It’s time to vote for school levies

Ballots are arriving in Renton mailboxes now, giving residents the opportunities to vote on three school levies that would allow construction on a new middle school and maintain technology in schools.

Voters in the Renton School District have until Feb. 14 to voice their opinion on the Building for a Lifetime of Learning and Education Maintenance, Operations Levy and Technology Levy.

If voters approve the Building for a Lifetime of Learning Levy, the district will build a middle school where the old Hazelwood Elementary School is, at 166th Ave SE in Newcastle. The district says it needs a new middle school to cater to the increase of more than 1,700 students in the district in less than 10 years.

The Education Maintenance and Operations Levy would renew the current levy, to provide nearly 30 cents of every dollar spent in classrooms to fund salaries, classroom materials, textbooks, support staff, building maintenance, school bus transportation, athletics and more.

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Teen practicing in Mt. Baker wins award for dedication to rowing

Teen practicing in Mt. Baker wins award for dedication to rowing

Next month, Renton teen Kenneth Muhammad, who commutes nearly three hours round trip after school each day to rowing practice at Mt. Baker Rowing & Sailing Center, will receive the Champion Award at the Fourth Annual Row to the Future Benefit Breakfast in Seattle.

"Kenneth is receiving the award for his dedication and commitment to the sport of rowing," said Jessica Cothran, spokesperson for the George Pocock Rowing Foundation. "As a very eloquent young man, he regularly speaks to the community about his love for the sport and how it impacted his life."

She added that, as an African American in a sport with traditionally little racial diversity, Kenneth knows what it is like to appear different. Yet, after four years of rowing, he has developed strong and lasting friendships with his teammates and is a leader in the boathouse and in the Row to the Future program. He changed schools several times during high school and each move brought new teachers, new classes and new friends. But not once did he lose his connection to rowing and his teammates.

"I’d like to go to college next year and maybe become an Olympic rower," said Kenneth. "Win some gold.

City to celebrate SW 27th/Strander Boulevard Street groundbreaking

Join the city in celebrating a new construction project that will provide better opportunity for public transportation and make it easier for drivers to get through South 180th Street.

Mayor Denis Law, Renton City Council Members and companies that collaborated with the project are hosting the groundbreaking event for SW 27th/Strander Boulevard Street on Jan. 31.

“When completed, the SW 27th Street/Strander Boulevard Connection Project will create a critical east/west connection that is missing between SW 27th Street in Renton and Strander Boulevard in Tukwila, and provide an alternate route to I-405 between I-5 and SR-167,” according to the city. “The project promotes transit-oriented development and removes congestion on South 180th St. It improves air quality by increasing the use of Sounder commuter rail, Amtrak, and other mass transit modes.”

The event begins at 10 a.m. at SW 27th Street at Naches Avenue SW.

The project is a collaboration of the City of Renton, the City of Tukwila, The Boeing Company, Amtrak, Burlington Northern Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, Sound Transit and the State of Washington.

Man obsessed with woman since middle school gets 26 years in prison

A man who stalked a woman for 19 years was sentenced to prison today.

Shawn Moul, 31, became obsessed with his victim Tracy Lundeen in 1994, when they were in middle school in Renton.

He served 8 years in prison for harassing her, but got out and started stalking her again.

Today, a King County judge sentenced Moul to more than 26 years in prison for felony harassment and 19 counts of violating a no contact order.

Lundeen says the ordeal doesn't end for her.

“Unfortunately things don’t just all the sudden change and I just don’t come out of hiding,” she says. “So, I still have to be protected, but it is a sense of relief.”

Moul, who was found mentally competent, told the judge he had no problem going to prison for 317 months. His attorney agreed the best place for Moul is prison.

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After the storm: Cleaning up trees, branches in Renton

After the storm: Cleaning up trees, branches in Renton

Nearly a week after a winter storm wreaked havoc on Renton trees and branches, the city continues its cleanup efforts.

City crews are traveling through the city removing tree limbs and woody debris from the streets, and also removing sand with sweeper trucks, according to the city.

Renton is also asking residents’ help to place trees and branches in their Yard and Food Waste carts.

Residents who have broken trees and branches in their yards are asked to follow these rules:

Branches must be trimmed to less than 4 feet in length and not exceed 4 inches in diameter. If you have more than your cart will hold, place them in cardboard boxes, paper or compostable bags, or tie them in bundles less than 3 ½ feet in any dimension as long as it doesn’t exceed 60 pounds.  Alternatively, excess tree branches and limbs can be saved for the next scheduled collection day or be disposed of at the following locations (fees may apply):

Public's help sought in 1985 disappearance of Skyway woman

Public's help sought in 1985 disappearance of Skyway woman

 King County deputies are seeking the public's help in solving the cold case disappearance of a Skyway woman.

Virginia "Anne" Rambus, then 19, was last seen on May 22, 1985. She was leaving her apartment complex, located in the 6800 block of S. 123rd St., with an unidentified friend to attend a party.

Detectives are now looking for any information linking Rambus to Jesse Pratt, who lived near the woman at the time of her disappearance and who, according to witnesses, knew of Rambus.

Pratt has a long history of violence, and is currently serving a life sentence in Oregon for the 1986 murder of Seattle woman Carrie Love. He was known to call himself "the Candy Man," and had contact with a number of teens in the Skyway area, deputies said.

Around the time of Rambus' disappearance, Pratt also had access to a yellow 1978 Cadillac Eldorado.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the sheriff's office at 206-205-7810 immediately.

Reminder: Meeting on RapidRide service from Burien to Renton this week

Reminder: Meeting on RapidRide service from Burien to Renton this week

King County Metro Transit will be introducing RapidRide service between Burien and Renton in 2013, and is looking for input to finalize the routing.

The RapidRide F Line aims to provide frequent, fast, and reliable service connecting Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila and Renton. It will have 10- to 15-minute frequency most of the day, seven days a week.

Metro is considering several routing options, and is hosting an open house meeting to provide information, answer questions, and get feedback on those options and the overall route design and stop locations. The meeting will be held:

Thursday, January 26, 
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.


Renton City Hall
, 1055 S. Grady Way