Latest news with #TheEverettHerald
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Edmonds schools to cut 12 full-time employees in response to $8.5M shortfall
This story was originally published on The Edmonds School District will be cutting a dozen full-time employees, My Edmonds News reported Wednesday. According to The Everett Herald, the Edmonds School Board approved a reduced education program at its meeting Tuesday—terminating up to 12 staff positions. The cuts are in response to an $8.5 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year, which KIRO 7 reported is on top of a $25 million shortfall over the past two years. My Edmonds News stated the district must notify the impacted staff by May 15. 'It's unfortunate that we do have to subject some people to this (reduction in force) process, but it is something that we do go through annually at different scales,' Rob Baumgartner, assistant superintendent of human resources, said at Tuesday's meeting, as reported by The Everett Herald. Andi Nofziger-Meadows, president of the Edmonds Education Association, blames the cuts on lawmakers, according to KIRO 7. 'The state is bankrupting Edmonds and just about every other school district in the state,' Nofziger-Meadows said, reported the media outlet. 'We're all on the march to bankruptcy. Some of us will get there in a year or two, others might take three or four years – but we are all teetering on the brink of being insolvent.' The district previously launched a 'Balancing Act' survey asking residents and families of students to weigh in on possible spending cuts and revenue increases. 'How can the school district be expected to decrease the budget when the price of everything else is inflating and continues to inflate?' one respondent asked. 'Do we need to go down to a four-day school week?' The most supported cut was eliminating elementary student intervention coordinators, saving $1.1 million. Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Facing an $8.5M shortfall, Edmonds schools face cuts and layoffs
This story was originally posted on The Edmonds School Board is considering cuts to staff and student programs as the district faces an $8.5 million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 school year. According to The Everett Herald, the board will review a proposed reduced education plan that includes job cuts on Tuesday. Officials said additional staff reductions could follow when the final budget is approved in July. To get community feedback, the district launched a 'Balancing Act' survey asking residents and families of students to weigh in on possible spending cuts and revenue increases. The survey received 1,165 responses and nearly 100 pages of feedback. Edmonds school district faces $8.5M shortfall 'How can the school district be expected to decrease the budget when the price of everything else is inflating and continues to inflate?' one respondent asked. 'Do we need to go down to a four-day school week?' Favored by 88.2% of respondents, the most supported cut was eliminating elementary student intervention coordinators, saving $1.1 million. Though smaller than recent years—$15 million in 2023-24 and $10.6 million last year—the deficit could still shrink or grow depending on state funding decisions. A bill to increase special education funding could reduce the shortfall. The legislative session ends on April 27.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Snohomish County police scanner now encrypted as part of law enforcement radio system upgrades
This story was originally published on Snohomish County is transitioning to a new, updated radio system for its law enforcement after Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring claimed the current system had reached its expiration date. 'The current system has reached its end of life,' Nehring said in a YouTube video posted by Snohomish County 911. 'We're really grateful that the voters approved funding back in 2018 for a new system.' This transition has been in the works for seven years after voters approved a 5-year, $71 million upgrade to local law enforcement's radio communications back in 2018. The current system, being more than 20 years old, became prone to congestion during high call volume and began suffering from breakdowns and other malfunctions. With the upgrade, all law enforcement communications in Snohomish County will now be encrypted. 'Law enforcement faces safety risks from individuals using scanners and online feeds to monitor their movements in real time,' Courtney O'Keefe, spokesperson for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, told The Everett Herald. 'Suspects can and have used scanner apps to track law enforcement activity while an active investigation/incident is occurring.' This means public outlets like the Snohomish County Scanner, which Everett resident Daron Johnson has run for the last 15 years, will now be defunct as the Everett police scanner will no longer be public. The Snohomish County Scanner accrued more than 28,600 followers on Facebook and X. King County moved to encrypted police radio communication in 2023. Snohomish County's radio upgrade includes 5,000 digital radios with military-grade encryption, 22 upgraded radio sites, and infrastructure improvements like geo-redundant controllers and microwave networks. The new system will also double capacity. This system will cover 44 fire, law enforcement, and EMS agencies across Snohomish County, according to The Everett Herald. Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hope ‘N Wellness finds new home in Everett after violating city codes
This story was initially published on An Everett-based social service organization has found a new home, changing locations this week so it can continue operating. The organization, Hope 'N Wellness, originally lived on 3021 Rucker Avenue, but its location violated a city code—social service organizations are barred from operating on the first floor of certain streets in downtown Everett. Hope 'N Wellness was established in 2020. In response, after looking for relocation options for more than a year, Hope 'N Wellness is partnering with Our Lady of Hope Church. The organization will reside at 2617 Cedar St., only approximately one mile from its first location. 'There's a lot of alignment with Hope 'N Wellness and what we're trying to do,' Jasmine Donahue told The Everett Herald. 'It aligns that we're just trying to support the community, and it's gone really, really well.' Our Lady of Hope Church is no stranger to social service work, providing weekly hot meals and acting as a shelter during extreme weather instances. 'With the great need for social services and support locally and throughout the region, we are glad Hope 'N Wellness found a new location that will allow them to continue serving those in need in Everett,' City spokesperson Simone Tarver told The Everett Herald.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lynnwood appoints last remaining council candidate, putting OnlyFans saga to rest
The City of Lynnwood has finally settled on filling its lone vacant spot on its council by appointing Robert Leutwyler on Wednesday evening with a 5-0 vote. This marks an end to the OnlyFans controversy that plagued the last appointment process after it was discovered that the appointee ran an account on the site. 'This has been a long process,' Lynnwood Council member George Hurst said, according to The Everett Herald. 'There were some problems, some of it self-inflicted, some of it out of our control. But in the end, I think we still have a good, viable candidate for the City Council position. I don't want to take any more of the council's time in this appointment matter.' Council member Derica Escamilla abstained from voting, claiming the council appointment process was flawed. Escamilla, the only woman on the council, also cited a lack of diversity on the council as a reason for not submitting a vote. The council had until April 5 to make a decision for the vacant council spot. If they didn't, the decision would have been passed on to the Snohomish County Council to take over the process. According to The Everett Herald, Leutwyler was the last candidate remaining after seven withdrew from consideration. Leutwyler is a U.S. Army veteran and a program manager for international retirement savings plans at Amazon. Multiple candidates bow out of council spot before Leutwyler Rebecca Thornton was the first person appointed to the vacant seat, but one hour before she was set to be sworn in, she withdrew. A few weeks later, the city pivoted to Jessica Roberts, only for her to be exposed for posting explicit material on online platforms, including running an OnlyFans account. The fallout of the discovery led to shouting from the public during a city council meeting demanding an apology. Police eventually had to escort the growing crowd out of the chamber. On March 13, Roberts withdrew from consideration, just hours before a meeting was scheduled to decide whether her candidacy was still valid after the discovery. 'My personal life and identity do not in any way affect my ability to do the job,' Roberts said in a statement. 'However, I have decided to withdraw my appointment, not because I am unwilling to serve the people in my community, but because the continued scrutiny of my personal life is a potential distraction from the council's forward progress.'
