1. Four adults and 3-year-old child rescued around Dingford Creek Trail in North Bend

At about 4:15 p.m. Feb. 12, the King County Sheriff’s Office and King County Search and Rescue, with the use of the KCSO Snowcat, located four adults and a 3-year-old child at Dingford Creek Trail in North Bend. The five people, who had been reported missing earlier in the day, were safe in their vehicle awaiting rescue. KCSO received a 911 call from concerned family that four adults and a child had not returned from a hike, from Dingford Creek Trail to Goldmyer Hot Springs in North Bend, they went on the previous day. According to KCSO, there was significant snowfall overnight, which would have made driving out of that area in a vehicle nearly impossible. “They had been trapped by the snow and cell phones don’t work in that area,” according to a KCSO news release. “The vehicle had a full tank of gas so they were able to stay warm along with food and water. Thankfully, no injuries to anyone involved.”

2. Monroe quake informing plans for future danger

The magnitude 4.6 Monroe earthquake felt by thousands of Puget Sound-area residents in July is helping scientists assess how future quakes will impact the region. Seattle, Tacoma and Everett all lie within some of Puget Sound’s largest basins. These areas magnify how much the ground shakes in an earthquake. With the data retrieved during the Monroe earthquake, U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Erin Wirth said scientists are now able to study just how much basins amplify ground shaking.

3. North Bend continues development push as water situation remains unclear

When a 212-unit development dubbed the Cedar River Apartments was proposed on roughly 20 acres of land between the Snoqualmie River and North Bend Way East, North Bend resident Jean Buckner decided to step in. It’s slated to be built within North Bend city limits, but just outside its water district in an area that was annexed by the city. The project lies within the Sallal Water District service area, an association run by a board and advised by a group of rate-paying members. Buckner — president of Friends of The Snoqualmie Valley Trail and River — and others contested the project by appealing North Bend’s approval of the development. They were concerned with the high-density apartments impacting the trail and river. Friends had no idea at the time that the parcel of land also represented the first of which Sallal could not fully provide water certificates for development, Buckner said. It’s what drew the group to the Centennial Well permit and an unreached mitigation plan between North Bend and Sallal. But even more than that, the group stumbled upon a complicated water dilemma tied to growth. And Buckner fears that as more developments are approved, and construction continues, the Snoqualmie River water will deplete without adequate water planning and decisions supported by current data.

4. Mayor of North Bend comes down to two candidates

North Bend Mayoral candidates Rob McFarland and Travis Bridgman stated their case to voters in this July report. McFarland went on to win the election in November with 67 percent of the vote.

5. Snoqualmie rejects Si View aquatic facility plan

As discussions over a new community pool in the valley continue, Snoqualmie rejected the most recent plan from Si View Metro Parks District (Si View) to collaborate for a regional aquatic facility. The city council at its Oct. 14 meeting asserted that they will instead continue with the city’s own community center expansion plans. Si View presented its most recent plan to the Snoqualmie Valley School District on Sept. 26, and had yet to formally make an offer or give a proposal to the city, but the city has made their position clear.

6. Construction work begins on westbound I-90 on-ramp at Exit 25

Road work began in November at Snoqualmie Parkway and the westbound Interstate 90 on-ramp at Exit 25. In a contract agreement between the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the city of Snoqualmie, the city expressed safety and access concerns over backups on Snoqualmie Parkway that extends from the westbound I-90 on-ramp through the unsigned intersection with Southeast 99th Street.

7. North Bend opposes proposed weigh station location near North Bend

The city of North Bend is opposing the Washington State Department of Transportation’s preferred location for the truck weigh station as part of the Interstate 90 and state Route 18 improvements. On May 23, North Bend’s interim city administrator Mark Rigos released a statement opposing WSDOT’s choice of Milepost 33.5 as the preferred location for the weigh station. The site sits on the eastbound side of I-90 directly across the road from the current Truck Town area and adjacent to several homes along Southeast 150th Street. According to Rigos, city representatives attended the fourth WSDOT Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) meeting where the preferred location was announced. Rigos said new information was presented to support the location, raising more concerns about the criteria and data.

8. Bellevue College student arrested in Duvall for allegedly sending threatening email

An 18-year-old man was arrested May 16 in Duvall after he allegedly threatened one of his teachers at Bellevue College in an email. As a result of the email, the school’s main and north campuses were evacuated at around 3 p.m., according to the Bellevue Police Department (BPD). The threatening email came after an argument on May 15, involving two students and an instructor at the college, BPD spokesperson Meeghan Black said. She said the suspect was arguing with his teacher when the second student tried to intervene. Following the incident, Black said the second student felt threatened and reported it to campus security. A police report was also filed. Black said there was no imminent threat, the student was not on campus and the evacuation was just a matter of taking caution. Bellevue investigators tracked down the suspect in Duvall, where the suspect has relatives. He was arrested by Duvall police without incident.

9. Following in the family footsteps

Being a Wildcat football player is literally in Colby Botten’s blood. Botten, who in the fall was a senior free safety and wide receiver, is a third-generation Mount Si Wildcats football player. The uniqueness of the Botten family tree wasn’t lost on longtime Mount Si head football coach Charlie Kinnune during a spring practice session on June 6 in Snoqualmie.

10. North Bend failed to properly mitigate water for six weeks

North Bend failed to fully mitigate water use from its Centennial Well for six weeks this summer, after a city employee incorrectly installed a water meter. The error, which began on July 2, was not found and corrected until Aug. 15, during which time some 6.3 million gallons of water were not put back into the Snoqualmie River as mitigation. North Bend later began pumping the water back into the river and had replenished it by the morning of Aug. 21. According to a memo sent to the Washington state Department of Ecology as well as the Tulalip and Snoqualmie tribes, the error stemmed from an incorrectly installed water meter. Earlier this year, the city found that the flow meter at Centennial Well was incorrectly reading flow volume. To correct the issue, the city put out a request for bids from contractors to install the new meter. The city received no bids and decided to install the meter with city staff. Cables were incorrectly placed in terminals and the meter only recorded half of the flow.