West Seattle, Washington

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Spotlight Stories


  • Crash

    ALKI CRASH CHARGES: Finally filed

  • Light rail

    WS LIGHT RAIL: Route discussion today

  • Aurora

    AURORA OVER WS: Late-night sky colors

Door-to-door alert from Alki: Casing, or Comcast?
April 28, 2009 8:58 pm
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   Door-to-door alert

Alma on Alki wanted to get the word out about someone who came to her door tonight – read on for her story:Read More

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Meet the Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Senior Court candidates
April 28, 2009 7:11 pm
|    Comments Off on Meet the Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Senior Court candidates
 |   West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

But first, a video flashback:

Last July, WSB was at Grace Church to capture that moment on video when Margo Femiano was announced as Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival for 2008-2009. With less than three months remaining now till Queen Margo’s successor is coronated, it’s time to introduce you to the six candidates in this year’s scholarship competition: Two Chief Sealth High School students, two Holy Names Academy students, one John F. Kennedy High School student and one Mount Rainier High School student. Read on to see their photos and brief bios, shared by Hi-Yu pageant coordinator Shirley Enebrad:Read More

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New West Seattle summer-camp option – from local synagogue
April 28, 2009 5:31 pm
|    Comments Off on New West Seattle summer-camp option – from local synagogue
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

Less than two months now till school lets out, and local families are continuing to plan their kids’ schedules for summer. One brand-new option: Local synagogue Kol HaNeshamah is offering its first-ever day camp. We decided to take a closer look:

By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Synagogue Kol HaNeshamah, housed at Alki Congregational United Church of Christ, will be hosting Camp Kol — a two-week summer day camp for kids this August.

Tammy Kaiser, director of Education and Administration for Kol HaNeshamah, describes it this way: “We will concentrate on Tikkun Olam, which translates into ‘repair of the world,’ as well as Tzedakah which is ‘righteousness or social justice’ and usually takes the form of charity. Part of this will be teaching environmental conscientiousness, and West Seattle is a wonderful learning lab with its beaches and tidal pools.”

Read More

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Photos: Remembering J.B. Webster – memorial at Alki UCC
April 28, 2009 4:37 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

There were smiles as well as sadness as J.B. Webster‘s fellow Seafair Commodores joined other friends, family and co-workers in celebrating his life during a memorial service today at Alki UCC. Mr. Webster’s family granted us permission to take photographs during the service; it’s been just five days since the first report of his death after a short illness. His daughter Tyler Webster played “Let It Be” during today’s service:

His son Logan Webster also played piano at the service (“Chimes“). More images from the memorial, and details of the service, ahead:Read More

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Tonight: Endolyne Joe’s fundraiser for Fauntleroy Fall Festival
April 28, 2009 3:49 pm
|    Comments Off on Tonight: Endolyne Joe’s fundraiser for Fauntleroy Fall Festival
 |   Fauntleroy | How to help | West Seattle restaurants

It’s been on the WSB Events calendar for weeks, but we just got a request for one last reminder: Endolyne Joe’s is donating a portion of its proceeds tonight to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. 10:08 PM UPDATE: Carrie from EJ’s says they “met (their) sales goal” so that means about $1,000 going to the FFF.

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West Seattle coyotes: Lincoln Park neighbor’s alert
April 28, 2009 2:54 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

coyote2.jpg

(the coyote we spotted a year ago at Thistle/Northrop, a few blocks from this latest report)
Also out of the inbox, the first coyote sighting reported to us in a while – this one’s from Alice:

Keep your cats and small dogs inside, or protected. Yesterday, in the middle of the day, as i pulled into my driveway, a coyote walked casually across 44th Ave SW, @ 8200 block (map), and went into the greenbelt. This is just a few blocks above Lincoln Park.

Previously, our neighborhood lost many many cats, and at least one small dog to a hungry coyote. I believe they are nocturnal, so she must be hungry to be out midday.

All WSB coyote reports (including some with photos and video) are archived here, newest to oldest.

ADDED 5:44 PM: Another note that came in after we published this:

My sister lives in Snohomish. Her cat was killed by a coyote in broad daylight. They are not just nocturnal hunters. This happened at around 2pm, my nephew heard the cat screaming, etc. So, don’t be fooled, keep your pets inside.

And that’s what the experts advise as well, but they warn against other dangers to outdoor cats (cars, raccoons, other cats, etc.) too.

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City offers a partial break on unpaid parking tickets
April 28, 2009 2:08 pm
|    Comments Off on City offers a partial break on unpaid parking tickets
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, from the Seattle Municipal Court – starting May 1st, pay your unpaid tickets, and they’ll waive collection fees and interest:Read More

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2 West Seattle food notes: Zeeks change; Dining Out for Life
April 28, 2009 12:10 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

ZEEKS PIZZA: We checked in with Zeeks Pizza‘s Dan Black to see if everything was on track for the grand-opening plan at the new Morgan Junction location (California/Fauntleroy) this Friday – he says yes, with one change: Instead of opening at 11 am, they will open the first day at 4 pm. (Here’s our story from last week about their delivery boundaries.)

DINING OUT FOR LIFE: Last week, we passed on the word from the Lifelong AIDS Alliance that it needed one more restaurant to match last year’s total of 155 participants (food/drink venues that will donate part of their proceeds this Thursday). Just heard back that two local establishments that saw the note here have signed up – and now, citywide, Dining Out for Life has a record 160 participants! The two local additions are Coffee at the Heights (whose proprietors mentioned in comments on that report that they were signing up) and Full Tilt Ice Cream; they join WSB sponsors Skylark Cafe and Club and Ama Ama Oyster Bar and Grill, as well as Abbondanza Pizzeria, Eats Market Cafe and Buddha Ruksa (full Seattle participant list here).

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Video: Fire training continues at “Ivar’s House”
April 28, 2009 10:32 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(video of “test burn” added 2:20 pm)

(photos changed/added 11:55 am)
Northbound 59th is blocked to traffic as the Seattle Fire Department continues training burns at a house south of Admiral Way that once belonged to Ivar Haglund. Here’s our story from yesterday with more background. More later.

11:55 AM: So far this morning, the crews have done two “burns” inside the house – in both cases, igniting hay and pallets, then extinguishing it, and using a large fan to clear the smoke from the house. Several fire engines and a ladder truck are there too, as is a large group of red-shirted firefighter trainees – they are simulating house-fire conditions as best they can, according to an informal briefing one veteran firefighter gave spectators across the street. The house itself will not be torched, he confirmed. He also said they can only have one fire going inside at a time, for safety reasons; then it’s extinguished, the hose is rolled out, and they start the setup again. Here are the photos shared by historian Paul Dorpat (who left an extensive comment on our story yesterday – first, a 2003 photo of the home; second, the tax-survey photo from the ’30s:

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Picketing at Junction construction site
April 28, 2009 8:24 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

Just received a flurry of e-mails wondering about loud picketing at the Capco Plaza/Altamira Apartments site north across Alaska from Jefferson Square. Heading out to check; there have been short bursts of picketing at several West Seattle construction sites in recent weeks, and it’s previously been the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters targeting a subcontractor at a site (here’s our story from March; here’s our story with video from late February; we also saw and heard them, chanting via bullhorn, at an Alki remodeling site about two weeks ago). Often it’s a fairly short demonstration, although the one in late February went on for a few hours. (Added: Two e-mails say the signs indicate the target is K2MG.)

2:42 PM UPDATE: Went by just before 2 pm – unless they’ve come back since, it appears to be over.

2:10 PM WEDNESDAY: Just left in comments:

I am an owner of K2MG and I apologize to all of you who were effected by the Carpenter union protest at the Junction Construction site.

K2MG is an Open Merit Shop, which believes in allowing the employees the right to help in determining wages and working conditions. K2MG believes in the system of Free Enterprise and that, the employer must have concern for the general welfare of the employees and that there must be a fair compensation for work performed. Similarly, we believe that the employee has an obligation for satisfactory performance of assigned work.

The PNRCC claims they have a labor dispute with K2MG however; the description of a Labor Dispute is when the company’s employees are unhappy with their employer. K2MG can proudly say our employees are very happy with the wages they receive along with our benefit package K2MG provides. The Unions main goal appears to be to force our company out of business by their negative and untrue campaign to discredit our company and others like ours with intent to gain a larger market for the local and national Union drywall contractors.

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Happening today: Memorial service for J.B. Webster
April 28, 2009 6:07 am
|    Comments Off on Happening today: Memorial service for J.B. Webster
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

That photo of Seafair Commodore and West Seattle Realtor/community leader J.B. Webster is from the 2007 West Seattle American Legion Grand Parade, shared by fellow Realtor (and Fauntleroy Community Association president) Bruce Butterfield. Less than a week after Mr. Webster’s untimely passing, family, friends and colleagues will gather this morning at Alki UCC Church (61st/Hinds; map) to celebrate his life, at 11 am. Dozens of tributes have been left as comments on our original report — read them here; our followup story about a fund set up for his wife and children is here.

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Highland Park Action Committee to tackle traffic trouble
April 27, 2009 11:58 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | Transportation | West Seattle news

Meet the new Traffic Committee for the Highland Park Action Committee – from left, Carrie Carroll, Blair Johnson, HPAC chair Dan Mullins, and Paul Morton (not pictured: Craig Rankin). They’re in place after tonight’s HPAC meeting, at which HPAC leaders talked with the city’s Neighborhood Services Coordinator for the Delridge District, Ron Angeles, about strategies for getting city Department of Neighborhoods money into HP for traffic-calming projects. A crosswalk right by the building where HPAC meetings, Highland Park Improvement Club [map], is high on the list:


View Larger Map

The committee will meet outside the usual HPAC meetings to determine what Highland Park’s traffic hotspots are, and will report back. Other meeting notes: As discussed at last week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Officer Adonis Topacio from the Southwest Precinct’s Community Police Team has been working with community members to keep closer watch on suspicious activity at Westcrest Park; it was reported tonight that he’s organizing park walkthroughs. One other word about crime – which won’t surprise you if you’ve been watching West Seattle Crime Watch reports here – car prowls and thefts will likely be up, when the month’s over. Also up: The need for Big Brothers and Big Sisters volunteers, per Erin Wenzel (you can find out about volunteering here). And HPIC is having a Tiki Dance at 7 pm Saturday (tickets $7.50 at the door).

The Highland Park Action Committee meets the fourth Monday of each month, 7 pm, at HPIC.

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Seen on shore: Alki at low tide; Canada goose family revisited
April 27, 2009 10:09 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | Wildlife

Thanks to Mary T. and David Sheely for sharing that photo from this afternoon’s low tide at Alki; the tide will be just as low tomorrow right before 2 pm, but then we won’t see tides this low till late May. Down the shore a ways, David Hutchinson checked back with some members of Harbor Avenue’s semi-celebrity Canada goose family:

Bonus — just as we were getting ready to hit “publish,” Alma sent us a photo of tonight’s sunset:

Thanks again to everyone who shares photos via WSB – whether breaking news or beautiful sunsets – editor@westseattleblog.com any time!

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Get in pre-Garage Sale Day mood NEXT Saturday: 2 school sales
April 27, 2009 9:22 pm
|    Comments Off on Get in pre-Garage Sale Day mood NEXT Saturday: 2 school sales
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

ARBOR HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY: Dana Varon from the Arbor Heights PTSA e-mailed to announce their fundraiser rummage sale next Saturday (May 2)- and they’re looking for donations. The sale is 9 am-1 pm at the school (map); Dana adds, “We will be accepting donations at the main entrance of the school on Wed April 29th and Thurs April 30 from 3pm to 4:00 pm and on Friday May 1st from 3 pm to 6:30 pm.”

WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI: As you may have noticed in the school’s ad on the WSB sidebar, WSMS has a Community Rummage Sale next Saturday, 9 am-3 pm at the American Legion Hall (map).

As for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on Saturday 5/9 – the map (180+ sales now!) is in progress, and more updates tomorrow.

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Just days till Style ’09: Fashion and fun for NW Hope and Healing
April 27, 2009 7:08 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(photo from Style ’08, courtesy Northwest Hope and Healing)
Just three nights till Style ’09, the fashion-show fundraiser for West Seattle-based Northwest Hope and Healing, which helps breast-cancer patients all around the area with some of the practicalities of life after they’ve been diagnosed. NWHH rejoined WSB as a sponsor recently to help get the word out about the event, 7 pm Thursday at Showbox SODO with local boutiques and salons among the participants; there are still some tickets left, and since it’s coming up Thursday night, we wanted to make sure you had the full story, so to speak – here’s the official news release:

– NFL veterans Nesby Glasgow and Greg Lewis are among the many celebrity models who will saunter down the fashion runway on April 30 to help raise money for breast cancer patients. “Style ’09: Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good” will feature the hottest spring fashion trends and collections of 10 Seattle boutiques as modeled by local celebrities and community members. All proceeds benefit breast cancer patients at Swedish Medical Center.

Other runway models include Shawn Stewart, radio personality at 103.7 The Mountain; John Maynard, former host of the Robin & Maynard Show; Brian Canlis, third generation visionary of the iconic Canlis Restaurant; and local breast cancer survivors and supporters whose lives have been impacted by this disease.

Participating boutiques include Carmilia’s, Coastal [both in West Seattle], Canopy Blue, Nuvo Moda, The Finerie, Oslo’s, Asher Anson, Lululemon, Clutch, Kick It Boots & Stompwear.

Style ’09: Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good
Thursday, April 30, 2009

Cost
Look Good (general admission): $40
Feel Good (includes VIP reception): $125
Do Good (front row table seating for two): $500
Top Model (Choice of modeling in the show or front row table seating for four): $1,000

Purchase tickets at nwhopeandhealing.org or any of the participating boutiques.
Tickets will also be available at the door.

Feel Good/Do Good VIP Reception: 6 p.m.
Look Good Admission: 7 p.m.
Showbox SODO
1700 First Avenue South, Seattle
Ages 21 and over

Northwest Hope & Healing is a non-profit organization founded by Christine Smith in 2000. Christine created the Foundation while undergoing breast cancer treatment at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, WA. Her goal was to help newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in the Puget Sound area.

The mission of Northwest Hope & Healing is to provide financial assistance to patients in need, for non-medical support services such as child care, meal service, transportation, and emergency rent. In addition, our signature “Healing Baskets” are assembled and delivered, at no charge, to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.

The goal of Northwest Hope & Healing is to assist women with the healing process so they may begin to feel whole once again. We assist women on their journeys and give them hope for the future.

Again, you can buy tickets online here, or at the West Seattle venues mentioned above – Carmilia’s (in The Junction) and Coastal (on Alki).

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Traffic alert: Crash slowing southbound 99 before WS exit
April 27, 2009 6:32 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle traffic alerts

We’ve already mentioned this in quick bulletins on Twitter (@westseattleblog) and Facebook (WS Blog) — but it may take a while for traffic flow to get back to normal so we’ll post it here too – a three-car crash is slowing traffic on southbound 99 right before the West Seattle exit. Thanks to Nichole Taylor for sending photos (the one above shows 2 of the vehicles; none of them looked too badly crunched); the 911 log says fire crews have cleared out so things should get better soon.

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West Seattle music notes: Seeger P.S.; Dylan breakfast tomorrow
April 27, 2009 5:58 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle history | WS culture/arts

SEEGER/HAGLUND SIDE NOTE: If you missed it over the weekend, we previewed next Sunday’s Admiral Theater event celebrating Pete Seeger‘s 90th birthday (see the story, with video, here) – and it turns out there’s a link to one of the news stories we’re covering today. The former home of Ivar Haglund (left) that’s about to be used for training fires in Upper Alki (WSB story here) is apparently the one mentioned in our Seeger/Admiral preview, as the house where Seeger and Woody Guthrie stayed with Haglund (a folk musician as well as entrepreneur) during a West Seattle visit in the 1940s – so says legendary local historian Paul Dorpat in this detailed comment.

DYLAN BREAKFAST TOMORROW: The folks at Easy Street Records in The Junction e-mailed to make sure you know about their “Coffee with Dylan” event tomorrow morning: It’s release day for “Together through Life,” the new Bob Dylan record, tomorrow, so from 7 am-noon they’re offering free coffee and various giveaways. More info on this Easy Street webpage.

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Fire Station 37 groundbreaking set for May 12
April 27, 2009 4:38 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Sunrise Heights | West Seattle news

35thholden1.jpg

Just in from the city. This is the new fire station, to be built at the site of the vacant house shown above (across from 35th/Holden Chevron), to replace the historic-landmark station building at 35th/Othello:


View Larger Map

Mayor Nickels will be there for the groundbreaking at the new site at 11 am May 12. Here’s the official invitation.

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More trailer food en route to West Seattle: Rancho Bravo Tacos
April 27, 2009 3:37 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Just one day after Skillet Street Food staked its claim in the Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) courtyard (our coverage here, Skillet’s update here), where it will return next Sunday (new menu here), another famous-in-other-neighborhoods trailer-centered food purveyor is heading this way: Rancho Bravo Tacos. So says food writer Nancy Leson at seattletimes.com. In her story, Rancho Bravo‘s proprietor describes the impending spot as “half a block up from Diva Espresso.” That opens a multitude of options, so we’ll be checking further to nail the site down. (Photo courtesy Capitol Hill Seattle; Rancho Bravo recently opened its first non-mobile location in that neighborhood.)

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Another Viaduct milestone: Nearby demolition work about to start
April 27, 2009 3:08 pm
|    Comments Off on Another Viaduct milestone: Nearby demolition work about to start
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation

If you drive 1st Avenue South near the stadiums, you’ll see this starting tomorrow – read on for the latest official WSDOT update:Read More

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Another Seattle Public Schools property sale plan in West Seattle
April 27, 2009 2:36 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

We’ve been reporting extensively on the deal in the works for the long-closed Fauntleroy Schoolhouse to be sold to the Fauntleroy Community Services Agency (latest WSB coverage here). However, there’s also apparently also a deal in the works to sell another West Seattle site from the district portfolio: The deal would sell the Seattle Public Schools-owned Jefferson Square Apartments land to the company that’s been leasing it, Pan Pacific Retail Properties (Jefferson Square was a school site long ago). According to a published legal notice (thanks to the tipster who called it to our attention), “The district is currently negotiating to sell the property to the lessee.” A public hearing – for which no media release has been issued – is set for 5:30 pm May 21st in the cafeteria at Gatewood Elementary and anyone interested in testifying is invited to sign up by calling 206-252-0118 (or you can sign up at the hearing). We have a call out to the district to find out more about the proposed deal.

4:53 PM UPDATE: Still working on details. Just talked to West Seattle School Board rep Steve Sundquist, who says the sale proposal has been discussed by board members in “executive session” but he can’t say anything publicly yet, though he expects something will be announced in time for attendees at the public hearing to have an idea in advance what they’ll be commenting on.

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Toplines from King County Council’s swine-flu briefing (and more)
April 27, 2009 12:34 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

As King County Council Chair Dow Constantine put it at the end of the council briefing that just ended, the information presented by county public-health managers was “reassuring.” NO swine-flu infections reported in the county, so in response to the question “What should people here do?” there was only one answer: Stay informed. It was also noted, as you may have read in national/international reports, this is not an automatically grave illness — some who’ve gotten it elsewhere may have been “asymptomatic.” Also, in terms of what’s being used to treat it, Tamiflu can be used, and it’s stockpiled. So the admonition between the lines, throughout the briefing, was: Don’t panic. (It was also noted, regular flu kills 35,000 people nationwide every year, so even a flu death would not necessarily be cause for panic.) As for that advice to “stay informed” – the latest nationwide info is always available at this Centers for Disease Control page (40 cases in the U.S. as of today). Any additional county info that emerges post-briefing, we’ll add here; the county has some links in the right sidebar here.

1:26 PM: Also noted (thanks to Delridge Neighborhood Services Coordinator Ron Angeles for forwarding the e-mail), the county has activated its Health and Medical Area Command to monitor the situation; in addition to the web links we’ve already provided above, the county’s health hotline 206-296-4949 is also recommended for public information. (The HMAC is explained here.)

5:19 PM ADDITION: The Seattle City Council Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities Committee will get a swine flu briefing in a special meeting this Wednesday, 1:30 pm.

8:30 PM: Seattle Public Schools families will all get a letter with some basic public-health tips – here’s the text:Read More

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Police: 3 guns found after Fauntleroy SWAT standoff surrender
April 27, 2009 11:36 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(WSB photos from Saturday, by Christopher Boffoli)
We just checked with Seattle Police to follow up on the end of the five and a half hour SWAT standoff on Saturday in Fauntleroy (our as-it-happened coverage is here, our coverage of the arrest and aftermath is here). First, the status of the man police took into custody: What we believe to be his name (we’re not publishing it without 100% certainty) has not turned up on the jail register; according to police spokesperson Officer Mark Jamieson, he was taken to Harborview Medical Center for what they expected would be a 72-hour mental evaluation. We also asked Officer Jamieson if weapons were indeed found inside the man’s apartment; he says yes – a shotgun and two handguns. (Police were first called after neighbors nearby saw the man outside the building with what they described as a shotgun.) As for whether the man will be charged with a crime as a result of the incident, Jamieson says officers wrote up a “mental report” rather than one suggesting charges, at this point – even if he were charged with “obstruction,” for example, that’s a misdemeanor.

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