Here are the 10 most-read stories of 2024 at valleyrecord.com.
1. Teen’s attorneys give possible defense in Fall City mass shooting: Defense attorneys representing the 15-year-old boy accused of killing five family members in Fall City in October are arguing their client’s version of events are “forensically viable,” according to court documents.
2. Teen charged in Fall City mass shooting: A 15-year-old was charged with five counts of first degree murder and one count of first-degree attempted murder after a mass shooting at his family’s Fall City home Oct. 21. He is accused of killing his parents, Mark and Sarah Humiston, as well as his siblings, Katheryn Humiston, 7, Joshua Humiston, 9, and Benjamin Humiston, 13.
3. Carnation alliance mobilizes against Remlinger concerts: The Carnation Community Alliance is a local group of citizens interested in facilitating stewardship of the lower Snoqualmie Valley. The group formed in December 2023 over the lack of a public process surrounding the concert venue and the farm’s nonconforming land use, which they believe to be illegal.
4. North Bend makes way for 121-room hotel: In March, demolition began at the North Bend Outlet Mall to make way for a La Quinta/Hawthorne Wyndham hotel. It will feature an indoor pool and a rooftop bar/patio and create upwards of 25 new locally-hired jobs. It is projected to be open by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
5. North Bend’s $26 million funding gap has city looking at development: The estimated $26 million budget gap is largely due to increasing costs for emergency services provided by the Snoqualmie Police Department and Eastside Fire and Rescue. One potential fix is a development agreement with Middle Fork Property Development LLC, which City Council approved in September.
6. Hartwood Cafe celebrates grand opening in North Bend: Chef Traci Knight and her husband Damon, both with several decades of experience in the food industry, moved into the brick-and-mortar shop in October 2023 after operating their Valley-based mobile espresso truck, Curbside Grind.
7. Teamsters union calls for resignation of Carnation city manager: Carnation City Manager Ana Cortez terminated four unionized city employees in February 2023, less than a week after the city voted to approve wage increases for both union and non-union employees. Carnation was ordered to issue an estimated $500,000 in back pay to the employees.
8. Mount Si athletic department, cross country coach on probation: In August, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association board placed Mount Si High School’s athletic department and its cross country head coach, Steven Crane, on probation after Crane covered all expenses for a trip to Disneyland with five varsity student-athletes. The association has a rule against “accepting merchandise or in-kind gifts of more than $500 in fair market value per sport based upon performance in that sport within a calendar year.”
9. Deputies investigating Remlinger Farms hit-and-run: The evening of June 25, King County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a car-versus-pedestrian hit-and-run at Remlinger Farms in Carnation. A statement posted on Facebook by Remlinger Farms owner Nathan Sherfey states that he was hit with a car on Tolt Hill Road by a driver who intentionally blocked concert traffic into the farm.
10. Snoqualmie soccer coach arrested over alleged communication with minor: The Snoqualmie Police Department arrested Cascade FC soccer coach Joshua Lewis on Sept. 19 for allegedly “communicating with a minor for immoral purposes via electronic device.” He was transported to the King County Jail, where he was held without bail pending his first court appearance.
Christeena Marzolf prepares to cut a celebratory ribbon with family and friends at Falling River Meats Oct. 17, 2024. From left: Valerie Pacheco, Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce board secretary; Justin Fitch, Falling River Meats chef; Christeena Marzolf, Falling River Meats co-owner; Marcus Marzolf; Rowan Marzolf; Darron Marzolf, Falling River Meats co-owner. (Photo by Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
Snoqualmie Valley’s top events of the year
JANUARY
• North Bend’s new mayor is ready to open more doors: Mary Miller became North Bend’s mayor this year after winning in the November 2023 general election. Miller was previously a North Bend City Councilmember and North Bend’s planning commissioner, and she has a background in professional photography.
• Snoqualmie Valley cities create economic alliance: North Bend, Snoqualmie, Carnation, Duvall and the Snoqualmie Tribe together started the Snoqualmie Valley Economic Alliance, a seed from a larger unincorporated King County-wide initiative called the Economic Alliance Program. The program supports small minority businesses impacted by COVID through grants.
FEBRUARY
• Woman injured during Fall City cougar attack: On Feb. 17, a group of five cyclists were attacked by a 75-pound young male cougar in Fall City. One of the five cyclists — a 60-year-old woman — suffered injuries to her face, neck and jaw after the cougar “latched onto” her and was taken to Harborview Medical Center.
MARCH
• Skiers rescued from 100-foot cliff at Summit at Snoqualmie: On Feb. 27, the King County Sheriff’s Office received a distress call from two skiers trapped above a 100-foot cliff at the Summit at Snoqualmie. The skiers allegedly crossed warning signs and safety ropes during that day’s blizzard-like conditions, resulting in Summit at Snoqualmie’s zero-tolerance policy for reckless behavior that started March 1.
• Stakeholders seek task force for I-90/SR 18 projects: Reagan Dunn, vice chairman of the King County Council, sent a letter to WSDOT on Dec. 22, 2023, recommending an interagency task force before vital SR 18 and I-90 projects begin. Ultimately, Dunn said the task force would bring a mix of experts to the table to provide feedback to mitigate traffic congestion during construction. Experts within the task force would include traffic engineer experts, elected officials, key community leaders and transportation planners.
APRIL
• Carnation pursues legal action after another false alarm at Tolt Dam: During a press conference March 28, Carnation Mayor Jim Ribail announced the city’s plans to seek legal action regarding Seattle Public Utilities and King County’s management of the Tolt Dam. The conference came 24 hours after the historically faulty system set off the eighth false Tolt Dam failure alarm since 2020.
• Historic building destroyed in early morning Snoqualmie fire: On the morning of April 14, fire departments responded to a large fire at 8102 Railroad Avenue SE. The fire fully engulfed the backside of the building, home to Chickadee Bakeshop and Snoqualmie Pie Company on the first floor and Littlest Wishes Photography on the second. Snoqualmie Ice Cream, located on the front end of the building, sustained water and smoke damage.
MAY
• One of four zebras remains missing following North Bend escape: Four zebras escaped their trailer April 28 while being transported to Montana on I-90. Three were captured within the first few hours, but the fourth wasn’t caught until May 3. The last missing zebra quickly became a local sensation: Many organizations — from Dick’s Drive-In to Washington State Ferries — took to social media to post altered images of a zebra at their locations.
JUNE
• Snoqualmie Tribe celebrates casino expansion milestone: On June 14, the Snoqualmie Casino had a “topping ceremony,” during which the Skanska construction team placed the highest beam on the hotel tower. The project will add a hotel, convention center, restaurant and spa to the campus.
• Duvall artist beams with pride over new installation: A piece of ribbon art using 12 different colors to represent the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag went up outside Duvall City Hall. Local artist Axton Burton spent nearly a year working with city leaders to carry out the project after the city took down a previous Pride installation amid controversy last year.
JULY
• Salish Lodge named top resort in the West: The Salish Lodge and Spa, perched atop Snoqualmie Falls, was named the “No. 1 Resort Hotel in the West” in the Travel + Leisure 2024 World’s Best Awards. Opened in 1916, the Salish Lodge has grown from an eight-room inn to an 86-room resort hotel and luxury destination.
• Camp Waskowitz placed under conservation easement: North Bend’s Camp Waskowitz, the longest-running outdoor education facility in Washington state, was placed under a conservation easement, protecting the camp and the 345 acres of surrounding forest from development in perpetuity. In exchange for the easement, the camp will receive a $7 million trust in county funds to maintain the camp, fund scholarships and expand public access to miles of scenic trails.
AUGUST
• Snoqualmie voters approve public safety sales tax: The proposition will require all retail sales customers to pay an extra $0.01 per $10 spent on taxable goods and services within Snoqualmie, effective January 2025. The 0.1% increase will generate around $226,000 annually for public safety-related costs, including attracting, retaining, training and equipping employees.
• Weekend shuttle service launched in Snoqualmie Valley: The nonprofit Snoqualmie Valley Transportation began weekend service in August, running from 6 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with buses arriving every 90 minutes. The Valley Shuttle transports riders between North Bend and Duvall.
SEPTEMBER
Ceramic fish swim past the front door of Carnation Elementary. Photo by Grace Gorenflo/For the Valley Record
• New mural at Carnation Elementary pays homage to salmon: Simone Oliver, president of Carnation’s Lee Arts Foundation, got her 15-year wish in September for a mural at Carnation Elementary. Each student glazed at least one of the ceramic salmon, and a team of local artists, as well as volunteers, spent an estimated 150 hours painting the mural before installing the salmon.
OCTOBER
• Duvall Farmers Market makes its mark in 2024: Under a new board president, the Duvall Farmers Market exceeded sales records, attendance records and expectations in its 19th season. Sales were up $50,000 from the 2022 season, and the market had more vendors and customers than any recent years.
• Two Valley businesses win King County awards: King County Executive Dow Constantine chose The Grange in Duvall and Miller’s in Carnation as two winners of the 2024 King County Executive’s Small Business Awards. The Grange and Miller’s won their categories of green/sustainable small business and rural small business, respectively.
NOVEMBER
• Snoqualmie approves downtown model train museum: A multi-million dollar model train display is on track to get a new home in downtown Snoqualmie, across from the Northwest Railway Museum. The Snoqualmie City Council approved the development agreement, and now the nonprofit Pacific West Rail Foundation is giving itself three years to fundraise before construction begins.
• Mount Si students craft ornaments for holiday scavenger hunt: Students at Mount Si High School designed and made animal ornaments for a partnership with the SnoValley Chamber of Commerce to promote shopping locally. The students made hundreds of laser-cut wood ornaments that were hidden in the chamber’s public-facing businesses, and those who found ornaments were entered to win prizes.
DECEMBER
• Breakfast, lunch spot with Filipino twist opens in Duvall: Local Corie Goodloe realized a decades-long dream with the grand opening of her new restaurant, Corie’s Cafe. The menu includes American classics and Filipino delicacies, like lumpia (fried spring rolls with shrimp and pork) and the Manila bowl, with garlic rice, adobo chicken, cucumber salad and a fried egg.
• Nordic treehouse opens to public at Fall City’s Aroma Coffee: Pete’s Treefort, the Treehouse Master’s first public Washington treehouse, opened for business at Aroma Coffee Co. in Fall City. Inspired by medieval wooden churches popular in Norway, the treehouse was designed and constructed by Pete Nelson and his team at Nelson Treehouse. It will have set public hours, as well as time for private reservations.
A group of volunteers line up as the “March of the Vegetables” at Depot Park on Saturday, March 30. Artist Paula Strobel made the vegetable figures with cardboard and paint. (File photo)
A large, smiling sunflower puppet welcomes a crowd at Depot Park on Saturday, March 30. (File photo)
A large, smiling sunflower puppet welcomes a crowd at Depot Park on Saturday, March 30. (File photo)
Snoqualmie Mayor Katherine Ross (left) and SnoValley Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelly Coughlin (right) attended the ribbon cutting along with the three owners David and Meghan Schumacher and Ally Thompson (middle). File photo
Duvall Farmers Market Board president Alex Yearout stands with the market’s new banner on Oct. 3, 2024. Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record
Snoqualmie Police Chief Brian Lynch (right) stands for a photo with evidence technician L.T. Liebetrau and the department’s new breast cancer awareness patches. Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record
Christeena and Darron Marzolf pose for a photo outside Falling River Meats at the butcher shop’s ribbon cutting Oct. 17, 2024. Photo by Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record
Some of the bear, eagle and elk ornaments made by Mount Si High School students. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record) Some of the bear, eagle and elk ornaments made by Mount Si High School students. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
Romalyn Hatol, a junior at Mount Si High School, shows the finished product after laser-cutting a wood cougar ornament. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
A 1930s-era car sits on a mountain road in the Pacific West Rail model train display. Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record
A model train crosses a bridge in front of the exterior door to Peter Hambling’s basement. The basement was built for this project. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
Aroma Coffee Co. co-owner Emily Ridout, joined by Pete and Judy Nelson, speaks to the crowd at the grand opening of Pete’s Treefort Dec. 7, 2024. Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record
Visitors line up to see Santa at the Snoqualmie Winter Lights celebration on December 7, 2024, in Snoqualmie, Washington. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg)
Mayor Katherine Ross arrives with Santa Claus during the Snoqualmie Winter Lights celebration on December 7, 2024, in Snoqualmie, Washington. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg)
The family of Maggi Whitaker stands for a photo with Down to Earth’s new bird bath. From left: Bill Whitaker Alice Friedel, Ann Marie Whitaker, Violet Friedel and Jenny Whitaker. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
