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Your locally owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington August 14, 2015
North Bend man gets long-awaited recognition for service, heroism By Sam Kenyon skenyon@snovalleystar.com On March 24, 1968, Jim Conner was 21 years old and flying a UH-1D helicopter in and out of a landing zone while under fire from automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. The setting was the Republic of Vietnam and Conner was a warrant officer with the U.S. Army’s 116th Assault Helicopter Company.
The Army awarded Conner the Distinguished Flying Cross for his poise under fire. He volunteered for numerous resupply missions and remained in the landing zone under enemy fire several times while supplies were unloaded. Conner, who lives in North Bend, was recently honored along with 27 other DFC recipients. On July 12, at a Seattle Mariners game against the Los Angeles Angels, the group of DFC veterans drew applause
from the crowd of 30,000 before the game. They lined up in a crescent on the field and each man was individually honored. “I think each of us were just deeply touched by this whole thing,” Conner said. “This is a group of guys that every one of them has at least once in their career literally put their life on the line.” The ceremony and the crowd See HONORED, Page 5
By Sam Kenyon
Jim Conner, of North Bend, appears on the big screen at the Mariners game where he was honored for earning the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Celebrate at Snoqualmie’s 77th annual Railroad Days
Folks get Accused their fix rapist found at the dead at Fife festival
Festival season may be winding down, but the 77th annual Railroad Days in Snoqualmie offers a lot to do for anyone looking for a fun-filled weekend Aug. 14-16. Festivities begin on Friday with steam train rides that run from 11:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. every day of the event. Festivalgoers can enjoy everything from Fairy Floss cotton candy and Northern Lites shaved ice to barbecue from the Big House food truck and brats from Zieglers Bratwurst Hause. On Aug. 15, the day begins with the annual pancake breakfast at the Snoqualmie Fire Department from 7-10 a.m. The fundraiser features pancakes, ham, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, orange juice and Starbucks coffee. Breakfast is $5 for adults, $3 for children, and free for those younger than five. Festivities also include the Grand Parade and timber sports shows in the afternoon. On Aug. 16, the Snoqualmie Depot will celebrate 125 years of service with a ceremony that features two of the Northwest Railway Museum’s locomotives, city officials, museum staff and actors dressed in late 1800s attire. There’s also the Legends Car Club car show, history reenactments and a model train show. Learn more at http://www.railroaddays.com.
Roger, a volunteer with the Isabella Grace Winery, hands Hawaiian chicken chili over to a taster for the chili cook-off during the Festival at Mount Si Aug. 9. A number of teams competed, and fed a large crowd. Photos by Sam Kenyon
truck stop By Sara Jean Green Seattle Times staff reporter
A dead trucker’s DNA will be entered into a national lawenforcement database to determine whether he is linked to unsolved sexual assaults following an alleged rape at a North Bend truck stop Aug. 4, according to Snoqualmie police. The trucker was found dead in his cab about five hours later and 45 miles away, at Love’s Travel Stop in Fife, said Snoqualmie police Capt. Nick Almquist. Though his cause of death is still under investigation, Almquist said it appears the man may have died from some medical issue. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the Kentucky man as 44-year-old Dushon Lyte Sr. Attempts to contact relatives were not sucSee RAPIST, Page 2
Above, Jeff and Melissa Griswold conquer the obstacle course in record time for the wife carrying contest At right, Youths with the Higher Learning Martial Arts center in North Bend demonstrate Aikido techniques.
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