The future of bees is not so sweet
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Tentative deals at Boeing The contracts, which still must be approved by members of SPEEA, would lessen the chance of strife for a few years. By Dan Catchpole Herald Writer
EVERETT — Boeing and its engineering union have reached tentative contract deals after weeks of secret talks that culminated in a week of marathon negotiating sessions in windowless conference rooms at a
Bellevue hotel. The proposed terms ensure above-market wages and soften the landing for union members if Boeing moves their work out of state. It also freezes pension benefits in 2019 and slightly increases members’ share of health care costs. Other retirement benefits are
improved to offset the pension changes. The tentative contracts cover the two biggest bargaining units of Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) — about 14,000 professional engineers and 6,500 technical workers. If SPEEA members approve the proposals next month, Boeing will have long-term agreements with its two largest unions. Reducing the chance
of labor strife in the next few years is critical for the aerospace giant, which is developing new versions of several commercial airplanes. The last few contract negotiations between Boeing and its two biggest unions — SPEEA and the International Associated of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ (IAM) District Lodge 751 — have been contentious. See DEALS, Page A6
Insanity plea in child’s assault Beteha Kebede is accused of throwing her nephew, 1, out a window
the hospital’s problems, A3
she somehow believed that would prevent her family from killing her, her two children in California, and her brother in Ethiopia, according to a Dec. 14 evaluation. The psychologist concluded Kebede, in that moment, couldn’t tell right from wrong. Kebede on Wednesday pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to second-degree child assault. Her attorney, Jennifer Bartlett, asked that Kebede be acquitted of the charge based on
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EVERETT — A woman was too mentally ill to understand what she was doing when she threw her 1-year-old nephew out a second-story window in Lynnwood, according to a state psychologist. The boy survived the fall, but suffered multiple broken bones. Beteha Kebede, who has schizophrenia, was suffering from paranoia, delusions and hallucinations during the July, 3, 2014, assault. She was not taking medication for her condition at the time. She tossed the boy out of a window because
say Western State >> Lawmakers officials are responsible for
VOL. 115, NO. 336 © 2016 THE DAILY HERALD CO.
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Business . . . . .A9 Classified . . . . B2
Comics . . . . . .D4 Crossword . . .D4
her mental state. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Michael Downes granted the motion during a lengthy court hearing. He reviewed two mental health evaluations, treatment records, and hundreds of pages of police reports. The judge concluded that Kebede committed the crime but was suffering from a mental disease that prevented her from understanding the nature of her actions. “I’m well aware of the fact that sometimes insanity defenses get used hoping to avoid responsibility, and sometimes insanity defenses get looked at with a jaundiced
Bricks out Lego my free expression: Reversing an earlier decision, Lego will allow a bulk shipment of its bricks to a Chinese artist who plans to use them in projects with political themes (Page A9). People who display their creations in public will be asked to make it clear that Lego does not supDear Abby. . . .D5 Horoscope . . . B4
Herald Writer
See PLEA, Page A6
See PLAN, Page A6
port or endorse them. Left unanswered, however, is every parent’s most pressing question about Legos: Will the artists pick these things up and put them away when they’re done playing with them? Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1814, the Treaty of Kiel
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Northwest. . . . B1
By Kari Bray
eye,” Downes said. “But it’s eminently clear at the time of these acts, Ms. Kebede met the definition of insanity by the state of Washington.” Bartlett asked that Kebede not be confined to Western State Hospital, and be allowed to remain out of custody to continue mental health treatment at a community clinic. The public defender said she’d been working with Kebede for about 18 months. Her condition has significantly improved with treatment. Regular medication has “made a world of difference,” Bartlett said.
DAN BATES / HERALD FILE, JAN. 30, 2015
Herald Writer
Arlington and Darrington have been working together in a national competition to draft a plan outlining how to revitalize their communities.
TULALIP — The cities of Arlington and Darrington have been selected as semifinalists in a three-year, $10 million competition geared toward helping communities boost their economies. They are among 15 semifinalists in a program that started with 138 applications from nearly 350 communities in teams of two or more. The America’s Best Communities competition spans 27 states and has a $3 million grand prize along with smaller awards along the way to help competitors continue the work required to advance. In April, the DarringtonArlington partnership was selected as one of 50 quarterfinalists and won $50,000 to draft a revitalization plan for the Stillaguamish Valley. The semifinalists were chosen based on their plans. Ken Baldwin, general manager for Frontier Communications, announced the selection of Arlington and Darrington as semifinalists during a Wednesday morning event at Tulalip Resort Casino. The competition is put on by Frontier, DISH Network, CoBank and The Weather Channel. Local leaders and staff who have been involved in the competition greeted the announcement with enthusiastic applause. Arlington Mayor Barbara Tolbert and Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin shared a hug and the group of about 30 shared a toast. “I think the best way to describe it is that great communities don’t just happen,” Baldwin said. “They’re the result of people coming together.” Working on a plan for the America’s Best Communities competition helped give Darrington and Arlington a sense of direction for a valley that suffered tremendous loss during the Oso mudslide in 2014, Rankin said. The slide killed 43 people and buried the main highway between Arlington and Darrington in mud and debris.
Beteha Kebede (center) appeared before Superior Court Judge George F.B. Appel last year. On Wednesday, her attorney, Jennifer Bartlett (left) asked Kebede be acquitted, based on her mental state, of throwing her nephew out of a window.
By Diana Hefley
2 cities closer to winning millions
Obituaries. . . .A6 Opinion. . . . .A11
ended hostilities between Denmark and Sweden, with Denmark agreeing to cede Norway to Sweden — over Norway’s objections (Today in History, Page D6). Norway eventually gained its independence about 90 years later, after the Swedes decided they could no longer take the constant lutefisk smell. Short Takes . . .D6 Sports . . . . . . . C1
Channel-surfing the vast cultural wasteland: “The World Dog Awards” tonight on The CW honors pooches in categories such as best dressed (The Clicker, Page D6). If there are categories for Best Cat Chaser and Best Crotch-Sniffer, The Buzz’s dog would be a shoo-in.
— Mark Carlson, Herald staff
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