Eastside Digest
Warrant issued in flu-shot case

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BELLEVUE — Police still are searching for a Bellevue man charged with nine felonies for allegedly administering flu shots without a license.

A $1 million arrest warrant has been issued for Shahid Sheikh, 45, who is to be arraigned tomorrow. Sheikh was expected to surrender to authorities last week but never showed up, said Michael Chiu, a Bellevue police spokesman.

"He is wanted, and we are actively looking for him," Chiu said.

Sheikh owns MedSources, a company that provided vaccinations to the public. Prosecutors say he gave as many as 700 flu shots without a license.

Sheikh faces 10 counts of unlicensed practice of a profession: one misdemeanor and nine felonies.

Bellevue site selected for gypsy-moth spraying

BELLEVUE — State officials want to spray 11 acres of land near downtown Bellevue to control gypsy moths, an insect that can ravage trees and shrubs by devouring foliage.

The area surrounding the intersection of Northeast Eighth Street and 120th Avenue Northeast is one of three in the state targeted for spraying this year by the state Department of Agriculture. Those sites were picked because there is evidence the insects are establishing a presence there, according to the department.

Plans call for workers on the ground to apply the insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, or B.t.k, to the area three times in late April and early May.

Public Health — Seattle & King County says the insecticide is considered safe for people and animals. But the agency notes that there have been a few complaints of rashes, breathing difficulties or eye irritation after the pesticide was applied. The public-health agency recommends minimizing exposure to the pesticide.

To learn more, call the state Agriculture Department at 800-443-6684, or go to www.agr.wa.gov and click on "Gypsy Moth."

Information is from the Eastside bureau of The Seattle Times.

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