Making headlines around the Northwest this morning:
- Push to Preserve Iconic Seattle PI Globe
- Warnings of Phone Scams
- Plea Deal for JBLM Soldier Likely for Afghan War Crimes
It's About the PI
Some Seattle City Council members are concerned the iconic globe atop the seattlepi.com offices on the city's central waterfront may go away if it's not protected. They're considering landmark status for neon-lighted orb that has been spinning for 63 years. It has survived the company's shift from daily newspaper to a smaller, online-only venture.
According to The Seattle Times' Lynn Thompson, the Musuem of History and Industry (MOHAI) is also interested in the future of the globe which bears the phrase "It's In The P-I":
"The globe is such a great icon of Seattle," said MOHAI Executive Director Leonard Garfield. "We want to keep it spinning and ensure it stays a part of the Seattle landscape." He said that although an agreement hasn't been reached with Hearst, the media company "understands that the globe is a part of its history and legacy" in the city.
Globe owners Hearst Corporation haven't talked about what they intend to do - or not do - with the multi-story sign. Thompson reports the lack of certainty of its fate, following the print PI's demise, is prompting Councilmember Jean Godden's interest. Godden was a PI columnist:
"For me it was personal. I can still remember showing up for my first day of work in 1974 and feeling butterflies as I walked under the globe."
If the globe leaves its current site on Elliott Avenue, possible future homes could be the Olympic Sculpture Park, or MOHAI's new South Lake Union site, according to The Times.
Phone Scams Bring Warnings
Tacoma Police and the state Revenue Department are warning people about two separate phone scam operationsaimed at getting your credit card information. Police have heard from 14 people about calls regarding alleged civil fines, according to The Olympian's Stacy Mulick:
The caller says the victim has a civil judgment and owes the court money. To avoid a visit from police and arrest, the victim can provide the caller with a prepaid credit card number or send a money order.
Another scam is targeting businesses in the state, and involves a different twist, reports Mulick:
In the scam, the business receives an automated phone call that says the state revenue department has been trying to contact the business regarding its tax account and directs the business to call 800-631-4228. At that the number, a recording prompts the business to call 10-15-15-8000. If the business does, $7 is charged to its phone account, the revenue department said.
The state is reminding businesses they don't make calls to firms that are in arrears on taxes.
JBLM Soldier Faces Court Martial Today
Army Spc. Jeremy Morlock will likely make a plea deal in a case involving charges of murder of Afghan civilians. Morlock and four other JBLM soldiers are accused, reports The News Tribune's Adam Ashton:
His testimony at today’s scheduled court-martial at Lewis-McChord likely will reverberate around the world following a German newsmagazine’s publication this week of a photo showing Morlock grinning over the bloodied corpse of an Afgan noncombatant he admits he killed last January.
Morlock may plead guilty to three counts of murder, to using drugs, and for conspiring against a member of his unit, according to The Trib. The plea deal could mean a sentence of 24 years.
