The City of Kent has approximately 300 miles of roads, with a replacement value nearing $1 billion.
Those are roads that get used day in and day out, regardless of recessions, repair costs or tie-ups from train crossings.
“The problem is when you’ve got an asset worth that amount of money, you have to maintain it,” said Tim LaPorte, public works director for the city.
With roughly 500,00
Change is the name of the game as the Kent Predators prepare for their second season in the professional Indoor Football League at the ShoWare Center.
The Predators have a new general manager, coach, a bunch of new players and plan to reveal new uniforms when they open the 2011 season with a home game Feb. 25 against Sioux Falls, S.D.
A 30-year-old Kent man pleaded not guilty Nov. 18 to two counts of first-degree assault after he allegedly fired more than 30 shots that injured two men Sept. 30 at a Panther Lake apartment complex on the East Hill.
Hassan K. McPherson entered his plea at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. McPherson is in custody at the county jail in Kent in lieu of $1 million bail.
A summary of live links for Kent and state road conditions, the Kent School District and the National Weather Service.
Metro Transit continues to caution people to limit travel if possible throughout the remainder of Tuesday due to dangerous conditions on icy and snowy roads. Travel conditions are not expected to be much better on Wednesday morning.
The City of Kent will open a Severe Weather Shelter at Kent Lutheran Church overnight Tuesday, Nov. 23, and Wednesday, Nov. 24, due to continued below-freezing temperatures.
As of 5:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 23:
Both South 212th Street and South 277th Street are open at this time. Crews have worked hard to clear these roads for traffic but we still urge a great deal of caution. These roads are open to traffic but may remain covered in snow and be icy. Please drive very carefully and only if necessary.
King County Metro Transit is keeping buses in all areas on snow routes for Tuesday morning. Buses will be crowded and significantly delayed, perhaps even worse than Monday due to the road conditions. If those conditions severely deteriorate overnight, Metro may have to cancel entire bus routes in the morning.
Kent firefighters responded to two residential fires Monday afternoon that were reported within 25 minutes of each other.
The first was reported at 2:30 p.m. in the 25300 block of 146 Avenue Southeast, on Kent’s east hill. Two people home at the time of the fire were able to get out safely and no one was injured.
Kent city officials reopened all roadways to traffic as of 3 p.m. Monday.
Due to snow and ice concerns South 208th Street is closed from 96th Avenue South to 92nd Avenue South. The road will be re-opened as soon as conditions improve and it can be cleared for safe travel.
Kent School District is closing early today, Nov. 22, due to weather conditions. Group A Elementary schools were already scheduled to close 2.5 hours early and will do so; however parent conferences are cancelled.
Nic Byrd speaks confidently about the chances his three-member Kent band Jobe Himself can make it professionally.
In fact, Byrd believes the band just might be hitting the stage at the right time with what he describes as a "heavily blues-influenced grunge" sound.
"Soundgarden and The Smashing Pumpkins are back together," said Byrd, 26, guitarist, lead singer and manager of the band. "Grunge is coming back in a big way. We might be what people want to hear."
Kent city officials will open the Severe Weather Shelter downtown at Kent Lutheran Church Monday and Tuesday nights for the homeless because of the cold weather.
Due to snow during the morning commute, King County Metro Transit started service Monday with buses in all areas on snow routing. Bus riders should check www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow for the most current status of Metro service before traveling on Monday.
The final pieces are falling into place for a seriously ill Kent teenager to receive a lifesaving transplant.
Jayne Johnson, 16, who suffers from a rare illness called Severe Chronic Neutropenia Kostman's Syndrome, is being admitted Sunday, Nov. 21, to Seattle Children's Hospital to begin preparations for a long-awaited stem-cell transplant.
Three Kent Police officers have been cleared by an inquest jury, for the July 7 shooting of a domestic-violence suspect in Kent.
The Kent Reporter will have a local story later today on the findings of the inquest jury.
Here is the Seattle Times story on the event.
Kent Fire responded to a blaze Thursday night in a vacant home on 1100 block of Southeast 208th St.
There were no injuries, nor were there any pets located at the one-story rambler home, which apparently had been left vacant for some time.
(This is the second in a several-part series about Kent’s recently passed traffic-impact fees, and the balance that must be struck between bringing in development and the cost for expanded infrastructure.)
A comparison of how Kent's current transportation-impact fees stack up to the fees charged by other cities in the region. The City of Renton is not listed because comparison is more complex - the city charges on a per-head basis of employees, in addition to calculating trip fees on a relatively low rate of $75 per trip.
