REPORTER
COVINGTON | MAPLE VALLEY | BLACK DIAMOND FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
NEWSLINE 425-432-1209
LOCAL | Maple Valley fireworks ban fails at council meeting [page 3]
Future Globetrotter | Kylie Huerta, 2011 Kentwood grad and hoops star, in talks with Harlem Globetrotters [11]
WEBSITE | Check the website for breaking news, sports and weather stories. maplevalleyreporter.com or covingtonreporter.com
Community remembers teen for his love of life State budget tags $1.3 billion for education
Editor’s note: The boy’s name is not being released in this story per a request for privacy from the family. BY REBECCA GOURLEY Staff Reporter
A gathering was held June 24 for a 14-year-old Tahoma Junior High student who died Tuesday, June 23, after being underwater in Lake Wilderness for about 40 minutes. His friends, classmates and teachers shared stories about him and the impact he had on their lives at the New Community Church gathering. The teen was described as “always positive” and having an innate ability to make people smile and laugh. A few of his peers reminded those in attendance to always be thankful for what you have, because “it can be all gone in a second.” The teen’s sister, whose name will not be released, described her brother as “joyful” and “optimistic” in an email to The Reporter. She said, “On behalf of my family I would like to thank all of the amazing people that risked their lives to save my brother’s life. You were all very courageous and selfless when my brother needed you the most and we can’t thank you enough. My brother was an optimistic and very joyful person. He always found a way to brighten anyone’s heart and brought a proud smile to everyone’s face. He lived life full of excitement and never backed down to the harder things in life. He was truly brave until the [ more LIFE page 2 ]
BY DENNIS BOX Editor
The teen’s brother bows his head during a group prayer at the gathering for his brother at New Community Church June 24. The family has requested names be kept private, but agreed to let The Reporter publish this photo. REBECCA GOURLEY, The Reporter
The state Legislature passed a two-year operating budget Monday evening after many late nights of negotiations. The race to the budget finish line took two special session and the beginning of a third. Gov. Jay Inslee had to sign the bill by midnight Tuesday for the government to continue operating. Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, said Sunday evening many members and staff had Joe Fain worked many late nights to finish the bill. Allowing the operating budget vote to go beyond Tuesday would have meant passing a continuing resolution to fund the government for a month. Fain said the continuing resolution was a backup plan if negotiations fell apart, but he felt it was “unacceptable.” Senate members announced a tentative agreement was reached Saturday, the 163rd day of the session. Fain said Sunday evening he and others were working on getting the [ more BUDGET page 2 ]
Fireworks stand raises money for 9/11 memorial BY REBECCA GOURLEY Reporter
After terror struck Manhattan and Washington, D.C. on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Clark Davis said he was on the first possible plane out of Seattle to New York to help in whatever way he could. Davis is an insurance agent in Maple Valley who attends Real Life Church. One week out of the year, he also runs a fireworks stand in town. Each year, he selects a charity or nonprofit group to benefit from the sales at the fireworks stand. This year, he is donating the profits to the 9/11 memorial that will be built at Maple Valley Fire Station 81. During a recent City Council meeting, a presentation was made to council members about the memo-
rial project and Davis said he was squirming in his chair, eager to jump headfirst into fundraising. When several council members said they wanted to allocate some funds that night to help the project, Davis said he was trying to motion to them to not do it. He said he remembered thinking, “Don’t write the check, give (the community) the opportunity (to help).” For Davis, the sight of communities coming together for a cause is all too familiar. “I spent three months at ground zero after 9/11, serving first responders meals,” he said in a phone interview. [ more MEMORIAL page 6 ]
Alex Nelson rearranges a display of fireworks at the Black Cat stand in the Four Corners Safeway parking lot. REBECCA GOURLEY, The Reporter