Lakewood woman pleads not guilty in death of her infant son

LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- A mother accused of suffocating her infant son has pleaded not guilty.

Jamie M. McAdams pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of her 2-month-old son, Jeremiah. She is being held on $500,000 bail.

Medics found the baby "lying lifeless on the floor" at McAdams' home just after 4 a.m. on Jan. 13, according to the statement of probable cause. His mother was seen crying next to him.

McAdams initially said she found the boy lying on the floor, "cold to the touch and purple," but later changed her story.

On the night of the incident, she told investigators she had put her son down to sleep in his car seat, which served as his bed as he didn't have a crib, then placed the seat near the foot of her bed, facing away from her.

She said she awoke just before 4 a.m. when her boyfriend got up to use the restroom, and noticed her son lying on the ground with the car seat toppled on top of him. When she felt his cold skin, she began yelling, "He's dead, he's dead," and told her mother to call 911, investigators said.

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Stage 1 burn ban back for Pierce County

Stage 1 burn ban back for Pierce County

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has issued a Stage 1 burn ban for Pierce County, starting at 12:00 p.m. today. 

The ban will remain in effect until further notice.

Puget Sound Clean Air says: "High pressure has been building over the Puget Sound region, resulting in very cold and stagnant weather conditions. Air pollution is building up in Pierce County, especially in communities where residential wood burning is common. With stagnant conditions expected to continue through tomorrow, pollution levels could reach the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category at some locations."

So what does that mean for you? Read the information below from the experts:

Van Halen tickets available for presale Friday

Are you ready to rock, Tacoma? Van Halen tickets for the May 5 Tacoma Dome show go on sale this weekend.

Tickets are available to the general public Saturday at 10 a.m., but the general public doesn't have friends like Tacoma KOMO.

Drum roll please ... we've got a presale code for you: simply enter presale code "JUMP" when checking out and you'll be able to purchase your ticket 24 hours early.

Internet presale begins Friday morning at 10 a.m. and runs until 10 p.m. from Ticketmaster.

The band announced the tour earlier this month, during a private concert at New York's Cafe Wha?

Tickets range from $79.50 to $149.50.

News Tribune: County overwhelms residents with emergency text messages during storm

Imagine getting the same text message 30 times in one day.

It happed Tuesday to about 1,500 Pierce County residents who get updates from the county's emergency management system.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports the message asked residents to report storm damage so the state can ask for federal money.

Everbridge, the company that provides the system is working on the problem.

The county and Everbridge are discussing reimbursing people who pay per text message.

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Pierce County: Businesses should report storm damage

From Pierce County:

Pierce County’s Economic Development Division is assessing how the damage has affected our county’s businesses.  If a specific threshold is reached, certain federal programs may be made available to help the region recover. 

If you experienced damage, please fill out the ‘Economic Injury Worksheet’ form below, and email it to Hans Kueck at hkueck@co.pierce.wa.us.  This is NOT an application for funds or a loan.  It is meant only to determine how much damage the County’s business community suffered.

If your business has any questions, please contact 253-798-2335.

 Economic Injury Worksheet

PSE, Tacoma Power, Snohomish PUD still working to restore power

Some residents are starting off their week in the dark, following massive power outages caused by last week’s storm.

Here are the latest power outage numbers:

Puget Sound Energy still has 55,000 customers without power. It restored power to 150,000 people over the weekend, but some people might have no juice until Wednesday.

Tacoma Power has about 700 outages.

Snohomish County PUD has 800.

Seattle City Light has nearly all of its customers back on.

News Tribune: Snow removals costs $563,000

News Tribune: Snow removals costs $563,000

The snow and ice storm that paralyzed much of Pierce County last week was not only dangerous; it was expensive.

The News Tribune reports the price tag for snow and ice removal piled up last week including;

  • The costs for the salt for deicing roads
  • Overtime pay for snowplow drivers working 12-hour shifts
  • Plus fuel and maintenance for 44 vehicles, including 31 plows.

The bottom-line cost: more than $563,000.

Pierce County’s total 2012 budget for snow and ice removal is almost $1.31 million/