KENT, Wash., November 20, 2009 – The Morford Family Carousel’s holiday season opens on Friday, November 27^th, from 4:00 – 9:00 PM.  After that, public hours are as follows: Fridays, 4:00 – 8:00 PM, Saturdays, 12:00 – 8:00 PM and Sundays, 12:00 – 5:00 PM.  Hours are subject to change depending on weather conditions. The carousel’s final day will be December 27^th.

Kent, Wash. – November 18, 2009 – Kent police and Boeing officials are investigating the circumstances that led to an adult male dying in what appears to be an industrial accident.

Kent, Wash. – November 10, 2009 – Boeing’s Kent plant was partially evacuated this morning at about 7:30 when a battery test resulted in a small explosion and fire in one of the company’s labs.

Covington, Wash. – November 10, 2009 – Kent Fire Department fire investigators are currently sifting through the remains of a house that burned this morning in the Timberlane area of Covington.

KENT, Wash. – NOVEMBER 9, 2009 - We can confirm that the victim in the shooting incident which occurred today here at a business in Kent is 37 year old Mark Owen, son of Lt. Gov. Brad Owen.  Owen is listed in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center.  The 63 year old suspect, a manager at the business, is also at Harborview after turning the firearm on himself.   He is alive but with life threatening injuries.

KENT, Wash. – November 9, 2009 - On 11/09/09 at 1434 hours, Kent Police was dispatched to a shooting incident at Kent Body and Paint located at 831 5th Av. S., Kent, WA.

KENT, Wash. – November 9, 2009 –Effective July 1, 2010, Kent will become the sixth largest city in the state.

KENT, Wash. – November 6, 2009 – Deryl Sadler is a retired USAF weapons controller. These days, he’s a sharp-eyed crusader determined to stop the destructive graffiti at Glenn Nelson Park.  Sadler and others have formed an informal neighborhood citizen patrol group as they walk their dogs twice a day. They regularly forward cell phone photos and detailed reports to Kent Parks and Police.  A few months ago, their vigilance resulted in one large group of young taggers caught in the act, spray-cans in hand.

KENT, Wash. – November 6, 2009 –Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke announced Tim LaPorte has accepted the position of Director of Public Works.  LaPorte has served as the City’s Deputy Director of Public Works since January 2007 and as the Acting Director of Public Works since October 1, when former director Larry Blanchard left the post.

KENT, Wash. – November 5, 2009 – The Morford Family Carousel begins its fourth holiday season on Friday, November 27^th, from 4:00 – 9:00 PM.  Its familiar home is Town Square Plaza on the corner of 2^nd Avenue and Harrison Street in downtown Kent (next to the Rotary Centennial Sphere and the fountains).  The carousel will be open Friday through Sunday during the holiday season; hours will vary. 

KENT, Wash. – November 4, 2009 – Kent service clubs are taking the lead to match volunteers with those who need help preparing for potential flooding. Residents can now call or email for help with filling and placing sandbags at their homes.

KENT, Wash. – October 30, 2009 –City crews have completed placement of over 17,000 giant sandbags on the Green River levee in an effort to prevent flooding in the Kent Valley.  Spanning 12 miles on the east side of the Green River, the giant sandbags have raised the height of the levee by three feet to provide additional freeboard, or capacity, to protect the levee from overtopping.

Kent, Wash. - October 27, 2009 – Officer David Beerbower, has been selected as the Washington’s Most Wanted – Officer of the Month for October.  The show, hosted by David Rose seeks the public’s assistance in identifying and locating Washington’s most wanted fugitives.  Each month the show staff reviews various incidents involving law enforcement personnel across the state, whose hard work leads to the capture and prosecution of Washington’s most dangerous criminals. 

KENT, Wash. – October 27, 2009 – Kent Fire crews were dispatched just before 5:30 this morning to a car versus pedestrian accident.  Upon arrival the fire crews found a unidentified female, approximately 25 years old, lying in the northbound lane of 22200 block of Benson Road.

KENT, Wash. - October 22, 2009 -  Yesterday afternoon the Kent Police Department arrested a 16 year old suspect involved in a homicide that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The first suspect, 22 year old Mark McKinney, turned himself in previously. 

Kent, Wash. – October 21, 2009 – It is almost that time of year again when we move from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time and adjust our clocks back one hour at 2:00 am on November 1st. Daylight Savings Time will begin again on March 14, 2010.

KENT, Wash. – October 20, 2009 The Kent Police Department identified 22 year old Mark Anthony McKinney as the suspect in a homicide which occurred in our city October 15, 2009. 

KENT, Wash. – October 19, 2009 - Investigation by Kent Police Detectives have identified Mark Anthony McKinney, a 22 year old Kent resident, as the suspect in a homicide that occurred on October 15, 2009 at approximately 2143. 

KENT, Wash. – October 19, 2009 – The City of Kent is launching a new e-mail subscription service to enhance the way residents receive and access municipal information.

KENT, Wash. – October 16, 2009 - On October 15, 2009 at approximately 2143 hours, Kent Police Officers responded to the report of a shooting in the 10900 block of SE 256th Street. Upon arrival, they found an adult male, later learned to be a Kent resident, lying on SE 256th Street with a gunshot wound.

KENT, Wash. – October 14, 2009 – The City of Kent will make complimentary sand and sandbags available to Kent residents beginning Thursday, October 15. Empty sandbags, along with instructions for proper filling and placement, will be available for pick up at the City’s Operations facility located at 5821 West James Street at the following dates and times:

COVINGTON, Wash. – October 11, 2009 – Fortunately no injuries were sustained this evening in the fire located east of Covington’s business district.  The residents were having a quiet evening home when neighbors alerted them that they needed to evacuate their home because it was on fire.

KENT, Wash. – October 12, 2009 – Upon learning that state and county dollars were no longer available to operate Safe Havens, in late 2008 the City of Kent launched a year-long search for funding options for the renowned domestic violence visitation and exchange center.  Time and dollars are running out.

KENT, Wash. – October 8, 2009 – At approximately 7:45 this evening the Kent Fire Department was dispatched to a sprinkler water flow alarm in the 20400 block of 87 Ave S in Kent’s northern industrial area.  The initial crew on scene found a great deal of smoke, but no fire and sprinkler water flow alarms sounding.  They immediately upgraded the response to a commercial fire and requested additional resources.  Ultimately more than 15 fire apparatus responded to the incident that turned out to be fire in a firm that manufactured packing peanuts for use in shipping.

KENT, Wash. – October 6, 2009 – At 8:31 PM Kent Fire crews were dispatched to the Waterford Apartments, just north of downtown Kent.  On their arrival crews found smoke and flames from the top floor of the three story apartment building and upgraded the call to a “working fire” or confirmed fire.

KENT, Wash. – October 5, 2009 – In an effort to help prevent flooding in the Green River Valley, the City of Kent will place 20,000 giant sandbags along the Green River levee beginning October 7.  The bags will be in place by November 1.  

KENT, Wash. – October 5, 2009 – Over four days, volunteers descended on Lake Fenwick Park for National Public Lands Days in Kent. They pruned, weeded and dug up or cut down invasive plants. They replanted areas with native trees or put down recycled cardboard and wood chips to keep weeds from returning.  All totaled, the 74 adults and children removed 6.98 tons of plant material.

Kent, Wash. – September 30, 2009 – Now that fall is officially here it is time to start considering the health and safety of your family when using furnaces or other types of indoor heating.

KENT, Wash. - September 28, 2009 - Payment of your stormwater drainage utility is important for managing our flood protection risk and for protecting our natural resources.  Your drainage fees include projects that repair and improve our levees, maintain and improve your storm drain pipes, and protect our lakes and creeks from stormwater impacts. Take a look at the projects your drainage fees are funding.

KENT, Wash. – September 25, 2009 – The King County Flood Control District will be doing vegetation removal and maintenance on the Green River levees.  Work is scheduled to begin as early as this weekend and will be ongoing until approximately November 20^th.  The project includes mowing on both sides of the levee and tree removal.

KENT, Wash. - September 23, 2009 - The City of Kent announces its new “reverse 9-1-1” emergency notification system is now operational.  Residents and business owners within Kent’s city limits are urged to enter their contact information online at www.kentCodeRED.com. 

KENT, Wash. – September 22, 2009 – With restrictions on the water pool level behind the Howard Hanson Dam, Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke, Chair of the King County Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee, took a proactive step to reduce potential flooding this winter in the Green River Valley.  “Our first line of defense should be to fight the flood at the levee – not in the Valley,” Cooke declared.  “It is much less costly to prevent flooding in the first place, than to suffer the financial and emotional expense of cleaning up after a flood.”

KENT, Wash. – September 18, 2009 – At a time when public budgets are strained, new bus service would be considered quite a coup.  But thanks to voter-approved initiative Transit Now, that’s exactly what residents in west Kent are getting.

KENT, Wash. – September, 16, 2009 – Four adults, an infant and three dogs escape unharmed from a fire that nearly destroyed their Kent area home this evening.   Family and the Red Cross are pitching in to assist the victims with food, clothing and shelter.

KENT, Wash. – September 14, 2009 – “Come plant with us!” reads a sign on the back of Kent Parks’ shiny, new 16-foot trailer.  The Mobile Tree Planting Lab will make its debut this month during National Public Lands Days at Lake Fenwick Park on Kent’s west hill. The City was able to purchase it with a matching grant from Target.

KENT, Wash. – September 10, 2009 –Larry Blanchard, who has spent the last decade managing the construction and maintenance of the city’s streets, sewer and water mains is resigning as Public Works Director effective September 30.

KENT, Wash. – September 2, 2009 – The City of Kent is the newest city to join the Cascade Land Conservancy’s Green City Network, the growing regional movement to recognize the need for a coordinated restoration effort of our forested parklands and greenbelts.

Kent, Wash. – August 25, 2009 – The City of Kent Emergency Management is currently registering interested people for its Fall Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.

Covington, Wash. – August, 25, 2009 – Fire crews from Maple Valley and Kent responded at 8:34 this morning to a residential fire in the eastern portion of Covington.  The home, which was occupied at the time, suffered damages believed to be in excess of $60,000.  

KENT, Wash. – August 20, 2009 –Residents within the vicinity of two proposed Cottage Housing Developments are invited to learn what each of the proposed projects include and share their comments at two public meetings. 

KENT, Wash. – July 24, 2009 –The City of Kent has contracted with Emergency Communications Network, Inc. for its "CodeRED" high-speed emergency notification services.

KENT, Wash. – July 17, 2009 – Kent’s Human Services Commission has a new tool to help drive awareness of its “iCan” Campaign.  Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) today launched its newest digital billboards in Kent and is providing them as a public service. 

KENT, Wash. – June 23, 2009 – With a unanimous vote, the Kent City Council approved an ordinance giving downtown developers of multi-family, mixed-use housing complexes an eight-year property tax exemption.

KENT, Wash. – June 15, 2009 -Judge Glenn Phillips of the Kent Municipal Court was elected President of the Washington State District and Municipal Court Judge’s Association (DMCJA) at the Association’s annual spring conference last week.  Judge Phillips will serve as President for one year. 

KENT, Wash. – June 1, 2009 – At the May 28 meeting of the Special Events Center Public Facilities District (PFD) Board, SMG Events Center Management, Seattle Thunderbirds and City of Kent staff presented a financial and market report showing a $169,923 operating loss during ShoWare Center’s first four months of operations. 

KENT, Wash. – May 1, 2009 - iCan…get help, provide help, and inspire others.  These actions are just a few of the possibilities Kent’s Human Services Commission hopes residents will take to heart with the launch of its “iCan” Campaign.

KENT, Wash. – April 8, 2009 – The economy, neighborhood livability and economic development are expected to top the list of discussions with council members at a special Town Hall meeting on Thursday, April 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Training Room at Fire Station 74, 24523 116th Ave. SE.

KENT, Wash. – March 30, 2009 – Buds have appeared on trees and shrubs all over the city, and Kent Parks is readying for another productive season of park improvement projects.  The first is Earth Day on Saturday, April 18 at Lake Fenwick Park, followed immediately by Arbor Day on Saturday, April 25 at West Fenwick Park.  Both parks are located on the City’s west hill.

KENT, Wash. – March 27, 2009 – To make bill payment easier and more convenient for its utility customers, the City of Kent has added online payment to its list of payment options. 

KENT, Wash. – March 24, 2009 – All of Kent’s City employees are giving back to save their fellow employees from layoffs.

KENT, Wash. – March 2, 2009 – Boaters at Lake Meridian Park must purchase launch passes, effective today. The per-launch fee is $5.00, payable at the on-site fee station.  An annual pass, valid through December 31, is $50.00; a semi-annual pass, valid July 1 to December 31, is $25.00. Launch passes are available for purchase in person at the Kent Commons, located at 525 4^th Avenue North in downtown Kent.