Michael Whitney

Michael Whitney

Records imply which Rite Aid, Bartell’s stores CVS bought in Snohomish County and broader area. Also, Bartell Drugs stores that CVS buys will rebrand to CVS

Records imply which Rite Aid, Bartell’s stores CVS bought in Snohomish County and broader area. Also, Bartell Drugs stores that CVS buys will rebrand to CVS

Next chief of Snohomish Regional Fire hails from California city department

MONROE — The fire board for Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue (SRFR) selected a seasoned fire chief from California to lead its agency.

First Street board begins meeting

SNOHOMISH — The inaugural meeting of a city advisory board for planning First Street’s far-out future was last week. The appointed group of business owners and residents will dig into many aspects of the street plan over the next 10 months.

Phil Johnson Ballfields zoning change by council narrows use to parks, open space

EVERETT — A council-initiated amendment to rezone the general area of the Phil Johnson Ballfields exclusively for parks and open space would prevent future alternate uses such as the planned Pallet shelter lot for individuals in homelessness.

Ex-PUD I.T. worker stole $100,000 worth of iPhones, tablets from utility and resold them

EVERETT — A now-former PUD employee in its information technology department is said to have stolen more than $100,000 worth of PUD-owned iPhones, iPads and computers from the utility to sell them on eBay.

Plane crash at Harvey blamed on poor landing

Flight transponder data of the plane’s final five minutes show the pilot did not descend in a smooth, linear manner. Instead, the pilot began coming down, then rapidly descended, leveled off, then descended again. The plane was approaching from the north to land.

First Street Master Plan committee to have initial meeting this month

SNOHOMISH — An advisory committee about First Street Master Plan begins meeting this month

Boeing to set dedicated line in Everett for largest next-gen 737 MAX 10

Boeing to set dedicated line in Everett for largest next-gen 737 MAX 10

Paine Field plan is to expand for more airline flights by 2040

EVERETT — County Executive Dave Somers directed his team to work on adding more commercial airline slots at Paine Field’s terminal and generally expanding the terminal in an executive order May 20.

Closed Snohomish fishing dock also to get new decking in fixes

The closed Snohomish fishing dock also to get new decking for its repair work.

Casino Road residents worry of displacement in zoning plan, want community preserved

EVERETT — The thousands of people that make up the Casino Road community today are worried of being pushed out. A light rail station is coming to the area within 10 years, and developers have noticed. The city’s “Everett 2044” plan is online at www.everettwa.gov/2044 The website has all of the documents. There is also a map tool to compare today’s zones to the ones proposed in the zoning plan. The briefing May 21 will be at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers, 3002 Wetmore Ave. The hearing is scheduled for June 11 and final vote June 18 at the City Council.

Widely hailed urban mushroom farm at precipice of closure

EVERETT — The urban farm Black Forest Mushrooms is staring down closure without a last-minute government bailout.

CVS Pharmacy to take over “many” Rite Aid, Bartell Drugs store sites in Pacific Northwest

Drugstore chain CVS will take over “many” Rite Aid and Bartell stores in the Pacific Northwest after a deal was worked out, the Rite Aid company announced May 15. Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 5.

No cigarette tax increase this year, flavored vape ban fails in legislature in Washington state

A coalition’s push to put a statewide ban on all flavored tobacco, including menthols, a ban on all flavored vapes and increase the cigarette tax by $2 per pack faltered this year in two tries.

Annual Sky Valley motorcycle show May 18 to be in Granite Falls

The annual motorcycle show on the third Sunday of May will line Granite Falls’ streets, not Snohomish’s. The show will be Sunday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Stanley Street. Why was there a venue change?

Mayor Franklin affirms Everett Transit merger into Community Transit not on table - updated

EVERETT — Mayor Cassie Franklin made a statement last week giving the city's stance that it doesn’t plan to act on merging Everett Transit into Community Transit at this time.

Edgewater Bridge replacement slipping to spring 2026 due to complications

EVERETT — Replacing the Edgewater Bridge between Everett and Mukilteo will slip into early next year, the city recently announced. The delays were due to unexpected complications earlier this year while setting up the platform where equipment could be positioned to deconstruct the old bridge and build the new one, city engineer Tom Hood explained to the City Council last week.

Rite Aid, which also owns Bartell Drugs, in bankruptcy again, selling off almost all stores

Hobbled pharmacy Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy a second time May 5. This time, everything’s up for grabs.

Redmon outlines partnerships, city projects in speech

SNOHOMISH — Mayor Linda Redmon’s State of the City speech Saturday in the Carnegie Building placed a spotlight on nonprofit partners the city government relies on to help fulfill local needs, and featured updates about major infrastructure projects such as its First Street plans.

Fundraiser group 100+ Women Who Care seeks more good souls

A grassroots effort called 100+ Women Who Care About Snohomish County has 100 or more women give $100 to a charity selected by a group vote that night. Next one is May 12.

Fosse to exit City Council, making District 1 seat open

Mary Fosse, who is also a state Representative, formalized last week that she will not run for re-election. She plans to fulfill her term to December, and has endorsed her preferred successor.

Snohomish school meal prices to rise

Snohomish school meal prices to rise

Bassist Carol Kaye named to Hall of Fame

EVERETT — Everett-born electric bassist Carol Kaye, who turned 90 recently, is officially being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for her lifetime of work.

Former Monroe High teacher arrested second time on rape, sexual misconduct charges related to second underage student

Former Monroe High teacher arrested again on rape, sexual misconduct charges related to second underage student

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.

State 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. The state tax on 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.