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The Chronicle - Centralia
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New open-air fentanyl market pops up in downtown Portland; despite difficulties, police vow to 'kill that spot'
Officer Eli Arnold was hiding on Nov. 1, watching a man in a black rain jacket, khakis and a fanny pack hand out what he thought was fentanyl to people in exchange for cash. Many of the people who interacted with the man in the black rain jacket then immediately lit up “an unknown substance on a piece of tinfoil.” Officers moved in and arrested the man in the rain jacket, finding about 9 grams of fentanyl on him — far more fentanyl than is usual for one person to have, police and court documents state. That man, Eric Hurtado, was not the first suspected drug dealer to be arrested near Southwest 13th Avenue and Yamhill Street, a relatively new drug-dealing and drug-using hotspot in Portland. Dozens of people have been gathering at or within a few blocks of the intersection for weeks. It’s among the most popular open-air places for drug users and dealers to congregate since downtown Portland’s boarded-up Washington Center was raided last year, police said. The Portland Police Bureau has arrested at least seven people in the area for suspected drug dealing in less than a month, court records show. The Portland Clinic on Southwest 13th Avenue and Yamhill Street recently announced it would close to patient care, citing safety concerns. Drug dealers and police are aware of each other and have been playing a cat-and-mouse game in the area. On Oct. 25, for example, Officer Daniel Hall was at the intersection when he saw a man “surrounded by a large population of transient individuals who had cash in their hands,” according to court records. As Hall approached, people whistled and shouted “Six up,” meaning police were coming. The man surrounded by people with cash in their hands looked up, spotted Hall, then leaned over some planter boxes and walked off, court records state. Hall checked inside the planter boxes and found clear baggies with white powder inside that later tested positive for fentanyl. Police arrested the man and found about $76.50 of “loose disorganized bills” in the man’s pockets. That same night, Hall was approaching a parking lot near Southwest 14th Avenue and Yamhill Street when someone yelled “Six up,” and Hall caught sight of a man whose right pants pocket appeared to be filled to the brim with cash. Searching the man, police found $1,895 in cash and 17 grams of fentanyl pills. They also came up with a phone, coated in a white powder, that continuously pinged while police searched him. “Hey can I come see you I only got 140 so not to much this time,” one message read, according to court records. The arrests in the area have continued. One week later, Arnold, who lost a run for Portland City Council this year, was watching people gathered near Southwest 13th Avenue and Taylor Street. After seeing a man repeatedly make what appeared to be drug transactions, he radioed to another officer on the Portland Police Bureau’s Bike Squad that there was probable cause to make an arrest. Two officers arrested the man, finding white powder in baggies, cash and pills. At least three other arrests since then, including an arrest Friday, followed a similar pattern. In the approximately three years since the Bike Squad has been surveilling drug-dealing groupings and making arrests, Arnold has seen a pattern emerge, he said. Something about a particular spot will draw in drug dealers and users. There might be a convenience store nearby, or benches and rain cover, or light from a nearby building or a MAX stop. Then, Arnold said, “the efficiency gains of grouping up will start to drag everybody more toward that one spot,” and a drug hotspot comes into being. Police then focus their enforcement on the space, until the dealers and users disperse for good. A new hotspot will then pop up a few blocks or more away, and the police again start targeting the dealers, Arnold said. The cycle pushes the groupings around the city. For years, Portland’s drug dealing was centered in Chinatown, near the Greyhound Station. When police started aggressively “picking off” dealers there around 2021, the dealers moved to Northwest 2nd Avenue and Glisan Street, then to Northwest 5th Avenue and Davis Street, and eventually to Southwest 4th Avenue and Washington Street in front of the Washington Center. The one on Washington Street got so big, it was shut down in a widely publicized raid. Arnold first saw people gathered at 13th and Yamhill around Oct. 30, and it quickly became clear to him that something had to be done. The large open-air drug markets began appearing in Portland soon after Measure 110, decriminalizing possession and use of drugs in Oregon, went into effect in 2021, Arnold said. When users understood they could use drugs openly without fear of arrest, he said, they started gathering near the source of the drugs — the dealers. The dealers, in turn, often benefited from the cover provided by having more people around them. Soon there was a backlash to Measure 110, and lawmakers repealed the decriminalization of drug possession during a short session earlier this year. Beginning Sept. 1, possessing drugs was again a misdemeanor crime. Arnold said he has found that the places where people buy fentanyl are usually south of West Burnside Street, where he believes the dealing is likely connected to the Mexican cartels, selling primarily fentanyl, Arnold said. Those dealers rarely, if ever, go north of Burnside, where dealers associated with local gangs sell crack cocaine, meth, Xanax and smaller quantities of fentanyl. It takes concentrated enforcement and multiple arrests of drug dealers for people to give up on an illegal drug market. Now a critical mass has gathered at 13th and Yamhill, an area that has some particular disadvantages for police, chiefly because it’s harder for them to observe suspected drug dealers, Arnold said. “I can just tell you that this is a harder spot to use our surveillance techniques on, the way we normally do it,” Arnold said, adding that he didn’t want to say too much for fear of giving drug dealers and users information that could be useful for them. The place where the bulk of people gather is lined with tall trees, and there are no buildings to the east of The Portland Clinic from which officers could easily monitor the scene without detection. It’s unclear, though, if those are the reasons police say surveillance in that area is more challenging. Despite the difficulties, Arnold is confident the police will be able to pressure the users and dealers enough in the coming weeks to make them stay away and find another place. “I wouldn’t expect it to last too much longer there,” Arnold said. “At least, it’s my goal to kill that spot here shortly.” ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Waterspout spotted off the Pacific Northwest coast
Trained weather spotters spotted some weather Wednesday afternoon when they saw “a well-defined waterspout just west of the Long Beach peninsula in Washington," according to the National Weather Service in Portland. A waterspout is a swirling column of water. If it comes ashore, it becomes a tornado. Tornados and waterspouts aren’t especially common in Oregon and Washington, though officials confirmed an EF-0 tornado hit Rockaway Beach on the Oregon coast earlier this month. On Tuesday, the coast began to experience a “bomb cyclone,” which brought high waves and wind. Wednesday’s waterspout was observed between 3:16 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The National Weather Service, in a post on Facebook, said the current storm is “still capable of producing waterspouts,” noting that a tornado warning was in effect for the area until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Pacific Northwest 'bomb cyclone' leaves erratic path of destruction in its wake
SEATTLE — Hours after a massive windstorm howled with gusts up to 74 mph in the lowlands, crews in Western Washington were working Wednesday to restore electricity for over 640,000 customers who lost power overnight. At least two people have died. One died when wind toppled a tree at a Lynnwood homeless encampment Tuesday night. And another woman was killed Tuesday evening by a tree that fell on a home in the Bridle Trails area, according to Bellevue fire. A rotating rapidly intensifying system of storms, known as a bomb cyclone, skirted the West Coast and churned about 300 miles west of the Olympic Peninsula. Its strength appeared to be waning Wednesday, though a sequel system could move in Thursday or Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Over 400,000 people of those without power were Puget Sound Energy customers, outside the city of Seattle. Heavy snow, fallen trees and — on Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie Pass — a jackknifed semitruck blocked routes in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Some flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were also rerouted when the storm was near its peak. Seattle-area residents reported widespread cellular service outages for three of the major telecommunications companies — Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T — according to Downdetector. A Verizon spokesperson confirmed the windstorm that swept through Western Washington on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning interrupted service for customers. "Verizon crews and vendors deployed as soon as it was safe to do so and will be working around the clock to restore service as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Five people were treated for storm-related injuries Wednesday at Harborview Medical Center, according to hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg. One person remains in critical condition. Five people were also treated at the University of Washington Medical Center Northwest and another three at the hospital’s Montlake building, all of whom are in satisfactory condition. ___ ©2024 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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After election, here's what crisis hotlines in Washington state saw
SEATTLE — In the early hours of Nov. 6, as it became clear that Donald Trump was poised to win his reelection bid for the presidency, the LGBTQ+ youth chat and text line for crisis line operator Volunteers of America began lighting up with calls and texts from teenagers. The chat line saw nearly double the number of messages it normally gets during an eight-hour shift. "The queue was backed up, people were waiting on hold," said Stacie Simmons, a shift lead. "It pretty much started immediately, even in the graveyard hours. Kids were feeling a lot of uncertainty about what does this look like for the community, how will they be treated at school." Though Trump doesn't take office for two months, election night clearly raised anxieties and fears for many Americans. In Washington, operators of some regional crisis lines say they saw a spike in calls in the days after Nov. 5, with the majority of callers expressing worry about the potential impacts of the election. While an increase in calls can't explicitly be tied to any one event, operators say many of the calls they're taking are related to Trump's promises to roll back rights for transgender Americans and conduct mass deportations of large numbers of undocumented immigrants. Crisis Connections, which operates hotlines including 988 in King County, saw a 9% increase in calls the week after the election, compared to call volume in the month before. Volunteers of America, which also has crisis line centers across Washington, didn't see a major increase in call volume. But the number of people calling with election-related concerns spiked right after the election, operators said. Izzy Engberg, a clinician who answers calls for Volunteers of America, said nearly every single call on Nov. 6 was related to the election. "A lot of people were calling in crisis about that. They were overwhelmed, having anxiety about their families, how this will relate to them in the future," Engberg said. Nationally, crisis lines have seen even larger spikes in calls from LGBTQ+ youth with concerns about the new administration. The Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth, reported a 700% increase in calls to the hotline the day after the election. Zach Eisenstein, a spokesperson for the Trevor Project, said an estimated 30% of those callers were youth from communities of color, and more than 40% were transgender and nonbinary youth. Nov. 6, the day after the election, also marked the largest surge in daily calls since the Trevor Project began providing around-the-clock services in 2019, Eisenstein said. "I think what (the election) did was create an increase in anxiety overall," said Alice Nichols, the senior director of clinical operations for Crisis Connections. "Some are anxious for personal situations, and some are anxious just in this global sense — what will this election mean for our country?" Both Volunteers of America and Crisis Connections increased their staff levels in anticipation of the election, and expect they may need to do so again as the inauguration approaches. Crisis line responders do not share their political views with callers. Instead, their role is to listen, empathize with people and validate what they're feeling. Reid Johnson, a program manager for Volunteers of America, said many people who call may be from a family or a region that holds different political beliefs than they do, and they may not have another outlet to talk about their concerns. "That's a large part of what 988 call takers have experienced," he said. "Finding a way to give people space to express what they're feeling in a way that's nonjudgmental, because they might not have that in the area they're in." Johnson said the organization also makes sure it's supporting its crisis line operators, as many may be going through the same things as the people they're helping. That can mean letting people take mental breaks when they need to, or increasing staff to share the work. Nichols said crisis line responders can also help people identify tools to get them through a difficult time — often things that may already be at their disposal. "A lot of times when we're in distress we forget the resources we already have available to us," Nichols said. That can include reminding them of skills they've already developed in the past, or encouraging someone to be politically active with whatever group they feel called to in order to find a productive outlet for their anxiety or distress. It can also include finding ways to de-stress like listening to music, playing a game, or taking a walk. Crisis line workers also help connect people to therapy and support groups. Engman also urged people to remember that they can call 988 for any mental health concern — not just for emergency situations. "I'd get a lot of people on election night who would start off their call saying, 'I think a lot of people have bigger things going on than me,'" Engman said. "You don't have to be escalated. Every crisis is valid." ___ (c)2024 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Idaho education board will consider eliminating diversity offices from UI and other state colleges
The Idaho State Board of Education will consider a resolution this week to eliminate diversity and equity offices from universities. The board's draft resolution, which will be taken up in a special meeting Thursday, states "institutions shall ensure that no central office, policy, procedure, or initiative is dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion." If passed, it's possible the resolution could scrap diversity offices from Boise State University, University of Idaho, Idaho State University and Lewis-Clark State College, according to the agenda for Nov. 21. Colleges like University of Idaho have other centers that collaborate and function under their Diversity and Equity office, including the Women's Center, which educates students on abusive relationships, safe sex, pregnancy, communication and more. The Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Black and African American Cultural Center and the College Assistant Migrant Program — which provides a supplemental scholarship, academic help, mentorship and other support services — is also under the Diversity and Equity office. It's unclear how the programs will move forward if the board approves the resolution. State board spokesperson Mike Keckler declined to comment on the draft resolution Wednesday, but said the board will only be reviewing the resolution at Thursday's meeting to decide if they want to take action. Asked if the University of Idaho would shut down its diversity and equity office, spokesperson Jodi Walker also declined to comment until after the board's meeting on Thursday. Diversity and inclusion efforts within federal grants, academic research, athletics and scholarships will be exempt from elimination, the resolution states. Idaho's accreditors do not require these colleges to maintain diversity offices, the proposal says, and the board wants to "ensure" that "all students succeed regardless of personal identity characteristics" and that success programs are "dedicated to all students." The resolution also says no college employee should be required to state their gender pronouns in any form of communication. The resolution will be considered a month after the first meeting of a diversity, equity and inclusion task force formed in the Idaho Legislature following a years-long national debate about taxpayer-funded diversity and inclusion programs. This year, Idaho Gov. Brad Little also signed a bill banning higher education institutions from including diversity statements in their hiring processes. The task force, made up of eight state lawmakers, met last month for the first time to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion practices, according to Idaho Education News. Rep. Barbara Ehardt, a Republican from Idaho Falls, told the task force she was concerned campus diversity programs could be used as a "reverse weapon" to discriminate against other students, the outlet reported. "This is very encouraging to hear .. I brought this to light with President Trump," Ehardt told The Spokesman-Review on Wednesday. "What has been happening was the very essence of dividing groups of people by gender and class." Ehardt said she's been fighting diversity, equity and inclusion programs since 2019. She previously taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara and coached women's sports in schools throughout the West. "Most everyone has heard my comments since I have continually fought appropriations for this," she added. "I'm pleased. I commend the board." But former University of Idaho graduate Ismael Mendoza, who utilized the diversity office when going to school, said he had no community until he found the multicultural program there. "I just could not imagine myself being the person I am today," Mendoza said. "It wasn't until I was in these spaces until I learned to flourish and be myself." Those offices had to have some tough and serious conversations with Mendoza about his life and future, he said, because he came from a small, rural town in Idaho where he felt he lacked a lot of diverse experiences. He wants his nieces and nephews who are going into higher education to have the same resources he did, he said. "My parents weren't able to teach us these things because they didn't have those resources," he said. "To not have these would break my heart." Rep. Chris Mathias, who sits on the Education Committee, told The Spokesman-Review that if the board wants to eliminate DEI offices in schools, the resolution must first define what it is. And if that happens, the attempt is "shortsighted," he said. "The distribution of rights in our country is not a zero-sum game. It is not as easy to navigate a post-secondary campus if you have black or brown skin ... To suggest support offices are bad, exclusionary and racist is really ill-informed," said Mathias, a Democrat from Boise. "It undermines the unity and success of the country." When Mathias attended Boise State University, he was on the advisory board for the women's center. Most would think it's odd as a man, he said, but it's not up to women only to support women. "Improving women's lives isn't just a woman's job — it's all of our jobs," he said. "The same is true for any center improving learning outcomes for Hispanic students isn't just a job for Hispanic people. Anyone can empower them." The board's meeting is set for noon Pacific Time on Thursday. ___ (c)2024 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) Visit The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) at www.spokesman.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Idaho college murder suspect Bryan Kohberger can get death penalty if convicted, judge rules
University of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger can face the death penalty if convicted in the four students' deaths, an Ada County judge ruled Wednesday. Kohberger, a former Washington State University student, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in the stabbing deaths of students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in November 2022. His attorneys previously filed multiple motions attempting to take the death penalty off the table provided Kohberger is found guilty of the homicides. Ada County Judge Steven Hippler, who now oversees the case since it was moved from Moscow to Boise to quell concerns of jury bias, rejected all 12 attempts from the defense to strike the death penalty. In the 55-page decision, Hippler laid out the defense's arguments, which included how the death penalty is used in various places in the state. The defense also claimed that geography has a say in who gets the death penalty and who does not. Attorneys Anne Taylor, Jay Logsdon and Elisa Massoth cited a national treaty from 1992 barring undue punishment, arguing that the law is unconstitutionally vague and provides no clarity on a lesser penalty, among other arguments. Hippler said their argument "defies logic." Idaho passed a law in 2023 to allow death by firing squad if lethal injection is unavailable, which the defense also claimed was cruel and unusual. Hippler shot down the defense arguments, saying the prosecution has a legal basis to ask for the death penalty under the law. The law is clear, Hippler explained, even when barred in other states: the death penalty has been declared constitutional in Idaho. "It is difficult to conclude the death penalty contravenes evolving standards of decency when a majority of the states of this nation continues to provide for it as a punishment," he wrote in the decision. To sentence Kohberger to death, prosecutors must prove to a jury at least one "aggravating factor," or factor that makes the crime more heinous in nature, existed during the time of the killings. Latah County prosecutors listed five factors in their intent to seek death, including that Kohberger exhibited utter disregard for human life, he's a continuing threat to society and one murder was committed at the time of another murder. The defense also took aim at these factors, but Hippler noted case law that narrows the reasoning of why those factors could be applied; that "depravity" in such a crime can "offend all standards of morality" and that propensity to commit murder applies to a "willing, predisposed killer" who "tends towards destroying the life of another." And because the defense also took to challenge the Eighth Amendment on the basis of the death penalty being cruel and unusual, it's also their job to provide for a more humane alternative. The defense did not do this, Hippler wrote. He also implied the defense's motions were not timely or in the midst of controversy since the case hasn't gone to trial and there is no verdict yet, so deciding on a method of death just based on the "defendant's distress" is essentially pointless. "Assuming the defendant is convicted, and the death penalty imposed, it would likely be at least a decade before he is executed," Hippler wrote. "To decide now as to the constitutionality to any given method would amount to an advisory opinion." Kohberger's trial is set for next summer. ___ (c)2024 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) Visit The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) at www.spokesman.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Washington man sentenced to five years after detonating bomb
SPOKANE — Nicholas Andrew Anardi, 33, of Moses Lake has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after setting off an explosive device. Chief Judge Stanley A. Bastian of the U.S. District Court Eastern Washington District also imposed three years of supervised release following imprisonment in Anardi's case. According to court documents, Anardi's garage had been burglarized while he was in prison. Anardi believed he knew who the culprit was and decided to build two explosive devices to scare the alleged robbers. Using a model rocket engine for one of the bombs and an aerial mortar round for the other, he wrapped metal wire and pennies which would act as homemade shrapnel around the explosives. The improvised shrapnel was held in place by black electrical tape. On Sept. 11, 2021, Anardi rode his bike to an apartment where the person he suspected of robbing his garage lived. He then lit one bomb and threw it over the fence toward the apartment, but the bomb did not go off. Anardi then lit the second bomb and rolled it to the door of the apartment. That bomb exploded a few seconds later, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release. A nearby resident reported hearing a loud bang and something hitting her door. The resident described the noise as being like someone hitting the door with a sledgehammer. She opened the door and saw the unexploded bomb and called 911. The Washington State Patrol bomb squad responded to the call and rendered the bomb inert. Several pieces of the exploded bomb were then collected as evidence including one piece that had been thrown about 130 feet from the blast site. Investigators also reported finding a coin and metal wire embedded in the door of a nearby apartment. "Mr. Anardi built two deadly bombs that included homemade shrapnel and attempted to detonate them in an apartment complex full of people. Thankfully, no one was hurt by Mr. Anaradi's reckless and dangerous behavior," stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff's Office and was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms and Patrick J. Cashman, according to the release. "The danger posed by explosives such as the ones Mr. Anardi built and used cannot be overstated," said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. "Shrapnel from an explosion knows no difference between an intended target and an unintentional bystander, making this attempted attack that much more dangerous to the community. Because of this, we believe today's prison sentence is well deserved." ___ (c)2024 the Columbia Basin Herald, Wash. Visit the Columbia Basin Herald, Wash. at www.columbiabasinherald.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Police in Pierce County seize $625,000 in narcotics after extensive drug-dealing investigation
Tacoma police seized a large collection of narcotics with a street value of about $625,000 in an investigation of an alleged narcotics dealer that ended Nov. 14, according to a news release. The confiscated drugs included 25 pounds of fentanyl powder, 9,500 fentanyl pills, 2.3 pounds of methamphetamine and about 1/3 pound of crack cocaine, according to the release. Investigators also seized five guns, one of which was reported stolen. The suspect allegedly specialized in selling fentanyl, methamphetamine and crack cocaine in Tacoma, primarily along the Puyallup Avenue corridor, according to the news release. "This investigation and subsequent arrest represent a significant victory in addressing the opioid and fentanyl crisis while mitigating gun-violence associated with narcotics trafficking," the release said. The suspect, a 40-year-old man with previous convictions, was charged in Pierce County Superior Court on Nov. 15 with multiple counts, including unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to charging documents. He posted $25,000 bail and was released from jail Monday, court records show. Police reports contained in the charging documents say that officers obtained search warrants for the suspect's apartment in Tacoma, an apartment in Milton where his wife and children live, a vehicle and his person. On Nov. 14, officers arrived at the suspect's Tacoma apartment near the Tacoma Dome to serve the warrant and approached the defendant when he came outside and began walking toward his car, carrying a black backpack on his shoulder. He began running and threw the backpack over a nearby bridge, court records show. Officers retrieved the backpack and found several thousand pills and a large amount of suspected fentanyl powder inside, along with $1,000 cash and a scale. They found more drugs and a total of five firearms after searching the suspect's apartment and car and the Milton apartment, records show. ___ (c)2024 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) Visit The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) at www.TheNewsTribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Thurston County names two new directors as year of transition, departures continues
Thurston County promoted two women into permanent directorships for its public health and planning departments on Monday amid of year of transition and departures. Jennifer Freiheit has been tapped to lead Public Health and Social Services, according to a news release. Freiheit joined the county as assistant PHSS director in March 2023 and has more than 20 years of public health experience, her LinkedIn profile shows. County Manager Leonard Hernandez described her as a "dedicated, collaborative leader" in the news release. "Her expertise, communication, and leadership skills will be instrumental as we work to improve the health and well-being of our community," Hernandez said. Her appointment comes about five months after she became interim PHSS director, replacing David Bayne, who resigned just 17 months after taking on the role. Meanwhile, Ashley Arai has been promoted to Director of Community Planning and Economic Development. She became interim CPED director last summer when Joshua Cummings left that role to become assistant county manager.. Arai joined the county in August 2021 and has previously worked as an agriculture community program manager and community planning manager, according to her LinkedIn profile. Hernandez said Arai's experience makes her "uniquely qualified" to lead CPED. "Ashley's extensive land use planning experience will be instrumental in balancing the needs of our community," Hernandez said. "We are fortunate to have her on the Thurston County team." The news release says the promotions occurred after a competitive recruitment process was conducted. The county has seen several leadership changes and challenges in 2024, which is the first full year the Board of County Commissioners have had five members rather than three. Many changes occurred following the April 1 start date for Hernandez, who left a previous job in California amid controversy.
What happened with the former PHSS director? Bayne submitted his resignation letter to Hernandez on May 29, according to a copy obtained by The Olympian. At the time, the county said he resigned to "pursue a new opportunity" outside the county. "While we are disappointed to see David leave the county, we appreciate his leadership and contributions to our county, especially as we continue to work through the recovery phase of the COVID pandemic," Hernandez previously said. Since then, Bayne has worked about four months as a Government Relations Manager for the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, according to his LinkedIn profile. Bayne currently works as a Policy Director for Hopelab, a San Francisco-based startup focused on adolescent and young adult health. The Olympian also obtained a few emails about Bayne's departure. In a May 31 email to PHSS staff, Bayne described his decision to leave as "incredibly difficult" and said serving as PHSS director was a highlight of his career. "I've tried my best to lead with a people-first mentality, compassion and transparency, and I feel so confident that those values will continue to take root and spread here at PHSS," Bayne said in the email. Freiheit sent an email to staff on June 3, the day she officially started as interim PHSS director. She acknowledged staff may have feelings of "uncertainty, anxiety and fear" around yet another leadership change. "Especially for those of you that have weathered so many changes in the last decade, I understand that there will be many feelings and emotions," Freiheit said. "I want you to know that I am here to hear. Change is difficult and sometimes takes a long time until we are stable again, but I will work hard to get us there."
What happened with the former CPED director? Cummings moved into an assistant county manager role earlier this year. He's expected to replace Robin Campbell, who is retiring by the end of the year, The Olympian previously reported. "I want to give my utmost thanks to Robin as she begins to transition out of her role here at the county and into her next chapter of retirement," Hernandez said in an August news release. "Robin's leadership and organizational knowledge will be missed greatly." Campbell previously told The Olympian she looks forward to her retirement after a 41-year career in public service. She said Cummings is a great choice for her role. "I've worked with Josh since he joined the county," Campbell said. "He's passionate about providing excellent service to our community, and I'm sure he will continue to do an outstanding job in this new role." The county overlapped Cummings appointment with Campbell's final year to allow for a smooth transition, Hernandez previously said. Cummings joined Rob Gelder, another assistant county manager who was hired in April 2023. The county plans to hold a retirement party for Campbell at the Atrium, located at 3000 Pacific Ave. from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, according to the Board of County Commissioners master calendar. The commission is expected to go on a winter recess from Dec. 18 to Jan. 5. Another appointment and some notable departures The county also has formally appointed Summer Miller as its Budget and Fiscal Manager in the Commissioners' Office. "Summer has stabilized the budget, created efficiencies, and built financial systems that have put the department into a position of continued accuracy and forecasting," Hernandez said. "Her expertise and dedication will be invaluable to our organization." Additionally, there were a couple notable departures this year. Devi Ogden left her role as the county's Racial Equity Program Manager in Sept. 30, according to the county. She now works at Washington State Department of Ecology. Ogden worked about 15 months at the county from June 2023 to September of this year. She replaced Nicole Miller, who served as the program manager from August 2021 to January 2023. Miller said she was unfairly fired by then county manager Ramiro Chavez. Her departure stalled progress on the county Racial Equity Plan and left the Racial Equity Council in limbo for months. The county finally adopted a 12-page plan in late 2023, more than two years after the county declared racism a crisis. The council's last meeting was scheduled for Sept. 16, according to the county website, but no minutes had been posted as of Tuesday. The last meeting with posted minutes was on Aug. 22. "The Racial Equity and Inclusion Council is not meeting this month due to the Thanksgiving holiday," Clerk of the Board Amy Davis said. "They are expected to conduct their monthly meeting in December." On Monday, Commissioner Carolina Mejia told her seatmates she and Hernandez met with the co-chairs of the Racial Equity Council last Friday. Mejia said the county is planning to hold a strategic planning session for the council in January. Sometime in December, she said the council will meet with the commissioners to discuss next steps. Lastly, Meghan Porter, the county's Communications Manager, left her role on Oct. 25 after more than eight years with the county, according to the county and her LinkedIn profile. Davis said Ogden and Porter both left to "pursue opportunities external to Thurston County." The county's career website did not show job postings for a Racial Equity Manager or Communications Manager as of Tuesday. Davis said an impending budget shortfall has prompted the county to evaluate all general fund positions before starting recruitment efforts. However, Davis said the county intends to begin recruiting a Racial Equity Program Manager in the next several weeks. ___ (c)2024 The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.) Visit The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.) at www.theolympian.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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Washington gun-buying background check process underway again after computer outage
The gun-buying background check process is underway again after a two-week delay tied to a statewide computer system outage, the Washington State Patrol announced Monday. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has been able to restore online services, the agency announced in a news release. "WSP's secure automated firearms E-Check or SAFE system regained connectivity with AOC's data repository on Sunday afternoon after the suspension of data availability was caused by computer system security concerns," the release reads. According to State Patrol, the agency receives an average of 700 background check requests each business day. During the delay, they continued to do non-computer-related work "so that once data services were regained, delayed background checks could be completed quickly." In the first eight hours after service was restored, WSP completed more than 6,500 of the backlogged checks, they said. The Administrative Office of the Courts explained the outage in a series of updates on social media: — Nov. 18: "The Administrative Office of the Courts is in the process of bringing up systems on the Washington Courts network, following successful work and testing throughout the weekend. We can confirm that there was no detected breach of data and the event did not result in ransomware, due to quick action taken to isolate and secure the network." — Nov. 13: "Work is continuing to progress to restore the Washington Courts Network. At this time, we are cautiously optimistic that systems will be operational next week. Due to the interconnectivity of the network, all systems will be restored simultaneously once work has concluded." — Nov. 12: "The Administrative Office of the Courts anticipates service interruptions to continue throughout this week, while work is ongoing to secure and reestablish the Washington Courts network. While analysis is ongoing, there is no evidence that any court or personal data has been accessed, altered or removed during the unauthorized activity that was detected." This story was originally published November 19, 2024, 12:23 PM. ___ (c)2024 The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.) Visit The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.) at www.theolympian.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
