Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Michael O'Leary / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Fire crews from Lynnwood, Edmonds and Fire District 1 responded to a fire at HMC Industries, 21020 63rd Ave. W. in Lynnwood, on Wednesday morning.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, February 21, 2008 Local Briefly: Fire damage set at $500,000 at Lynnwood shop LYNNWOOD -- An early morning industrial fire Wednesday caused about $500,000 damage at the headquarters of HMC Industries, a family-owned Lynnwood business, officials said. The fire started around 4:30 a.m. in the north corner of the company's building in the 21000 block of 63rd Avenue W., said Marybeth O'Leary, a Lynnwood Fire spokeswoman. By 6:30 a.m., the fire was all but out. No one was injured, she said. The fire was contained to the office and storage areas because the building was partitioned by fire walls, O'Leary said. HMC Industries manufacturers retail display cases, among other fixtures, at the Lynnwood site, according to the company's Web site. Lynnwood Fire Department was helped by crews from Snohomish County Fire District 1 and the Edmonds Fire Department. Investigators were working to determine what sparked the blaze, she said. Martha Lake: Deck fire quickly quelled An alert Snohomish County sheriff's deputy and passerby used a garden hose to battle a deck fire Wednesday afternoon before firefighters arrived. The pair spotted the fire just after 3 p.m. in the 1000 block of 167th Street SW, Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said. The homeowners, a couple, were home and got out of the house uninjured, Hynes said. Fire investigators ruled the blaze accidental. It was started by a grill and caused about $10,000 damage to the deck and the home's siding, Hynes said. The homeowners have insurance and will be able to remain in the home during repairs. Camano Island: Tax scheme equals prison The federal government doesn't like people purchasing things such as a log house and recreational vehicles for personal use and then declaring those items on corporate income tax returns. That's what federal prosecutors accused two men, one from Camano Island, of doing between 1998 and 2003. Paul Werlink, 61, of Camano Island was sentenced Wednesday to 20 days in prison plus a year of supervised release, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine. He is a former half-owner and corporate secretary for The Safety Team Inc., a Seattle-based company that specialized in installing and selling fire prevention equipment. His partner, Paul Austin, 58, of Ellensburg got a 30-day prison sentence, in addition to the same community service hours and fine as Werlink, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle. The two men pleaded guilty in October to making false income tax returns. Prosecutors alleged that they wrote off personal travel and various purchases as company expenses. Austin has already paid $320,000 in back taxes, civil penalties and interest. Werlink has paid back $90,000 in back taxes, the government said. From Herald staff reports

1. Gay marriage issue can wait, say Referendum 71 partisans 2. Six injured, three critically, in wreck near Machias 3. Forecast for 2010 housing market: slow decline 4. First-time homebuyer credit invites tax cheats 5. That's Stud Muffin to you 6. Offensive line helps Marysville-Pilchuck rush into state playoffs 7. Glacier Peak freshman overcomes jitters to win state in cross country 8. Proud union member and veteran had a wild side 9. Snohomish County's former sanitation director claims his ouster was forced 10. More snow expected for Cascades, mountain passes 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Gough on track to keep job • Jazz vocalist headlines NPAC • Mountlake Terrace makes football history • Tax revenue sagging, city budgets lagging • ‘Touch of Magic' show opens at Gallery North • Jackson repeats as South champs • Holiday Bazaars Calendar • Meadowdale storms back to grab title • Edmonds moves to Fire District 1 • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million