Man shot, found dead in driveway

Everett

Everett police are investigating a fatal shooting Monday morning in the 2400 block of 75th Street Southeast.

Police received a call of shots being fired at the home around 5:40 a.m. and when officers arrived, "they found an adult male deceased in the driveway," said Sgt. Robert Goetz. The victim appeared to have been shot several times. The victim has not been identified.

A Toyota pickup was spotted leaving the area, but police have no further information about it, Goetz said.

Anyone who has information is asked to call the Everett Police Department tip line at 425-257-8450.

San Francisco

Suit protests EPA allowing pesticide

Farmworker, public-health and environmental groups on Monday filed a lawsuit to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to allow the use of the pesticide diazinon in the nation's farms.

In 2000, the EPA announced it was phasing out use of the pesticide by homeowners, citing the chemical risks to birds, fish, waterways and human health. But the chemical continues to be registered for use on some agricultural crops, including cranberries, cherries, pears and other fruits and vegetables grown in the Pacific Northwest.

Diazinon is an organophosphate, part of a class of neurotoxins that act on the nervous system. The lawsuit cited risks to farmworkers and to children who may be exposed to diazinon when the chemical drifts away from fields. Plaintiffs also noted risks to birds and fish, including salmon that can be harmed by small amounts that end up in streams and rivers.

The lawsuit was brought by Earthjustice, Farmworker Justice and California Rural Legal Assistance on behalf of United Farm Workers, Pesticide Action Network, Teamsters Local 890 and other groups.

Seattle

State reports interest in 4 ferries for sale

No one bid on the state's four Steel Electric ferries in eBay bidding that closed Saturday, but the state says some people are interested.

The minimum bid was $350,000 each for the Illahee, Nisqually, Klickitat and Quinault, which were taken out of service in November. Ironically, an earlier report for the state ferries found that the boats could be sold as scrap metal for $450,000 each.

Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Marta Coursey said the potential buyers have inspected the boats and expressed an interest in all four of the vessels at a lower, nondisclosed price.

Coursey said the agency's legal department is checking with the state General Administration Office to see whether it will allow Washington State Ferries to negotiate such a sale.

If the ferry system is allowed to negotiate a price, Coursey said, the state will notify everyone who expressed interest in the vessels and tell them that offers must be submitted by a specific date.

Seattle

Bid to lease building at park is rejected

The City Council on Monday rejected a lease proposal for Building 11 at Magnuson Park, where the parks department had hoped to enlist a private development group to renovate and run the building at the former naval air station. The proposal included converting some of the building into office and restaurant space.

Community members protested the lease proposal because it did not guarantee rental space for community boating clubs. Nonprofit Sail Sand Point currently rents one of the spaces in Building 11, which the parks department wants to bring up to current safety codes.

Everett

Boy, 12, arrested in arson at school

A 12-year-old boy has been arrested for investigation of arson for a fire that caused about $200,000 damage to Lakewood Elementary School near Marysville.

A Snohomish County deputy fire marshal made the arrest Friday, and the boy was taken to the Denney Youth Justice Center in Everett.

The fire damaged two classrooms.

Seattle

Hate crime charged in Fremont attack

A 42-year-old Seattle man was charged Monday with malicious harassment under the state's hate-crime law for allegedly attacking a Fremont shopkeeper.

According to police, Edward Hugh Campbell entered a convenience store in the 400 block of North 36th Street wearing full green military camouflage just past 10 p.m. on July 3. He purchased beer and began talking to the cashier, Amin Almaklina, about Osama bin Laden, Muslims and other religions, according to the police report.

When the shopkeeper asked Campbell to leave, Campbell allegedly attacked Almaklina, hitting him in the face. Almaklina was treated at the hospital for facial lacerations.

Campbell is scheduled to be arraigned this morning in King County Superior Court.

SeaTac

Street work to slow traffic near airport

Expect delays around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this week because of a paving project.

Only two northbound lanes leaving the airport will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Lane restrictions will continue through the week.

The airport entrance at South 182nd Street and International Boulevard will be closed. And, the South 170th Street exit will not be available to traffic traveling north on the airport roadway.

Motorists coming to and leaving the airport should anticipate detours the next two nights.

The northbound lanes of the Airport Expressway will be closed from 10 p.m. on Wednesday to 5 a.m. on Thursday. The southbound lanes, approaching the terminal, will close on Thursday at midnight and reopen on Friday at 9 a.m.

Travelers should allow extra time to get to the airport, especially on Friday morning.

Seattle

Man felled by punch in serious condition

A North Dakota man is in serious condition in the intensive-care unit at Harborview Medical Center after getting into a fight in Belltown early Sunday.

The 29-year-old man and an unidentified man were wrestling on the ground in the 2200 block of First Avenue shortly before 3 a.m. when the North Dakota man was punched in the head by the other man, said Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt. The single punch caused his head to slam against the sidewalk, Witt said.

Two witnesses performed CPR on the injured man until medics arrived, Witt said. The other man and a group of five or six men fled after the fight.

The victim has spoken with police, and detectives are searching for the other man, Witt said.

Witt said investigators have not yet determined a motive.

Seattle

Sixth open house on 520 bridge tolls

A sixth open house has been added to the schedule of five others to focus on how tolls can help pay for a new Highway 520 bridge across Lake Washington between Seattle and Bellevue.

The additional session will be held on Aug. 13 at the Mercer Island Community Center at Mercer View, 8236 S.E. 24th St. on Mercer Island. The open house will begin at 5 p.m., with a presentation at 6 p.m.

Other open houses are scheduled in Bothell, Renton, Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland. A list of open houses is online at www.build520.org/calendar.htm#open_houses.

King County

Charter change on November ballot

Voters in November will decide whether to modify the way citizen initiatives to amend the King County Charter are handled, the Metropolitan King County Council decided Monday.

The measure approved Monday would eliminate the current requirement to hold two separate public votes on efforts to amend the county charter. Voters also will get to decide whether to increase the number of signatures required for initiatives to amend the charter.

If voters in November agree, an ordinance the council unanimously approved Monday would take effect, extending the amount of time allowed for gathering charter-amendment initiative signatures from 90 to 120 days.

Arlington

Man on motorbike killed in crash

A 19-year-old Snohomish County man died in a motorbike crash Monday.

The man was riding with three other teens on a private, rural property near Arlington, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.

The man, who was not identified, was wearing a helmet.

The other teens were elsewhere on the property, in the 22000 block of Sather Road, and didn't see the accident, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Times staff and news services