Bill Richardson raises funds for Gregoire

Former presidential candidate Bill Richardson roused a Democratic crowd in Seattle with calls to overhaul U.S. foreign policy and close Guantánamo Bay, enthusiasm Gov. Christine Gregoire hopes will bring big checks for her re-election campaign.

Richardson, the New Mexico governor and globe-trotting negotiator, headlined a fundraising luncheon that drew an estimated 1,300 Democratic donors Monday.

As Gregoire noted, the crowd was about 10 times the size of her razor-thin winning margin in 2004, which came after three vote counts and a six-month court challenge.

"This time, we're going to do it by 8:10 on election night, by a landslide," Gregoire told the cheering crowd.

The event was billed as the fundraising launch for Gregoire's 2008 campaign, although the governor already has raised about $4.7 million. Her opponent, Republican former state Sen. Dino Rossi, has raised about $3.8 million for the rematch. The two sides are expected to wage a record-setting $20 million campaign.

Gregoire campaign spokeswoman Debra Carnes said the fundraiser was expected to bring in about $300,000 before expenses.

The Rossi campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday afternoon.

Seattle

Charges filed in fatal shooting

King County prosecutors filed charges Monday against a 21-year-old Federal Way man in connection with a fatal shooting after a book-release party last month.

Lovelychild Manuel is accused of killing DeVon Guidry, 24, of Renton, after an April 13 party celebrating the release of a book about the rise of hip-hop star Dr. Dre.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office said Guidry, who was among nearly 300 people who attended the event, was shot once in the head and once in the chest.

Manuel was arrested April 16 after tipsters contacted authorities to tell police his whereabouts, according to court charging papers.

Manuel, who police say is a gang member, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree assault.

Manuel is being held at the King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Olympia

K-8 math standards win state approval

New math standards for elementary- and middle-school students have been approved by the state Board of Education.

The board's action Monday was the final review and approval of the standards, which will now be adopted by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The standards outline the mathematics learning expectations for all students in Washington. The standards range from counting forward and backward to multiplying and dividing fractions.

Now that the standards are adopted, the state will review the curriculum and recommendation and prepare math teachers to teach the new standards.

Revised math standards for grades 9-12 will be presented to the board for review later this spring or summer.

Seattle

Council OKs funds for animal shelters

The Metropolitan King County Council approved $965,000 in short-term improvements to the county animal shelters in Kent and Bellevue Monday.

The money will pay for new cages for cats and dogs, increase in shelter staffing, insulated cages for animal-control trucks, and to strengthen veterinary care and fund oversight by the county auditor.

The ordinance said the county may not continue to operate shelters in the long run unless the euthanasia rate is reduced and the county finds "an adequate and stable funding mechanism" for animal care and control.

Seattle Times staff and news services