The county is seeking a $16M federal grant to help fund a new bridge near Granite Falls A3
Catch up with the couple who brought baseball to Everett C1
TUESDAY, 06.30.2015
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EVERETT, WASHINGTON
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Fire season flares up
Budget passes; shutdown averted By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer
Rainfall on Monday provided relief, but hot, dry conditions and wind could challenge crews trying to get a handle on the flames that burned more than an estimated 4 square miles, officials said. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries, but no injuries to residents were reported. Fire crews were concentrating on preventing any more homes from being burned Monday,
OLYMPIA — The threat of a government shutdown dissipated Monday as state lawmakers passed a $38.2 billion budget for government operations in the next two years. Senators approved the plan on a 38-10 vote with Democrats — including four from Snohomish County — casting the dissenting votes. A short time later, the House passed it on a 90-8 margin with two Snohomish County lawmakers among those voting against it. It now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee who must sign it by midnight Tuesday to prevent dozens of state agencies from shutting down. He issued a statement late Monday praising the budget and saying he would sign it Tuesday afternoon. “It makes a bold statement about what we value,” he said. “The only major complaint I have with this budget is we’re talking about it on June 29. This should have happened two months ago.” Under the budget, the state will put another $1.3 billion into public elementary and secondary schools to comply with the demands of the Supreme Court in the McCleary case. It also will provide state workers and teachers with pay hikes, cut tuition for college students and increase funding for state parks, mental health programs
See FIRE, Page A2
See BUDGET, Page A5
DON SEABROOK / THE WENATCHEE WORLD
U.S. Forest Service firefighters from Leavenworth cut brush near houses Sunday in northern Wenatchee where a wildfire fueled by high temperatures and strong winds roared into a neighborhood. See story on Page A2 about local crews who are helping fight the blaze, along with burn-ban information and fire-prevention tips.
Danger throughout region seen in wildfire near Wenatchee By Nicholas Geranios and Donna Gordon Blankinship Associated Press
WENATCHEE — From just across the Wenatchee River, Dominick Bonny watched a whole neighborhood in his town burn as a wildfire destroyed two dozen homes and forced hundreds to flee. “With the wind blowing away from us, it was like we were watching a natural disaster
within arm’s reach,” he said. The wildfires hit parts of central and eastern Washington over the weekend as the state is struggling with a severe drought. Mountain snowpack is at extremely low levels, and about one-fifth of the state’s rivers and streams are at record low levels. Eastern Washington has been experiencing temperatures into the 100s, and last week Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation
that allows state resources to quickly be brought in to respond to wildfires. Washington’s struggles with wildfires come as Alaska is facing more and harsher wildfires this year. In Wenatchee, the wildfire fueled by high temperatures and strong winds roared into town Sunday afternoon. The blaze ignited in brush just outside Wenatchee, quickly burning out of control.
Big slice of $16.1B roads package for county OLYMPIA — The public got its first look Monday at the details in a $16.1 billion transportation revenue package paid for by increasing the gas tax 11.9 cents a gallon in the next two years. And it looks pretty good for Snohomish County. There is roughly $670 million allotted for road, transit and ferry projects in Snohomish County in the plan that spans 16 years. “There is a lot of stuff that needs to be done,” said state Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett. If approved and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, the package provides $142 million to build a new bridge on Highway 9 over the
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Snohomish River. Money also is earmarked for an offramp on Highway 526 at Hardeson Road near the Boeing Co. complex, improving the intersection of Highway 9 and State Route 204 in Lake Stevens, and expansion of the bus rapid transit service offered by Community Transit and Everett Transit. There is money for safety projects on U.S. 2 between Snohomish and Skykomish and a widening of State Route 531 near the Arlington Airport. And in Marysville, this package will pay for a new freeway interchange at the south end of the city and for reconstructing the I-5 interchanges at 88th Street and 116th Street to make way for wider overpasses.
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State Sen. John McCoy, DTulalip, who represents Marysville and Everett, said he’s been working on the 116th Street project for 18 years. “We were able to display the need for these projects,” he said. The state Senate approved parts of the package Monday. Overall, the package spends about $8.8 billion on new projects, big chunks of which will go to complete the Highway 520 floating bridge and widen I-405 from Lynnwood to Renton. There’s also $1.4 billion for maintaining existing roads and $602 million for Washington State Ferries, which among other projects would build a new 144-car vessel and construct a new terminal in Mukilteo. And nearly $1
Trump card Plastic? We thought it was a woodland creature: You’ve seen the last of Donald Trump on “Celebrity Apprentice,” as NBC on Monday cut ties with the GOP presidential candidate over his derogatory remarks about Mexican immigrants (Short Takes, Page B4). Dear Abby . . . B3 Good Life . . . . B1
billion is penciled in for buses, bike paths, sidewalks and other forms of public transportation. To pay for it all, the state’s gas tax would climb 7 cents on Aug. 1 and another 4.9 cents on July 1, 2016. This will boost the gas tax from 37.5 cents per gallon today to 49.4 cents. Money also is generated from increasing registration fees by $15 to $35 a year depending on the weight of the vehicle, plus a new $5 fee on each studded tire sold in the state. Another $518 million is counted on from sales tax collected on new transportation projects. As written, that money will be transferred from the general fund into the account created for this package.
The only way this gets better is the plastics fabricator that manufactures The Donald’s hair announces that it also is no longer working with him. Surfing the vast cultural wasteland: Premiering on CBS tonight is “Zoo,” a new series in which the animals of the world suddenly go
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Obituaries . . . A5 Opinion . . . . . A9
Sells said he knows many people will be upset by the gas-tax hike but it’s necessary. “If they want stuff fixed, it costs money. If they want something new to be done, it costs money,” he said. “I’d like to do it for free. You have to pay for it.” Community Transit leaders are pleased because after six years of trying, state lawmakers are granting them the ability raise additional dollars for bus service with the approval of voters. Under the bill, the transit district can increase its share of the local sales tax by up to three-tenths of a penny. Martin Munguia, spokesman for the district, said in an email
on murderous rampages against humans (The Clicker, Page B4). Pet owners had better keep an eye on Fido and Fluffy. And Donald Trump had better keep an eye on the thing on his head. That has all the earmarks of being a run: Stock markets in the United States Short Takes . . B4 Sports . . . . . . C1
See ROADS, Page A5
and around the world shuddered Monday as Greece, apparently careering toward default on its debt to the Germans, closed its banks amid long lines at ATMs (Page A7). But don’t worry, Greeks. Old Man Potter will pay you 50 cents on the dollar — cash!
— Mark Carlson, Herald staff
Less intense 76/60, C6
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By Jerry Cornfield
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