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May 2008
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Categories



Disappearing act

9:50 PM Mon, May 12, 2008 |

The disappearing contractor is something we are getting used to here at "Get Jesse".
What's with these guys? Last night we had a Lynnwood woman who hired a tree cutting service start a job. They did and then vanished. At least when we got a hold of the business they stepped up and finished what they started.
So what can you do?
Number one: Never pay for the whole deal upfront.
Secondly, check with the Department of Labo...



Why a bridge? Why a parking lot?

11:43 AM Mon, May 12, 2008 |

Our story about how the Department of Corrections (DOC) is forced to assign hundreds of sex offenders in our state bridges, tents, and parking lots to live surprised many people.
How could the DOC do that?
Simple. They have no other options.

...



Nothing wrong with crating your dog

5:34 PM Tue, May 06, 2008 |

Part of our story about a kennel in Tacoma is that staff members didn't tell dog owners that during busy holidays and some three-day weekends, many of their pets would be crated for the majority of the day and would be out in runs for several short stints through the day as well.
Crates aren't the problem. Not letting customers know about them is.
Some of the kennel's customers were urged by kennel management to call us to give us...



Tough day at Decor

8:47 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 |

This kind of story is among the toughest to do. Company shuts its doors leaving customers in the cold, and no one wants to take responsibility.
We really try to find some kind of resolution in these reports. But sometimes the people who run these businesses would rather run and hide than face the music.

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100 days out and those days could get very interesting indeed..

4:59 PM Wed, Apr 30, 2008 |

Here we go. The countdown to Beijing hits 100.
Things have cooled down along the route of the torch relay after weeks of protest and disruption and occasional violence and many arrests. But it has cooled down only because the relay has been running through Vietnam and North Korea and is now on Chinese soil.
The flame has been split (not sure how that really works) into two pieces with one in Hong Kong right now and the other at an ...



How gas prices can affect buying a home

11:03 AM Wed, Apr 30, 2008 |

I've waited years for the housing market to switch in my favor. As a first-time buyer, the overall downturn in the market is good for me individually, although not good for the economy as a whole.
But wouldn't you know it, at the same time home prices are going down, gas prices keep going up. That has added an interesting conundrum to my search. I have found that I am not only looking for the best deal, I am also looking for the most con...



Investigating horse abuse

4:35 PM Tue, Apr 29, 2008 |

Police and animal control agencies across Western Washington are overwhelmed with reports of abused and neglected horses.
But we were skeptical when we heard these allegations leveled at Dean Marie Solomon.
Her rescue facility - Pacific Equestrian Center in Kent/Auburn - was promoted as a place where everything from thoroughbred race horses to backyard pets could get a second chance.
Yet, as we talked with people who used to ...



Do the right thing

6:46 PM Mon, Apr 28, 2008 |

This story is really about doing the right thing.
Here's the background: A number of customers took their pianos to Kent's Second Hand Pianos (SHP) for consignment. In other words, a customer gives the pianos to SHP, then SHP refurbishes the piano, sells it and gives the customer the proceeds minus fees.
But SHP has gone out of business.
We know of at least three customers who have no idea where their pianos are and there may...



Gas prices push interest in 4-day work weeks

9:56 AM Mon, Apr 28, 2008 |

Eric Wilkinson's story about the push for 4-day work weeks to combat the rising cost of gas has struck a chord with site visitors today. It's getting six times the traffic, so to speak, of the next closest story on our site. So, what's your take? Is interest being (ahem) driven by the cost of gas, or the idea of getting on the work treadmill one l...



Program to help sex offender victims falls short

10:52 PM Fri, Apr 25, 2008 |

As we investigated our story about a rape victim who found out her attacker was on the loose by watching television news, we dug up other troubling facts.
The victim, Sabrina, is now a 29-year-old mother of five. She was just 15 when David Torrence grabbed her off the street, dragged her behind a vacant home and raped her - a random act of violence.
On Thursday night she found out by watching KING 5 News that Torrence had been rele...



20 Bucks is 20 Bucks

10:15 PM Fri, Apr 25, 2008 |

It's obvious Tony Schwartz is majoring in mathematics with an emphasis in finance at the University of Puget Sound. He lost 20 bucks in an ARCO Paypoint machine and no one was willing to give him his money back.
He did what many of us should do when we are shortchanged, he complained and fought back. How many times have you been nickel-and-dimed but don't do anything about it?
It happened to me not to long ago. I was double-charged...



McDonald's vs. McSweet

4:02 PM Fri, Apr 25, 2008 |

Today I met with Jim McCaslin, the owner of McSweet Gourmet products.

For several years he's run a successful business selling pickled olives, onions and other vegetables to restaurants and online. Like any good businessman, last year he applied for trademark protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

That's when fast food giant McDonald's came into the picture.
I've learned from noted trademark attorney M...



Get to know your plumber

3:46 PM Thu, Apr 24, 2008 |

The Better Business Bureau just released its annual list of its most-complained-about companies. The good news for the plumbing industry in Western Washington, it didn't make the top ten. The bad news, it's number 11!

...



When an eBay deal goes bad

7:20 PM Wed, Apr 23, 2008 |

This stuff is just incredible. It really, really is.
Buyer on eBay gets sued by a seller for leaving neutral feedback. Seller is sex offender on the run. Wow. And he's worried about his reputation?
What surprised us is that we had all kinds of difficulty getting court information from North Carolina. And then, we get a call from a detective from the Henderson County Sheriff's Department asking for OUR help.
We're told the man...



David Stern LIKES Key Arena?

9:38 AM Mon, Apr 21, 2008 |

Some interesting tidbits today:

Someone mysteriously posted an interesting YouTube Clip over the weekend, which includes some surprising comments from NBA Commissioner David Stern.

...



Puppies with a Purpose

6:42 PM Sat, Apr 19, 2008 |

The tragedies we cover in the news can sometimes feel overwhelming, the world issues staggering. Perhaps it's just easier to turn a blind eye. Where does one begin? How about ... with puppies.

A Clearview woman is breeding "designer" dogs, she calls the breed "Bikki Bear," and contributing a minimum of $200 from the sale of each puppy to help fight human trafficking in Cam...



We broke the Sonics News to Kevin Durant

11:21 PM Fri, Apr 18, 2008 |

KING 5 Photographer Mike Bachety and I were walking back from dinner through Manhattan, when we randomly came across Sonics Star Kevin Durant at a street corner waiting for a cab.

I caught his attention, and Mike and I ended up breaking the news to him, that the NBA Board of Governors has voted for the relocation of the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

I asked Kevin what he thought about moving.

The young star told Mike and me ...



There's One Sonic Fan Here in New York

11:00 AM Fri, Apr 18, 2008 |

There are no elected leaders, no one here making a last minute pitch...

Except Brian Robinson, the co-founder of Save Our Sonics.

He's currently standing out in front of the St. Regis Hotel, in Midtown Manhattan, lobbying anyone he can see, or any owner he sees going in or out.

He just told me one owner would only say to him, "I wish I had better news for you."

Here he is in action:

...



Sonics Announcement - Still Waiting

10:46 AM Fri, Apr 18, 2008 |

Word just came down, it's gonna be at least another hour before we get an announcement.

Tim Frank from the NBA just told me "they're still going, alot of issues, it's gonna be a while."

Right now, it's like a social mixer here of NBA beat writers, and reporters from Seattle and Oklahoma City.
NBA TV is also gearing up for a live broadcast, so they're working on a live production in the midst of all this crazyness.


Sonics Announcement - We're here

10:16 AM Fri, Apr 18, 2008 |

We're now at the St. Regis.
It's quite a setup. Someone from the Governor Gregoire's Office is already here, presumably to give a response to the vote.
The announcement should come down within the next couple hours.
For now, here are a couple photos:

...



Live from New York... It's the Sonics

5:58 PM Thu, Apr 17, 2008 |

Hey All -

I have just a few minutes to let you know how crazy it has been here, covering the Sonics on the first day of the Board of Governors meetings.

We've been dealing with broken equipment, navigating New York as the city prepares for the arrival of the Pope, running in and out of "30 Rock," and jumping through hoops to tell the story on the air.

Thankfully, we have our NY native photographer Mike Bachety with me.<...



A Sprint to Refund Soldier's Money

5:42 PM Tue, Apr 15, 2008 |

It's a letter we've seen before. Someone overpays on a bill and the company takes its time to get back to you.
It's funny, when you are a little late on a bill, some companies are quick to put their legal team in action.
So when Spc. Jeff Cannizzaro called us, it was another one of those cases.
He had tried for months to get his 48 bucks from Sprint. I mean, the guy was a little busy fighting for his country in Iraq to take a...



We are all one

4:10 PM Tue, Apr 15, 2008 |

With all that is happening in the world, you would easily think that prominent leaders like the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu would get wrapped up in the thoughts of "why us?" Though during this panel at Seeds of Compassion I caught a refreshing discussion of these two leaders not only bringing a positive but optimistic outlook on the questions which were asked about pain and suffering. When one youth asked, "What do you do to redeem ...



This one's converted

4:06 PM Tue, Apr 15, 2008 |

came into this project not really knowing what to expect. "Five days of talking about compassion?" I asked myself, "What solid good will come from that?" Jaded as only a 16-year-old can be I couldn't see the point of a five day event with no high profile follow up.


Recently my mind has changed. I was focusing too much on what Seeds alone was going to accomplish. What is really powerful about this movement is all the organization...



Change is in the air

3:56 PM Tue, Apr 15, 2008 |

After the amazing speech by his holiness and all of the other inspiring performances during the seeds of Compassion youth day; i had the chance to not only reflect about the meaning of compassion, but also i was able to gain a better understanding with those around me. I met with a group of 4th graders after the conference, Omry Majors-Howe, Christian, and Austin, and they described there reactions to the conference. "I will definitely be much...