North Bend parties in feast of sunshine
July 25, 2011
A little sunshine, a little music and North Bend goes bananas.
A few bananas, a few wheels and the children of North Bend have a blast, too. Read more
North Bend Block Party-goers fill street with smiles, dancing, music and more
July 25, 2011
Photos by Mary Miller and Sebastian Moraga.
Minor earthquake shakes houses and wakes residents on Snoqualmie Ridge
July 23, 2011
A 3.4 magnitude earthquake woke up several Snoqualmie Ridge residents early Saturday morning. The quake occurred just at 1:03 a.m. about nine miles northeast of Snoqualmie.
While the earthquake is described as minor on the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network’s website, it shook houses and caused some concern among residents. The quake’s center was 10.6 miles, about the depth of the South Whidbey Island Fault line, which runs through Snoqualmie Valley.
Abduction attempt at Snoqualmie Ridge store
July 22, 2011
A subject witnesses described as a “gray-haired man” approached three children at a supermarket on Snoqualmie Ridge and offered them candy if they would leave with him, a City of Snoqualmie release stated.
One of the boys told the man they were with their mothers, and the man left the store. Read more
North Bend considers sales tax increase to support road maintenance
July 22, 2011
With the cost of roads rising and tax revenue remaining stagnant, North Bend City Council voted to create a Transportation Benefit District, which has limited ability to collect taxes.
The Council wants the district to ask voters for a 0.2 percent increase to the city’s sales tax to pay for transportation infrastructure maintenance. The increase would be on the November election ballot. If approved, it would make the sales tax in the city 8.8 percent for 10 years.
Read more
North Bend considers changes to medical marijuana ban
July 22, 2011
North Bend’s administration is considering changes to the city’s one-year moratorium on facilities for production or distribution of medical marijuana to recommend to City Council.
The Council heard testimony from Steve Sarich, a medical marijuana activist who lives near North Bend, at its July 19 meeting.
The current ban is overreaching and could prompt a lawsuit, Sarich said. The Council should scrap the ban and set up a working group to develop city policy and zoning rules for medical marijuana.
Four Snoqualmie Valley residents involved in Interstate 90 pileup
July 21, 2011
Four Snoqualmie Valley residents were involved in a 15 car pileup on westbound Interstate 90 on Wednesday that left a 9-year-old girl in critical condition.
The accident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. when the highway was crowded with morning commuters in stop-and-go traffic. The driver of a semi-truck tried to stop as he came up to the slowing traffic near 133rd Avenue Southeast in Bellevue. His truck jackknifed, hitting a logging truck, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital picks partner for new site
July 20, 2011
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital officials have picked a developer to help build a new hospital on Snoqualmie Ridge. Hospital officials and the developer, Terry Moreland, have signed an initial agreement and are negotiating the final agreement.
Construction is expected to begin in January, according to Rodger McCollum, CEO of King County Public Hospital District No. 4, which manages the hospital.
“This latest process has moved forward very quickly with a lot of details to attend to, so I haven’t really had the time yet to let it all sink in,” McCollum said.
Medical marijuana ban could face legal challenges
July 20, 2011
North Bend’s ban on production and distribution of medical marijuana could come into conflict with state law that becomes effective July 22.
That law, Senate Bill 5073, permits several patients authorized to use medical marijuana to form collective gardens. But North Bend’s moratorium prohibits such gardens.
The North Bend City Council voted unanimously in early June in favor of a one-year ban after the state Legislature failed to resolve much of the gray area surrounding the state’s medical marijuana laws.
Without any guidance from Olympia, the city administration recommended that it pass a ban to give it time to determine its policy, City Administrator Duncan Wilson said.
The council passed the ordinance under the city’s emergency clause, which requires a public hearing be held after the vote. The hearing was held July 19, after the Star went to press.
The City Council is also required to develop a work plan to get the city out of any moratorium it passes.
In the meantime, authorized patients could have difficulty getting medical marijuana in North Bend.
Foes delay showdown with tribal council
July 20, 2011
A move by opponents of the sitting Snoqualmie Tribal Council to hold new elections stalled after a key organizer called for the group to stand down.
About 40 tribal members voted June 18 for a resolution to oust the current council, which they say is trying to illegally hold onto power.
The meeting had been called by the tribe’s head chief, Jerry Enick. Before the resolution could be presented to the Tribal Council, Enick delayed the impending showdown in an email sent on his behalf to fellow opposition members. The email said that he wanted broader support before moving on the council.
Enick declined to comment.
Tribal Council members and the tribal administration say that the government is acting legally and that many members of the opposition have been disenrolled or kicked out of the tribe, which has more than 300 adult members.
In response, the council is considering suspending or removing Enick as tribal chief, and has asked him to appear at its July 21 meeting. He was requested to appear at an earlier meeting, which he missed.
Enick called the June 18 meeting after the Tribal Council postponed the Snoqualmies’ annual general membership meeting in May, when new elections are typically held.
