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DIVERSITY | ‘Red Wolf’ artist shares personal story at Chamber luncheon [6]
VOL. 18, NO. 6
MIRROR
F E D E R A L WAY
DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
OPINION | Editor’s Note: Greetings from new Federal Way Mirror editor [4] Roegner: Keeping an eye on Olympia [4] COMMUNITY | Brookdale Foundation House hosts their third annual art show [8] BUSINESS | Federal Way woman spreads passion for health and wellness [10]
SPORTS | Eagles top Raiders, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016 | 75¢ finish undefeated season [14]
POLICE | Man robbed at gunpoint in front of church [33]
Mayor reports crime down, business growth at State of the City BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
F
ederal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell assured a packed banquet room at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club on Wednesday that the state of the city is strong. His indicators? Progress in city-led development downtown, a
6 percent decrease in crime throughout Federal Way, increased revenue at community centers and new retail and office businesses. “In the last two years, we have moved Federal Way forward with vision and a deliberate sense of urgency,” Ferrell said. “The people of our community deserve no less.” In 2015, the city be-
gan Town Square Park’s $1.7 million redesign and construction crews broke ground on the city’s $32.7 million Performing Arts and Event Center. Ferrell said the city has secured two-thirds of the center’s construction funding, with $800,000 from the Federal Way Coalition for the Performing Arts fundraising campaign, and there’s work
underway to fill that gap. City officials also completed a Hotel Feasibility Study for a hotel to be located at the former Target site the city purchased for $8.2 million in November 2014. “The results were positive for Federal Way,” he said. “We are now entering a Request for Proposals [ more CITY, page 8 ]
Man arrested for violent rape
RAECHEL DAWSON, the Mirror
Local One Night Count tallies 263 sleeping outside BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@fedwaymirror.com
Federal Way police recently arrested a man for violently raping a woman after he broke into her house Sunday morning. Although he has not been formally charged yet, the man could face first-degree rape, seconddegree assault, first-degree burglary and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle charges. According to probable cause documents, the woman fell asleep at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday at her Federal Way apartment. She awoke at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday to send a text message to a friend, but receiving no reply, she fell back asleep. Some unknown time later, the woman awoke again but this time it was because she was being strangled and beaten. “She felt tremendous pain to her face and was unable to breathe,” the documents state. As she grabbed the suspect’s hands, she realized he had gloves on. He squeezed her neck and she [ more RAPE, page 2 ]
Mayor Jim Ferrell delivered the State of the City address at a Chamber luncheon on Wednesday.
Hong Kong Market opens Hong Kong Market celebrated with a Chinese lion dance during their grand opening on Jan. 30. Hong Kong Market is located at 35415 21st Ave. SW in Federal Way. The grocery market is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more photos of the grand opening, see page 20. Photos courtesy of Bruce Honda
N’Guy Hughes has been homeless multiple times in his life. At 41, he’s been forced to sleep in shelters during the holidays. He’s paid health and fitness club membership dues just so he could use the facilities’ showers, and he’s slept on county buses. “Whatever in life has come into your hand, you just have to deal with it and keep the faith that something is going to happen to you,” Hughes said. Hughes has housing now, but stories like his have increased dramatically in Federal Way within the last year. This year, volunteers with One Night Count – an annual, community-organized count of people sleeping on one winter night – tallied 263 people sleeping outside in Federal Way on Friday, Jan. 29 – a 150 percent rise from the 105 in 2015. The count doesn’t take into consideration the amount of people “couch surfing,” sleeping in overnight shelters or transitional housing. Countywide, volunteers counted 4,505 people outside, a 19 percent increase from last year. “The figures went up tremendously,” said Multi-Service Center Housing Director Manuela Ginnett. “In Federal Way, part of the problem, last year we had a low count because we weren’t able to get as many police [volunteers]. There was an incident that happened that night so they couldn’t spare the normal amount of police officers.” This year, officers supported the 60 Federal Way volunteers as they ventured a little bit deeper into the woods to count those sleeping on the ground or in tents. “They participate every year,” she said. “It’s a very helpful partnership. Not all communities have the police involved but [ more COUNT, page 3 ]