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Friday, March 13, 2015 | Vol. 114, No. 11 | NorthKitsapHerald.com | 50¢
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One killed, two injured in crash on 104 State Patrol: Driver had multiple IDs By MICHELLE BEAHM
mbeahm@northkitsapherald.com
KINGSTON — One person died and two were injured in a
two-car, head-on collision on state Highway 104 late March 11. A 28-year-old Sequim man, whose identity was being withheld until next of kin were notified, was declared dead at the scene, Washington State Patrol reported. Multiple IDs were found on
ONLINE ■ Updates on this and other stories, on NorthKitsapHerald.com
the Sequim man, according to Trooper Russ Winger, and his actual name was not confirmed as of March 12.
James Norberg, 53, was driving the second vehicle with an unidentified 14-year-old passenger. Both were injured in the crash. Michele Laboda of North Kitsap Fire & Rescue said personnel had to use hydraulic extrication equipment in order to free Norberg and his passenger from
their car. Laboda said the 14-year-old was airlifted from Wolfle Elementary School to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with multisystem trauma. Laboda said Norberg was going to be airlifted to Harborview as well, but the See FATAL CRASH, Page A2
July 4 crash: ‘For those who are suffering’ Lawyer wants family to tell their story
NKSD settles sex abuse suit for $850K
No charges in collision between NKF&R engine, Yamaha scooter
By MICHELLE BEAHM
mbeahm@northkitsapherald.com
By RICHARD WALKER
rwalker@northkitsapherald.com
KINGSTON — The attorney for the family of a man killed in a collision with a North Kitsap Fire & Rescue engine on July 4 will propose a mediation session in which the family can “communicate” to the fire department’s attorney, insurance company and fire chief what the loss of their loved one has meant to them. “This is not an economic damages case. This is not a case involving future medical expenses, obviously,” said Rodney B. Ray, attorney for the family of Jason T. Foster. “Sandy Foster’s husband was killed. A dad was killed. A son was killed. A brother was killed. That’s something that doesn’t come across strongly in print. It comes across in the stories people tell.” Ray said his 10-page letter — 20 pages with exhibits — to NKF&R attorney Terence J. Scanlan of Skellenger Bender in Seattle doesn’t propose a settlement amount, only that both sides meet with a mediator so Foster’s family can share how they’ve been See JULY 4, Page A9
NKF&R firefighter/paramedic Craig Barnard at the top floor of Columbia Center after completing the NKF&R Scott Firefighter Stairclimb on March 8. He finished with a time of 37 minutes 38 seconds.
Firefighters climb 69 flights of stairs in full gear for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society By RICHARD WALKER
rwalker@northkitsapherald.com
S
EATTLE — No matter how heavy each step becomes, no matter how labored each breath, no matter how much your legs ache, the incentive to keep going is looking at you at each landing, compelling you to push on to the next floor and the next and
the next. “On each floor, there’s a picture of someone with cancer,” said Taska Elin, a firefighter/ advanced EMT with Navy Region Northwest Fire & Emergency Services. “Some have gone through treatment, some have passed away. On each floor, you realize that no matter how much you’re hurt-
ing, somebody had it worse.” Elin, 52, was one of 1,711 firefighters to finish the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb on March 8 in downtown Seattle’s Columbia Center, the second-tallest building west of the Mississippi. Firefighters climbed 69 flights of stairs — that’s 1,311 steps and 788 feet See STAIRCLIMB, Page A7
POULSBO — The North Kitsap School District agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a lawsuit brought against them by a former student. The entirety of the settlement will be paid by the district’s insurance provider, Washington Schools Risk Management Pool. The plaintiff, who was 14 at the time of the alleged incident, filed a lawsuit against the school district, alleging the district was negligent and that her rights under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which help protect against gender discrimination in schools, were violated. The plaintiff alleged that her ninth-grade science teacher, William Thompson, gave her presents and kissed her, grooming her for a sexual relationship, during the 2006-07 school year. While being treated for a mental health issue in 2008, the girl told a counselor about the alleged misconduct. Thompson was placed on paid administrative leave and then resigned from the district in 2008 after he was charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. Thompson See SETTLEMENT, Page A3
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