Hawks open training camp
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The technology, New World, is part of an overhaul of emergency software across the county, but it also brings up touchy legal questions. By Rikki King Herald Writer
EVERETT — By the end of the year, most police and fire vehicles in Snohomish County could be equipped with GPS technology that will allow emergency dispatchers to know where they are at a moment’s notice. The technology promises faster and safer emergency operations. It also brings up touchy legal questions about the data’s potential effect on discipline investigations and public records requests. It’s all part of an expected overhaul of emergency dispatch software across the county. After years of delays and disputes, the project called New World is scheduled to go live Oct. 27. If that happens, dispatchers, police and firefighters will be able to see emergency vehicles moving live across the maps on their computer screens. The current system, which is text-based, is used to help dispatch fire vehicles according to their home fire station. With GPS, rigs can be deployed based on their precise location at that moment. “It has an awareness of where an incident is and where the closest resource is and it can select the closest unit based on that criteria,” said Kurt Mills, executive director at SNOPAC, the dispatch center in Everett. Much of the country already has similar technology in place. Lynnwood’s Cmdr. Jim Nelson cited the example of a police dog tracking a suspect. The new technology should allow arriving officers to see where others are stationed and change their position to better cordon off the area. “It should be a nice new addition to our toolbox,” Nelson said. GPS tracking could shave minutes off responses, Marysville Deputy Fire Chief Darryl Neuhoff said. Marysville expects to have roughly 17 rigs equipped. The Everett Fire Department already has its GPS units installed. See GPS, Page A5
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Courthouse deal on hold The Everett City Council was scheduled to approve an agreement, but tabled it till parking questions are resolved. By Chris Winters Herald Writer
EVERETT — An agreement between the city and Snohomish County over parking at the planned new courthouse was put on hold Wednesday. The Everett City Council was scheduled to approve an
agreement that would have committed the county to lease 300 parking spaces in a new parking garage — if the city or someone else were to build one near the new Snohomish County Courthouse. That agreement doesn’t commit the city to building a garage, and members of the council
had many questions from the city and county’s staff about how parking demand was being accounted for. Not satisfied with the available data, the city council tabled the agreement until more information is provided. Another courthouse briefing is scheduled for the council’s Sept. 2 meeting. By then, the county’s courthouse plans might change. The uncertainty in Everett has
caused County Council Chairman Dave Somers to reconsider the $162 million project. Somers said Thursday he plans to ask county staff to develop a less expensive backup plan. Emerging problems with the county’s finances also have weighed on his mind. “I’m not pulling the plug, but I’m asking that we have another conversation about an See DEAL, Page A5
Wheels turning at skatepark Monroe facility will undergo $240,000 worth of improvements
IAN TERRY / THE HERALD
Hunter Stack, 8, of Monroe, balances on his bike as mom Kristi Stack looks on at the Lake Tye skatepark in Monroe on Thursday. The city will match a $120,000 grant from the state and use the $240,000 to upgrade the existing skatepark.
By Amy Nile Herald Writer
MONROE — Skaters here will soon be rolling on, popping off and turning tricks more easily at the Lake Tye skatepark. That’s the goal for Matt Fluegge, of the Seattle-based design firm Grindline Skateparks. The company is working with the city and Monroe skaters to come up with a plan for $240,000 worth of improvements at the Lake Tye park. Once the upgrades are complete, Fluegge said, Monroe will
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have the one of the best skateparks in the region. “It’s a world-class design,” he said. “It’s more street oriented.” The city received a $120,000 state grant earlier this month to help pay for the project. Monroe will match the grant from the State Recreation Conservation Office. The skatepark was built in 2002 with portable ramps on a concrete slab. Now, the ramps need to be replaced because of wear and tear, Parks and Recreation Director Mike Farrell said. The city plans include
Droning on Beats Hellfire missiles: Facebook is working on a solar-powered drone with a 140-foot wingspan that would broadcast Internet signals to regions too remote and impoverished for conventional broadband networks (Page A9). Unfortunately, drones Dear Abby. . . .D5 Horoscope . . . B5
permanent ramps and more interesting features to skate on that will last longer and potentially draw visitors to Monroe, Farrell said. “What’s going to be built here is going to create attention regionally,” Farrell said. The city plans to put in features that are usually found in a more urban setting, such as stairs, ledges, benches and rails. Brick and stone will be used for building material to make the features more durable, reduce maintenance and improve the look of the park, Farrell said.
can’t beam down things like safe drinking water, basic health care and honest government. Surfing the vast cultural wasteland: In the new TV series “Proof,” Jennifer Beals plays a brilliant surgeon who investigates near-death experiences (Short Takes, Page D6).
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Opinion. . . . .A11 Short Takes . . .D6
Spoiler alert: In an upcoming episode, Beals is plagued by eerie visions of the leg warmers and baggy sweatshirts she wore in “Flashdance.” Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1972, Democratic vice presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket Sports . . . . . . . C1 Stocks . . . . . .A10
“It’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye,” he said. “It definitely is an enhancement to that area of the park.” An 2014 estimate by the city staff found that about 120 skaters use the park each day. But they have told the city they’re bored with the existing features, Farrell said. That should change once the upgrades are complete. Construction could begin as early as this fall. Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @ AmyNileReports.
with George McGovern after reports that Eagleton had once undergone psychiatric treatment (Today in History, Page D6). One could argue that about half the 2016 GOP presidential field should withdraw their candidacies unless they undergo psychiatric treatment.
— Mark Carlson, Herald staff
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GPS on way for fire, police
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