If Large Quake Hits Seattle You Can Expect Landslides And Tsunamis

With the earthquake in Chile and the one in Haiti last month and tomorrow being the 9th anniversary of the Nisqually Quake the question on everyone’s mind is, when will the next big one hit Seattle and could the Puget Sound get rocked by a tsunami.

Saturday was a calm day on the water around Seattle, deep below it though a ticking time bomb and earthquake waiting to unleash its fury. Brian Atwater who is a USGS geologist says a major quake could cause the waters to rise around Seattle.

“So, you can expect that there would be locally generally tsunamis in Puget Sound from the shaking,” said Atwater.

Atwater was in the University of Washington Seismology lab on Saturday monitoring the tsunami from the Chilean quake. He says a local shaker would cause landslide and big waves.

“It'll just become strong currents by the time you get into, rapidly rising and falling waters,” said Atwater.

University of Washington seismologist Bill Steele says a big quake will topple buildings and north of Seattle send Puget Sound inland.

“As far as big waves washing away homes the modeling is showing parts of Bellingham could be vulnerable to some low lying flooding,” said Steele.

If and when a big earthquake hits Seattle, it could trigger a tsunami on Puget Sound, but also in fresh water like Lake Washington. Big waves could damage both floating bridges and threaten lives on the water and shoreline.

Brian Atwater says people should seek higher ground after the earthquake hits.

“Is there a building that's well built that might withstand the earthquake and I can get up on and ride out the tsunami,” said Atwater.

State Emergency Responders were on high alert today from the Chilean Tsunami. Rob Harper with the Washington Emergency Management Division says it was a good test for the big one.

“So, it's very important to see how we respond that our plans work, we coordinate and all of that happened successfully today,” said Harper.

When that major earthquake strikes Seismologist Bill Steele says take cover and stay off the water.

“So, it's going to be kind of chaotic, difficult to navigate perhaps, while these are coming on it will be scary to be out in a boat I think,” said Steele.

Tacoma Teacher Gunned Down In Cold Blood By Obsessed Stalker

Jennifer Paulson had taken several legal steps to stop Jed Waits from stalking and harming her. But, the court order couldn’t stop Waits from hunting her down this morning and taking her life.

Paulson filed a Protection order in Pierce County District Court in September 2008. The legal document was supposed to keep Waits from contacting or coming within a thousand feet of her.
Jenny Wieland Ward who is the Executive Director for Families & Friends Of Missing Persons & Violent Crime Victims says Waits was obsessed with Paulson.
“Sounds like he was lying in waiting and just came out of nowhere and there was no time to do anything,” said Wieland Ward.

Waits was arrested last week for violating the protection order by following Paulson but posted bail and was released from jail on Monday.

Jenny Wieland Ward says a restraining order can only do so much to protect victims.

“When someone is really evil and obsessed that they are bent on harming someone and somehow they're able to do it,” said Wieland Ward.

In the protection order Paulson says:

"About once a year he would call me about 10-15 times in a day. I would not return his calls until a few days later when I thought he was in a better state."

According to the harassment order Waits was stalking Paulson at work.

"Jed is parked across the street from the school I teach at. I get out of my car. He remains in his car and watches me."

"I never told him where I work and do not know how he found out. I suspect he searched the school district website."

The infatuation turned much more serious when Waits walked into Birney Elementary in Tacoma.

"Jed walks into my school to see me and past the office. The secretary stops him. He wants to see me."

Instead of victims going into hiding Wieland Ward says it’s up to lawmakers to strengthen protection orders to stop the violence.

“The only way to change the system is by changing the laws,” said Wieland Ward.

According to the protection order Waits was not allowed to call, email, or send gifts to the 30 year old Paulson. Paulson’s family even tried to get the former National Guardsman to leave their daughter alone.

"My Dad calls him and talks to him saying that he must stay away."

Then, early this morning in the school parking lot cops says Waits gunned down Paulson.

Jenny Wieland Ward says stalking victims can increase their safety by joining the State’s Address Confidentiality Program to keep their work and home address secret. Keep a stalker log to show cops when and where you’re being followed. Have a safety bag with cash, extra keys, cell-phone, and your car full of gas. Finally, give pictures of the stalker to neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers so they can watch for them.

Victim Advocates like Wieland Ward say Paulson’s murder is a tragedy that should have been stopped.

“I'm just so sorry that this happened to her and to everyone that cared about her,” said Wieland Ward.

So, should victims arm themselves? Wieland Ward says it would be a good idea to carry pepper spray or mace just in case. A victim should carefully consider whether or not to carry a gun for protection.

Seattle Company Launches New Website To Help Homeowners Save Big Bucks On Energy Bills

How would you like to save a bundle of cash on your next energy bill? A Seattle company has launched a brand new website that will help make your home more energy efficient.

Lyndle Irick and his wife Mary have lived in their home in Magnolia since 1949 and they think it's high time they started saving money on their energy bill.

"Well, we've been thinking about insulating for a long time," said Irick.

The family is getting help from Chief Building Analyst Bruce Minturn with Vesta Home Performance Retrofitting.

"We can add insulation to a wall by boring holes in the exterior of the wall," said Minturn.

His company specializes in sealing up windows, doors, and ventilation ducts. But, he says your money could be escaping from other spots too.

"It doesn't add up to a whole lot compared to how much you may be leaking through the walls, through the attic, through the crawl space," said Minturn.

Minturn is one of a select few contractors connecting with homeowners through a new website www. Energysavvy.com. CEO Aaron Goldfeder says the service is free. It shows how your house ranks in energy efficiency.

"And, based on that we calculate a score. We can say hey your home is a 25, which is very energy inefficient home or a 95, which is a very efficient home," said Goldfeder.

The company says it's really easy to use its website. You start out by entering your house zip code. Then, you answer several questions about whether your home uses gas or electric. What type of insulation it has and the appliances you're using.

After about as minute your home's score will pop up on the screen. Goldfeder says the program will also show you how to make changes to save you thousands of dollars on your energy bill over the next 4 years.

"First, is we tell you the recommendations that will give you the biggest bang for your buck for your home based on your score, and the second rebates and tax credits," said Goldfeder.

As for Lyndle Irick, he says he'll be able to enjoy his golden years even more, now, that his home won't be wasting his money.

"We'll see how much money it's going to save for a period of time, it will probably pay for itself eventually," said Irick.

The Energy Savvy website puts homeowners in touch with a select group of green contractors that have a strong background in maximizing energy efficiency in homes.

New Program Hopes To Stop Crooks From Ripping Off Seniors

Talk about being low, ripping off senior citizens of their hard earned money when they are trying to enjoy their golden years. Unfortunately, this is a growing crime trend in the Pacific Northwest. But, there is some hope thanks to a new program that's purpose is to help cops catch the crooks that are ripping off senior citizens.

Margaret Canzler was ripped off by a cunning thief.

“I was just so upset, I couldn't take it you know,” said Canzler.

When Yolanda Pouncey showed up at Margaret’s house the 72 year old was packing getting ready for a trip to Germany with her husband to visit family.

“She said your husband said I could use your phone,” said Canzler.

She thought the stranger seemed legitimate, she said she was pregnant and needed to use the bathroom. Once Pouncey left Margaret discovered she’d been robbed.

“Went to get my credit cards, they were all gone, everything was gone,” said Canzler.

In just a couple of minutes the scam artist took Margaret’s purse and nearly a thousand bucks in cash. Pierce County Prosecutors say Pouncey preyed on over 50 senior victims, ripping them off of hundreds of dollars in cash, credit cards, and jewelry.

Margaret and her husband still went on the trip to Germany to see her daughter and son in law. But, the trip was a tough one because the family was upset about losing all that money.


Detective Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department says crooks will use a senior’s kindness against them.

“And, unfortunately the one time they think they're helping, they're not, the money is going right into the criminals pockets,” said Troyer.

Because, there are plenty of crooks out there targeting the elderly Tacoma/Pierce County Crime Stoppers and Seattle University have joined forces to start a new program to protect seniors and catch the bad guys.

Tina Hagedorn is one of four executives in the Seattle University Business Program that created the project that urges seniors to not remain silent and report crimes against them.

“We've launched it, yes we have a website and we have our phone number and we're taking tips,” said Hagedorn.

Margaret Canzler never got her money back and she’s lost some of her faith in people too.

“They don't care if they hurt someone or devastate someone,” said Canzler.

Pouncey was arrested and has since pled guilty to burglary and ID theft and awaits sentencing.

If you know of someone that’s scamming or abusing the elderly in your area call Crime Stoppers at 1-253-591-5959. You’re information can help lock up the crooks and could earn you a cash reward too.

Watch Out Crooks Stealing Pricey Trees & Plants In Seattle

Cops are looking for a group of "Midnight Gardeners" that are going around ripping off expensive plants and trees from yards around North Seattle.

This is certainly one for the books. Last week, these "conifer crooks" hit three homes in the Crown Hill area of North Seattle. The bad guys dug up trees from the front yard of Meghan Fuller's home.

"So, then I started to look around, cause I realized what happened, then I found this one had been stolen," said Fuller.

Then, the bad guys hopped the fence into Heidi Allen's yard and went after her expensive and old bonsai tree. She thinks the crooks are planning on fencing the goods on Craigslist.

"Some lowlife landscapers who will steal people's trees and then sell them to someone else," said Allen.

But, the thugs didn't just rip off "green stuff" they also took patio furniture from David Shuler's home. Although, his dog's poop actually scared them away from taking more stuff.

"Whoever was being the backyard burglar, hit 100 percent on poop three times in the backyard," said Shuler.

The homeowners have no idea why they were targeted. But, plant thievery is not uncommon in Seattle. Turns out that people have people stealing this stuff for a long time.

Anyone with information about these "plant pilferers" should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Popular Seattle Area Bike Shop Closing Blame A Lousy Economy

It's a sad day for mountain and road bikers everywhere in the Seattle area. After 8 years of being a fixture in Southeast King County, Black Diamond Bike & Backcountry is closing its doors for good.

Today, we talked with owner Peter Fisher who says there is no way to keep the business going. "We're at a point we can't recover," said Fisher.

Fisher will lock up the shop at the end of March. Right now, he's having a "fire sale" everything must go.

Fisher and other small business owners say the sour economy has really crippled businesses down in Black Diamond. Craig Phalen who owns the "Swinging Arm" Restaurant and Tap House says the area got "zapped" with a triple whammy.

"We kind of got hit with a lot between the bridge, the snow for a couple of weeks, the economy, everything really hurt," said Phalen.

Peter and Craig both say when the State Route 169 bridge shutdown that killed their businesses. People had to take a 20 minute detour and that was really bad for the bottom line.

Peter has been a very busy man selling bikes since the fall of 2001. But, that hasn't stopped him from doing a lot of charity work in the area. Losing the shop means schools and others that counted on Black Diamond Bike will be out of luck, which is truly sad.

He also helped to build a bike trail near his store that many people go cruise and do jumps on everyday. James Douglas is one of those mountain bikers.

"Yeah, it is sad he's donated a lot of time and everything, helped everybody out, so for him to shut down his shop with this starting to go, kind of a sad deal," said Douglas.

When I talked with Peter I could tell that he is very passionate about bikes, and is truly bummed that he won't be able to fix them or sell them in his community anymore.

I almost forgot to mention. Peter actually applied for two small business loans from the government and got turned down twice. Uncle Sam told him it was a bad investment. According to Peter 40 other businesses also got denied too.

The only way Black Diamond Bike keeps rolling along according to Peter is if an "angel" investor steps in at the last second, or somebody buys the shop.

Cops in Washington and Oregon are turning up the heat to try and find the guy who opened fire on a Washington State Patrol Trooper. This suspect is brazen and needs to be caught before he hurts someone else.

This all went down early Saturday morning in Long Beach on the Washington State Coast. Trooper Scott Johnson who is a 25 year veteran was finishing up a DUI call. He was doing some inventory of the car he was processing when the suspect walked up to him. What happened next is crazy. The guy muttered something to Johnson, the Trooper turned his head and the bad guy fired two shots into the back of Johnson's head.

Somehow Johnson survived. With two bullets lodged in his skull he pulled out his gun and got off a couple of shots. The crook got away, but the tow truck driver that was there jumped in his rig and gave chase. He had to stop though when the dirtbag pointed the gun at him.

Johnson was rushed to the hospital in Portland. He is still there recovering and is expected to live. His family talked with the media on Sunday afternoon.

His mother Linda Johnson says Scott was the one that let her know he was wounded. "He said Mom I've been shot in the head, and I mean I could not believe it," said Johnson.

Trooper Johnson's son Derek says he wants the guy that tried to kill his father taken down before he hurts someone else. He's heartbroken over his Dad's injuries.

"I love my Dad very much and he's one of the most honest men I've ever met in my entire life and he does not deserve this," said Johnson.

You can see the picture of this creep in my blog. The shooting suspect is a white man about 35 to 40 years of age. He has a light tan complexion. He's about 5'10'' to 5'11'' inches tall and weighs between 185 and 200 pounds. He was wearing a dark colored insulated shirt and possibly a knit cap. Call The WSP Tip Line at 1-800-283-7808 if you see this creep.

Seattle Environmentalist Is One Man Wrecking Crew To Clean Up Polluted River

It’s one of the busiest waterways that feed into Puget Sound and unfortunately its one of the most polluted. But, a Seattle man has taken it upon himself to clean-up the Duwamish Waterway.

Neil Chism is on a mission on the docks and on the water. He’s an engineering consultant by trade, but on the shoreline he’s a one man wrecking crew.

“These are rags they use to sop up oil spills don't want to leave that in the water, more Styrofoam,” said Chism.

Neil has spent the last 6 months cleaning up trash and debris that’s been dumped into the Duwamish Waterway.

“There I found this, this morning, just everything you can imagine, this is some disgusting stuff here,” said Chism.

Twice a week you’ll find Neil tooling around in his cataraft. You name it he’s found it, old fishing gear, plastics, Styrofoam, and food cartons. And, along the way he’s studying how river currents affect where the trash goes.

“To go up and down the sides about a mile south of here and check on the trash, remove the trash and see how it's coming in, and how much is going out, try to stop it before it gets to the ocean,” said Chism.

Lots of wildlife like fish and birds call the Duwamish Waterway home, Neil says the trash that’s dumped in it and on the shoreline are not only an eyesore, but also harmful to their health.

“So, those birds will eat these things and one of these things will take a bird down,” said Chism.

Neil isn’t paid for any of his work it’s simply a labor of love for the environment. And, a reminder he said that it should be everyone’s mission to stop dumping our junk in the Duwamish.

“We live in one of the prettiest cities and areas in the world and this is unacceptable to have this stuff floating by on a regular basis and it's bad for the animals,” said Chism.

The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition is also instrumental in cleaning up trash and pollutants too. Coming up on February 15th its members will hold a revenue rally on the State Capitol Steps at noon. The group will promote awareness about improving water and wildlife conditions.

Something Is Crawling In The Sewer's Of Seattle

No, it's not alligators but cameras that the city is using to watch for big problems flowing beneath your feet. Today, I got a special opportunity to see how Seattle Public Utilities is using mini robotic cameras to check for clogs and cracks in the pipes.

These little cameras are pretty cool, they are lowered into the sewers and send back live images to the work crews. You never know "what" you might see because the sewer lines are for sanitation and sewer water, so cover your nose. Also, don't be surprised if a rat pops up from time to time. Crews tell me the big ones are in downtown Seattle. Might be because of all the businesses and restaurants.

SPU has just kicked off a new program to get people to stop dumping sludge down their drains. It's a play on words education program called "FOG" and stands for fats, oils, and grease.
The city says hospitals, restaurants, schools, and other businesses dump a lot of the gooey stuff down the old pipe. But, homes, condos, and apartments aren't any better.

According to the city its using the cameras as preventative maintenance to fix problems before they can become something more serious. In theory a clogged pipe could send fecal waste into your home or yard that's not yummy.

SPU crews work on about 7 to 10 city pipes a day and for good reason. They have about 1,500 miles of pipe they are responsible for! When they get one that is all jacked up with goo, they have a super high powered pressure washer they can use to clean them out.

A big warning for property owners who think the city will fix the pipe that's clogged from your home, turns out that is your responsibility. They will only unclog their pipes. But, if the city pipe is the reason for your problem, then you should be covered.

So, think before the next time you dump something down the drain you never know, it could come back up and that wouldn't be good.

Deputy Shoots And Kills Burglary Suspect That Tries To Run Him Over With Car

What a crazy scene in Pierce County today. About 2:30 AM Saturday 3 guys bust into the garage of a Lake Tapps home which is about 40 minutes from Seattle. The homeowner was there when it happened. She was able to lock herself inside her bedroom and called 911.

Cops arrived on the scene about 5 minutes later and caught the men trying to break into a safe in the garage. Two of the guys made a bee-line for their car. Another crook ran for it into the woods. The guys in the car hit the gas...and, tried hitting one of the Deputies. The Cop fired off several shots and ended up killing the driver. The passenger was wounded but is expected to live.

The guy that was killed behind the wheel ended up driving the car through a neighbors fence over a cliff and down into a ravine where it smashed into a tree.

The third guy was last seen booking it down towards the shoreline of Lake Tapps. Cops didn't catch him, but they grabbed the gun he dropped. Several neighbors told me they saw the guy cruising through their yards.

I talked with cops tonight and they are working the angle that the burglars were tipped off about the safe in the garage. Detectives believe a relative of the burglars might have been inside the home prior to the crime to case it for the crooks.

The 25 year old suspect that was wounded is expected to live. He's in a Tacoma Hospital talking with Detectives. Sources tell me they are very close to identifying all three men. Also, it's just a matter of time until the last bad guy is caught.

Neighbors told me things were buzzing when the shooting went down. Helicopters in the air searching for the suspect, K-9 units on the ground looking in the woods.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy that shot the two suspects has been placed on administrative leave which is standard procedure.

The Medical Examiner has yet to identify the burglar that was shot and killed.

Anyone with information about this crime is urged to call Police.

Tempers Flare In Seattle After Historic Tree Is Chopped Down

Some neighbors in Ballard are a little fired up after one of their favorite trees is ripped down by one of their neighbors. The hub-bub started around January 21st when a new homeowner decided to tear out a monkey puzzle tree that was on the Southeast corner of 60th and 9th. Well, that didn't sit well with people that lived in the neighborhood for decades.

Marian Carson was sad to see the tree go.
"I cried....it was everybody in the neighborhood knew where it was, we used it as a guidance to get to where we were going," said Carson.

Word of the tree coming down spread through the block like wildfire. Many of the folks I talked with said the monkey puzzle tree was an icon for the East Ballard Community. But, you have to remember it was on private property.

Here is the big problem. The City of Seattle has a rule that's designed to protect unique and rare tree's like the monkey puzzle tree. Now, the homeowner could be facing a hefty fine of over $10,000. "Exceptional Trees" that are protected are historical ones that have ecological value and make the neighborhood pretty. The only way you can take down one of these big guys is get a permit and the OK from the city. Apparently, the homeowner didn't have either.

I talked with an arborist who says replacing that tree will be almost impossible. Even if you planted ten of them, it wouldn't do enough. Certified Arborist Scott Baker says this tree tussle might be the first of its kind for Seattle.

"It's the first time I know of a tree like this being removed where the city has come in and said you know we're going to do something about this," said Baker.

Most of the neighbors have been griping around the water cooler about what happened. Some neighbors like Shawn Donat believes it might take a while for the situation to cools off.

"Of course, I think there will be peace...eventually," said Donat.

The couple that chopped down the monkey puzzle tree bought the house about a month ago. I tried asking them why they decided to take the tree down but they didn't want to talk about.