Blogger KING

Nothing wrong with crating your dog

Tue, 06 May 2008 17:34:42 -0800

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 positive feedback about their experiences. They did that. But most had no idea about crating during busy times.
One of the owners who called told us his Yorkie had acted skittish and "really off" for several months after his two-week stay at the kennel over Christmas last year. When we told the pet owner we could see his Yorkie in a travel crate in home video secretly taken by an employee during the holidays, he was most disappointed. He had been led to believe his Yorkie had been in a private, roomy, indoor/outdoor run as advertised.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, "crate training takes some time and effort, but it is a proven way to help train dogs who act inappropriately without knowing any better. A crate is also a safe way of transporting your dog in the car or taking him places where he may not be welcome to run freely."
Full story.

Tough day at Decor

Fri, 02 May 2008 20:47:41 -0800

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.

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

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:59:31 -0800

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 Everest base-camp. The "Journey of Harmony' as the Games organizers have dubbed it (before the first step was run and the first torch attack launched, obviously) will now be truly harmonious.

How gas prices can affect buying a home

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:03:05 -0800

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 convenient bus line to work since I take the bus about four days a week on average.
Here's one example.

Investigating horse abuse

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:35:50 -0800

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 volunteer at P.E.C. or board horses there, and the King County Animal Control Officers who repeatedly warned Solomon to improve conditions, the picture emerged of a rescue in deep trouble.

Do the right thing

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:46:58 -0800

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 be more victims. Kent Police say they want to know more too.
We spoke to SHP's owners Mark and Marci Bagley. They are giving up the location of the pianos. At least one customer has spoken to the Bagleys and they refused to tell them the whereabouts of their missing piano.
On our Web site we have pictures of Gayle Birrell's piano. She signed a deal with the Bagleys and she has not seen her piano since.
If you recognize this piano, please contact us. You may have purchased it, but it is not yours. Yeah, I know, the piano is worth thousands of dollars. And someone will be throwing a lot of money away by giving the piano back to its rightful owner. But I have faith the person who has this piano is someone will do the right thing.
Full story.

Gas prices push interest in 4-day work weeks

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:56:30 -0800

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 less day per week? Both? Do you think it's feasible?

Program to help sex offender victims falls short

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:52:17 -0800

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 released from prison and had cut off his electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. The Department of Corrections issued a nationwide warrant for his arrest for escape.
We found Sabrina is enrolled in what's called the Victim/Witness Notification Program, run by the Department of Corrections. In letters they assured her she'd be notified if Torrence were to be released from prison and if he ever went back into custody.
In 2002, the DOC did in fact alert Sabrina that Torrence was getting out for serving time for the rape. But they failed to tell her he went back in and out of prison 4 more times after that. She had no idea he'd been convicted repeatedly for failing to register as a sex offender, and for drug possession and theft.
When we told Sabrina, she felt even more let down by the Victim/Witness Program.
"As far as I'm concerned, the victim/witness notification process is worthless because there was no protection for me when I needed it," said Sabrina. "I find that really unfair that I am a victim and I was supposed to be protected and they failed me."
The D.O.C. tells us they will look into what went wrong in Sabrina's case.
"If there is something that would put a victim at risk, then we need to address that through our practices and policies," said Anna Aylward of the DOC.
Full story.

20 Bucks is 20 Bucks

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:15:41 -0800

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 at a drug store. I didn't notice until I checked my bank statement, and I got too busy to deal with it. It cost me five bucks. But five dollars is five dollars.
Tony did the right thing, not just for himself, but for all of us. ARCO is a company that, I believe, will check into this issue and correct it.
How many times have you let something like this slide and later on regret doing so?
Full story.

McDonald's vs. McSweet

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:02:05 -0800

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 Michael Atkins, that big corporations like McDonald's, Starbucks, etc., take the protection of its brands very seriously. It doesn't matter if you're selling pickled onions out of your home or from a storefront. If your product can be confused in anyway with another, you open yourself up to the possibility of getting sued or, as in this case, have the complainant, (McDonald's) request you not trademark the name.

In 1994, McDonald's successfully forced a California coffee owner to change the name of her shop, which was then called, "McCoffee." Her name by the way is Elizabeth McCaughey; it was a play on her name.

What are your thoughts on this issue?

(Read the full KING 5 report here.)

Get to know your plumber

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:46:41 -0800

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

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:20:55 -0800

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 was convicted of possession of child porn in 1985. We didn't want to know the sordid details, but the fact that this man wants to show up in courtroom again, is unbelievable.
You just never know who you are dealing with on eBay. And you never know how they are going to deal with you.
Full story.

David Stern LIKES Key Arena?

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:38:56 -0800

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

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:42:21 -0800

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 Cambodia.

She and others originating from Northshore Baptist Church partnered with the Seattle-based charity World Concern, to help sponsor a Cambodian pastor's initiatives. They've raised more than $160,000 in the past two years to provide job training, offer micro-loans, and set up schools in Cambodia. They're now helping fund a "Save Haven" home that Cambodians are literally building by hand, brick by brick, to help Cambodian women and children transition from life on the streets and into safety.

This purposeful group of local women began by educating themselves on the issues, then they traveled to witness the poverty and trafficking firsthand. Just as importantly -- they allowed themselves to feel, to be impacted to the point of taking action. They've held concerts and golf tournaments, some now even raising dogs, to live up to their sponsorship commitments.

They're showing that average individuals really can make a difference, one life at a time, one puppy at a time.

Watch the KING 5 Report

We broke the Sonics News to Kevin Durant

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:21:06 -0800

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 that he was surprised, and I can't speak for him, but I can tell you, to me, he didn't sound excited about the prospect of moving to Oklahoma.

He's in NYC for the Jordan Brand Classic, which is tomorrow at Madison Square Garden.

He's a darn good player, and I think he'd love it if he stayed in Seattle.