Michael Whitney

Michael Whitney

Student’s fake gun alarms Machias Elementary parents

On March 25, the boy came up to the bus stop, opened his backpack, and showed other students what he had. Ultimately, it was a blue gun with an orange tip, the sheriff’s office said. His parents identified to law enforcement that this was not a real gun, and witnesses felt it wasn’t, the sheriff’s office said. Parents say he also had a list of names, but the sheriff’s office said its office never saw a list. Fake or not, the incident horrified parents. Students have been staying home because of it, a Machias parent said earlier this month.

Everett Councilwoman Vogeli not defending seat up for re-election

City Councilwoman Liz Vogeli will step off council at the end of the year. “I’m not leaving the public eye, I’m just leaving council,” Vogeli said. “Now I might be louder.”

Insurance pool has paid more than $275,000 so far in Snohomish Regional Fire’s attorney fees in “Firefighter 8” case

MONROE — A statewide insurance pool that insures abut 160 cities, fire districts, and 911 centers had paid more than $275,000 so far to the attorneys defending Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue in a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by eight unvaccinated firefighters. The case initiated in 2022 has gone through U.S. District Court and the decision is now being appealed to the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Former Snohomish Councilwoman Anne Eason dies

SNOHOMISH — The city’s first woman to serve on City Council, Anne K. Eason, died April 12, her obituary states. She was 86.

Transportation budget negotiations set plan

OLYMPIA — The state Legislature Saturday approved a bipartisan, $15.5 billion transportation plan that in part increases the state gas tax for the first time since 2016. Regular gas will rise from $0.494 per gallon now to $0.554 on July 1. It codifies a 2% annual gas tax increase from summer 2026 onward. Diesel gas tax will rise by 3 cents per gallon July 1, and another 3 cents in summer 2027, then have 2% increases every year from 2028 onward.

Snohomish fishing dock to be rebuilt this year

The Snohomish fishing dock at Hill Park that's down for the count will be rebuilt this year as the contractor has just been hired.

Teen golf caddies get full-ride college scholarships

Two teen golf caddies have won full-ride college scholarships

Campaign finance data gives clues for who’ll be filing in local races

Pretty soon, the county will be in the thick of candidate filing week, which runs from May 5 to 9. State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) records reviewed April 17 give an indicative picture of the local races shaping up for Snohomish, Monroe, Everett and Lake Stevens.

Earth Day events around the community

SNOHOMISH — Snohomish’s Earth Day celebration is growing for its third year at the Carnegie Building. The takeaway is to learn something you can do yourself to, as the event theme says, “move the needle” for sustainability.

Everett Silvertips' season ends with loss Tuesday, April 22

EVERETT -- The Everett Silvertips couldn't overcome Portland's robust defense at one end of the rink and wild shots at goalie Raiden LeGall on the other tonight in Angel of the Winds Arena. The Tips lost 4-2 to the Portland Winterhawks, taking a Game 7 loss Tuesday, April 22.

Pope Francis dies at age 88

Pope Francis, the Argentinian pope of the Catholic Church, died Easter Monday morning at 7:35 a.m. Vatican time (10:35 p.m. Pacific Time), the Vatican announced.

Downtown Monroe coffee shop SharinaBean's finds itself uprooted

MONROE — SharinaBean’s on Main is hunting for a new spot. The coffeehouse at 103 W. Main St. announced it will be closing Saturday, April 19 as its lease isn’t being renewed. It has been here 8½ years. The building was purchased. McCrain said she sensed from conversations early on that her shop wasn’t part of the plan for the building’s future.

Other driver in Snohomish SR-9 head-on March 9th not yet out of hospital

SNOHOMISH ­— ­­The causing driver of a March 9 head-on crash just north of the Snohomish River Bridge on state Route 9 had open containers of alcohol in her car and told state troopers she hadn’t installed her mandatory ignition interlock device yet. The woman she hit is still hospitalized five weeks later. No charges have been filed here. A follow up on a crash.

Whooping cough is rising in county

Whooping cough is rising in Snohomish County

Food bank takes hit, pleads for community’s help

SNOHOMISH — A federal government cutback has food banks such as Snohomish’s hunting for help.

Snohomish weighing whether to widen First Street’s sidewalks, alter parking

SNOHOMISH — Prominent changes to First Street, displayed last week as concepts being evaluated, could see narrower road lanes to accommodate wider sidewalks and may see angled parking switched for parallel parking. These options are meant to make the street safer for crossing pedestrians and more attractive streetside. As the corridor is one of the city’s crown jewels, City Hall is taking as much feedback it can get.

Clearview community meets with concern of possible 2nd marijuana shop on Highway 9

CLEARVIEW — A second marijuana retailer wanting to open along Highway 9 aroused not just a formal complaint to county officials filed by a competitor but also a room-filling meeting about the topic last week.

Monroe yard floods when fiber crew hits water main

MONROE — Online pictures of a yard filled with water at a house in the Fryelands Neighborhood during Ziply Fiber’s underground installation work caught neighbors’ attention last week.

G.A.R. Cemetery clears gravesites of items, available to pick up

SNOHOMISH — Numerous people came to G.A.R. Cemetery over the weekend finding the objects and tokens that had been on their family members’ graves removed and placed in an assorted pile by the main office.

Discrimination case against Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue now is in federal Ninth Circuit appeals court

MONROE — The appeal case of the “Firefighter 8,” a religious discrimination case of eight Snohomish Fire and Rescue (SRFR) frontline personnel suing for back pay after they were put on months of unpaid leave for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, has its next step in federal appeals court this week. Oral arguments will be heard April 3 in Portland in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Snohomish PD’s plans for license plate cameras for crime prevention

SNOHOMISH — City administration last week reaffirmed plans to add Flock-brand license plate reading cameras, which can aid in crime prevention when a car is being sought.

Man who stabbed 13-year-old in mid-January on Broadway pleaded not guilty, trial is April

EVERETT — The man accused of stabbing a 13-year-old walking to school in mid-January, Andrew Freeman Jr., pleaded not guilty to charges last month.

Snohomish’s future city logo, signage unveiled

Snohomish’s future city logo, signage unveiled

Monroe’s Red Robin restaurant closes

Monroe’s Red Robin restaurant closes

Monroe School Board race has new entrant

Monroe School Board race has new entrant, Monroe’s Red Robin restaurant closes

Everett Transit re-calibrating its EV bus plans

EVERETT — Everett Transit’s plan to dispense with nine of its electric buses isn’t part of a paradigm shift for the agency, its director said last week. It has 14 more electrics arriving over the next few months to keep half its fleet electric. The past few months, though, it has been ordering reconditioned diesels as part of its fleet turnover.

From Garden to Table: Growers help community, art show will benefit Community Kitchen

SNOHOMISH -- More than 35 photos of garden vegetables, bees and food that were printed onto canvas will be spread out in the parish hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church for an art show the evening of April 5.

Well-respected Snohomish teacher, coach Dick Rodland dies

Well-respected Snohomish teacher, coach Dick Rodland dies

Snohomish trash service fees rising April 1

SNOHOMISH — Rates for in-town garbage, recycling and yard waste services will increase April 1 by an average of 4% overall, or an increase of about $7.50 per quarterly trash bill for an average home.

WorkSource moving its job-finding programs office to South Everett

WorkSource Snohomish County helps people find new jobs, polish resumes and get career coaching. It also helps businesses develop their employees. Starting April 7, it will open its new office at 728 134th St. SW, Everett, south of 128th Street and just southwest of the intersection of 4th Avenue West and 132nd Street SW in the Lake Stickney area.

Monroe man who led chase had felony warrant

MONROE -- The Monroe man who led a chase through the Fryelands in late January had a felony warrant for his arrest

Snohomish council bans fireworks for ‘26

SNOHOMISH — In a 6-1 vote, the City Council last week instituted a fireworks ban that starts in 2026. July 4, 2025 will be the last Fourth of July fireworks will be legal within city limits.

Bill on Ag Open Space tax rules passes in House

Bill on Ag Open Space tax rules passes in House

House passes Cortes bill mandating jail diversion options for juveniles instead of prosecution

The state House near-unanimously passed a bill from state Rep. Julio Cortes (D-Everett) March 5 that tweaks rules to require first-time offenders under age 18 have alternatives to being put into the juvenile justice system.

Franklin’s State of City March 27

EVERETT — Mayor Cassie Franklin will deliver her annual State of the City address Thursday, March 27.

Everett homeless resource Hope ‘N Wellness may have host space

EVERETT — It’s possible the resource center Hope ‘N Wellness will be granted use of a space at the Catholic Church north of downtown’s core. Relocating would ease City Hall’s pressure on it to move.

Frontier Airlines is coming to Paine Field

EVERETT -- Frontier Airlines is coming to Paine Field. The low-cost airline announced a schedule of flights starting June 2 serving Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas three times a week.

After tax bills hit farms that branched into being venues, lawmakers intervene

SNOHOMISH — A wedding at a farm can be the perfect backdrop, but those farms that converted their barns into regularly booked wedding spaces or other uses got put on the back foot this summer. The barn’s not agricultural anymore, so the land around it is not allowed to be given a special lowered property tax rate named Open Space. The tax fee for changing the land use out of Open Space is seven years of back taxes plus a 20% penalty. At least a handful of farms in the Snohomish River Valley received sizable tax bills last summer. Local lawmakers noticed. They have a new bill to clarify the rules, and the county assessor is on board.

Election for Monroe mayor to succeed Thomas shaping up between Fulcher, Cudaback

MONROE — A race to succeed long-serving Mayor Geoffrey Thomas has begun as City Councilwoman Heather Fulcher and former City Councilwoman Patsy Cudaback have organized campaigns.

Snohomish City Council considers city fireworks ban March 4

SNOHOMISH — The City Council may decide as soon as March 4 whether to make fireworks illegal in town starting as soon as 2026. A public hearing on altering fireworks laws is set for the March 4 council meeting. The council meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Snohomish Carnegie Building.

Architects directed to lower Snohomish Civic Campus pricetag

SNOHOMISH — The city has asked its contracted architecture firm for its future Civic Campus for design revisions that decrease the total pricetag, Mayor Linda Redmon shared with the City Council last week.

EvergreenHealth would like to expand facilities to Snohomish

SNOHOMISH — EvergreenHealth, which runs the hospital in Monroe, has a long-term plan to open a walk-in urgent care facility in Snohomish, the hospital’s top brass told the City Council last week.

Everett mayor delays deadline on Hope ‘N Wellness center to relocate

EVERETT — The city has extended its cease-and-desist deadline on Hope ‘N Wellness, a resource center downtown near Pacific and Rucker avenues that assists hundreds of primarily homeless individuals. Instead of Feb. 28, it’s now April 30, as brainstorming continues about how to relocate the indie social services organization without losing it.

Pitch to establish Snohomish as ‘sanctuary city’ to be explored

SNOHOMISH — In the coming weeks, city leaders will explore making Snohomish a sanctuary city for unauthorized immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.

PUD rates to raise again April 1

SNOHOMISH COUNTY — Your power bill will increase a bit April 1.

Man who led police chase through Fryelands arrested, had visited police station saying SUV stolen

MONROE — On Feb. 5 at around 8:30 p.m., Monroe Police arrested the man who was in a police pursuit around Monroe and prompted a near-two-hour manhunt overnight in the Fryelands Friday, Jan. 24.

$1.5M bail for alleged stabber of boy in Everett

Police arrested the man Jan. 29 when someone called in a tip saying he was riding on their bus in South Everett. The next day, a judge set his bail at $2 million, but Freeman was absent. He’d refused to attend his first appearance. He showed up Feb. 3. A district court judge pro-tem modified his bail to $1.5 million.

New Snohomish City Hall / PD campus designs shown, funding plan nearly done

SNOHOMISH -- Details of the future City Hall in Snohomish to be built at Pine Avenue and Third Street.

Blackman Lake phosphorous controls proposed on developments

SNOHOMISH — A proposal to protect the Blackman Lake watershed would place new requirements on development in the immediate area of the lake

Lake Stevens School District trying again for school bond

Lake Stevens School District trying again for school bond on February ballots.