Worker badly hurt by trench cave-in

Seattle

A construction worker was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Thursday after the wall of a trench he was working in collapsed on him.

Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen said the man was working at the Seattle Housing Authority's Rainier Vista project at 33rd Avenue South and South Oregon Street. A spokeswoman at Harborview Medical Center said the man underwent surgery and is in critical condition.

A second man in the trench escaped unhurt.

The injured construction worker has not been identified by authorities.

Bellevue

No breakthrough in teacher talks

The Bellevue School District and its teachers union, on strike since Tuesday, negotiated into the evening Thursday, said Dale Folkerts, spokesman for the Washington Education Association.

"There has been no major development," Folkerts said.

The two sides have been trying to resolve differences in the use of a common curriculum all week, said district spokeswoman Ann Oxrieder. Bargainers have not yet tackled the issue of teacher pay.

Teachers say they need a greater increase than the state's 5.1 percent cost-of-living raise and a 3 percent pay boost offered by the district. The union is asking for 9 percent on top of the state's 5.1 percent.

The district argues that such a raise would cut into its budget, leading to layoffs, increased class sizes and fewer elective programs for students, such as art and music.

Although the district's teachers are among the highest-paid in the state, the union argues that the cost of living in Bellevue is higher, and that the district isn't paying experienced teachers enough to stay.

The district should redistribute its funding to pay for the raise, cutting administrators and delaying the purchase of new curriculum materials instead of cutting into student programs, the union contends.

The district will "never" hire replacement workers, Oxrieder said, partly because it would be impossible to find 1,100 new teachers when the district already struggles to find substitute teachers on a regular basis.

Schools would remain closed today, she said.

Pierce County

Deputies seek tips in deadly truck theft

Pierce County sheriff's detectives are asking for the public's help in identifying a man who killed another person while stealing a pickup Thursday morning in Tacoma.

The brother of the truck's owner confronted the thief, who then ran over him, killing him, before fleeing in the truck.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information about the thief.

The truck was stolen from outside a home on the 1000 block of 73rd Street Court East in Tacoma around 6:30 a.m.

The suspect is described as a white man in his early 20s, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-11, 160 pounds, with brown hair and wearing a white T-shirt and bluejeans.

The truck, which has not been found, is a very light-gray 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, with chrome rims and chrome rocker panels. It has Washington license plates B61070G. Two large, white stickers on the back window read "Haters Most Wanted" and "Cen. Cali. Car Club."

People with information about the suspect or the truck are asked to call 253-591-5959. Callers will remain anonymous.

Seattle

Ridership surging on Amtrak trains

The number of people riding Amtrak trains in Oregon and Washington has increased by 12 percent so far this year.

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) says the Amtrak Cascades service — which operates four daily round trips between Portland and Seattle and also provides links to Bellingham, Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C. — served nearly 80,000 passengers in July alone. The DOT says that's up 12.4 percent over the previous July.

Ridership between Seattle and Portland has increased by about 26 percent, compared to 2007.

The Amtrak Cascades service is operated by Amtrak under contracts with Washington and Oregon.

Mount Baker

2 missing hikers rescued from peak

Two hikers were rescued on Mount Baker Tuesday after they were reported missing Sunday.

Rescuers from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station reached the pair by helicopter at the 8,400-foot level of the mountain. One hiker had suffered a broken ankle.

Despite deteriorating weather, crews were able to hoist the hikers out of the snowy conditions and take them to St. Joseph's Hospital in Bellingham.

Renton

Man shot dead outside sports bar

Renton police are searching for a suspect in a fatal shooting outside a sports bar early Thursday morning.

Responding to a report of shots fired, officers found a 35-year-old Seattle man dead in the parking lot of Touchdowns Sports Bar & Grill, 423 Airport Way, at 12:10 a.m., said police spokeswoman Penny Bartley.

The slain man was identified by the King County Medical Examiner's Office as Craig Deshon Moore. He died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Police have not released details about the suspect or a possible motive.

Seattle

Defense seeks delay of Schierman trial

Defense attorneys for accused killer Connor Schierman said Thursday they won't be ready for a trial in January and asked for more time. Schierman is charged with the 2006 slayings of a young mother, her two sons and her sister in Kirkland.

King County Superior Court Judge Gregory Canova criticized the defense experts over the amount of time they are taking to examine evidence. The judge said he expects a full report from the forensic experts about how much work they've accomplished and what other cases they are working on by Oct. 9, and he said he will decide then whether they can stay on the case.

At a hearing scheduled next Thursday, public defender James Conroy will request a new timeline for the case.

Times staff and wire reports