Tagged: Snohomish county

Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon appears unmoved by a call for him to stand down.

As allegations mount that he has abused his public office, the County Council voted unanimously to request he take a voluntary leave of absence. 

Whooping cough has made a big comeback across Washington. With more than 900 cases statewide, the illness hit its highest numbers last year since a similar spike in 2005. 

It’s reached epidemic proportions in Snohomish County. 

The situation there is serious enough that health agencies offered two free vaccination clinics last Saturday – and plan another one later this month.

Tough times demand tough leaders.  But what kind of tough?

Voters from places as diverse as Stanwood, Edmonds and Everett are deciding who will serve as Snohomish County Executive.

Incumbent Democrat Aaron Reardon is seeking a 3rd term. His Republican challenger is Mike Hope, a state lawmaker who is a former Marine Corps reservist and works as a Seattle police detective. 

The same forces of nature that create natural hot springs and volcanoes may soon become a source of electricity in Snohomish County. The county’s Public Utility District has broken ground on a deep geothermic well, just north of the town of Skykomish.

The exploratory well is the first of its kind in Washington. 

In the past decade the number of takeoffs and landings at Paine Field has dropped by nearly half.

The Snohomish County airport at Everett serves Boeing and aircraft maintenance businesses. But, most of the decline is among small private aircraft.

Making headlines around the Northwest this morning:

• Thousands Mourn Slain Guard as Investigations Continue
• Pierce Transit Ballot Defeated
• School Votes Mixed

Guard's Memorial Draws Huge Crowds

Corrections Officer Jayme Biendl's funeral motorcade attracted thousands of mourners Snohomish County streets from Monroe, where she worked, to downtown Everett. Her memorial service at the city's Comcast Center drew thousands more,according to KPLU's Liam Moriarty.

The drug-resistant strain of staph infection MRSA is known to be a problem for many hospitals.  A pioneering study from the University of Washington shows that it's also resilient enough to spread from medic units all the way into the living quarters of firefighters.