MARROW DRIVE | Renton resident and state trooper Renee Padgett is looking for stem-cell donors. [3]
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REPORTER Renton watching water supply
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RENTON
Splash of color | Some utility boxes downtown are getting a makeover thanks to a Renton High School student. [Page 7]
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015
Hanging around at River Days! The skies may have been gray, but spirits were high all weekend long at the 30th Annual IKEA Renton River Days celebration at Liberty Park, where the climbing wall was a major attraction for kids. The fun got quacking Saturday morning with the annual parade, below. For more photos, see page 10.
City’s aquifer not in same danger from dry winter as other sources BY DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com
The City of Renton’s underground aquifer that provides the city’s drinking water is holding steady, as other water utilities ramp up their conservation message in the face of drought-like conditions. This year, water providers whose surface supplies literally rise and fall on the rains and snowmelt in the Cascades are keeping a close eye on their reservoirs and the weather forecast, but things are a little different in Renton. Seattle Public Utilities, Cascade Water Alliance and other regional utilities this week declared a regional water advisory, warning of potential water shortages because [ more WATER page 7 ]
BRIAN BECKLEY, Renton Reporter
Fire destroys three businesses Cause of early morning blaze is still under investigation BY TRACEY COMPTON tcompton@rentonreporter.com
An early morning, two-alarm fire in downtown Renton destroyed a building containing three businesses on July 23. As of press time Wednesday, July 29, the fire was still under investigation. No one was injured as fire swept through the building at Main Avenue South and Bronson Way. According to firefighters, the blaze began at 4:45 a.m. July 23 and burned through the building which
contains the Afghan Cuisine restaurant, Thai Gold Triangle restaurant and Program SER. Another business, Pacific Glass, to the north of the building was also exposed to some flames, smoke and water damage, but was ultimately saved by the fire crew. Approximately 75 firefighters helped put out the blaze. Additional fire crews came from Tukwila, Kent, Maple Valley and Skyway. Firefighters were still on scene more than six hours after the fire started and investigators were there most of the day, attempting to determine the cause of the blaze. According to Deputy Fire Chief Erik Wallgren, the [ more FIRE page 8 ]
City wants to take control of SR900 BY BRIAN BECKLEY bbeckley@rentonreporter.com
Hoping to draw fewer commuters and more destination traffic downtown, the city is in the process of taking control of Second and Third Avenues South back from the state Department of Transportation. Currently, the two downtown streets compromise part of state Route 900, which connects Interstate 5 on the west with Interstate 90 in Issaquah. Because of that, decisions about the streets are made by state officials, not those in the city. And as two key components of the city’s downtown core traffic network, Renton is looking to take back that control in an attempt to make the city more walkable. “Right now, we don’t view (the downtown) as particularly pedestrian-friendly,” Renton Public Works Administrator Gregg Zimmerman said. “Traffic’s going too fast and there’s too much of it and most of it is not destination [ more TURNBACK page 5 ]
Firefighters work to extinguish the blaze at Bronson Way and Main Avenue South on July 23. COURTESY CITY OF RENTON
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