After William Joseph Madden, 33, was arrested early Monday in the 14700 block of 58th Ave S., he was alleged to have made several statements threatening Tukwila’s finest, along with their station. Tukwila officers were responding to a 911 call about a suspicious man prowling around cars.

KING reports that Madden made these statements:

“I’m gonna blow the Tukwila Police station up.”

“Tukwila’s a small place. It wouldn’t take much to wipe this [expletive] off the map.”

“I’ll burn the [expletive] [expletive] police station down. I’ll go up there and bust into them vehicles. The big vans up at the police station. Boom. Ba-Boom.”

“I will [expletive] shoot you. If I had a gun right now I would blow your [expletive] brains out. I would. I wouldn’t hesitate. I would shoot every one of you [expletive].”

Because of Madden’s big mouth, his bond has been set at $100,000.

It wasn’t until after cops put him in the back of their car that he opened his piehole and starting yammering with some serious threats, according to the police report.

Madden has been charged with Threats to Bomb or Injure Property, a felony.

Here’s KING’s video report:

The Tukwila School District has been hailed as the “most diverse in the nation,” and students at the city’s Foster High School are using that as part of an attempt to lure President Obama to speak at their commencement this spring.

Advance placement students produced a video highlighting the 68 diverse different countries where members of the student body were born, and are hoping that the Prez (or his peeps) sees it and decides that “Yes he can” come to Tukwila and speak.

In addition to the video below, students also submitted essays answering the President’s challenge to show him why they should be a model for others and how they’re preparing more students for college and careers.

According to the school’s Youtube channel:

Advanced Video Students from Foster High School created a 2-minute video demonstrating the rich culture that exists in their school and community.

Music was sung by our very own students here at Foster High School. E.P.I.C

Here’s the video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGYUdtqQftQ

We know there are no excuses for posting this video so late, as the event took place last Sunday (Jan. 10th), but, um…we left our Flip camera in our other pants, and since we weren’t wearing any to begin with…

Actually, we hate to just throw up lame raw video, and editing takes time, and um…there’s that whole “other pants” thing again.

But first, a little interesting behind-the-scenes backstory:

Two days before the pantsless prank, we received the following email from Emerald City Improv‘s Kelsey Wildstone:

First, please remember that we’re trying to be inconspicuous here.

If you’d like to film the event with a motion camera, try to find a way to disguise your camera in a box or something to make it a sort of “hidden camera”.

Use some creativity here, but the point is that we’d like to avoid people seeing you openly point a camera around.

Considering that we respect the fine art of successful pranking, and that our Publisher used to work on a hidden camera TV show (“Totally Hidden Video,” Fox), we wanted to abide by this request (unlike some local TV news stations who just showed up and shot with their huge cameras and “Reporters”). The end result was that our shooter Mark Neuman went out of his way to “disguise” our Flip camera thusly:

Mark discovered that the Flip cam fit nicely inside an empty coffeecup. Just don't put it in a full one...

A little bit of cloth and tape secured the cam in tight.

...and with a hole cut in the side, it's hidden camera time!

Okay, so here it is (finally!)…with video shot by Neuman, featuring Bart Bryan, edited by Scott Schaefer and featuring the groovy public domain hit “Midnight Special” recorded by some long-dead dude named Bill Cox in 1933, ironically during the last Great Depression when not wearing pants wasn’t a prank, it was a way of life:

Also, we were very curious to find out what the MuckyMucks at SoundTransit thought of this pantsless prank, so we sent an email to Andrew Schmid, Sound Transit Media Relations director –here’s his response:

Q: Was ST aware beforehand that this was going to happen?
A: No, we were totally caught with our… (unless you lack internet access, it was almost impossible to not know about this event).

Q: Did ST security goes pantsless?
A: No.

Q: Was security worried about this prank at all?
A: Slightly – our security is worried about everything.

Q: Did this event increase ridership? if so, by how much? (have any estimate on the # of pantsless?)
A: Yes, but the infrared technology on Link’s Automatic Passenger Counting machines is not designed to distinguish between the pant-sed and the pants challenged.

Q: Will ST tolerate future events like this?
A: So long as folks follow our code of conduct (read it here).

Q: Will ST ever sponsor future events like this?
A: No.

Q: How about creating some ST underwear for folks to wear?
A: Sorta already been done – see this.

Q: Did you, or any other ST officials, attend?
A: NO COMMENT

And in case you haven’t seen the other videos, here they are:

Story by Ralph Nichols
Photos & Video by

With Sound Transit’s Link light rail trains running at last between Tukwila and downtown Seattle, it was time to experience this new commuter option. So with my girlfriend, I boarded a train for a round trip from the South 154th Street station late on a busy Seafair Saturday afternoon.

With lots happening downtown, we weren’t surprised to find the station’s main parking lot full. (Tukwila has Link’s only free park-and-ride lot, like those at several Metro bus stops around King County, although there is private paid parking near the Beacon Hill station.) But there were a number of empty spaces at the overflow parking lot across the street.

Five minutes after parking, we bought our tickets – $5 per person for the round trip – and one minute later boarded a train that had just come in. With trains running from Tukwila every 10 minutes at that hour, this gave us 9 minutes to look around on the inside before our journey north.

Each $4 million electric-powered car, with electricity from overhead wires, is 95 feet long – three times longer than one of Metro’s articulated buses. Each car can seat 74 passengers and accommodate a total of 200 riders with standing room only, and each train consists of two cars. The trains travel at a maximum speed of 55 mph on the elevated track near Tukwila and at 35 mph on the ground.

The train doors closed – rather quickly it seemed – at 5:50 p.m. Soon it pulled out of the station, right on time. Less than half a mile down the track, we agreed the ride was not as smooth as expected; still, the vibration isn’t bad at all. And the train moves along at a steady clip without delays for vehicles when streets intersect with the tracks.

Station stops took far less time than I expected. Passengers got on and off with ease and without delay, and we moved right along. Here is how our station stops went:

5:59 p.m. – Arrived at the Rainier Beach station.

6:00 – Depart.

6:02 – Othello station.

6:03 – Depart.

6:06 – Columbia City station.

6:07 – Depart.

6.10 – Mount Baker station.

6:10 – Depart … and head into the tunnel under Beacon Hill.

6:12 – Beacon Hill (tunnel) station.

6:13 – Depart … and back into daylight.

6:15 – SODO station.

6:15 – Depart.

6:17 – Stadium station.

6:18 – Depart … and enter the downtown bus tunnel.

6:20 – International District/Chinatown station.

6:21 – Depart.

6:23 – Pioneer Square station.

6:23 – Depart.

6:24 – University Street station.

6:25 – Depart.

6:26 – Westlake station, the end of the line.

Twenty-six minutes from Tukwila to midtown Seattle via the Rainier Valley. Not bad.

When we left Tukwila, there were about 12 riders in our car including us. Picking up more riders at most stations along the route (none at a couple), usually ranging from an additional 6 to 12 at each stop, our car was almost full of seated riders by the time we reached Westlake. No one had to stand. As we stepped off the train, it looked like its other car had carried about the same number.

Getting from the train to street level – at Pine Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues just below Nordstrom – is easy, as is returning to the train, which we did about an hour later. On the return trip, which took the same time, only 16 people were riding in both cars and only 8 beyond the Mount Baker station. It is logical to assume, given the number of cars still in the parking lot when we got back to Tukwila, that southbound ridership was much higher after events wrapped up downtown and people headed home.

Above ground, the view from a train car ranges from interesting, even scenic, along the elevated track north of the Tukwila station to very drab through part of Rainier Valley not far up the line.

A trip on Link light rail is comparable to a ride on Portland’s MAX, although a good stretch of that line parallels Interstate 84 – the major highway into that city – rather than winding through nearby neighborhoods along the way.

Sound Transit has reported that Link light rail carried an average of 12,000 riders per weekday in its first five days of regular paid service, and 16,900 riders on July 25 and 15,100 on July 26 during the first big Seafair weekend, when both the Mariners and Sounders also were in town.

With service on to Sea-Tac International Airport scheduled to begin in December, Sound Transit projects 26,600 one-way trips daily (13,300 round trips) along its 16-mile light-rail route by the end of 2010. The current trip from Tukwila to Seattle is 14 miles.

A footnote about our trip: While the actual travel time from Tukwila to Westlake was a reasonable 26 minutes, it took another 9 minutes to drive from my home and park, then another 14 minutes to get into the station, buy tickets, board a train and wait for it to depart. Riders who take light rail from other stations must walk, ride a bicycle or take a bus to get there since they have no park and ride lots.

Convenience, including time and destination, may be the determining factor for riding light rail for many commuters. I might take light rail from Tukwila to a Mariners game or dinner in the International District, but would not do so from, say, Columbia City due to lack of parking. At the same time, I probably would drive to SODO to shop or the Othello community to go to the park.

Regardless, once you’re moving on a light rail train, it’s a comfortable trip in good time to your stop. Still, at $2.3 billion for this line, it’s one expensive commute for the convenience it affords.

If you haven’t yet ridden Link light rail, here’s a video by Oran Viriyincy:

This section, approaching Tukwila Intl. Blvd., has the steepest grade in the system. You can hear the motors as the train climbs.

The temperature eclipsed the triple-digit mark early this afternoon in Tukwila, most likely breaking a record for hottest day.

EVAR.

Also, a brush fire erupted on I-5 near Southcenter, and here’s a video clip:

The King County Sheriff’s Department released the above video Wednesday, which was taken from a security camera near the intersection of International Blvd. and South 188th Street in SeaTac, where a Tuesday shooting injured two, one critically.

Police are looking for help in identifying the suspects in the silver Ford Taurus, which can be seen about :20 seconds in.

Here are details directly from the Sheriff’s office:

The Sheriff’s Office is looking for any witnesses to yesterday’s shooting in SeaTac. Two men were wounded, one critically. In addition, a possible suspect was shot in the groin, and the circumstances surrounding that injury remain unclear.

A video is attached that shows the immediate aftermath of the shooting. The video starts just after about 20 rounds were fired from an AK-47 or similar rifle into a stopped car occupied by four people, include a 2 year-old boy.

About 8 seconds into the video the victim’s Cadillac can be seen trying to force its way through congested traffic after the shots were fired.

Then the suspect’s Ford Taurus comes into clear view as three suspects clamber back into the car and it flees northbound on International Blvd.

Detectives would like to speak with anyone who was stuck in traffic and may be able to identify the suspects.

Witnesses are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311.

On Saturday, Feb. 14th, 15 or so area locals braved the chilly 45-degree temps of Puget Sound near the Redondo Pier in Des Moines for a special “Polar Bear Plunge” to raise money for

Organized by Tukwila Police Officer Ted Rutt, the plunge took place around 11:15am.

We were there, and our own Bart Bryan, intrepid Ad Sales Dude, actually jumped into the water with the rest of the nuts.

Salty’s provided free clam chowder to participants, and numerous Tukwila cops, local firefighters, lifeguards and even an ambulance were on hand, just in case (there were no injuries, but there was a lot of hoopin’ and hollerin’).

We were happy to donate $100 to the cause, and we also shot the following video story:

The amazingly cool 360-degree view of the new Tukwila Sound Transit Link Station is courtesy Francis Zera Photography / zeraphoto.com, created for client PCL Construction (requires Quicktime to view; just click and drag your mouse/pointer over the photo and you’ll soon be dizzy from your view).

Speaking of Sound Transit, there’s an Open House this Thursday, Jan. 29th from 4-7pm for the Tukwila Station, and here are the details:

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Sound Transit (the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority) are issuing an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Tukwila Commuter Rail Station.

A public hearing/open house on the Tukwila Commuter Rail Station Project and environmental documentation will be held from 4-7 PM on January 29, 2009 at the Embassy Suites located at 15920 West Valley Highway in Tukwila, Washington.

For further information on the hearing and the project, contact Paul Cornish, Sound Transit Project Manager at (206) 398-5342, or Steve Kennedy, Senior Environmental Planner.

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We’ve managed to gather several videos related to the shooting:

KOMO News:

KIRO-TV:

KING-TV:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVopz-ATrek[/youtube]

CELL PHONE VIDEO NEAR VICTIM:

TWO YOUNG WOMEN STUCK IN PARKING GARAGE TRAFFIC:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cdoyIvLwhg[/youtube]

KID’S YOUTUBE COMMENTARY VIDEO:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK6rLs-28u4[/youtube]

WHEN: Nov 2, 2008, 3pm

WHERE: Verizon Wireless Store, located at 17100 Southcenter Parkway in Tukwila (map below); (206) 575-6242

We spoke with a rep at the Verizon store and she said that Cornell and Timbaland will be doing both an in-store meet and greet/autograph session as well as a live performance in the parking lot.

She suggested arriving early (around 2pm), as it’s a first-come/first-served event and they’re expecting a big crowd.

Cornell and Timbaland will be performing later Nov. 2nd at Showbox SODO.

We think this appearance will most likely look and sound something like this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVxT3yT1kiA[/youtube]

Or this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltc5EsuyBh4[/youtube]

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