Port Angeles’ Alex Angevine is getting hot right when the Roughriders most… Continue reading Five athletes from Klahhane Gymnastics competed last week at… Continue reading Sequim’s Riley Pyeatt won her first individual outdoor race at… Continue reading Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News Cole Johanson, 2, makes a final adjustment… Continue reading Port Angeles’ Leia Larson won the 3,200-meter run, Teanna Clark… Continue reading The East Jefferson boys soccer team won a critical… Continue reading Port Angeles senior Faerin Tait ran to victories in… Continue reading The Port Angeles girls softball team took care of… Continue reading Sequim and Forks combined for 34 base hits in the… Continue reading Runners and walkers will… Continue reading Sequim rallied to knock off second place North Kitsap 7-4… Continue reading © 2025, Peninsula Daily News + Sound Publishing, Inc. + Black Press Media MYNORTHWEST NEWS 11:05 AM | Updated: 2:34 pm Orting whistleblower says he was fired after raising concerns about the city's wastewater lagoon BY TOM BROCK A whistleblower in Orting says the city fired him after he raised concerns its sewage lagoon was overflowing The News Tribune in Tacoma has reported a former city employee was placed on administrative leave after sharing concerns about leaks he said were coming from the city’s wastewater treatment plant The city accuses Bielka of insubordination retaliating against a fellow employee and violating Orting’s whistleblower policy In a statement sent to the News Tribune this week Orting City Administrator Scott Larson wrote: “The city terminated John Bielka’s employment following a third-party investigation that resulted in findings warranting termination The integrity of our city’s workforce is paramount The city stands by the termination.” His attorney says after he raised concerns about the wastewater facility in March of this year city leaders placed him on administrative leave Records Bielka shared with the newspaper indicate the city fired him on June 12th The tort claim filed in August could be the first step toward a wrongful-termination lawsuit If the matter is not resolved within 60 days Bielka can proceed in court against the city The News Tribune reports he also filed a whistleblower complaint against Orting says the complaint is assigned to an administrative law judge Tort claim documents obtained by the newspaper argue: Bielka was placed on administrative leave after he documented that there were ongoing concerns with the wastewater treatment plant and constant leaching of wastewater into the aquifer surrounding the wastewater treatment plant that has continued unabated for over a year.” The documents also state Bielka was able to acquire $7.5 million in grants for the city of Orting It claims he also had another $3 million in pending grants lined up before the city terminated him Bielka told The News Tribune one of his biggest concerns is what he claims are repeated overflows from the lagoon of the city’s wastewater treatment plant near the city’s aquifer and near the Carbon River “We’re not allowed to dump wastewater into the ground,” he said In an email sent to city leaders on March 4th he expressed concerns the overflows might be a breach of the city’s permit issued by the Washington Department of Ecology Two and a half hours after sending the email Bielka says the city placed him on administrative leave A third-party investigator hired by the city of Orting determined the email was sent to deflect from Bielka’s inappropriate conduct It also found that there is no scientific evidence to substantiate claims of groundwater contamination An Orting woman is behind bars in Grant County after police say she led them on a high speed pursuit on Interstate-90 last Saturday The Washington State Patrol says it began at around 10 p.m when a trooper attempted to pull over 44-year-old Stacey McCarthy for speeding but she fled and initiated a westbound chase with speeds reaching in excess of 100 mph After pursuing McCarthy for approximately nine miles deputies deployed spike strips to disable her vehicle and the chase finally ended near Ritzville McCarthy was arrested and booked on charges of felony eluding and several outstanding warrants and no damage to any vehicles or other property was reported Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins The Washington State Patrol says it began at around 10 p.m. when a trooper attempted to pull over 44-year-old Stacey McCarthy for speeding, but she fled and initiated a westbound chase with speeds reaching in excess of 100 mph...\nRead More Construction has begun on a long-awaited emergency evacuation bridge in Orting a project nearly three decades in the making The city of Orting announced that work on the pedestrian bridge began in January and is scheduled for completion by March 2026 spanning State Route 162 from the Foothills Trail to Rocky Road Northeast will provide residents with a safer evacuation route in the event of a Mount Rainier eruption A lahar (a destructive mudflow of volcanic ash water and ice that can flow down a volcano's slopes) from the volcano would give residents as little as 40 minutes to flee This bridge is one of two planned to aid in evacuation efforts will extend over the Carbon River toward Tehaleh No timeline has been set for its construction Orting resident Barbara Bauml has supported the project since first learning about it in 2001, according to a report from The News Tribune She became a founding member of Bridge for Kids “This is a real boon for the kids that live on the other side of the highway,” Bauml said “It’s a wonderful step forward.” Mayor Josh Penner said the bridge will not only serve as an evacuation route but also ease congestion in a heavily trafficked area “The benefit of this system will be felt every day not just in a once-in-1,000-years event,” Penner said The first bridge’s construction cost approximately $9 million The cost of the second bridge remains undetermined as design work continues - The pre-tournament winning checkpoints aligned between Orting and Toppenish Both have had longstanding state-tournament success - the Cardinals in Class 2A and Toppenish in Class 1A (and 2A before that) Both came into Mat Classic XXXVI with big-match champions - ones who came into the weekend on four-peat quests They were clearly the top two programs in Washington But the crucial advantage that carried Orting was sheer numbers - a tournament-best 24 entrants it didn't rest on that edge as it also wrestled well - good enough to turn what many expected to be the weekend's best team race into a runaway triumph Salguero (132 pounds) and Quentin Harding (157) the Cardinals scored 434 points - well ahead of the runner-up Wildcats "When they wrestle to their potential," Orting wrestling coach Jody Coleman said Which is why Coleman carefully chose a new color for suit for championship night - pure white "It's about starting new traditions and everlasting things," Coleman said "And the thing I've been telling the boys I am going to wear white - and we are going to beat (Toppenish) forever." including crowning its first four-time state champion in Kiyanno Zuniga who won the 150 championship with a 10-3 win over Othello's Camilo Mendez III But it was the younger Zuniga - Justyce - who made sure this intra-state rivalry will have a lot of juice and tension for years to come In a matchup of two-time defending WIAA champions Zuniga dominated Orting's Dominic Thomas Zuniga will have an opportunity next winter to go for four Mat Classic titles As anti-climatic as the Orting-Toppenish race turned out the 'B' boys battle between defending state champion Tonasket and Okanogan came down to one championship match 165 In position to win their first Mat Classic crown the Bulldogs moved into the lead when defending state champion Chad Busching won the 144 title by a 9-6 decision over Selkirk's Jaxson Chantry The Tigers had one shot to regain the lead for good with sophomore Chub Plank facing Selkirk's Jameson Davis in the 165 finals Plank nearly came away with a first-minute pin Davis whittled away at the deficit with takedowns including one that cut it to 9-8 with 50 seconds remaining getting a hold of Plank's legs as the crowd roared instead giving one up at the buzzer as the Tonasket hero won Plank said he was aware his team trailed in the team race heading into the match but noted he had a different motivation for getting the victory "He lost to the (138) finals to a sophomore It isn't easy living in the Yakima valley and living in Toppenish's big shadow which is something Wapato has had to do the past few years the Wolves made their move as new 1A kings - and claimed their first Mat Classic championship with 300.5 points and it's because they are a great team," Wapato wrestling coach Chris Garza said "But we were going to get this state title for our community." Okanogan pushed defending Class 'B' boys champion Tonasket right to the wire, getting an early Mat Classic championship win from Chance Patrick at 103 pounds. / Photo by Todd MillesHere are how the team races finished up Saturday night in Class 2A, 1A and 'B' boys and girls at Mat Classic XXXVI in the Tacoma Dome: 17-0.; Alan "A.J." Salguero (138) d How did Orting clinch: What a tournament for the Cardinals who saw 17 of their 24 wrestlers earn top-eight podium finishes And they left with a pair of four-timers in Salguero and Harding Toppenish champions: Sophia Torrez (105) p How did Toppenish clinch: After the Huskies won the district tournament a week ago there was a thought that Toppenish's five-peat bid would be in jeopardy Not only did the Wildcats have four Mat Classic champions but they had nine state placers in sewing it up early How did Wapato clinch: All five of the team's finalists lost but it didn't matter - the Wolves collected gobs of points behind nine state placers in building a big lead and walking out of Tacoma with a first Mat Classic championship Team scores: Granger 184 How did Granger clinch: A big rally by the lightweights in the finals gave the Spartans a 2.5-point lead And after Knights' lone finalist Lauren Jenks lost in 135 finals to Evelyn Phillips the school clinched its first WIAA championship - in any sport Tonasket champions: Gerardo Hernandez (132) p Okanogan champions: Chance Patrick (106) d How did Tonasket clinch: With the Tigers trailing by one point Plank came through - and was greeted by a big team hug afterward He broke out to an 8-2 lead in the 165 finals but needed a late takedow to turn away Davis TODD MILLESTodd Milles is a Regional Editor for SBLive Sports © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER bringing the total number of girls tournaments to four (4A expanding it to three days in the Tacoma Dome Here is a preview of the three-day state tournament in the Tacoma Dome: is one of four seniors vying to join the four-timer club at this weekend's Mat Classic / Photo by Joshua HartSCHEDULESession I Thursday - First round round of 16 and quarterfinals and consolation for 4A boys and girls round of 16 and quarterfinals and consolation for 2A 1A and 'B' boys and girls are from 9 a.m Session III Friday - Semifinals and consolation for 4A and 3A boys and girls are at 4:30 p.m. Championship finals follow from 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m Session IV Saturday - Semifinals and consolation for 2A Tahoma ended Chiawana's championship reign of four consecutive years in 2024 by winning with 193.5 points (while the Riverhawks were runners-up).' Now the 4A NPSL powerhouse has an entirely different challenge this week - defeat reigning 3A champion Mead Both programs are bringing 18 entrants and a returning state champion - Crew Lambro for the Bears (XX) which school takes the Panthers' place at the top The favorite is likely a team that also moved up a classification this winter - White River led by returning state champion Riley Simmons and 2024 state runners-up Caleb Dale and Luke Lisherness The Hornets have 15 combatants in the field watch out for eastern Washington programs University or Hermiston and Lincoln of Tacoma This is where the state's true heavyweights reside And if thie championship chase between defending 2A champion Orting and reigning 1A champion Toppenish is anything like their testy dual meet in December - this could be a dandy duel Both blessed with front-line talent - seven wrestlers combined are going for a third or fourth career title this weekend - the difference might be in sheer numbers Orting has 24 grapplers competing; the Wildcats have 17 could its nearby ex-1A SCAC neighbor be in line for its first Mat Classic championship Wapato is loaded for bear this weekend with 16 entrants The Wolves have a pair of seniors in Raul Sanchez III and Angel Leyva who were state finalists in 2024 winning Pacific Coast in January - and dominating expected top challenger Zillah at last week's district tournament (556-373) This might end up being the closest championship race of all between two league rivals - defending state champion Tonasket who has a pair of multiple state-title winners in Tanner Grooms and Chad Busching but the Tigers won the league and district tournaments over the Bulldogs who are in search of their first Mat Classic crown (and are coached by former Tonasket great Martin Mitchell) Perhaps the most riveting race will be in Class 2A between record-setting three-time defending champion Toppenish and CWAC rival Othello which knocked off the Wildcats at districts Peninsula won its first Mat Classic championship in dramatic fashion a year ago It is truly up in the air - but the winner could come from the Sumner School District (Bonney Lake and thunderstorms in some areas resulted in power outages and downed power lines and trees Wednesday The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of the threat of river flooding in Snohomish County due to the heavy rains with "diminished" river flooding concerns elsewhere in northwest Washington NWS said an atmospheric river brought 2-4 inches of rain across the Cascades of Snohomish County and areas to the north over the past 24 hours a tree fell on a power line and house amid high winds thousands of customers were still without power The weather also affected schools, with more than two dozen school districts reporting late starts and a few districts closed their schools due to power outages FULL LIST | School delays, closures The rain and wind also caused problems on roads Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Rick Johnson said wind contributed to a crash involving a semi-truck on westbound Interstate 90 in Snoqualmie KOMO News Traffic Anchor and Reporter Tyrah Majors said on Wednesday morning standing water was on highways just about everywhere in the Puget Sound area there were crashes on State Route 410 in Bonney Lake a car overturned and trees were down south of the Boeing freeway There was also a four-mile back on northbound I-5 in downtown Seattle after a crash The good news is that while it will stay breezy Wednesday afternoon, by the lunch hour, there should only be a stray shower. Expect calmer conditions Wednesday evening and Thursday with lighter rain However, NWS said a more active weather system is forecast later Saturday and Sunday for stronger lowland rain and mountain snow WSU 11:31 AM | Updated: 1:07 pm Isaac Jones of the Sacramento Kings dunks over Zach Collins of the San Antonio Spurs on Dec There’s something about the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and ties to the Evergreen State the Kings have added a head coach and two players who have Puget Sound connections make that three players with their latest move: converting Isaac Jones’ two-way contract to a standard contract for two years Celtics to be sold, clearing way for potential Sonics NBA expansion Jones, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward, joined the Kings franchise on a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent last year following a first team All-Pac-12 season with the WSU Cougars He has impressed this season in G League play with the Stockton Kings 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per game in 11 games The 24-year-old Jones has actually played more in the NBA than the G League as a rookie 1.5 rebounds and 8.3 minutes in 31 games with Sacramento SacTown Sports: Kings’ Isaac Jones expresses gratitude for standard contract taking Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors in his second year at WVC That earned him a spot with the Idaho Vandals where he won the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year award and was named second team All-Big Sky in 2023 He moved a few miles west back over the Washington-Idaho border to Pullman the following year helping WSU end a 16-year drought to reach the 2024 NCAA Tournament Jones with the JAM.@_ijonez x @WSUCougarsMBB pic.twitter.com/Ha7YN3ey4i — FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 15, 2024 More: LaVine joins fellow Seattle area native Christie’s Kings The Kings roster also includes former UW Huskies star Markelle Fultz and former Gonzaga standout Domantas Sabonis It’s actually a ankle sprain to Sabonis that opened the door for Jones to join the Kings full time The Kings (35-35) have a big next couple days as they’re set to host the defending champion Boston Celtics (52-19) at 7 p.m then take on Western Conference champ Oklahoma City (59-12) at 7 p.m The mistake Seattle mayor made in hitting nerve with Sonics fans Follow @BrentStecker SBLive WA is taking a closer look at the must-see wrestlers heading into the biggest tournament of the season After polling coaches and media outlets around the state here are the headlining 14 boys wrestlers to watch regardless of classification (ranked in order): The Little Rock (Ark.) commit's overall display of skill work rate and physicality makes life miserable for an opponent for six minutes Has already defeated three-time state Orting champion A.J and placed fourth at prestigious Doc Buchanan tournament he has no in-state losses on 35-4 season record and his dominance is incredible." - Toppenish coach Pepe Segovia After winning the Class 3A 113-pound title a year ago this highly-accomplished set of brothers now has 11 combined WIAA championships among them (Clai After winning the Spokane Open in November the former Pan-American champion placed second at Sierra Nevada third at Tri-State and was a Doc Buchanan invite He is 36-7 this winter - with no losses to wrestlers in Washington a great leader and a great overall person." - University coach Ryan Montang the youngest of the McEwen brothers might be on the highest arc in the sport And he leads a talented class of ninth graders winning the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals for sophomores and freshmen in Iowa his only loss came at Reno Tournament of Champions to No Quotable: "He doesn't lose his composure .. the top performer in a talent-rich Orting wrestling room is the teenager who hasn't won a WIAA championship He is 31-0 this season - with wins at Tri-State and Flowing Wells in Arizona He also has a victory over two-time WIAA champion Steve Romero Anderson has defeated seven reigning state champions this season 'The Mauler' because he is always putting perpetual pressure on opponents moving forward they're in trouble because he is so much stronger than he looks." - Orting coach Jody Coleman Another of the standout young wrestlers in this state he is already the top dog in a talented Tahoma stable Dawley was the lone Bears' grappler to go undefeated in five matches as The Clash XXII Wrestling Duals in Wisconsin in January ultimately securing the win." - Tahoma assisntant coach Boomer Burnham The teenager affectionally known as "Cheeseburger" has been making patties out of heavyweights all winter The two-time WIAA champion placed fourth at Doc Buchanan and was the finalist from Washington at the Reno Tournament of Champions (second) The Providence signee (D1) is 33-3 this winter and he shoots and crawl rides like he is a 175- or 190-pounder He is very agile now." -Toppenish coach Pepe Segovia come watch the Cardinals' big-move wrestler gunning for a fourth Mat Classic title In his way is Toppenish's Justyce Zuniga 1 on this list who has defeated him twice this season winning Tri-State a third time in December Quotable: “People want to watch him because he has an unassuming but with such body awareness where he hits these big moves." - Orting coach Jody Coleman His prep career started with a win over an undefeated two-time state champion in the Mat Classic finals - and he has soared ever since Haines hasn't gotten much competition this winter - with wins at Hammer Head Gut Check and Rumble in the Valley on his way to a 45-0 mark Has had D1 recruiting interest from Little Rock He is coachable and has a high wrestling IQ almost to the point where he's able to slow the match down in his head while he's two or three moves ahead of his opponent." Arlington coach Jonny Gilbertson The Storm might not win the Class 4A championship but they might have the most individual Mat Classic winners - led by this pace-driven sophomore twin who has rolled through all oncomers at 28-0 He also ws one of three Washington wrestlers to win at Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals he was still unsure where his place was in (wrestling) 'You are the mountain!' He is Mount Mason." - Skvyiew coach Levi Cooper Lost 1-0 to Skyview's Mason DesRoches in last year's Class 4A 120-pound finals Marshall is bac on another level as a sophomore It started with a win at the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals and then he captured Tri-State as the crown jewel of his five tournament titles his only in-state loss was moving up to face Orting three-time WIAA champion Dominic Thomas Quotable: “Owen is deceptively strong and excels in certain positions you’re in trouble," - Tahoma assistant coach Boomer Burnham Another member of the defending Class 2A team champions who is trying to join the four-timer club at Mat Classic (won at 113 Harding has missed a big chunk of the season with a broken finger suffered just days after winning Tri-State But the Menlo signee (D2) enters Tacoma with a 20-0 season record but he is so physical and anticipates well He has a really high mat IQ - highest on our team." - Orting coach Jody Coleman the two-time defending Class 4A champion (and three-time finalist) has heard the whispers that he's lost his edge this winter after two in-state losses The CWU football signee did forego year-round wrestling for the first time and admits his match endurance was off a bit nobody has been better as he goes for his third Mat Classic title at 23-2 Quotable: “I won my first two state titles in sudden death I have been known for having a good gas tank to finish matches." - Connor Aney His coach jokes that the muscle-bound DiCugno is the one that looks a wrestler in his room And the home-schooled product brings that boundless physicality to the mat at every opportunity The reigning Class 2A 175-pound champion (28-4 record) was runner-up at Tri-State and Flowing Wells Quotable: “He's the only kid on my team who loves weights Captured his first Mat Classic championship last March while competing at Pullman (Class 2A at 144 pounds) then transferred to the Bullpups' program And two knee injuries in the past six months has limited his mat time Made the quarterfinals of the Reno Tournament of Champions where he injured his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) Quotable: “It's been a challenging year for him .. but obviously he is a kid who came to us with a ton of talent and ability and loves to train." - Gonzaga Prep coach Danny Pearson Candidates can begin filing at 8 a.m. Monday (May 5) for more than 3,200 seats on city councils, county commissions, school boards, and special districts. The county is looking at whether Segale Properties’ proposed environmental mitigation strategies are enough to protect the local environment. 12-year-old dies after late-night crash in Enumclaw. a few programs will meet up Friday or Saturday for the longstanding tradition of a jamboree Jamborees are essentially abbreviated controlled scrimmages designed to give players a chance to rehearse some of their looks on offense and defense but it also gives them a taste of the physical play that awaits in upcoming weeks Other schools hold community- or program-based intra-squad scrimmages Here are some of the highlighted jamborees taking place around the state: Expect another heavy dosage of junior Carson McCall in the Orting offense this fall / Photo by Vince MillerFRIDAYAUBURN RIVERSIDE sophomore Sam Arevalo will be a first year starting quarterback at Brewster / Photo by Todd MillesSATURDAYBISHOP BLANCHET where about 250 students learn because their school is way beyond capacity first grade teacher Phelicia Record also feels the pinch She’s in a makeshift classroom behind Orting Primary School’s stage temporary wall separates Record’s classroom from the gym right next door “We often have balls that bang up against the wall or really loud music,” Record said and there was ‘The Chicken Dance’ going on next door,” she added as some of her students started clucking like chickens behind her “So my kids started doing ‘The Chicken Dance,’ and obviously it’s disrupting.” Several children said it’s hard to focus on learning when gym class is happening next door “It’s like music is in here and I’m trying to work and it just makes me want to dance all day and night,” one first grader said Record's classroom is just one of the many challenges faced by teachers and students at the Orting School District because three of its four schools are significantly over capacity The overcrowding at Orting stands in stark contrast to other school districts in Washington state and across the country where declining public school enrollment is forcing many districts to make severe budget cuts the district has seen a near 20% spike in enrollment over the last three years — an indicator of how the education landscape is shifting in the aftermath of the pandemic The rising numbers have caused severe overcrowding and the district is desperate to pass a $150 million bond to fund the construction of a new elementary school and expand other schools Orting Superintendent Ed Hatzenbeler has some theories about why people are flocking to the small town There’s a location aspect to it as well,” Hatzenbeler said “I think many areas closer to your Bellevues or Seattles have been built out for years although they’ve been in the planning stage for years are just starting to grow as that sprawl kind of makes its way out to Pierce County.” It’s hard to say for certain where new students in Orting are coming from or where students leaving Seattle are going Neither district tracks that enrollment data But recent census data does show a healthy migration from King to Pierce County Covid — and remote work — also changed some thinking about where and how people want to live nationwide As population has boomed in rural resort areas like Bozeman, Montana, during the pandemic, school enrollment has also climbed, according to The Hechinger Report The trend has been fueled by the ability for remote work and the desire to live in more affordable areas Hatzenbeler has noticed how people seem to be more willing to live farther away from their jobs if they don’t have to commute every day housing is relatively affordable in the Orting area — at least compared to King County — and there’s more space around 5,000 new homes will be built within the Orting School District’s nearly 65 square miles Other Pierce County school districts are experiencing similar growth a recent demographics and enrollment report found enrollment is “remarkably stable” and the district’s housing is a “well-kept secret” that will soon be discovered And the Bethel School District has also seen a 14% increase in enrollment over the last decade The district passed a bond in 2019 to address overcrowding That’s the situation Orting finds itself in now Orting’s schools were built in the 1960s and '80s for a much smaller number of students and without the modern amenities new schools have Haztenbeler says the school currently serves almost double the amount of students it was meant to house when it was built in 1968 “Schools are built a lot differently now versus back in the '60s and '80s,” Hatzenbeler said “We’re trying to put a long-term plan into place so that as this growth comes Orting makes do — getting creative to utilize every inch of existing space Hatzenbeler said the district doesn’t have enough space for occupational therapy and counseling forcing the district to convert small spaces like restrooms and closets into office space there isn’t enough parking or space for traffic Orting Primary School shares the same front parking lot as the high school leaving the high school with just 90 parking spots for its 400 student drivers But it doesn’t always stop some newly-minted drivers Hatzenbeler says student parking will often overflow into the Safeway parking lot across the street “A lot of these constraints are really with us today and we know those compound over time,” he said Overcrowding has real consequences on learning and working conditions says teaching in a portable can be isolating and inconvenient She loses a lot of time that could be used for instruction either taking kids to the bathroom or to the school for lunch All 250 students in portable classrooms share one boys' bathroom and one girls' bathroom that they have to access by walking outside “We usually have to line up like five minutes prior to any event say like an assembly or specialists or whatnot,” Smith said I typically have to end activities quicker than I want and then get them ready to go outside and head to the next location because I have to get coats and the whole thing.” Smith said the loss of time is especially frustrating after the disruptions of Covid “Any loss of learning time is something that you don’t want to have happen anymore,” she said Renee Polly and her husband decided to make Orting their home two decades ago “We thought it would be a good place to live and raise a family,” Polly said still commuting to their jobs in places like Seattle or Tacoma She’s also Orting High School’s business teacher and the mother of two Orting students you see their new buildings and their new facilities and I wish that my children had that here,” Polly said “And I have high hopes that we will get that here in Orting.” Orting voters will have their shot at a major upgrade when they vote on a $150 million bond on Tuesday after the district failed to get a super majority — 60% of the vote — as required by Washington state law It would fund the construction of a new elementary school and new additions at two other schools — making room for a student body that’s expected to double in size in the coming years Sami West is a reporter covering schools in Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound region She’s been on the education beat for over six years and has reported extensively on the countless ways COVID has impacted schools Her coverage has also focused on school finances the importance of early childhood education and the growing youth mental health crisis nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism NATIONAL NEWS 1:10 PM | Updated: 1:23 pm The prospect of a lahar — a swiftly moving debris flow caused by melting snow and ice typically during a volcanic eruption — poses a threat to surrounding communities Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory via CNN Newsource) BY KATIE HUNT “Mount Rainier keeps me up at night because it poses such a great threat to the surrounding communities Tacoma and South Seattle are built on 100-foot-thick ancient mudflows from eruptions of Mount Rainier,” Jess Phoenix a volcanologist and ambassador for the Union of Concerned Scientists said on an episode of “Violent Earth With Liv Schreiber,” a CNN Original Series The sleeping giant’s destructive potential lies not with fiery flows of lava, which, in the event of an eruption, would be unlikely to extend more than a few miles beyond the boundary of Mount Rainier National Park in the Pacific Northwest. And the majority of volcanic ash would likely dissipate downwind to the east away from population centers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey many scientists fear the prospect of a lahar — a swiftly moving slurry of water and volcanic rock originating from ice or snow rapidly melted by an eruption that picks up debris as it flows through valleys and drainage channels “The thing that makes Mount Rainier tough is that it is so tall and so if there is any kind of eruptive activity hot stuff … will melt the cold stuff and a lot of water will start coming down,” said Seth Moran a research seismologist at USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver if not hundreds of thousands of people who live in areas that potentially could be impacted by a large lahar The deadliest lahar in recent memory was in November 1985 when Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted. Just a couple hours after the eruption started, a river of mud, rocks, lava and icy water swept over the town of Armero, killing over 23,000 people in a matter of minutes “When it comes to rest … you’ve got this hardened almost concrete substance that can be like quicksand when people are trying to get out of it,” Bradley Pitcher a volcanologist and lecturer in Earth and environmental sciences at Columbia University said in an episode of CNN’s “Violent Earth.” Pitcher said that Mount Rainier has about eight times the amount of glaciers and snow as Nevado del Ruiz had when it erupted “There’s the potential to have a much more catastrophic mudflow.” In the U.S. Geological Survey’s most recent threat assessment from 2018, the federal agency considered Hawaii’s Kīlauea the most hazardous U.S volcano — no surprise given how many people live near it and how frequently it erupts ranked as second most hazardous before Mount Rainier in third place Lahars typically occur during volcanic eruptions but also can be caused by landslides and earthquakes. Geologists have found evidence that at least 11 large lahars from Mount Rainier have reached into the surrounding area Scientists have not connected the most recent of these lahars A large landslide on the mountain’s west flank may have caused the flow event spontaneous landslide-triggered lahar that particularly troubles Moran and other volcanologists “There’s the knowledge now that the volcano is potentially capable of doing it again And then we’re in this world of it could happen at any time,” Moran said then it’s 10 minutes to the nearest places where people are living and 60 minutes to the nearest large communities And those are really short time frames,” he added A 2022 study modeled two worst-case scenarios 13-foot deep lahar would originate on the west side of Mount Rainier The debris flow would be equivalent to 104,000 Olympic-size pools and could reach the densely populated lowlands of Orting where it would travel at the speed of 13 feet per second A second area of “pronounced hazard” is the Nisqually River Valley where a massive lahar could displace enough water from Alder Lake to cause the 330-foot-tall Alder Dam to spill over triggered a devastating lahar when it erupted four decades ago although it did not reach any densely populated areas Helens lahar during a camping trip and are two of only a few people known to have survived being swept up in a debris flow “I tried to hang on as we were being swept downstream on my arms,” she recalled during an interview for CNN’s “Violent Earth.” and I just resigned myself that this was it I wasn’t going to get out of this and that I was going to die.” Reitan managed to lift her out of the mudflow and they rode on a huge log down the river they jumped on to an embankment and crawled up a hillside It took Dergan two years to recover fully from her injuries In the wake of the Mount St. Helens eruption, the U.S. Geological Survey set up a lahar detection system at Mount Rainier in 1998 which since 2017 has been upgraded and expanded About 20 sites on the volcano’s slopes and the two paths identified as most at risk of a lahar now feature broadband seismometers that transmit real-time data and other sensors including trip wires The system is geared toward both detecting a lahar should the volcano wake up in the future and the specific scenario of a lahar triggered by a landslide The original system had low bandwidth and low power requirements due to the limitations of 1990s-era technology which meant that data was only transmitted every two minutes There is a lack of historical reference data since there aren’t many lahars around the world that monitoring stations have recorded so a wider range of instruments will help determine whether a seismic signal received from one of the stations is actually from a debris flow would tell the researchers that there was a disturbance at ground surface rather than deeper in the earth In March, some 45,000 students from Puyallup, Sumner-Bonney Lake, Orting, White River and Carbonado, Washington, participated in a lahar evacuation drill It was the first time that multiple school districts practiced on the same day Around 13,000 students walked up to 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) to designated locations outside of the mapped lahar zone while the remainder in schools situated outside the lahar zone practiced sheltering in place Moran said that the fail-safe parts of the lahar detection system are located about 45 minutes from the nearest large community making that the time frame with which communities had to work “Most of what happens at volcanoes is close by and that’s why you try to keep people away because things happen fast but lahars can travel a long way from the volcano and have a big impact.” Head to the Orting Safeway and find our recently installed Snapshot ATM allowing cash and check deposits and withdrawals Boeing Employees' Credit Union NMLS ID 490518 — The Orting School District was unlucky in love this past Valentine’s Day; voters failed to pass a bond measure the district said it needs now Now the district’s got just one more chance this year on April 25 to get a super-majority of 60% to pass this bond that students and the superintendent said is desperately needed we don’t have adequate space for lunch rooms," said Superintendent Ed Hatzenbeler all of the different issues that stem from capacity expand beyond the classroom when we think about the impact.” He said that builders will be adding about 5,000 homes in the Tehaleh will bring more than 2,500 students to a district that only has a capacity of serving 2,883 students right now And they anticipate student enrollment far surpassing their capacity during the next school year while continuing to grow to 5,083 students by 2031 all of the little primary school kids get off the bus so it’s just a whole bunch of adults trying to move like these millions of little kids,” said Mikayla Jefferies “Orting primary school is the most in need of capacity," said Hatzenbeler That’s just one of three schools operating above capacity The district’s using more than 40 portable classrooms “We have a stage; it was built for performance and music and now it’s being used as a classroom,” said Hetzenbeler where students performed an egg drop exercise outside today there aren't enough labs for all science classes and so we didn’t get to do a lot of lab activities in that class and it was physical science,” said Jeffries “Most of our science classes don’t have science labs struggled at first because he didn't know how to use lab equipment even though he’s one of our top students,” said Orting High School Principal Cliff Fries Principal Fries told KOMO News his son overcame that initial setback but he said other students may struggle in welding where they're just not getting the exposure they need to pass a $150 million bond to build a new elementary school and remodel and expand the high school they're now trying to figure out why the bond failed in the first attempt "People don’t wanna fork out the extra money,” said Orting voter Superintendent Hatzenbeler told KOMO News that the average homeowner would pay $98 a month if this bond passes And he said this bond is cheaper than the last one voters passed in 2006 They were paying $2.81 per $1,000 of assessed value for that bond There’s no bond payment this year, but if this new bond passes on April 25, it could cost homeowners $2.49 per $1,000 of assessed value starting next year and the taxes are already pretty spendy," said Warren Johnson "They need to learn how to spend their money more wisely.” Thank you for completing the form, here is your download: "+jQuery("body").attr("docName")+" Thank you for completing the form, here is the link to your on-demand webinar: On-Demand Webinar Link — Three local fire and rescue groups in Pierce County may merge into one Fire commissioners for Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, Graham Fire & Rescue, as well as Orting Valley Fire and Rescue have “formally endorsed” exploring a merger, according to Central Pierce Fire’s website That means all three groups have taken legal steps to begin the actions needed to place a merger measure on a ballot Central Pierce Fire spokesperson Brianna Stenstrom wrote in an email Tuesday Some benefits of merging include faster response times reduction of overall costs and the ability to adapt to service demands as populations grow No firefighters at the three fire and rescue agencies would lose their jobs Asked about how much money a merger is estimated to save residents Stenstrom said that Central Pierce Fire does not know yet because the exploration stage is still in progress A merger would eliminate boundaries separating the three fire districts allowing the closest unit available to respond rather than the closest unit available within the respective fire district Fire commissioners for all three agencies found that the simplest and most cost-effective decision for Graham Fire and Orting Valley Fire is to ask voters for approval to merge into Central Pierce Fire Central Pierce Fire is the largest district of the three and it provides emergency services to Orting Valley Fire All three groups already work together through shared communications All three fire and rescue groups started taking steps to place a merger on a ballot in 2025 The steps include issuing a State Environmental Policy Act threshold determination of non-significance and filing a notice of intent with the Pierce County Boundary Review Board Stenstrom said that Central Pierce Fire anticipates the merger ballot measure to go in front of voters in early 2025 The Pierce County Boundary Review Board will conduct the boundary review the state Department of Ecology will approve the environmental review and the board of fire commissioners will decide if the merger will go to voters and the boundary review process will begin later this month,” Stenstrom wrote in the email The merger ballot measure would need a simple majority vote to pass Only voters in the Graham Fire and Orting Valley Fire districts would vote because Central Pierce Fire would be the host district Central Pierce Fire resources would not be reduced if and when Graham Fire and Orting Valley Fire merge into it Central Pierce Fire would undergo a rebranding process if the merger happens Central Pierce Fire Chief Dustin Morrow would lead the merger effort He has served as the Graham Fire Chief since March 2024 He has served as the Orting Valley Fire Chief since September 2023 Graham Fire’s board of fire commissioners adopted an administrative addendum to a master interlocal agreement making Morrow the fire chief while Central Pierce Fire explores a merger Central Pierce Fire entered into a contract with Orting Valley Fire Central Pierce Fire manages day-to-day operations and all Orting Valley Fire members became Central Pierce Fire’s employees Morrow’s salary is set at around $296,000 per year Central Pierce Fire and funds from the Orting Valley Fire contract cover his salary Central Pierce Fire has 356 firefighters and paramedics They serve about 256,000 residents in Puyallup Graham Fire has 106 firefighters and paramedics They serve about 70,000 residents in Graham They served about 22,400 residents in the Orting Valley over 330,000 residents would be supported across 179 square miles About 506 firefighters and 80 administrative staff would work under one organization “A merger would remove the political boundaries and combine the governance structure into one Board of Fire Commissioners Because all three districts are still individual taxing authorities we must run separate funding measures and maintain separate employment contracts and assets we would be one legal entity with one budget and one unified governance structure,” Stenstrom wrote in an email (c)2024 the Puyallup Herald (Puyallup, Wash.)Visit the Puyallup Herald (Puyallup, Wash.) at www.thenewstribune.com/puyallupDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright © 2025 Lexipol. All rights reserved.Do Not Sell My Personal Information BY KIRO NEWSRADIO STAFF Megan Hughes says a teacher in Orting began grooming her more than 10 years ago Now her daughter is enrolled in the same district and the teacher remains employed The man would leave notes on Hughes’ desk to build trust Their bond deepened after she started babysitting for him and they went to the same church “It started out with him tickling me or sitting really close to me to where his body was up against mine it would move to being tickled or eventually sitting on top of me or laying on top of me and there were times where he’d pin my arms down and tickle me where I couldn’t get up.” She says she didn’t tell an adult because the teacher was well-respected in the community and she just wanted the touching to stop He offered to give her extra lessons as the varsity coach and that’s when she says the inappropriate behavior started back up “He would tickle me right in the legs I remember when it got so bad that his hands were up so high his hands would be up against my genitals.” Hughes says she was often left with bruises ‘No.’ I would grab his hands and push them away And I remember squeezing my legs together so tight that when I got out of the car Hughes tried to avoid the teacher at all costs “I was in his classroom after school I just happened to be the last person outside the portable and he walked past me and smacked me on my butt but exposed enough where I feel like anyone could have opened the door that was the last one-on-one interaction that I had with him.” Hughes was vulnerable and she believes this teacher exploited that but I think I was just so ready for an older male role model that I was able to set all of those things that made me uncomfortable aside for so long.” She thinks that’s why she eventually got a phone call from a school board member in 2010 “There was a little bit of an understanding of what was going on by my friends So I was surprised when I got a call from a board member who had asked me if I ever had any inappropriate interactions with this teacher.” The board member told Hughes that the teacher she says abused her was being investigated she returned to Orting and enrolled her daughter into the school district “I saw that he was still on the roster and that’s when I sent an email to the superintendent informing her of what happened to me and I never heard back.” she sent an email to the principal detailing her alleged abuse The district had a third party investigator interview her Hughes said she then found out that a former student had filed a police report against the teacher in 2010 for sexual assault the district told Hughes there wasn’t enough evidence to charge the teacher and the investigation was closed She said the school district told her it didn’t reach out to the other victim and it didn’t pull the police report because it was old Hughes said she turned to social media on June 14 with her story Hughes said she’s received overwhelming support and over 50 complaints about the teacher from other former students as well as complaints directed toward other teachers in the Orting School District Hughes said there is a culture of abuse in the Orting School District that needs to stop Sheridan Mack said the same teacher groomed her while she was a student and allegedly assaulted her in 2007 when she was 20 years old He had returned to the school for a visit after her brother graduated “He had me stand up to see how tall I was or something because he said I’ve grown so much,” Mack said “And then he grabs me and pulled me against him I was freaking out because I could feel his hands all over my body And I screamed and he got really freaked out because we were still on school premises and I think he knew he could be caught and he let me go.” Mack said she would have taken this secret to her grave she was doing her teacher training and realized it was important to help other kids She filed a report with Orting police and filed a formal complaint with the Orting School District She said the school board did a shoddy investigation “And the reason I know they didn’t actively pursue anything is because none of my classmates ever were asked,” Mack said “They never obviously found out about Hughes it would have validated everything I was saying.” An Orting police report confirms a complaint was filed against the teacher in 2010 There were no charges filed because the prosecutor said it was past the statute of limitations In the days since Hughes’ social media post the Orting School District has re-opened the investigation into the teacher Officials say new evidence has come to light the teacher was placed on administrative leave during the investigation The Orting School District is asking anyone with information to report it to the Safe Schools alert by texting “Orting” to 206-448-4545 A request for comment from the teacher was not answered by the posting of this story a Pierce County Judge set the bail at $1 million for two Thurston County teens accused of murdering a 51-year-old Orting man One of the suspects is 16-year-old Gabriel Davies who was reported missing and then found in Thurston County last week The medical examiner confirmed the identity of the 51-year-old victim as Daniel McCaw who died of multiple gunshot and stab wounds RELATED | Former missing Olympia teen connected to Orting homicide Davies has told conflicting stories to investigators and his family he told his father he was threatened by the victim’s friends and forced to steal something from the victim’s home 16-year-old Davies had authorities on a frantic search after he was reported missing under mysterious circumstances only to be arrested for murder a day later along with 16-year-old Justin Yoon Davies did not speak much during his initial court appearance Tuesday Both are being charged as adults and are being held at Remann Hall on $1 million bail due to the seriousness of the allegations so KOMO has chosen to show their faces even though they are minors “The evidence we have to date is the two of them plotted and planned this murder,” Lisa Wagner with the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said “There’s a substantial level of violence inflicted on the victim.” Court documents state two people matching Davies’ and Yoon’s build were seen on the victim’s surveillance cameras going into the home around 2 AM on August 28th through a dog door Davies was reported missing under suspicious circumstances after blood was found in his vehicle and his phone smashed Davies and Yoon were arrested after Pierce County deputies found a 51-year-old man dead inside his home stabbed and shot with his own guns multiple times “The defendant staged his disappearance after the crime we know he made attempts to conceal evidence,” Wagner said “He did come forward after his arrest and did show law enforcement the location of the guns and knives.” Court documents state Davies told his father he was threatened by the victim’s friends to steal something from the victim’s home He initially told detectives he couldn’t remember where he’d been during his disappearance and “admitted to damaging his own cell phone because he was afraid that the police were going to find what was on it.” Davies also claimed it was Yoon who killed the man “Of particular concern is the fact that when detectives went out on Friday night to serve the search warrant they saw the defendant’s family was packing up an RV that night,” Wagner said during Yoon’s brief court appearance Tuesday “Their concern was that they might be trying to leave the area.” Davies also led investigators to the weapons stolen from the victim’s home investigators believe was used in the murder KOMO reached out to attorneys for both teens Davies’ attorney says he has not yet been able to review the evidence and it’s too early to comment at this time.