Public Safety

This month, many students around Washington state may be heading to college campuses, and some for the very first time. The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office recommends parents prepare their students for fire safety while away at school and practice some situational awareness in the dorms. Look for fire sprinklers in the common areas and…

South County Fire will host its first virtual Neighborhood Night Open House on Thursday, Aug. 13, 6 p.m., on Facebook Live. This Neighborhood Night showcases the three neighborhood fire stations serving Edmonds and will include video tours of a fire engine, medic unit and the fire rescue boat. Firefighters will also share tips on how…

Washington state health officials are working with local, state and federal partners to investigate a multi-state outbreak of salmonella infections linked to onions sold by Thomson International Inc. A total of 640 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 43 states. Washington is currently reporting 25 cases, including two…

The South County Fire Board of Commissioners has selected Thad Hovis to serve as Fire Chief of the regional fire authority. Hovis was sworn-in during the board’s Aug. 5 virtual meeting via teleconference. A 25-year fire service veteran, Hovis has been serving as interim fire chief since the retirement of Fire Chief Doug Dahl at…

Aiming to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Lynnwood Police Department announced Thursday the cancellation of Lynnwood’s 2020 National Night Out event. Scheduled in August, National Night Out is an annual event celebrated across the country to give communities the opportunity to gather and socialize in honor of crime prevention. The event also offers…

A Lynnwood man and woman were arrested late Saturday morning after the county’s drug task force seized 1,400 grams of fentanyl, the largest amount ever confiscated in Snohomish County.  According to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force arrested a 38-year-old man and 36-year-old woman during a traffic stop in the…

The body of a Lynnwood woman reported missing last week by family in Central Washington was discovered early Friday morning, July 24, on the Columbia River shoreline, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Christa Gerard, a 43-year-old Lynnwood resident, was reported missing Thursday night by family she was staying with in a condo in…

The former executive director the Lynnwood-based Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project clinic has been charged with stealing more than $61,000 from the nonprofit organization over a two-month period in 2018. Jason Thompson, 39, was charged July 14 in Snohomish County Superior Court with first-degree theft following a Lynnwood police investigation. Thompson had been employed since June 2014…

As Lynnwood Police Chief Tom Davis prepares to retire at the end of the month, the outgoing career police officer has been reflecting on his time after more than three decades on the job and on what the future holds. “I have been in this profession my entire adult life,” he said. “After 33 years,…

A Lynnwood man sustained minor injuries Thursday morning from a knife-wielding man who allegedly attempted to burglarize his home near Daleway Park, according to the Lynnwood Police Department. Detectives are investigating a possible attempted burglary at a house located on 60th Avenue West near Daleway Park after the homeowner returned to his residence to find…

Due to high fire danger and expected hot and dry weather conditions, the Snohomish County Fire Marshal has issued an outdoor burning ban for the unincorporated areas of Snohomish County that went into effect Wednesday, July 22 at 8 a.m. The plan also applies to residents of Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace — along with…

South County Fire is sponsoring an online Disaster Preparedness for Families class this Thursday, July 23 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Families are invited to learn about disasters in the Northwest, preparing an emergency kit, utility shutoff and what to do during a disaster. Register at southsnofire.org/education.

Due to high fire danger and expected hot and dry weather conditions, the Snohomish County Fire Marshal has announced an outdoor burning ban for the unincorporated areas of Snohomish County that will go into effect Wednesday, July 22 at 8 a.m. The plan also applies to residents of Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace — along…

Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith has selected Deputy Chief Jim Nelson to serve as Lynnwood’s next chief of police after the retirement of Chief Tom Davis at the end of this month. Nelson will begin serving as interim chief Aug. 1. The Lynnwood City Council is scheduled to vote on his confirmation during the council’s Aug….

The Alderwood Mall parking garage near JCPenney will be used by South County Fire for weekly training through the beginning of August. South County firefighters are using the parking garage to learn about new types of hose and practice hose setup for fires in multi-story buildings, said South County Fire spokesperson Leslie Hynes. “For this…

Local law enforcement agencies reported higher-than-normal numbers of firework complaints last 4th of July weekend as people were left to celebrate on their own. To comply with the state restrictions on large public gatherings, local Fourth of July celebrations were canceled. As a result, the Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace police departments spent Independence Day…

The Washington Supreme Court has scheduled Sept. 10 as the day it will decide Sheriff Adam Fortney’s appeal to stop his recall. Although the Washington State Legislature set an expedited 30-day deadline for the Washington Supreme Court to decide recall appeals, the court sets its own schedule based on its court rules. If the Washington…

South County Fire encourages residents to celebrate safely and legally this Fourth of July. The holiday is typically the busiest day of the year for 911 calls to South County Fire. Extra staff will be on duty and South County Fire headquarters will serve as a base for a multi-agency Fire Operations Center to coordinate…