is Western Washington's most watched late-night newscast
with Don Porter, Jeff Renner, Weather, and Tony Ventrella, sports.
This is King Five News.
Good evening. Politicians run for office hoping to help make history,
but not the kind Arizona Governor Evan Meekam made today.
Meekam was convicted by the Arizona State Senate of obstruction of justice
and impeachable offense.
The vote made Meekam the first governor in 59 years to be impeached and removed from office.
By your vote of 21 ayes and 9 nos,
Evan Meekam is convicted of high crimes, misdemeanors, or malfeasance in office
as contained in Article 1 of the Articles of Impeachment.
Meekam was charged with ordering his state police chief not to cooperate in the investigation
of a death threat made by one of the governor's aides.
Both in and outside the state Senate chamber, emotions ran high between Meekam's opponents and supporters.
Meekam himself, however, managed to smile as he left saying,
quote, I guess they don't like my politics.
Technically, Meekam could run in the recall election next month.
Before that, however, Meekam is scheduled to stand trial for campaign finance violations.
If convicted, the ex-governor could go to prison.
In presidential politics, the U.S. State Department is not too happy about candidate Jesse Jackson
and the general, Panama's military leader, General Manuel Noriega.
Campaigning in Wisconsin today, Jackson said yes.
He had written a letter to Noriega advising him to leave Panama,
but he denies that he offered to serve as a mediator between Noriega and the U.S. government.
It's not true. It's nothing but a very strong and public moral appeal
as the church and many other leaders have made.
Jackson aides say no concrete offer was made to mediate, but Jackson did tell Noriega, quote,
I'm anxious to do whatever I can to help alleviate suffering.
The State Department complains that even that much undercuts efforts to get Noriega out.
And can you amplify on what Robert said?
In our view, Jackson's democratic opponents in tomorrow's Wisconsin primary
were quick to see Jackson's initiative as a campaign issue.
I think it's a bad idea for a private citizen to try to inject himself in this situation at this time.
He didn't help matters in his meetings with Arafat or Gaddafi.
And I doubt very seriously that he would help matters in Panama.
Now, Mike Dukakis is trying hard to hold off another Jackson win in the North.
It's been tough, though. Jackson is drawing huge crowds, in a state 97 percent white.
We have unleashed the power of hope in our country.
Dukakis, faced with Jackson on the cover of Time and Newsweek,
combats Jackson by preaching the virtues of competence over charisma.
And Dukakis has his fingers crossed tonight that his message was heard in Colorado,
where in caucuses today, Dukakis holds a very early lead, 54 percent over Jackson with 33 percent.
Jackson, however, these are very early Colorado caucus returns, only a tiny fraction of the votes counted there so far.
Political analysts are saying it could be very close with late polls giving a tiny edge to Dukakis.
At stake there are 45 Democratic convention delegates.
Jesse Jackson has a big fan in the person of former President Richard Nixon, however.
Nixon told the Washington Times today he thinks Jackson is the best candidate, the most interesting man, and, quote,
a brilliant campaigner, but, Nixon added, if Jackson is nominated, he cannot win the White House.
That's one former president's opinion.
Well, I don't know about you, but for many of us, the memory of the year 1968 remains undimmed, even after 20 years.
It was, after all, a year of sledgehammer blows, Vietnam, drugs, antiwar protest, Bobby Kennedy shot down,
and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. 20 years ago today.
Dr. King had gone to Memphis to speak for striking sanitation workers and to speak against poverty,
and hauntingly, he spoke of his own mortality.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place.
But I'm not concerned about that now.
Today, King's followers marched in Memphis again to lay a wreath on the spot where he was shot to death.
And in Atlanta, his widow remembered the dream.
Oh, King, in my heart I do believe we shall overcome our fate.
In this day of mergers and acquisitions, when banks have been taken over by entertainment companies,
when cereal companies have been taken over by shoe companies,
Avis, Inc. is happy to announce we've been taken over by someone who actually knows something about the rent-a-car business, the Avis corporate employees.
Let's show them how great a rent-a-car company can be.
Have a great trip.
Avis, now we're trying harder than ever.
The Pay & Pack Challenge. It's this simple.
This week, just try to match this quality at these prices, anywhere.
Landscape shrubs at $1.99. Save one half at Pay & Pack.
Lawn food, $2.99. Save $1.50.
Weed and feed, $3.99. Save $1.50.
Paramount 7-inch electric line trimmer, $12.99.
Save $7 this week at Pay & Pack.
The Pay & Pack Challenge. Unmatchable quality. Incredible prices.
Would you step in that circle for some Godfather's Pizza?
The taste worth doing anything for.
Police in Western Washington continue the manhunt tonight for an armed robber who kidnapped a young woman from a fast food restaurant Saturday night, then released her last night.
John Sandifer has the latest on this story from Aberdeen.
It was whopping good news at the Burger King in Aberdeen.
Mary Lee Stewart had been released and she was not harmed.
It happened in Pierce County overnight and this is about all reporters could see as she was returned home from 24 hours of terror.
And there's another angle developing.
After the robber, who is a suspect in an earlier Puyallup Burger King robbery, had hit this store armed with a sawed-off shotgun, he dealt with the employees.
He placed them in the freezer and then took them out and placed them in the refrigeration unit.
And it was subsequent to placing them in that refrigeration unit that he indicated to them that they were to stay there for a period of time and that he would be taking the manager with him when he left.
Why would he move them from the freezer, which was five degrees, to the refrigerator, which was 30 to 40 degrees?
Maybe it was Mary Stewart who convinced him, thinking of her friends even as she was being abducted.
Only two people know, the robber and his victim, and neither are available.
Meantime police know who they want to put on ice.
The suspect in this case is a male adult 21 years of age by the name of Gerald Lee Essary Jr.
Managers tell me Mary Lee is expected to be back to work here on Wednesday.
But in the meantime, her friends say what happened to her hasn't really sunk in yet, and so she is not doing interviews for at least 48 hours.
In Aberdeen, John Sandefur, King Five News.
As of today, the hottest item of contraband at the King County Jail became not illegal drugs, but legal cigarettes.
Legal on the outside perhaps, but jail officials have banned smoking for inmates and guards starting today.
So it was cold turkey for prisoners, some of whom have a lifelong smoking habit.
There's going to be a lot of fights, a lot of tensions.
I've already been in a couple of fights, been in a hole two or three times behind, you know, cigarettes or any little old thing.
People just got a lot of tension in them now, you know.
Reports from inside the jail say cigarettes now sell there for more money than drugs.
Officials say the smoking ban will make the King County Jail cleaner and safer.
Now the question is how safe are those park and ride lots where commuters leave their cars during the day?
Well, according to Montlake Terrace Police Sergeant Leo Farmer, quote, they are shopping malls for crooks.
Continuing the quote, I wouldn't park a bag of dirt at a park and ride. End of quote.
Strong words perhaps, but as Mike Holy reports, they ring all too true for some people.
A busload of commuters end another work day at a park and ride lot.
Most don't ever find a problem with auto theft or break-ins, but some do when they are a growing minority.
Irene Hatter had her van broken into in the Linwood lot.
They had gotten in through the wing window on the passenger side and they had thrown everything every which way and they'd taken the money.
So that's what they were after with the money.
Some commuters try and beat the problem by driving burnout or battered heaps,
but local officials up and down the I-5 corridor have to face a situation head on.
Yes, there is a problem and just the nature of the beast creates it.
Linwood Police Chief Larry Kalzpiek.
What makes park and ride unique, I suppose, is because people tend to leave the car in the morning,
pick them up at night and very little traffic in between as opposed to a shopping center where there's traffic in and out all day long.
Last year there were 67 felonies committed in the Linwood lot, the second largest park and ride in Washington.
There are break-ins and auto thefts and police want community transit to provide lot security with cameras or guards.
Staff is looking into it right now to see what the cost would be liabilities and everything to community transit.
But that's the only way I can think of clearing up part of the problem.
The Transit Board will consider the security issue in about two weeks.
In Linwood, Mike Oling, KING 5 News.
Big day in sports, Tony's ready with the NCAA action plus the opening day of the pro baseball season.
And when the Rangers went up against Cleveland, the opening ball was thrown out by little Jessica McClure.
She's the toddler who spent 58 hours stuck in an abandoned well shaft last year.
Well, okay, so she rolled out the first ball.
Catcher Gino Petrale liked it, so did Jessica, and so did the fans.
So how did the game come out? Well, that's Tony's department. He's here with all that stuff.
It worked out well. Actually, Texas won 4-3, so it was a big night down there.
And the Mariners?
That did not work out as well. They should have had Jessica throw out the first ball for their game.
Oakland won that one 4-1. NCAA action tonight. It was exciting in the final night of college basketball season.
Back with that in the beginning of baseball season in two minutes. Hold on.
When it comes to making sales, you've got to know how to open those doors.
You've got to get up early. You've got to stay up late.
You've got to answer all your calls. You've got to keep going until you're over the top.
It's all a part of the drill, because if you don't take care of your customers, you know that somebody else will.
This reminder from Federal Express, that it's not just a package. It's your business.
For a 4x4 that'll shift the balance of power in the truck world, Toyota's all-new V6 4x4,
the most advanced V6 engine in any compact truck. Unsurpassed horsepower. More low-down torque than any compact V6 4x4.
New V6. Now who's looking out for number one?
Toyota.
Toyota!
Hey, great-looking suit. Must be nice to be rich, huh? Not rich, just smart.
I'll get you some clothes at Kupenheimer. Yeah, isn't Kupenheimer great?
I got this all-wool suit with pleated pants for just $195.
$195? This wool blend suit only cost me $165.
No. How's that possible? I don't know.
Well, I hear it's because they make their own clothes and sell them just in their own stores.
More coffee, Mr. Kupenheimer? Don't mind if I do.