A proposed Whatcom County levy for emergency medical services was passing by a microscopic margin of 14 votes out of over 106,000, in a new tally released Friday. Over the past 1 ½ weeks ballot counts showed the measure failing by over 170 votes – still a slim margin. The gap had closed to five by the middle of this week, and this is the first time the “yes” vote has exceeded the 60 percent threshold needed to pass, with 60.
- PUB DATE: 11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Bellingham Herald

Nearly a year after a fatal New Year's Eve fire in Everett, a crackdown on fire codes has revealed 15 more apartment buildings without fire alarms. The fire marshal says the worst scenario is learning about a code violation after a major fire, which happened in a Dec. 31, 2015, fire at the Bluffs apartments along West Casino Road.
- PUB DATE: 11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIRO7

A man was struck and killed by a car after it plowed through his Kent apartment while he was lying in bed Saturday night. The crash happened around 6:22 p.m. at an apartment at SE 240th and 109th SE places. When firefighters arrived, they found a small car had crashed through the exterior wall and was halfway inside the apartment.
- PUB DATE: 11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KEPRTV.com

Tacoma police and firefighters Thursday evening celebrated the graduation of nearly two dozen middle schoolers from the city’s first youth academy. The academy concept came out of Project Peace, a city project to improve relations between Tacoma city employees and the residents they serve. “It’s important for us both as police officers and firefighters to be out and get to know you, get to show you what we do for a living, in the hopes that someday you want to be a police officer or firefighter,” Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell told the graduates.
- PUB DATE: 11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The News Tribune

Toys "R" Us is pulling a toy off the shelves after a scary situation for a Bellingham family. The Hardens bought a Tonka truck from Toys "R" Us as a Christmas present for the grandson Friday night. On the drive home, they say it ignited in flames. They stopped at a rest area to put out the fire, but when they drove back to Toys R Us to return the toy, it burst into flames again and set their truck on fire.
- PUB DATE: 11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KREM2