KOMO News

The latest breaking news, traffic, and weather from Seattle and Western Washington

Local & Regional Judge: 6½-year federal prison sentence for 'Barefoot Bandit' (Video)

By KOMO Staff and Associated Press Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 11:24 AM PST Last Updated: Jan 27, 2012 at 6:06 PM PST

Colton Harris-Moore, aka the "Barefoot Bandit," was sentenced Friday to 6 1/2 years in federal prison for a multi-state crime spree that began in Western Washington and ended two years later with his capture in the Bahamas.

Local & Regional Marijuana initiative certified, sent to Legislature

By KOMO Staff Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 2:07 PM PST Last Updated: Jan 27, 2012 at 2:24 PM PST

An initiative that would decriminalize use and possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults was sent to the Legislature on Friday after the Secretary of State’s office certified it has more than enough signatures.

Local & Regional Italian cruise ship survivor opens up about her ordeal (Video)

By Tricia Manning-Smith Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 11:35 PM PST

A local survivor of the Jan. 13 Italian cruise ship disaster is breaking her silence about the terror that continues to haunt her.

Local & Regional Proposed bill aims to keep DOJ out of SPD policies (Video)

By Jamie Lynn Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 11:23 PM PST

An 11-month long federal investigation into the Seattle Police Department's practices concluded that the department uses "excessive force."

News

Local & Regional Judge: 6½-year federal prison sentence for 'Barefoot Bandit' (Video)
Colton Harris-Moore, aka the "Barefoot Bandit," was sentenced Friday to 6 1/2 years in federal prison for a multi-state crime spree that began in Western Washington and ended two years later with his capture in the Bahamas.
Local & Regional Marijuana initiative certified, sent to Legislature
An initiative that would decriminalize use and possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults was sent to the Legislature on Friday after the Secretary of State’s office certified it has more than enough signatures.
Local & Regional Italian cruise ship survivor opens up about her ordeal (Video)
A local survivor of the Jan. 13 Italian cruise ship disaster is breaking her silence about the terror that continues to haunt her.
Local & Regional Proposed bill aims to keep DOJ out of SPD policies (Video)
An 11-month long federal investigation into the Seattle Police Department's practices concluded that the department uses "excessive force."
Local & Regional Lawmakers consider bills to stop sexual exploitation of minors online (Video)
State lawmakers are being asked to take aim at those who sexually exploit minors using the Internet. Although state senators are sympathetic, they warned it won't be easy.
Local & Regional Friends and family pay tribute to fallen Naval officer (Video)
A career Naval officers who died earlier this week was remembered Friday for putting the safety of others before her own.
Local & Regional Crash sends car into creek in Auburn; 1 injured
Federal Way police said three cars collided at an intersection, and the impact sent a Volkswagen into the creek.
Local & Regional Auburn police find 73 cats inside parked camper (Photo Gallery) (Video)
Police arrested a man Thursday afternoon for animal cruelty after they found 73 cats and a dog inside his parked camper.
Local & Regional Tukwila police make arrest in child luring incident
A SeaTac man was arrested Friday for allegedly trying to lure a 13-year-old girl into his car.
Local & Regional Two dogs attack school bus driver (Video)
Seattle's Eckstein Middle School was put on lockdown for a short time on Friday after two dogs attacked a bus driver.

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Guilty Pleasures

Entertainment

Entertainment Actress Nixon's claim to be gay by choice riles activists

By LISA LEFF Associated Press Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 12:29 PM PST Last Updated: Jan 27, 2012 at 2:13 PM PST

Cynthia Nixon learned the hard way this week that when it comes to gay civil rights, the personal is always political. Very political.

Entertainment Photos: Star sightings (Photo Gallery)

Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 2:55 PM PST

Entertainment Friend says on 911 call Demi Moore was convulsing (Video)

By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON Associated Press Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 6:52 AM PST Last Updated: Jan 27, 2012 at 12:18 PM PST

Demi Moore smoked something before she was rushed to the hospital on Monday night and was "semi-conscious, barely," according to a caller on a 911 recording released Friday by Los Angeles fire officials.

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Offbeat

Offbeat Photos: Excerpts from the journal of Casey R. Doodle (Photo Gallery)

Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 5:20 PM PST Last Updated: Jan 27, 2012 at 8:37 PM PST

Offbeat N.J. camel predicts Giants will win the Super Bowl

By WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 7:33 AM PST Last Updated: Jan 27, 2012 at 10:54 AM PST

People use all sorts of ways to try to predict the winner of the Super Bowl. But the closest thing to a sure thing may come from a camel in New Jersey.

Offbeat Snohomish Co. theft suspect has extraordinary excuse

By Associated Press Published: Jan 26, 2012 at 2:36 PM PST

Snohomish County sheriff's detectives who tracked down a 21-year-old man suspected of forging stolen checks asked him if he was doing it to feed a drug habit.

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Local & Regional

Local & Regional Discovery Bay cafe taking down dollars from walls

By CHARLIE BERMANT, Peninsula Daily News Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 10:35 AM PST

Fat Smitty's, the landmark cafe and home of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink hamburger and walls covered with dollar bills, will remove the cash Saturday to donate it to the Boy Scouts or another charity.

Local & Regional Lakewood woman pleads not guilty in death of her infant son
Medics found the 2-month-old baby "lying lifeless on the floor" at Jamie McAdams' home earlier this month. The mother initially said she had found the boy dead, but later said she had accidentally killed him.
Local & Regional Iraq War veteran accused of posing as Ore. officer
Eugene Police Officer Dan Baker drove a blue SUV and set off sirens to clear cars in front of him at traffic lights. He pulled over motorists - though it's unclear if he ever gave out tickets. And when he stopped by a youth shelter as a volunteer, he came in full uniform.
Local & Regional 2 severely injured in house fire near Silver Lake
Two people have been severely injured in a house fire southwest of Silver Lake on Friday afternoon.
Local & Regional $1 million lottery winner still a mystery
Some lucky person is a million dollars richer after buying a $2 lottery ticket in Fife on Wednesday. But two days later, the prize, the largest Powerball win in Washington's history, is still unclaimed.

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Community News

Around the World

National & World Costa: $14,460 per person for ruined Italy cruise

By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 7:14 AM PST

Costa Crociere SpA offered uninjured passengers euro11,000 ($14,460) apiece Friday to compensate them for lost baggage and the psychological trauma they suffered after their cruise ship ran aground and capsized off Tuscany.

National & World At least 11 hurt at Ohio casino construction site (Video)
A section of floor collapsed Friday at the construction site of the city's new casino, sending workers tumbling down with it and causing minor injuries for at least 11 people, authorities said.
National & World Utah girl credited with outing school bomb plot
A 16-year-old Utah student who shared a suspicious text message with a school administrator foiled plans by two schoolmates who apparently were plotting to set off a bomb during a school assembly and run away in a stolen airplane, police said.
National & World Children among 74 dead in 2 days of Syrian turmoil
Two days of bloody turmoil in Syria killed at least 74 people, including small children, as forces loyal to President Bashar Assad shelled residential buildings and fired on crowds in a dramatic escalation of violence, activists said Friday.
National & World 6 bodies found in Rio buildings collapse (Photo Gallery) (Video)
Rescuers pulled out at least six bodies, according to the city morgue, and 16 people remained missing Thursday as the smoke from small fires drifted above the wreckage of three buildings that collapsed suddenly in Rio de Janeiro.

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Sports

Sports Washington holds off Arizona State for 60-54 win

By By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer Published: Jan 26, 2012 at 8:18 PM PST

Tony Wroten scored 22 points and ended a pair of rallies with three-point plays, lifting Washington to a 60-54 win over Arizona State on Thursday night.

Sports Injured Solo practices before Olympic qualifier
Hope Solo stood in the net, leaned forward and grimaced. She had just dived to her right to make a save, and her injured leg was feeling the effects.
Sports Ex-Seahawk QB to coach football at Tacoma high school
Lincoln High School in Tacoma has called a news conference Thursday afternoon to introduce former Seahawk Jon Kitna as the school's new football coach.
Sports Solo uncertain for U.S. game that decides Olympics berth
Hope Solo's leg injury could keep the goalkeeper out of the game that determines whether the U.S. women's national team goes to the Olympics.
Sports Marshawn Lynch rounds out five Seahawks headed to Pro Bowl
The Seahawks' star running back, Marshawn Lynch, is headed to the Pro Bowl.

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Your Life, Your Style

Consumer When it comes to taxes, are you leaving money on the table? (Video)

By Connie Thompson Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 9:56 PM PST

Leaving food on the table is one thing, but thousands of local people are leaving money on the table in the form of a tax credit.

Technology Report: Facebook IPO filing could come next week

By Associated Press Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 2:02 PM PST

Facebook could file regulatory papers as early as Wednesday for its highly anticipated initial public offering of stock, according to a newspaper report.

Technology Forget pickling, local business can ferment that

Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 1:28 PM PST

Health CDC: Diabetes amputations falling dramatically

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer Published: Jan 25, 2012 at 9:16 AM PST

Foot and leg amputations were once a fairly common fate for diabetics, but new government research shows a dramatic decline in limbs lost to the disease, probably due to better treatments.

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Extras

Opinion Schram: Protecting the vulnerable should be top priority (Video)

By Ken Schram Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 9:39 AM PST Last Updated: Jan 27, 2012 at 6:56 PM PST

Senate Bill 6162 - now referred to as "Kimmie's Law" - would require law enforcement to issue something similar to an Amber Alert within a few hours of a missing persons report if it involves someone with developmental disabilities.

Weather How cold was it last week? 'Old Man Winter' put in an appearance

By Scott Sistek Published: Jan 25, 2012 at 8:18 PM PST

There were dozens to hundreds of amazing photos from the ice and snow storms last week, but this one really caught my attention. Mary Popovich took this picture looking out her living room window in Bellingham on Jan. 18. "As I was walking by I stopped and notice this profile on the fence post," she said. "I think it's really odd that the snow created such a profile."

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Entertainment

Entertainment Jesse Jackson enters fray over Grammy cuts
Jesse Jackson is entering the fray over The Recording Academy's cuts to its Grammy categories: He's asking to meet with the president of the organization and has raised the possibility of protests.
Entertainment Robert Hegyes, played Epstein on 'Kotter,' dies
Robert Hegyes, the actor best known for playing Jewish Puerto Rican student Juan Epstein on the 1970s TV show "Welcome Back Kotter" has died. He was 60.
Entertainment Sajak: Vanna and I drank between 'Wheel' tapings
The "Wheel of Fortune" wasn't the only thing spinning for Pat Sajak and Vanna White back in the day.
Entertainment Claire Danes lauded, roasted as Hasty Pudding Woman of Year (Photo Gallery)
Golden Globe winner Claire Danes picked up a pudding pot from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
Entertainment Rihanna to UK fashion newbies: Dress me up
Rihanna has found a unique way of getting some new stage outfits. The musical superstar from Barbados will be hunting for undiscovered design talent in Britain on a new TV show - as yet unnamed - in which she will be the executive producer and the star.

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Technology

Technology Twitter may censor tweets in individual countries
Twitter has refined its technology so it can censor messages on a country-by-country basis. The additional flexibility announced Thursday is likely to raise fears that Twitter's commitment to free speech may be weakening.
Technology iPhone, iPad app rewards being a couch potato
Want to earn stuff by watching TV? An app for that is set to debut Wednesday.
Technology Apple passes Exxon as most valuable company
Apple has again surpassed Exxon as the most valuable U.S. company after a huge fiscal first quarter.
Technology Google to merge user data across more services
Google announced a plan Tuesday to link user data across its email, video, social-networking and other services that it says will create a "beautifully simple and intuitive" user experience. But critics raised privacy concerns like those that helped kill the search giant's Buzz social networking service.
Technology Facebook forces Timeline; tips to hide users' past
Facebook will start requiring people to switch to a new profile format known as Timeline, making photos, links and personal musings from the past much easier to find.

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Business

Business Economy grew modest 2.8 pct in 4th qtr, best in 2011
The U.S. economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year, the fastest growth in 2011.
Business Ford posts big profits but misses Wall Street
An accounting change boosted Ford's fourth-quarter net income, but without the gain the company fell short of Wall Street's expectations.
Business Private sector unions add members in 2011
Union membership grew slightly last year, giving union leaders hope that a period of steep declines has finally bottomed out.
Business Nintendo chief promises to do Wii U launch right
Nintendo's chief is determined to get right the launch of its next game machine, Wii U, set for this year's holiday shopping season, and acknowledged Friday some mistakes with selling its 3DS handheld.
Business Davos chief offers to meet with Occupy protesters
The head of the World Economic Forum on Friday invited members of the "Occupy" movement to meet him in person, to discuss their concerns about the exclusive gathering of global business and government leaders.

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Offbeat

Offbeat Potty-room pilfering: Automatic flushers stolen in Ohio
A restroom rip-off in central Ohio has automatic flushers disappearing from the bathrooms at restaurants and other businesses.
Offbeat Artist plans to bury Boeing 727 jetliner in Calif. desert
A Swiss artist plans to bury an intact Boeing 727 jetliner in California's Mojave Desert and build a tourist tunnel to give visitors a chance to view the underground project.
Offbeat Wyoming 19-year-old fined $200 for doughnut theft
A 19-year-old college student accused of swiping a doughnut in Wyoming is going to be paying a pretty penny for that pastry.
Offbeat Photos: Geeky tattoos (Photo Gallery)
Offbeat 'SHCOOL' sign replaced in NYC
An embarrassing misspelling of "school" is gone from the street outside a New York City school building.

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