Man charged with murder in deaths of mother, sister-in-law
YAKIMA — Prosecutors this week charged a 33-year-old Wapato man with aggravated first-degree murder in the deaths of his mother and sister-in-law.
Edward C. Robinson is accused of killing Maria Martinez, 50, and Shante Barney, 23, on April 9 in the home the women shared, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported. Both were stabbed to death, according to Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice. Martinez was Robinson’s mother, and Barney was his sister-in-law, court documents said.
Sheriff’s deputies and tribal police called to the home outside Wapato found Martinez by the back door and Barney on the couch, with Robinson sitting next to her, a probable cause affidavit said. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene, according to court documents.
Another family member said he saw Martinez bring Robinson to the house around 4 p.m., and then heard her screaming five minutes later, documents said. The family member found Robinson standing over Martinez with a folding knife.
The family member said he pulled Barney’s young child out of a window and called for help, the affidavit said.
Robinson is being held in the Yakima County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. It wasn’t immediately known if Robinson has a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
Idaho meat plant employee’s death under investigation
KUNA, Idaho — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation into the accidental work death of an Idaho meat-rendering plant employee.
The employee died April 7 at a Kuna plant facility owned by Darling Ingredients, a Texas-based international meat processing corporation, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Darling Ingredients owns more than 200 plants, including a second Idaho facility in Twin Falls more than 130 miles southeast of the Kuna plant.
Darling Ingredients has received fines and violations at plants in multiple states since 2018, but none in Idaho, according to U.S. Department of Labor inspection records.
Company officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Jose Carnevali confirmed the department investigation but declined to comment further on an open case.
One dead, one rescued after boat sinks in Toad Lake
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A Washington man has died and a woman was rescued after a boat sank on Toad Lake near Bellingham, authorities said.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Evan Sobjack, 28, the Bellingham Herald reported.
The Bellingham Fire Department, North Whatcom Fire and Rescue and county deputies responded to a report of a capsized boat around 9:30 p.m. Monday after residents said they heard someone yelling for help and saw two people in the water.
Multiple residents launched their boats to assist in the rescue and were able to bring the woman to shore, deputies said. The woman told rescuers that Sobjack disappeared under the water.
The woman reported that she and Sobjack had paddled out to the west end of the lake, but the boat began to take on water while returning to shore, capsized and sank. Neither were wearing personal flotation devices, authorities said.
Search and rescue divers were called to the scene Tuesday and located Sobjack’s body and the boat around 12:30 p.m. after unsuccessful search attempts by deputies.
An investigation is ongoing.
Report: Oregon freeway traffic drops, average speeds jump
PORTLAND, Ore. — Weekday traffic on the four major interstates in the Portland, Ore., area is down 46 percent from levels last year, according to a report compiled by the state Department of Transportation.
Interstates 5, 405, 84 and 205 are all seeing significant traffic declines, and the freeways are only becoming less congested as the weeks stretch on amid a stay home order issued by Gov. Kate Brown to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
According to Oregon Department of Transportation’s first COVID-19 monitoring report, the largest decreases occurred initially on highways and freeways to the coast and mountains. The report looked at the change in traffic patterns in the past month, starting with the week schools closed, then subsequent weeks under the stay-home order as well.
I-5 is seeing the most significant declines of metro-area freeways. The average weekend traffic was down 64 percent for the most recent full week of data available (March 30-April 5).
And as Portland police and other law enforcement agencies say speeding on surface roads is up, the state data show drivers are putting the pedal to the metal through the city. According to the state data, every week people are driving faster.
