Local News
COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFS
Pot Use Won’t
Exclude Potential
Police Officers
Coal Protest
The Seattle Police Depart-
ment will no longer exclude
applicants with past marijuana
use.
Police officials say the
change in policy comes
because voters legalized the
recreational use of pot by
approving initiative 502. Until
this week, applicants were
immediately disqualified if
they had smoked marijuana
within three years of applying
for a position. The new rule
lowers that to a year.
Assistant chief Jim Pugel
says the department will also
reevaluate other marijuana-
related hiring policies. Dick
Reed, another assistant chief,
says the department is trying to
find a middle ground that does-
n’t exclude good candidates.
Whooping Cough
Kills Infant
A King County newborn
child died last week from
whooping cough, or pertussis
as its known to doctors . So far,
health officials have confirmed
752 cases of pertussis among
King County residents. That’s
the highest number in over a
decade.
Health officials say the rise in
the number of children who get
the disease and the child’s
death, point to the importance
of vaccination for everyone
who is in contact with infants.
Infants are the most vulnerable,
and before the vaccine was
developed it was not unusual
for babies and young children
to die of pertussis.
But families can prevent that
C
O
More than 2300 people filled 2 rooms at the Washington State Convention Center on December 13th to express how they
felt about a proposed plan to ship 48 million tons of coal to Asia. The coal would travel from Montana on trains through
the Pacific Northwest to the Cherry Point Terminal outside Ferndale Washington. Four students and their teacher were part
of the vast majority of people attending the hearing, who opposed the plan.
horrible outcome by making
sure that pregnant women,
mothers, fathers and everyone
in contact with babies are vac-
cinated.
Women should be revaccinat-
ed with every pregnancy
because protection is passed
from mother to baby. Vaccinat-
ing the mother, ideally between
week 27 and 36 of her pregnan-
cy, provides temporary immu-
nity until the baby is old
enough to get immunized,
beginning at 2 months of age
M
M
U
N
Lewis McChord
Soldier Faces
Death Penalty
The U.S. Army said Wednes-
day it will seek the death penal-
ty against the soldier accused
of massacring 16 Afghan vil-
lagers during pre-dawn raids in
March.
The announcement followed
a pretrial hearing last month for
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, 39,
who faces premeditated murder
I
T
Y
C
and other charges in the attack
on two villages in southern
Afghanistan.
Prosecutors said Bales, who
grew up in the Cincinnati sub-
urb of Norwood, Ohio, left his
remote base in southern
Afghanistan early on March
11, attacked one village,
returned to the base, and then
slipped away again to attack
another nearby compound. Of
the 16 people killed, nine were
children.
No date has been set for
A
L
E
N
D
Bales' court martial, which will
be held at Joint Base Lewis-
McChord south of Seattle.
His civilian lawyer, John
Henry Browne, did not imme-
diately return an email seeking
comment Wednesday. But on
Tuesday, he told The Associat-
ed Press that he met with Army
officials last week to argue that
Bales should not face the possi-
bility of the death penalty,
given that Bales was serving
his fourth deployment in a war
zone.
A
R
S EATTLE 2012
Friday December 21
If you have an event you want to share
with the community, email it two weeks
in advance to The Skanner at
info@theskanner.com
Thursday December 20
FRYE ART MUSEUM
Art exhibits, performance programs and
more.The Frye Museum has free admission and
parking. Open from 11a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-
Sunday at 704 Terry Ave., Seattle 206 622 9250
Page 2 The Seattle Skanner December 19, 2012
GINGERBREAD VILLAGE
Every year, architects and pastry chefs build
gingerbread mansions and landmarks in the
lobby of the Sheraton downtown. Free but your
donations benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation. Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers,
1400 6th Ave., Seattle 206-621-9000
Saturday December 22
SEE SANTA. Join us at the Seattle Children’s
Museum as we welcome Santa. We’ve added
some activities and decoration to the mountain
to make him feel more at home. 11 a.m. – 1
p.m. $4.50 per adult, $6.50 per child and $6.50
per grandparent. 305 Harrison St.
PHOTOS WITH IVAR’S SANTA CLAM
Ivar’s famous Dancing Clam will be transformed
into Santa Clam during the holiday season
complete with holiday garb for children and
families to snap a holiday photo.
Noon - Ivar’s Acres of Clams 1001 Alaskan Way,
Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 624-6852
Sunday December 23
CHRISTMAS SHIPS
First sailing: Choir: Dickens Carolers
Depart/Return: Kirkland City Dock, 3:45pm to
5:40 pm Passing by Yarrow Point Park at 4:05
p.m. and 4:25 p.m. and Waverly Beach Park at
4:45 p.m. and 5:05 p.m.
Parade Finale with the Seattle Girls’ Choir - Prime
Voci
Depart/Return: Kirkland City Dock, 8:00pm
to11:05pm
Passing by W. Montlake Park at 8:45pm and
9:05pm and by Gas Works Park Grand Finale at
9:45pm and 10:05 p.m.
Tuesday December 25
MERRY CHRISTMAS