Kent Reporter, November 14, 2014

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INSIDE | City might stay with county for animal control services [3]

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Sports | Impact drop arena soccer league opener to Sockers [9]

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

Mayor Cooke asks City Council for $31,000 pay raise BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com

Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke has asked the City Council for a $31,000 per year pay increase to make her salary more in line with peer cities, which each pay higher wages. Cooke makes an annual salary of $102,192. The request would raise

the salary to $133,192. Cooke did not return several calls for comment about the proposed pay raise. Everett pays its mayor $158,988 per year, Renton $134,400, Bellingham $132,792, Auburn $126,444 and Federal Way $112,800, according to 2013 figures compiled by the city of Kent mayor’s office. The amount of $133,192 would be the market average based on

the mayor’s pay in those cities. “The mayor has noted her salary is out of alignment with peer cities by about $31,000 per year,” Derek Matheson, city chief administrative officer, said at an Oct. 28 council budget workshop. The mayor didn’t put the salary increase request in her preliminary budget for 2015-16. Matheson brought

up the pay increase as part of an unfunded needs request during the mayor’s office budget report he gave to the council. Only the council can raise the mayor’s pay. “I can’t deny the mayor’s salary is out of alignment with the peer cities,” Councilman Les Thomas said in [ more COOKE page 4 ]

Lawyers sue Impact owner, league on behalf of former employees

Police sting busts 26 for prostitution BY STEVE HUNTER

BY ROSS COYLE

shunter@kentreporter.com

Kent Police arrested 26 men on one day for investigation of patronizing prostitutes during a recent undercover sting at a hotel. The man ranged in age from 21 to 60, said Kent Police Cmdr. Jarod Kasner. He added they were mainly from King County, including the cities of Kent, Renton, Auburn and Federal Way. “These types of collaborative enforcement stings are successful in combating human trafficking and making an impact,” Kasner said about the reason for the Oct. 29 operation. Officers targeted “johns” or customers of prostitutes. Police placed an ad in the escorts section of Backpage. com with a phone number to contact a woman featured in the ad, according to a police report. Undercover female officers from the Federal Way Police Department posed as prostitutes or “escorts” and answered the phone. The woman would get the man to agree to pay for sex and to meet at a specific hotel in the 22500 block of 83rd Avenue South. Police used two hotel rooms to operate the sting. When the man arrived at the hotel, he called the cell [ more STING page 4 ]

Cooke

rcoyle@kentreporter.com

Family, friends and supporters release balloons in honor of Teagan McGinnis, the teen who was killed a year ago in a multi-car collision. Below right, Laura McGinnis,

with her daughter, Avery, and Pastor Derek Nelson talks about her late son at a vigil Wednesday morning. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter

A YOUNG LIFE TAKEN TOO SOON Community gathers to remember Teagan, launch campaign in his name BY MARK KLAAS mklaas@kentreporter.com

Teagan McGinnis was funny and gregarious, mischievous and charming. He had a zest for life. He was a kind, considerate soul who loved his family and many friends. “He was amazing because he learned early on that it’s not the journey in life that matters, it’s not even the destination, but it’s the people along the journey who truly matter in your life,” said his mother, Laura McGinnis. Teagan touched many lives before tragically losing his own life. [ more TEAGAN page 10 ]

Lawyers have filed a class action lawsuit against Seattle Impact FC owner Dion Earl as well as the Major Arena Soccer League and its commissioner Kevin Milliken. The scathing lawsuit on behalf of former Impact employees referred to Earl’s conduct as owner of the Kent-based Impact as “despicable” and called him a “tyrant,” according to court documents. The first-year indoor soccer team opened its season Nov. 8 at the ShoWare Center. Earl Earl was more interested in the dance team than the soccer club and used the soccer team as a vehicle to promote himself, including throwing his image and name on “all of the Seattle Impact promotional material,” according to the papers filed this month by HKM Employment lawyers Jason Ritterieser and Don Heyrich. The attorneys are pursuing a number of damages, including emotional distress related to the alleged wrongful terminations, emotional and physical distress related to the sexual assaults and the loss of incomes related to employees who quit their jobs only to transfer into the hostile environment that Earl fostered. Lawyers filed the suit on behalf of former Impact employees Elizabeth Buslon, Jessilyn Roberts, Amy David, Lauren Baumann, Danielle Esquibel and Joe David. [ more LAWSUIT page 7 ]


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