News - Mercer Island Reporter

King County's primary election results certified

King County Elections certified the results of the 2010 Primary Election on September 1. Thirty-nine percent of King Count voters participated in the August 2010 primary,the highest voter turnout for a primary since 2004, according to county officials.

Mercer Island state testing scores still high, but with mixed results

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction released the state testing score results this week. The latest scores are the first for the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) and the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) which were given to students last spring.

State revenue slump could slow light rail

Islanders might have to wait longer than anticipated for light rail trains to begin ferrying passengers across I-90 as the recession continues to squeeze state agencies’ budgets. Faced with lower than expected revenue forecasts through 2023, Sound Transit may have to trim down its light rail plans, delay construction or cut current operations, which could affect the East Link light rail project that is scheduled to begin serving Mercer Island in about 10 years, according to agency officials.

State glaciers shrink

A new computer model by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has confirmed what few will be surprised to hear. The giant glaciers that encase the mountains of western Washington in ice are melting. A study by the USGS shows that the mammoth mound of ice known as the South Cascade glacier has shrunk by more than a third. Like a canary in a coal mine, its demise signals dire implications for our climate and our water supplies.

Police respond to unexplained death on Sunday at a home on West Mercer Way

A 20-year-old man died last weekend at a home in the 4200 block of West Mercer Way. He was a 2008 graduate of Mercer Island High School and lived in Bellevue. Police were called to the scene at 2:20 p.m., Sunday.

‘Fifty’ mystery solved

On the evening of Aug. 4, Lucy Williams and a few stealthy friends secretly posted 80 signs around the Island. The red, white and blue political-looking signs depict a man’s portrait in the style of Shepard Fairey’s iconic illustration of President Barack Obama. The rectangular signs read “FIFTY!” but contained no other identifying information.

Trial date set for suspected murder of former Mercer Islander

The case of former Island native T. Mark Stover, a nationally recognized dog trainer, will go to trial on Sept. 27. Stover’s mysterious disappearance late last October has baffled family and friends, police and a countless number of case followers. Last seen on Oct. 27, 2009, Stover was reported missing the following day after he failed to show up for work.

Mercer Island Police Blotter | Aug. 31

Aug. 24 BIKE/CAR COLLISION: At 3:05 p.m. police responded to a report of a car striking a cyclist at the intersection of 85th Avenue S.E. and E. Mercer Way. According to the police report, a 29-year-old Kirkland man driving a 2005 Audi slowed on E. Mercer Way but did not signal his intent to turn right onto 85th Avenue S.E.

Boaters go overboard on Lake Washington

A "Donzi" power boat nearly sank in Lake Washington last week. An unknown event caused all five boaters in the vessel to land in the water, said Cmdr. Leslie Burns of the Mercer Island Police Department.

Moth count in progress

Since mid-June, 81 gypsy moth traps have gone up and been monitored on Mercer Island, part of a 36-year-old Washington Department of Agriculture campaign to prevent infestations in the state of one of the most destructive invasive species that U.S. forests have ever known.