No charges in home invasion shooting
May 2, 2012
No charges will be filed against the North Bend man who shot an intruder in his home March 30.
Two King County Sheriff’s Office detectives gave an update of the case to the North Bend City Council at its April 24 workstudy session.
The detectives gave a breakdown of everything that happened the night that led to the death of 30-year-old Joshua Henderson. They also played three 911 tapes and shared details not previously released.
Detective Jim Belford said Henderson had been out drinking with friends and family in Kirkland and Issaquah, and had become so aggressive, the group had been asked to leave both establishments.
On the drive home back to North Bend, Henderson’s aggressive behavior escalated and the people in the vehicle feared for their safety and kicked him out of the car near Exit 31, Detective Jesse Anderson said.
A clerk from the Shell gas station on Bendigo Boulevard spoke on a 911 tape, describing a “dude” who was being rude and verbally abusive to customers.
But when deputies responded to the scene, Henderson, described as standing 6 feet tall and weighing 220 pounds, was gone.
Local firefighters are top fundraisers for Stairclimb
May 2, 2012
Snoqualmie firefighters did it again. As part of Local 2878, Snoqualmie firefighters — along with those from Fall City, Duvall and Eastside Fire & Rescue — came in first for department fundraising out of 291 teams in the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb, according to a press release from the city of Snoqualmie.
On March, 1,550 firefighters representing 291 departments from 24 U.S. states, Canada and Germany, competed in the timed race up 69 flights of stairs of Columbia Center in Seattle, each in full gear and self-contained breathing apparati. The event is the largest individual firefighter competition in the world, according to the Stairclimb website.
For three years in a row, Local 2878 firefighters raised more funds than any other team to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, this year raising $39,700.
This year, the event raised more than $1.2 million for the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
Go to www.llswa.org and click on “Scott Firefighter Stairclimb” for more information and to see photographs of this year’s event.
Cash Mob in North Bend store is called a success
May 2, 2012
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it’s great for business, said Shelly Woodward, owner of Selah Gifts, North Bend’s first cash mob target.
Cash mobs are typically a covert operation, where attendees are notified by Facebook and Twitter campaigns to show up at a designated business with at least $20 in hand. But since so few people actually know what a cash mob is, SnoValley Star let the cat out of the bag in an April 19 article.
“It’s basically a grassroots movement designed to offer the small, independent business owner a ‘stimulus’ and bring awareness about that business to the community,” said North Bend resident Michelle Moshay, who organized the April 25 event.
The rules are simple, she said.
“Bring $20 to spend, meet three people you do not already know and have fun! That’s it,” she said.
But according to Woodward, some people couldn’t wait for the April 25 mobbing, and started showing up as early as last Friday — with cash in hand.
“A lot of people didn’t even know what a cash mob is. Everyone was just so excited to be a part of this and show support for a locally owned business,” she said.
By Michele Mihalovich Shelly Woodward (right), owner of Selah Gifts, rings up a cash purchase during North Bend’s first cash mob.
But the big cash mob day itself brought in at least a 70 percent increase in traffic from a normal day, Woodward said.
She said a lot of the 50-plus people, a huge number for the eclectic gift shop, were first-time visitors who had never come to her store before.
Police blotter
May 2, 2012
North Bend
Vandalism
A North Bend resident reported to police that someone scratched his car while it was parked at QFC on April 15.
Larceny
A North Bend resident reported to police that a generator had been stolen from his truck while it was parked at QFC on April 13.
Attempted burglary
Police received a report from the manager at Chaplin’s North Bend Chevrolet that between April 16 and 17, someone climbed the business’ 6-foot high metal fence with barbed wire on top, and attempted to kick in the door where bulk motor oil is stored.
New trash service coming to Snoqualmie
May 2, 2012
Beginning June 4, Snoqualmie residents will be seeing yellow-and-green Waste Management trucks in town.
The city’s contract with Allied Waste, now called Republic Services, is slated to end May 31. So the city decided to initiate a bidding process to see if there was a better deal out there for Snoqualmie residents and business owners, said Dan Marcinko, director of public works.
Waste Management Inc., based out of Delaware but with a regional office in Kirkland, submitted the lowest, responsible bid, he said.
Snoqualmie residents are going to have some new services available to them, such as food scraps and yard debris no longer needing to go to the landfill, Robin Freedman, of Waste Management communications, said.
“Residents will place all unwanted or spoiled food, pizza boxes, napkins, compostable paper, yard debris and grass clippings in the compost cart. This service will be available at no additional cost to residents,” she said.
Police chief to report about Keller family incident at tonight’s City Council meeting
May 1, 2012
In light of the many questions being asked about this week’s fire, shootings and standoff involving the Keller family, the city of North Bend has asked Police Chief Mark Toner, to give a report during the City Council meeting at 7 p.m., May 1, according to City Administrator Duncan Wilson.
Council meetings are held in the Mount Si Senior Center at 411 Main Ave. S., and the public is invited.
Wilson said in a press release, “Many questions have been asked; some of which can be answered now and some of which will be answered in the next several weeks and months.”
“We do not anticipate that Mark has all the answers at this point nor do we believe that he is authorized to talk about all of the elements yet,” he said. “Even so, the events of last week are of significant public interest and we wanted to notify the public of this presentation as the agenda was published before last weekend’s events occurred, and there may be some answers to questions for those that are concerned or interested.”
North Bend murder suspect found dead in bunker
April 29, 2012
By Christine Clarridge and Emily Heffter
Seattle Times staff reporters
SWAT team officers prying open Peter Keller’s elaborate underground bunker Saturday morning worried the heavily armed survivalist might try to ambush them or blow them up with a booby trap.
Instead, after using explosives to loosen the lid to his 20-foot-long, two-story hideout, they found his body, a pistol and a pool of blood, said King County Sheriff Steve Strachan.
Authorities believe Keller shot himself in the head, though they aren’t sure when. Read more
Double homicide suspect bunker found, Keller still at large
April 27, 2012
Updated: 6:05 p.m. April 27
Police may have found Peter Keller’s bunker in the hillside near Rattlesnake Ridge Trail outside of North Bend, and think he may be inside.
Keller, 41, was named as a suspect in the April 22 shooting deaths of his wife and daughter, and setting his house on fire in an attempt to hide the crime. Read more
Man charged in North Bend killings, called a survivalist
April 26, 2012
By Christine Clarridge and Sara Jean Green
Seattle Times staff reporters
Investigators say the North Bend-area man suspected of killing his wife and daughter is a survivalist who may be hiding out in a fort stockpiled with weapons, food and other gear.
Peter Keller was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and a single count of arson in King County Superior Court on Wednesday, but the 41-year-old remains at large. Read more
Peter Keller now a murder suspect, KCSO detectives say
April 26, 2012
Updated 10:50 a.m., April 26, 2012
The King County Sheriff’s Office has issued an arrest warrant for Peter Keller in connection with the death of his daughter and wife.
The warrant authorizes the arrest of Keller on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson.
The medical examiner’s office identified the North Bend women as Lynnettee Keller, 41, and her daughter, Kaylene Keller, 18, Peter Keller’s wife and daughter, respectively.
King County Sheriff Steve Strachan said in an interview April 24 that police are looking for Keller, who lives at the rural North Bend home and has been missing since firefighters responded to the scene.
It is known that Keller lived in the home with his wife and daughter, according to Sgt. Cindi West with the sheriff’s office. Read more
