carman said Byars’ mailing address is listed as being in Baton Rouge, La. He has a “significant criminal history” in several states, including a sexual assault in Texas, according to the prosecutor. Detective Ed Wallace with the

Park & Rec redoing board appointment, extending application deadline to Oct. 17 By MICHELLE BEAHM Staff reporter

Tour de Whidbey

Photo by Ron Newberry/Whidbey News-Times

Riders travel past the historic Reuble farmstead in Coupeville during a 10-mile route of the Tour de Whidbey Saturday.

North Whidbey Park and Recreation District is working to fill a vacant board seat and swim coach position. During the board meeting Thursday, Sept. 18, timelines were put in place to fill both the now-vacant board seat as well as the head coach position. After board member Dave Walton submitted a resignation letter during the Aug. 28 meeting, effective midnight that date, the board illegally appointed former employee

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Victoria Robinson to his seat during the same meeting. Because they had already received applications to fill another board vacancy with Wendy Shingleton, park board members decided to pull from the same candidate pool to fill Walton’s seat. Park board members at the meeting, Chairman Allan McDougall, Commissioner Steve Hoffmire and Walton, voted to appoint Robinson to fill Walton’s seat. State law, however, prohibits filling a seat until a SEE REDO, A15

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