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COMMUNITY | Emergency shelter for the homeless moves from Redmond to Bellevue [2] CRIME ALERT | Redmond Police Blotter [3] SPORTS | Redmond, Overlake and Bear Creek boys basketball teams bounce into this issue’s prep spotlight. [7]
FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016
St. Jude parishioners experience disruption at Mass and burglary
Tapped into the military lifestyle
SAMANTHA PAK spak@redmond-reporter.com
Redmond native Mike Matthews with a 1/48th-scale model of an F-16, which was used for a class assignment at the Virginia Military Institute. Courtesy photo
Redmond native tests model F-16 at Virginia Military Institute SAMANTHA PAK spak@redmond-reporter.com
For some people, pursuing a career in the military stems from a family history of serving the country — they see parents, grandparents, siblings or other relatives join the military and
follow suit. Mike Matthews did not have this familial influence, but he has still decided to pursue a career in the military. After graduating from Lake Washington High School in 2012, the Redmond native enrolled in the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Va., where he will graduate from this spring with a degree in mechanical engineering. Matthews said he has always wanted to help others and saw the military as a chance to do that.
“It’s more personal than you think,” he said about what he has discovered during his time at VMI about how the military works. In addition to learning about how the military works, as a mechanical engineering student, Matthews is also learning about how different machines work. Those machines include aircrafts. Last fall, in November 2015, he and his 13 classmates in a flight mechanics course were given the opportunity to [ more VMI page 3]
Redmond’s Sen. Hill helps drive proposed bill focused on issues with Express Toll Lanes ANDY NYSTROM anystrom@redmond-reporter.com
A pair of lawmakers are behind the wheel of a new bill regarding issues with Express Toll Lanes on Interstate 405 between Bellevue and Lynnwood. Sen. Andy Hill of the
45th Legislative District, which includes Redmond, and Sen. Mark Harmsworth of the 44th Legislative District are proposing changes to improve toll-lane policies and reduce congestion. Last month they announced the bill they’re sponsoring to address issues raised by
thousands of constituents, including traffic safety and technical glitches with paying the tolls, according to a press release. The proposed bill will be introduced at the 2016 legislative session, which is scheduled to begin on Monday.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) launched the toll lanes on Sept. 27, 2015. “While large-scale projects require an adjustment period, WSDOT’s toll-lane implementation has not demonstrated they’re going to make this work for users,” said Hill, of Redmond, who serves as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. “Drivers simply aren’t getting the service, [ more TOLLS page 8 ]
The holiday season is always a busy one, but this year, St. Jude Catholic Church in Redmond saw the type of activity clergy members and churchgoers would rather not have experienced. The first incident occurred at the church’s 10 p.m. Christmas Mass service on Dec. 24, 2015. Becky Range, public information officer for the Redmond Police Department (RPD), said there was a disruption when visitors initially parked outside the church and yelled out at people as they arrived for the service. “They then went inside and were seated for the service,” Range said. “After the homily, the visitors stood up and begin yelling to disrupt the service.” In a letter to the church’s membership, Father James Johnson, the pastor at St. Jude, described the visitors as “radical protestant fundamentalists.” “Thanks to some very prudent ushers and an off-duty police officer, the disruption was kept to a minimum,” he wrote. Range added that the offduty officer was visiting from another state. Johnson’s letter — which is posted on the St. Jude website — continues, stating that they later learned that a number of other area parishes experienced similar harassment, as well.
“As I did that night, I invite us to pray for those who do not understand how much we love the Lord and truly worship him in His Holy Catholic Church,” Johnson wrote. In addition to the disruption during the service on Christmas Eve, St. Jude also experienced some theft during the holiday season. Range said RPD was dispatched to the church around 9 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2015. Church staff reported that items were missing from a safe. “Staff confirmed the church and parish office were both broken into and various items were stolen, including cash, gift cards and checks,” she said. Range said church staff believe the burglary likely occurred sometime Christmas Day or the following day. RPD is currently investigating the case. In his letter, Johnson said it was the church’s Christmas collection that was stolen, but the weekend collections were not affected. “We ask that if you saw anything suspicious on Dec. 25 or 26 (2015) or have any information regarding the theft, to please report it to the Redmond Police,” he requested of church members. Johnson also advised in his letter that anyone who placed a donation in the collection basket on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or mailed in a Christmas envelope the week prior to the holiday put [ more CHURCH page 8]
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