Shooting charges filed, man is sought in Kent shooting

Kent

The King County prosecutor's office filed charges over the weekend against a Seattle man who allegedly shot and killed a 17-year-old at a fast-food restaurant in Kent a week ago.

Edward Earl Cobb, 18, has been charged with first-degree murder and is the subject of a police manhunt, according to Kent police.

The victim, Chezaray Bacchus, of Seattle, was killed July 12 after a fight broke out among about 20 youths outside the Arby's restaurant on East Smith Street in Kent, police said.

A preliminary investigation shows that the shooting was gang-related, but the people involved were not from Kent, police said.

After the Arby's shooting, Cobb took a bus to Renton where he was shot and wounded about 2-½ hours later, according to charging papers. Renton police are investigating that shooting.

Cobb was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was treated and released last week, said Kent Police Chief Steve Strachan. He has not been found.

Police are asking for the public's assistance in finding Cobb, "to get him to turn himself in," Strachan said.

Police say he is armed and dangerous. Anyone with information is being asked to call police at 253-856-5800.

Seattle

School district to fix 4 audit problems

Seattle Public Schools has plans to fix all four of the problems identified in state audits of its operations in the 2006-07 school year.

The Washington State Auditor's Office found that the district, for the sixth time in the past seven years, didn't have controls in place to keep an employee from adding hours she didn't work, a loss of about $8,700. She has since been fired.

It also found two school programs used funds inappropriately — one by arranging a trip to New Orleans under a federal grant with goals that didn't require travel, and the other by using Associated Student Body funds to sponsor nondistrict students to visit the United States.

School Board member Steve Sundquist characterized the findings as "comparatively minor" given the size of the district's operations.

The auditor's office, however, said no finding is minor, and noted the district has taken steps to fix the problems.

Seattle

Man arrested after shots fired

A man was taken into custody Monday after shots were fired on a street in the Olympic Hills neighborhood, according to Seattle police.

It appears that two men in their 50s got into an argument just after 3:30 p.m. in the 13000 block of 23rd Avenue Northeast, said police spokesman Jeff Kappel.

One man took out a gun and fired it twice, witnesses told police.

There were reports the man shot at a vehicle, and a car was impounded as part of the investigation, Kappel said.

Tacoma

Stolen data used to withdraw cash

A Pierce County sheriff's spokesman says thieves using stolen debit-card information withdrew thousands of dollars from individual bank accounts over the July 4 weekend.

Detectives say they have identified more than 60 victims and expect more reports. Some account holders lost as much as $4,000 while $1,000 was withdrawn from others.

Detectives say the information was obtained by using electronic skimming machines placed on gas pumps at an Arco station in the South Hill area of Pierce County. They believe the information was stolen last August.

Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer says the card numbers and personal-identification numbers were later used at ATMs in King County.

Renton

Sinkhole repair to close highway

Drivers on Highway 900 can expect delays this morning as maintenance crews repair a sinkhole.

The state Department of Transportation said the far right lane of the highway's westbound side would be closed near the Sunset Boulevard interchange until about 2 p.m. today. Drivers were being asked to allow extra time for their travel plans.

Silverdale, Kitsap County

Best Buy employees accused of scheme

Court documents say five employees at the Best Buy store in Silverdale have been arrested and accused of taking about $45,000.

According to a Kitsap County sheriff's deputy's statement, the four men and one woman were buying products with an employee discount, then returning them for a full refund. The loss-prevention manager contacted the sheriff's office.

The Kitsap County prosecutor's office says the investigation is continuing. No charges have been filed.

La Grande, Ore.

Wolf pack back; first in 100 years

Oregon has its first wolf pack since the predator was wiped out by bounty hunting a century ago.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wolf coordinator Russ Morgan heard them howling under a bright moon in the predawn hours Friday in northern Union County.

He said there were at least two adults and two pups.

Individual wolves from Idaho have been swimming the Snake River and crossing into northeastern Oregon at least since 1999. But this is the first confirmation of wolves breeding in the state.

Klickitat County

Mount Adams fire is nearly contained

Firefighters have gained 75 percent containment of a forest fire near Mount Adams in south-central Washington, and are focusing on torching fuel within protective lines around the burn.

The 12 ½-square-mile Cold Springs fire has been burning mostly in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest since July 12. About one-eighth of the fire is on the Yakama Indian Reservation.

Firefighting spokesman James Stone says it's important to eliminate large pockets of unburned fuel inside fire lines so it doesn't ignite later in the fire season.

Officials say firefighters will likely be at the scene into September.

Seattle Times staff and news services