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FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2015
City plans to shut down medical marijuana shops BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Kent city officials want the owners of the three known medical marijuana shops in town to shut down. City officials plan to send letters
to the owners of South King Holistic, 2824 S. 252nd Street; Amazing Gardens, 517 Central Ave. S.; and Herbal Choice Caregivers, 19011 68th Ave. S., that they need to close because they are violation of the city’s ban against medical marijuana collective gardens.
Kent decided last week to take the action to shut down the businesses after the state Supreme Court denied a motion on July 29 for reconsideration from Deryck Tsang, Herbal Choice Caregivers owner, of a court decision in May that affirmed the city’s ban against
medical marijuana collective gardens. “As a result, the appeal is over and the stay of enforcement has been lifted,” said Pat Fitzpatrick, deputy city attorney, in an email. Fitzpatrick said the city will take steps to get the businesses
Budell, Bhullar lead council race BY STEVE HUNTER
[ more ELECTION page 4 ]
[ more SHOPS page 4 ]
Federal action spares teachers from taking exam
shunter@kentreporter.com
It appears Tina Budell and Hira Singh Bhullar are headed for a Kent City Council race showdown in November. Budell received 37.8 percent (3,212 votes) and Bhullar 27.5 percent (2,334 votes) in Tuesday’s primary election, according to King County Elections. Bailey Stober, who Budell has lost in the general election in two previous council races, received 18.8 percent (1,596 votes). Rich Brandau, who withdrew from the race for personal reasons but whose name remained on the ballot because of a missed
shut down. “We anticipate sending letters to store owners in the very near future,” he said last week. “Those letters will request the medical marijuana shops comply with the
BY HEIDI SANDERS hsanders@kentreporter.com
Damaging Kent firefighters work to extinguish a two-alarm fire at Kent-Meridian High School on Monday afternoon. There were no injuries in the blaze, which heavily damaged two classrooms. Repairs were being made this week, and school officials expect K-M to be repaired and ready when classes begin Aug. 31. See story, page 2. COURTESY PHOTO, Kent Fire Department
The U.S. Department of Education has given state education officials an allowance to correct a Kent School District clerical error in 2012 that put the highly qualified status of 177 teachers in question. The Department of Education announced on Wednesday afternoon that it would grant a one-time exception to allow the state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to amend the records of the affected employees, who faced the prospect of having to take an exam to prove their highly qualified status. The allowance will let OSPI review the teachers’ highly qualified status and, if approved, reinstate it without requiring the teachers to take the exam. [ more EXAM page 8 ]
Washington State Labor Council issues resolution against Green River College BY HEIDI SANDERS hsanders@kentreporter.com
The Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) has taken action in hopes of re-establishing shared governance between Green
River College administration and faculty and staff and improving morale on campus. The Labor Council approved a resolution at its annual convention on July 25, which calls for the council to send a letter to Green
River’s administration and Board of Trustees and “explore adding Green River College to the WSLC’s Unfair to Labor/Do Not Patronize list” if the situation does not improve. The resolution comes in the
midst of high tension on campus, following the college’s decision on July 15 to cut two programs – auto body technology and geographic information systems – in the face of a budget deficit. The cuts resulted in the elimination of
two faculty position, including the faculty union president. Faculty members claim the potential cuts targeted members of the Union Faculty and were an [ more RESOLUTION page 5 ]
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