Decision due in January on judo bowing
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U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik yesterday listened to arguments by lawyers for the Akiyamas and U.S. Judo, the sport's official governing body in this country.
Another participant in the case is an associate of the Akiyamas, judo practitioner Jay Drangeid of Bellevue, 40, who opposes bowing because of his Christian faith.
The Akiyamas and Drangeid hope the judge will rule that the sport's required bowing to the mat, before and after each match, is religious discrimination and a violation of the U.S. Civil Rights Act.
Judo officials say the custom has nothing to do with religion, and simply signals respect and gratitude.
Lasnik said he will rule on the case next month.
Schell's deputy mayor named as utilities' chief by Nickels
SEATTLE — Mayor-elect Greg Nickels named Chuck Clarke as his choice to head Seattle Public Utilities, which provides water, garbage and sewer services to the city and other areas.
Clarke has been director of the regional office of the federal Environmental Protection Agency as well as the state's Department of Ecology. He joined Mayor Paul Schell's administration in July 2000 as deputy mayor for issues and projects dealing with utilities, transportation and the environment. He also has served as director of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
Clarke grew up in Bremerton and received bachelor's and master's degrees from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.
Clarke will replace departing director Diana Gale, who announced her plans to resign in late October.
Seattle Public Utilities has a $550 million budget and nearly 1,300 employees.
Republican legislator quits to oversee FEMA office
OLYMPIA — State Rep. John Pennington, a Republican leader, is resigning from the House to become regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Pennington will oversee FEMA operations in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Idaho.
Pennington has served in the state House for seven years. His resignation is effective Dec. 17, and a Republican appointee will fill his seat until next November's election. Democrats hold a one-vote majority in the House.
Floods struck Pennington's Southwest Washington district in 1996 and he successfully pushed legislation to suspend sales taxes on rebuilding damaged structures. In 1998 he helped secure disaster relief after a Kelso landslide.
Sound Transit committee names Sims board chairman
SEATTLE — As expected, the Sound Transit board's executive committee yesterday nominated King County Executive Ron Sims to be board chairman for the next two years.
The full, 18-member board is expected to ratify Sims' selection next week. He replaces Edmonds City Councilman Dave Earling, whose two-year term as head of the regional transit agency ends this month.
Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg and Earling were nominated to be vice-chairmen.
Tulalips donate $25,000 for search-and-rescue fund
MARYSVILLE — The Tulalip Tribes donated $25,000 yesterday to Snohomish County Search and Rescue's "Project Lifesaver," a program designed to help find senior citizens who wander off and get lost.
Those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injuries or dementia often wear a small transmitter bracelet. The tribe's donation will buy a tracking receiver that can locate the bracelets from up to a mile away on the ground, and even farther away from the air.
Several tribe members are volunteers with the search-and-rescue team.
"It's a goodwill donation," said John McCoy, governmental affairs director for the reservation near Marysville. "It shows that we're responsible community members."
Small fire at Bellevue hotel causes evacuation of 200
BELLEVUE — An early-morning fire yesterday that started in the basement laundry room forced about 200 guests to evacuate the downtown Bellevue Hilton Hotel.
No injuries were reported and damage to the hotel on 112th Avenue Northeast was estimated to be under $5,000.
Investigators said that around 6:40 a.m. heat from an air-handling unit, which circulates air through the laundry chute, ignited some combustible materials piled against it.
Although the fire was small and contained to the room, smoke quickly rose in the chute and onto all seven floors.
Guests received a free buffet at a nearby restaurant and were allowed to return to their rooms at 8:20 a.m.
Two killed when truck smashes into power pole
OLYMPIA — A pickup smashed into a power pole near here early yesterday, killing two people and cutting off power to 3,600 homes.
A third person in the truck was injured. Robert Nichol, 28, was in satisfactory condition at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
Authorities were not releasing the names of those who died — a 24-year-old man driving and a 25-year-old female passenger.
Alcohol was involved in the crash, State Patrol Sgt. Kristine O'Shannon said. The driver and two passengers had been drinking at a tavern in Olympia before the 1 a.m. crash, O'Shannon said.
When the truck knocked down the power pole, the power lines pulled two other poles down.
"It was like a domino effect," Puget Sound Energy spokesman Denny Lensegrav said.
Power was out most of yesterday to residents of Mud Bay Valley, Steamboat Island, Holiday Valley, Summit Lake and the Shaker Church Road areas, Lensegrav said.
20-year-old gets six years for accidental shooting
EUGENE — A 20-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison for accidentally shooting a friend with a pistol.
Dennis Gregory Quatier pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the June 8 shooting death of John Chester Woody, 20. He was sentenced Thursday.
Lane County Deputy District Attorney Mike Pugh said Quatier and Woody were visiting an acquaintance in Cottage Grove who had a gun to sell.
Woody and Quatier, both of Cottage Grove, went with the man to a bedroom to look at the .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol. The man left the room and Quatier pointed the pistol at Woody's forehead and pulled the trigger.
"He didn't think the gun was loaded," Pugh said. "We have found no evidence it was an intentional shooting."
Information from Seattle Times staff and wire services.