In brief: WSU enrollment a record with 29,686 students this fall

PULLMAN – Washington State University has record enrollment this fall, registering 29,686 students at its campuses across the state.

The additional 1,000 students represent a 3.5 percent increase from the previous record, set last fall semester.

Undergraduate enrollment increased at WSU Pullman, WSU Tri Cities, WSU Vancouver, WSU Global and WSU North Puget Sound at Everett. Enrollment at WSU Health Sciences Spokane remained flat.

The largest growth occurred at WSU Tri-Cities, where undergraduate enrollment increased by more than 13 percent.

Once again, WSU enrolled the largest incoming freshmen class in its history, recording a total freshman enrollment of 4,727 statewide.

Washington State continues primarily to serve in-state students, as 85 percent of all current WSU undergraduates reside in Washington.

Two S-R photographers earn first-place photography honors

Two Spokesman-Review photographers took first-place honors in the 2015 Associated Press Northwest photo contest.

Results were announced Thursday.

Among entries in the “metro” newspaper division, Kathy Plonka took the top prize in the photo story category for pictures she took of services for fallen Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore on May 9. Plonka also won third place in the portrait category for a picture of an 8-month-old peering out of a cardboard box at Community Care Day on Oct. 14 at Post Falls Senior Center.

Colin Mulvany won first place in the news category for a picture of a helicopter dropping water on a fire near Fish Lake on June 17.

Photographers from the Seattle Times won first place in the feature and portrait categories. An Idaho Statesman photographer won first place in sports photography.

Driver in fatal crash was not drug impaired, tests find

BELLINGHAM – Court records show a Bellingham man accused of crashing his vehicle into four high school students and fatally injuring two in Washington state had no drugs in his system at the time.

The Bellingham Herald reported that court documents filed Wednesday show a blood sample taken from 34-year-old William Jeffery Klein revealed no drugs in his system when his SUV killed two teens and injured two others on June 10 in Ferndale, a town near the Canadian border.

Prosecutors have alleged that Klein has said he fell asleep at the wheel and also acknowledged regular marijuana use, although he said he hadn’t smoked any that day.

Eighteen-year-old Shane Ormiston and 15-year-old Gabriel Anderson died at the scene. Seventeen-year-olds Michael Brewster and Kole Randall were injured.

Klein had his 3-year-old son with him. Neither was injured.

Klein has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault.

Seattle students start school after weeklong teacher strike

SEATTLE – Yellow school buses rolled through Seattle’s streets and noisy schoolchildren packed playgrounds again as thousands of students started the school year Thursday that was delayed by a weeklong teachers strike.

The walkout began Sept. 9 in Washington state’s largest school district, its first in three decades, and was put on hold after the union and Seattle Public Schools reached a tentative contract agreement. The full union membership will vote on the deal Sunday.

Kelso School District asks judge to stop teachers strike

KELSO, Wash. – The Kelso School District is asking a judge to order striking teachers back to work as the district canceled classes for a third day today.

KPTV-TV reports the district filed for an injunction Wednesday to try to stop the teachers strike, saying it’s illegal.

A hearing has been scheduled for 2 p.m. today in Cowlitz County Superior Court.

Kelso Education Association spokeswoman Sandy DeBruler said she would like the contract dispute settled at the bargaining table not the courtroom. A call to the district was not immediately returned Thursday.

Teachers went on strike Wednesday over pay and other issues.

Tacoma window washer who fell to death identified

TACOMA – A man washing windows at a Tacoma building who fell to his death has been identified.

The Pierce County medical examiner said 30-year-old Timothy Sargeant died Thursday.

KOMO-TV reported medics were called just before 10 a.m. Thursday to a building on Pacific Avenue.

Tacoma fire officials said when the medics arrived, they found the man dead.

KIRO-TV reported that it happened at the DaVita Tower. Tacoma police were at the scene where window washing gear and cable could be seen hanging from the building.