Federal Way Mirror, March 20, 2015

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AWARD | King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer to receive Official of the Year award [7]

VOL. 17, NO. 12

MIRROR

F E D E R A L WAY

DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING

OPINION | Editor’s Note: Mirror welcomes new reporter [8] Roegner: Small ideas for a downtown home run [8] Mr. FW | Moore’s mind morphs and ousting Mr. Federal Way [12] COURT | Jury finds church daycare driver guilty of molesting girl on bus [14]

Business | Teacher motivated FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 | 75¢ after mother’s murder [4]

Voyeurism: Man charged BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com

A convicted sex offender was charged on March 13 for taking photos of women in a restaurant bathroom on March 6. Jason Douglas Halter, 23, of Auburn is being held on $100,000 bail because his likelihood to reoffend is high based on prior convictions, court documents state. At 9 p.m. on March 6 at the Old Country Buffet in Federal Way, police responded to reports that a male was taking pictures of women in the women’s bathroom. The restaurant manager told police a customer came out of the women’s restroom and said there was a male in the restroom taking photos of her as she used the facility. According to court documents, the manager quickly entered the women’s bathroom and knocked on the stall doors, demanding the man exit. As she did this, she saw a man pass a cell phone into the stall next to him. Court documents state it was later learned a woman was in that stall. Prosecutors allege there’s probable cause to believe the women was in on the crime. The female suspect left the bathroom quickly and the manager detained Halter and told him the police had been called and to wait for them. However, he told the [ more VOYEUR page 23 ]

POLICE | Carjacker holds man at gunpoint, runs from police [20]

Council temporarily bans medical marijuana businesses BY RAECHEL DAWSON

rdawson@fedwaymirror.com

T

he Federal Way City Council unanimously voted to impose a year-long moratorium on medical marijuana businesses, collective gardens and dispensaries

at a council meeting on Tuesday. At the same meeting, they voted 5-2 against an ordinance that would have amended city zoning code to allow the sale, processing and production of recreational marijuana in two types of city zones, community business and commercial

enterprise zones. All recreational marijuanarelated businesses are temporarily banned in Federal Way until May 5, when the moratorium is lifted. The medical-marijuana business moratorium allows city staff to form a work group and fully study

medical marijuana in Washington state before the council will vote. But because the council didn’t vote on the recreational marijuana ordinance, staff was directed to bring forward options to completely ban recreational marijuana [ more BANS page 2 ]

Sound Transit presents route options for Federal Way Link Extension we want to make sure we’re evaluating it appropriately.” Cathal Ridge of Sound Sound Transit officials Transit summarized four recently presented the prebasic routes light rail could liminary route and station take from the SeaTac-based options, and their impacts Angle Lake station (ending to the community, for the in Federal Way) with many Federal Way Link Extendifferent options for station sion project at a locations. Greater Federal “The Chamber is Sound Transit Way Chamber officials created interested in the of Commerce a draft for the round table and business impact entire project, council meeting short-term, longdespite only term and we want having funds for on Tuesday. The options to make sure infrastructure are outlined in we’re evaluating it from the Angle the yet-to-beLake Station to appropriately.” published Draft the Kent/Des Environmental Rebecca Martin Moines area. Impact StateHowever, they ment for the do have approval Federal Way to construct light Link Extension. Sound rail and a station to South Transit is expected to pub272nd Street when funding lish it in the next few weeks, is available. which will coincide with Identifying the prethe beginning of their pubferred route for the entire lic outreach and comment project will impact where period on the draft findings the routes and stations are and options. located for the portion of “The first takeaway is the project that’s funded that we’re not coming out but it will also save time with anything right away and money once funds for because there’s a lot of the rest of the project are information to digest and secured, Ridge said at the to evaluate,” said Greater round table. Federal Way Chamber of As of right now, there’s Commerce CEO Rebecca a route alternative that Martin in an interview. goes along Pacific Highway “The Chamber is interested (State Route 99), one that in the business impact goes along Interstate 5 and short-term, long-term and BY RAECHEL DAWSON

rdawson@fedwaymirror.com

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Beamer off to strong start

Todd Beamer High School baseball players share a laugh with their pitching coach during a mound visit in the fifth inning during Friday’s game against Aubrn. Beamer won 14-4. For the full story, see page 6. TERRENCE HILL, the Mirror

two others that are a variation of both — a route that starts on Pacific Highway and crosses land south of Kent-Des Moines Road and continues along Interstate 5, and a route that begins on Interstate 5 and crosses over to State Route 99 just before South 252nd Street. Nearly all routes are projected to have between 25,500 and 27,500 riders

and all are estimated to take 13-14 minutes in travel time. But each route alternative comes with its own impacts. “Cost is just one of the items, the economic development is another one, the displacement, those are big criteria,” Martin said. “In terms of the Chamber, when you think about tran-

sit, you think about moving people for the purpose of commerce.” Without considering routes with extra stations, the most displaced businesses, 104, occur in the State Route 99 path. But in that $1.77 billion plan, 36 residential units are impacted. Alternatively, the Interstate 5 route impacts [ more TRANSIT page 3]

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