$1 million fencing sought to keep elk away

Instead of moving a herd of elk that has been hemmed in by development in Sequim, wildlife managers have decided to spend about $1 million to erect fences to keep the animals out of highways and farms.

An earlier idea to move the elk out of the area was panned by the public. The fence is intended to keep the elk on public land and out of urban areas. Now the tribal and state co-managers of the herd are looking for money to pay for the fence.

The elk became an issue when suburban development encroached on their traditional habitat. The elk have become a nuisance, eating and trampling crops, and damaging city parks.

Snohomish County

Apartment fire hurts 2, displaces 10

An apartment fire near Everett sent two people to the hospital Monday and displaced 10 residents, according to Snohomish County Fire District 1.

The fire broke out about 3:35 p.m. at a fourplex apartment near 124th Street and Meridian Avenue South, across the street from fire-district headquarters, said district spokeswoman Leslie Hynes.

A paramedic who'd gone outside to take a break during a class reported the fire, Hynes said.

Some of the paramedics from the class helped treat a man and woman who were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Hynes said.

The extent of their injuries, their names and conditions were not released.

Lynnwood

Furniture-store fire was arson, lab says

A $2 million fire that destroyed a Lynnwood furniture store Thursday morning was arson, city fire officials announced Monday.

The fire broke out at Furniture World, at 19215 Highway 99, at 3:30 a.m.

Search dogs found evidence that was sent to a state lab, where the determination of arson was made, said Fire Chief Gary Olson.

A $10,000 award for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the arsonist is offered by the Arson Alarm Fund, which is funded by the NW Insurance Council. The 24-hour arson hotline is 800-552-7766.

About 60 people — mostly students and a few faculty members — held another candlelight vigil Monday to protest Seattle University's plan to close its skilled-nursing facility on campus.

The protesters staged an initial vigil last week after Seattle U. officials announced Jan. 8 that the Bessie Burton Sullivan facility would be closed in March and converted into classrooms, offices and student housing.

Meanwhile, members of the Academic Assembly — comprised of elected faculty leaders — have passed a motion saying they are "greatly distressed" by the university's decision. The motion also calls for a special meeting next week to further investigate the closure, said Seattle U. psychology professor Steen Halling.

University administrators say the decision was long in coming and remains final. But they say everything possible is being done to make sure the transition is smooth and conducted compassionately.

Another vigil is planned Wednesday in front of the SU Administration Building.

Seattle

Commuters can use garage at Northgate

Commuters using the Northgate Transit Center will be able to leave their cars in an underground parking garage at a mixed-use development to be built next door, under an agreement approved Monday by the Metropolitan King County Council.

The county's deal with developer Lorig and Associates is the final agreement needed to turn the Northgate Park-and-Ride north of the Target store into a Seattle park and replace the lost parking spaces with new spaces in garages at Northgate Mall and Lorig's planned Northgate South Commons.

The county signed deals last year with the city and Northgate Mall owner Simon Properties, which has begun building a parking garage near the JC Penney store. The county will lease 280 parking spaces from Simon and 350 parking spaces from Lorig, for a net increase of 80 Northgate-area spaces for commuters, said county assistant transportation director Ron Posthuma.

Posthuma said Sound Transit's light-rail extension to Northgate, if approved by voters in November, is expected to bring a rail station to Northeast 103rd Street between the two new garages. The Northgate Mall garage is scheduled to open this year, the Northgate South garage in 2009.

Seattle

Boy in detention collapses, dies

A 17-year-old boy, who had been arrested on a warrant that later turned out to be invalid, died after he collapsed about 1:30 a.m. Friday, shortly after he was booked at the King County juvenile jail, county officials said.

The boy hasn't been identified. Seattle police are investigating his death.

The teen was first contacted by authorities shortly after 10:30 p.m. Thursday -- when a Seattle police officer reportedly saw him drinking alcohol on a street corner in Belltown, police said. The officer checked the teen's name and found an active arrest warrant, according to police.

The teen displayed paperwork indicating that the warrant had been quashed earlier that day, but officials at the King County Youth Service Center requested that police detain the boy, according to a police statement. He was taken to the Seattle Police West Precinct, held briefly then transported to the youth detention center.

Upon reaching the detention facility, the teen collapsed. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center and later died.

Seattle

County found liable for project mishap

King County must pay a contractor for damage caused when a shaft flooded during a sewer project, because the county failed to buy the builder's insurance it had promised to purchase, the state Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

Judge Stephen Dwyer, writing for a unanimous three-member panel, upheld a trial-court ruling that the county was responsible for $1.5 million in construction-related damage and $324,000 in legal fees.

Frank Coluccio Construction sued after the county rejected subcontractor Donald B. Murphy Contractors' claim for damage resulting from a "blow-in" of water, soil and debris into the 70-foot-deep shaft near the Duwamish River. Construction was delayed for two months while the subcontractor repaired the shaft.

Everett

Man found dead at apartment is identified

A man found dead at a South Everett apartment complex Thursday night has been identified as George J. Burns, 31. Burns apparently was shot outside his second-story apartment in the 600 block of West Casino Road, police said Monday.

Witnesses told police they thought they'd heard fireworks earlier in the day but didn't call 911, said Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz. Witnesses also reported seeing a woman leaving the area about the same time, he said.

Detectives have questioned the woman, who remains "a person of interest" in the case, Goetz said.

The Everett Fire Department was first on the scene, responding to a call about an unconscious man. They called police at 6:49 p.m.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police tip line at 425-257-8450.

Medina

Police seek vandals at Christian school

Medina police are looking for information about the vandalism over the weekend of the Three Points Elementary School campus of the Bellevue Christian School.

The vandalism took place between 5 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Monday at the school at 7800 N.E. 28th St., police reported.

Two covered play structures were defaced.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to phone the Medina police at 425-233-6420.

Times staff and news services