Gay & Lesbian Students Want New Type Of Housing At University Of Washington

Gay and lesbian groups at the University of Washington are pushing for a new type of dorm on campus. It's called Gender-Neutral Housing. They believe the new living arrangements could stop homophbia in residence halls.

About 5,600 University of Washington students rely on campus housing to get them through four years of college. But, for some students like Emily Juhre who she lives with can make all the difference.

"You know I'm gender variant right, OK, so I'm a female but I dress as a male so I was very scared about rooming my first year," said Juhre.

The University of Washington Residence Hall Student Association is gathering information to see if Gender-Neutral Housing, which is supported by many gay and lesbian student organizations, could work here.

Jennifer Gibbons who is ASUW Director of Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, and Transgender Commission says the UW needs to start this type of housing.

"There's a lot of students who don't necessarily want to live in gender segregated housing that includes a lot of the queer community especially Trans students on campus, but also students that don't conform to typical gender norms," said Gibbons.

Sexual orientation would not be on the applications for a Gender-Neutral dorm, instead once students request that kind of housing, they can pick roommates of either sex that share interests. Gibbons says the hope is the plan would make for more harmonious living arrangements.

"They get into a room with their roommate and the roommate can often be homophobic or sometimes hostile and they have a lot of issues, but with gender neutral housing they'd have more of an idea of who they're going into with," said Gibbons.

The students believe one of the best places to start Gender-Neutral housing at the UW would be in one of the new dorms along Northeast Campus Parkway that are scheduled to open next fall.

RHSA President Emma Tessier says whether they're in new or older buildings, certain floors could be designated as Gender-Neutral.

"We really don't know which residence Halls we would be looking at, putting it if any depending again on how students feel about it," said Tessier.

Delaney Tognolini who is Director of Programming and Diversity says Gender-Neutral residence housing is extremely important for campus life.

"We want everyone this is their home so, this is just another effort we're trying to make everyone feel safe and welcome," said Tognolini.

Right now, the RHSA is getting input from students, UW's Administration hasn't signed off of on the idea. But, Emily Juhre says it would make her and her friends feel more comfortable.

"Living with people who you know are going to be more accepting and not judge you based on your gender or how you present yourself that can't be really good," said Juhre.

The Residence Hall Student Association is still going over data they collected from the survey they did on Gender-Neutral Housing. The body could vote on passing a resolution for it during winter quarter.

Afternoon Walk Turns Deadly For Seattle Woman & Her Dog

SEATTLE —
A local dog owner speaks out after the love of her life is shocked to death on a Seattle sidewalk. Lisa McKibbin has a warning for animal owners, also parents and their kids about the potential dangers lurking below their feet.

“Sammy was the best boy in the world he was my baby he loved to go on walks,” said McKibbin.

But, a walk on Thanksgiving afternoon on Queen Anne turned out to be their last together.

“I couldn't tell because he was just convulsing so much and just screeching I didn't know what was happening and I was screaming for someone to help me,” said McKibbin.

Lisa says Sammy was killed after stepping on a metal power plate at the base of a light pole outside Bricco’s Wine Bar.

“I put my hand in Sam's mouth and I felt a shock of the electric waves coming from his mouth and he said your dog has been electrocuted,” said McKibbin.

Lisa believes stray voltage killed him and she wants Seattle City Light to now inspect all of its plates and light poles.

“It is so painful to watch your dog die of such a horrific thing,” said McKibbin.

On Sunday Q13 Fox News talked with a bunch of dog owners on Queen Anne who say they’re now avoiding power plates because of what happened to Sammy.

Quyen Chan says City Light should make those inspections.

“This could probably happen anywhere else, they need to check this everywhere,” said Chan.

The power company calls this a tragic and freak accident. And, in a statement to Q13 Fox News Wrote:

“Seattle City Light extends our sympathy to the Bostdorff and McKibbin families in the loss of their dog Sammy. The electrical circuit feeding the streetlight has been disconnected. Safety is our highest priority. A Seattle City Light crew will be working on it Monday.”

The company says people should not worry about this happening again.

Lisa isn’t so sure she urges dog owners and people with children to avoid these power plates.

“I just don't want anybody else to go through this,” said McKibbin.

Lisa has filed a Police report and plans to talk with Seattle City Light about Sammy’s death. She’s even started a blog that talks about the dangers of stray voltage for people and animals. Lisa says her vet is even going to talk with other vets about this deadly hazard.

Navy Mom Helps Ship Holiday Cheer To Sailors All Around The Globe

BOTHELL —

It began as an ambitious dream from a Navy Mom, gather the best things from home and ship them to hundreds of sailors serving overseas. On Saturday a community rallied for her cause to make the holidays bright for sailors thousands of miles from home.

There was no time for chit chat in one Bothell home on Saturday volunteers had some serious packing to do. They were grabbing a few snacks and stuffing them in a box to make sure Navy sailors serving overseas felt appreciated.

This is the second year Navy mom Mary Jo Bader has gathered goodies for sailors around the globe.

“That's wonderful you can never have too many letters and cards. So, beef jerky, trail mix, cookies, we have home-made cookies this year which is awesome,” said Bader.

This year’s goal, get enough stuff for 230 boxes and the community came through.

“We just thank so much to Q13 for that, they've been wonderful in helping us get the word out.”

But, the boxes aren’t done until Mary Jo drops in a few words of praise.

“Enjoy this small gift as our way of saying thank you and merry Christmas,” said Bader.

Now, that they’re done they’re ready to be shipped to sailors all over the world.

Volunteer Liz Cummings says the care packages mean a lot to the sailors.

“You know just how thankful they are that they get something for Christmas it's a big deal to them stuff that we would take for granted,” said Cummings.

Mary Jo is grateful to everyone who helped in bringing a little bit of holiday joy to the men and women who protect our country.

“You know I'm amazed at the response we had this year,” said Bader.

Mary Jo says as this project continues to grow she expects to pack and ship even more boxes next year, which means the volunteers will have to find a bigger place to do their work.

Feds Arrest Man For Allegedly Selling Rifle To Accused Cop Killer

TACOMA —

A major development in the case of accused Cop killer Christopher Monfort. Feds arrested the man they say sold Monfort the rifle used to gun down Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton and wound his partner Britt Sweeney.

Federal Prosecutors say David Devenny admitted to undercover ATF Agents that he sold the rifle Monfort is accused of using to kill Officer Brenton. They say he bought it just seven days before the murder.

A rural neighborhood in Olympia woke up this morning to a swarm of Federal Agents descending on David Devenny’s house. ATF Special Agent in Charge Kelvin Crenshaw says they found 42 guns and $32,000 in cash.

“ATF's investigation revealed that Mr. Devenny was illegally selling firearms without a license,” said Crenshaw.

Devenny’s arrest is the result of an 18 month investigation. He’s charged with selling guns to people who aren’t legally allowed to own them. Crenshaw says Devenny also sold a rifle last fall that became the most sought after weapon in the City of Seattle.

“Statements made by Mr. Devenny to undercover agents indicate he was in fact the seller of the firearm on October 24, 2009 at the Puyallup Gun Show,” said Crenshaw.

Seven days later Crenshaw says the buyer Christopher Monfort used it to shoot and kill Seattle Police Officer Tim Brenton.

“This morning's arrest is but a small piece of the tragedy that marked an unspeakable act of murder,” said Crenshaw.

Selling that rifle to Monfort actually wasn’t illegal anyone can sell weapons at a gun show even if they’re not a licensed dealer. Crenshaw says was got Devenny busted was the number of guns he was peddling.

“He's engaged in the business of selling firearms for a profit and that it's no longer a private issue, he is actually engaged in the business for a profit,” said Devenny.

Still, the ATF says Devenny’s arrest was a bit emotional because of the connection to Brenton’s murder and because of who it was who took him into custody.

“On our Task Force Team we had one of our Task Force Officers who is a Seattle Police Officer and he is the one that actually was able to put the handcuffs on Mr. Devenny,” said Crenshaw.

Devenny remains locked up tonight he’ll be back in Court on Wednesday afternoon for his detention hearing in Tacoma. Meanwhile, Christopher Monfort returns to court early next month.

High Winds Hammer Seattle Area Causing Damage

The high winds that whipped through our area left a path of destruction on both sides of Lake Washington. Trees and phone lines were toppled and scaffolding collapsed at a construction site.

The punishing winds caught a lot of people off guard around the Sound, stop lights were singing, trees bending, one reached its breaking point on Mercer Island and came crashing down into a home. The one person who was inside at the time wasn’t hurt. But, the family will have to stay somewhere else tonight because their house is no longer safe.

In the Phinney Ridge area of North Seattle the wind undid someone’s hard work ripping apart the scaffolding outside this apartment building. Keith Brondson says he knew something bad was about to happen when he heard the wind.

“I live on the 3rd floor I heard the wind buffering through and making the tarps billow and they were causing the whole scaffolding to bang against the building,” said Brondson.

Brondson says it came down so hard it took some bricks from the side of the building with it.

“So, it was really noisy with the tarps flapping it was worse and when I came down I was going on an errand I called the contractor cause I was concerned,” said Brondson.

No one was hurt and crews had it cleaned up by dark. It was a blustery interruption to the start of the work week and perhaps a sign of the wild weather to come.

Sammamish Wants Stiffer Penalties For Illegal Hunting

Two animals illegally hunted and killed in East King County, a community outraged and City Officials concerned for neighbors safety. Now, hunters that break the law in Sammamish could be facing penalties as severe as driving under the influence.

Steve Bentler is still steamed about the bow hunter that illegally bagged a buck on his family’s property last month.

“They were actually coming out to visit the chickens when the guy shot across and apparently in that direction, I mean it could have been deadly,” said Bentler.

He thinks the current no hunting law isn’t tough enough.

“This guy should be thrown in jail and left to rot, he risked my nieces and nephews just to go after this buck,” said Bentler.

Sammamish made it a misdemeanor to hunt inside the City limits after a deer was shot and killed back in 2004. Now, two recent incident involving bow hunters have city leaders considering a strict change to the ordinance.

If the hunting law is changed in Sammamish it would be raised from a misdemeanor to a gross misdemeanor which is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

City Councilman John Curley says it would be a fairly strict penalty.

“But, I wouldn't want to go to prison telling everybody I shot a deer in Sammamish that's why I'm doing hard time,” said Curley.

A stiff penalty makes neighbors like John Miller believe it could stop the bullets and arrows from flying around the subdivisions.

“We've got kids out here running around doesn't make sense to me to be shooting bows or shooting a gun or anything like that in a neighborhood,” said Miller.

Steve Bentler knows the proposed changes won’t affect the hunter that took down the deer at his family’s house. But, he hopes the punishment he does get teaches him not to come near his family again.

“What a worthless slime bucket I think he should be thrown in jail,” said Bentler.

Coming up on Tuesday night the Sammamish City Council will vote on whether to adopt this tougher no hunting ordinance.

Husband Of Missing Utah Mother Finally Breaks His Silence

For the first time in months the husband of a missing Utah mother has broken his silence. Josh Powell who now lives in Puyallup talked with a Utah newspaper, and the comments he made about Susan Cox Powell are drawing criticism from the woman’s family.

Josh Powell and his father Steve Powell spoke with the Salt Lake Tribune. The men claim Susan is still alive and the mother of two ditched her family because she was having an affair. But, those close to Susan like Shelby Gifford say that’s completely false.

“It's a shame that instead of shouting from the mountain tops where did Susan go and where do we find her he's out here spewing this garbage,” said Gifford.

Harsh words from loved ones of Susan Cox Powell, after her husband spoke for the first time to the Salt Lake Tribune Newspaper. Powell said Susan wasn’t the victim of foul play, but instead went missing because of mental problems saying: “My wife is extremely unstable.”

Shelby Gifford calls that ridiculous.

“She absolutely did not have a mental illness, no history of mental illness even in the family. In terms of her being unstable that's just so inaccurate,” said Gifford.

Q13 Fox News went to the Powell’s Puyallup home Sunday afternoon to talk with Josh, but his father Steve shut the door on our crew.

Josh has avoided the media but told a Salt Lake City reporter Susan would sometimes yell at him while chasing him around the dining room table. Another time, Susan ran down their street in her underwear to yell at him.

Gifford says she highly doubts either incident ever happened.

“I think that from our perspective Josh can say whatever he wants to say it doesn't make it true it doesn't make it accurate,” said Gifford.

Josh became a person of interest but not a suspect in Susan’s disappearance. He told Police he took his two young sons camping in frigid conditions and when he came home Susan was gone. Gifford says there’s no way she left on her own.

“I think that Josh's claims that Susan voluntarily left her children are absolutely preposterous if you knew the first thing about her you knew she was a mom everything else was second in her world to her boys,” said Gifford.

Steve Powell believes his daughter in law skipped town with another man. He also talked with the newspaper saying: “We don’t believe she was abducted. We don’t believe she was murdered. Susan’s very sexually motivated, and she’s very financially motivated.”

Josh Powell claims to be the real victim in his wife’s disappearance. He says the Cox family is making him look like the bag guy on their Facebook page. But, the family says they’re not anti-Josh, they just want to find Susan.

Washington State Raising Pheasants So Hunters Can Bag Their Birds

Pheasant hunting is big business in Western Washington. Every year thousands of hunters hit the marshes and grassy fields to bag those birds. But, if it wasn’t for the State’s Fish and Wildlife Department pheasant season wouldn’t get off the ground.

For the last 50 years the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has been raising and releasing pheasants at Bob Oke Game Farm in Centralia. This massive operation provides local hunters with wild game and it doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime.

There are many familiar sights and sounds at the Game Farm. Farmer Chris White says the state is raising pheasants so hunters in Western Washington get a chance to bag them later.

“Put forth quite a bit of funding and money into this facility that has helped out in the propagation of raising pheasants and releasing them throughout Western Washington where they don't reproduce naturally,” said White.

White says a lack of agriculture on this side of the Cascades is what keeps the birds from reproducing.

“I raise around 40 to 42,000 and 40,000 of those will go out to Western Washington for the hunters,” said White.

So, after the pheasants are hatched on the 167 acre game farm they’re released for 5,000 hunters to track down.

“We're providing the opportunity for pheasant farmers to hunt on the Westside who maybe don't have the time or monies to make it over to the east side,” said White.

The birds also provide an economic boost to local businesses like gun and ammo stores and restaurants and hotels.

“The purpose is to help the hunters, the hunting population of pheasants in Western Washington in the fall months,” said White.

According to White hunters not taxpayers are shelling out the money to raise the birds.

“We have a pheasant card that's a $90 pheasant license that all pheasant hunters in Western Washington purchase and that money goes directly towards the operational costs of this farm,” said White.

To make sure the population continues to grow 2,000 pheasants will be kept as breeders to lay eggs in the springtime.

Chris says some of the birds that stay in the wild are repopulating. Pheasant season is the third week of September. The Department of Fish and Wildlife releases pheasants until Thanksgiving Day, but you can still hunt until the second week of December.

Political Website Helps Voters Find Candidates That Reflect Their Values

If you still haven’t made up your mind about how you’ll vote there’s a new website that can help you choose your candidates. A Q13 Fox News viewer told us about the site started by a Gig Harbor man.

It’s called Vote IQ and it’s the country’s first major non-partisan site meant to connect voters to their candidates and to each other.

Rick Shenkman helped launch the site 3 months ago. It’s sort of like a political “E-Harmony,” but instead of helping you find Mr. or Mrs. Right, it hooks you up with your perfect candidate.

“Taxes should or should not be raised on the wealthy in this country to reduce the federal budget deficit?”

Have you got three minutes before you fill out that ballot? That’s all the time Rick Shenkman says he needs to make sure you choose the candidates who best reflect your values.

“So, you go to this platform and you can find out who you should vote for, for instance in this state we have a quiz that allows you to figure out who you align with Patty Murray or Dino Rossi,” said Shenkman.

Vote IQ is designed to take out the guesswork by asking you 12 basic questions.

“The United States should or should not keep its troops in Iraq?”

Then, it compiles each candidate’s position on those issues. The site tracks 70 thousand politicians and their records to keep them honest ahead of Election Day.

“We research it thoroughly we find out from the public record, if they ever made a public statement, we see if they ever voted on the issue in the legislature. They don't have the time to do this work, we do and that's how we're going to make politics simpler for people, there's no reason for politics to be confusing as it appears,” said Shenkman.

Rick says after Tuesday’s Election his group will begin work on sprucing up Vote IQ for the 2012 Presidential Election.