Local company hopes to revolutionize surgeries, home repairs with a unique twist

Local company hopes to revolutionize surgeries, home repairs with a unique twist

A local company is hoping to be the backbone of spinal surgeries and home repairs, with a new invention that’s as simple as a screwdriver.

With a cylindrical handle affixed to a stainless axial shaft, the Velocity Driver looks like a tool found in every man’s garage, until a quick twist reveals its unique Double Drive technology.

Auburn resident, Dave Judge, co-founder of Ratchet Solutions Inc., says their company has developed revolutionary gear-driven technology screwdriver, that allows continuous drive in one direction, regardless of the way the handle is turned. The result: double the speed with no wasted motion.

“We really think it’s going to make traditional ratcheting screwdrivers obsolete,” Judge says.

The idea of Double Drive technology came to Judge when a friend, Dave Rau, who is now Director of Sales, noticed a unique invention at a tool trade show. At the show, Rau talked to an inventor who described his double drive screwdriver, and the two worked a deal to begin producing the technology.

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PSE promises $50 credit for dozens of customers

PSE promises $50 credit for dozens of customers

If you were one of the thousands without power for nearly a week, you could get a break on next month's bill.

Puget Sound Energy says it plans to give a $50 credit to customers who lost power for five or more days during last week's winter storm.

"The prolonged power outages from the storms created a real hardship for many of our customers," said Sue McLain, PSE senior vice president of Delivery Operations. "The bill credit won't take back the dark evenings and chill in the bones that many families experienced. Rather, it is a gesture of our appreciation for their understanding and patience."

According to PSE, this is the first time, since passing the 120-consecutive-hour power outage credit in 2008, the utility has had to activate it.

PSE says the credit will automatically be provided to all customers without power for five days or longer.

The credit should show up on your Feb. 15th bill.

If it doesn't - you should notify PSE at: 888-225-5773.

Federal Way residents taking high-tech approach to crime fighting

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- A group of Federal Way neighbors are taking a high-tech approach to fighting crime after being targeted by vandals and thieves.

In one recent night, nearly 20 residents of the Twin Lakes neighborhood reported break-ins and vandalism.

Bob Hill was one of those victims.

"Came in, ransacked it, pried up a trunk," he said. "I didn't lose anything of value, because there wasn't anything of value, but you still go through this experience of 'you've been violated.'"

Looking for a way to feel safe again, the Twin Lakes Home Owners Association went online.

The neighborhood of 1,400 homes is the first to team up with Federal Way Police, using "Online Watch"

It's a program that goes beyond making a report to the cops. If somebody sees something suspicious, they can email or send a text message, and it will go to police and alert all the neighbors who've signed up.

Federal Way police started seeing a rise in the number of home burglaries in November, and they hope the high-tech program will help curb crime without having to increase the number of officers in the area.

After the storm: City offering free tree, branch recycling

After the storm: City offering free tree, branch recycling

Federal Way homeowners who have trees and branches littering their yards from last week’s snow storm can recycle them for free, through the city.

For two weeks, the city is providing residents with free curbside collection during regular garbage service.

“We recognize that everybody is struggling to dig out from the storm’s aftermath, and yard debris is one of the big problems,” says Cary Roe, Public Works and Parks Director. “The free debris collection will make that work a bit easier, and less expensive, for our residents.”

The collection, which the city is paying for with budgeted maintenance funds, is from Jan. 30 through Feb. 10.

Here are the details from the city:

To take advantage of the free service, residents need to place yard debris in small piles at the curb prior

to their regular garbage service day. This service is available within Federal Way to all single-family

and condominium residences eligible for weekly curbside garbage collection, even if they are not

currently a Waste Management customer.

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Seattle Police help bring down drug ring stretching to San Francisco

Seattle Police help bring down drug ring stretching to San Francisco

Twenty people are in custody following a lengthy investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Seattle Police Department into a cocaine, meth and heroin trafficking ring that stretched from San Francisco to Vancouver, Canada.

Investigators allege the conspirators brought multi-kilo loads of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine into the Seattle area from California and distributed it throughout Western Washington and Canada.

The following defendants have been charged with various federal crimes including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and/or conspiracy to engage in money laundering:

  • Juan Gomez-Diaz, 37, Des Moines
  • Dagoberto Herrera-Avila, 37, Sea-Tac
  • Jose Rodriguez-Rivera, 38, Lynnwood
  • Juan Siquiero-Gonzalez, 33, Federal Way
  • Luis Orozco-Lopez, 21, Sedro-Woolley
  • Uriel Amin Martinez-Botello, 31, Everett
  • Hugo Gomez-Barrada, 29, Seattle
  • Lorenzo Rodriguez-Rivera, 35, Mountlake Terrace
  • Elmer Alvarez-Ochoa, 39, Lynnwood
  • Ramon Barrera, 35, Mountlake Terrace
  • Pedro Lopez, 38, Seattle
  • Jose Rodriquez-Lujan, 36, Kent
  • Mario Gamiz-Yescas, 33, Kirkland
  • Gerson Fletes-Ramos, 30, Shoreline
  • Javier Cabrera-Arteaga, 26, Shoreline
  • Manuel Mejia-Garay, 32, Seattle
  • Enrique Munoz-Andres, 32, Pacific
  • Timothy Rishor, 36, Edmonds
  • Joshua Abellera, 37, Shoreline
  • Mayra Mendez-Rodriguez, 28, Mountlake Terrace

Federal Way schools announce snow make-up days

Start revising your summer vacation plans – the Federal Way School District has announced snow make-up days, which will last through late June.

The make-up days will be:                          

  • Tue., May 29 (a day previously built into the regular calendar as a potential snow make-up day)
  • Mon., June 18
  • Tue., June 19, and
  • Wed., June 20

The Federal Way School Board approved the make-up days yesterday during its board meeting. The board of directors voted to approve changes to the 2011-2012 school year calendar to make up the 4 days lost to weather-related closures last week.

Charge: Babysitter poured cleaner down infant's throat

FEDERAL WAY, Wash.-- A 33-year-old Federal Way woman is behind bars following charges that she poured cleaning powder down an infant's throat.

King County prosecutors claim Mabinty Williams was babysitting the 4-week-old girl on Jan. 10 when she poisoned her with a clothing soap. According to charging documents, police were called to her home after she told neighbors there was an "evil baby" in her apartment.

According to charging documents, Federal Way police arrived at the apartment in the 29200 block of Military Road South to find the baby suffering from chemical burns on her face. Investigators contend Williams, a certified nursing assistant, told police the child "changed" while she was watching her.

Writing the court, Detective Brigit Clary said Williams had been watching the girl since about 8 a.m. that morning as a favor to some family friends. In the four hours before police arrived, Williams had called her husband 16 times to complain about the child.

Just before noon, Williams knocked on her neighbors' door.

"There's someone in my house," Williams allegedly said. "It's a baby, and it's evil."