Washington State Patrol brass are concerned about the number of deadly motorcycle collisions so far this year.

Eight fatalities have been reported less than three months into the year. Last year, there were 82, the State Patrol reported.

The most recent fatality was last weekend along Interstate 90. A motorcycle going more than 100 mph clipped the rear of an SUV and the motorcycle rider was killed instantly. Troopers report the collision was powerful enough to send the SUV into the guardrail.

As with that deadly collision, it appears that speed has largely contributed to the accidents.

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Just back from court, where Leon Reyes was sentenced to four decades in prison for killing his 2-year-old stepson, Haydon Kostelecky.

See post below for details and watch the TNT home page for an update soon.

Yikes! This story is all over the place in the Seattle media. It’s shocking enough that we wanted to post the AP version here.

Students accused of poisoning Bainbridge Island teacher

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. (AP) – A pair of 12-year-old girls have been accused of sickening their highly allergic teacher by putting strawberry lip gloss on her coffee cup and water bottle, police said Friday.

The two girls were arrested Thursday after allegedly admitting they tried to poison the teacher, police said.

The girls allegedly told police they didn’t want to attend the teacher’s class after

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We had a parent come into the lobby of The News Tribune this morning to report a lockdown at Spanaway Elementary School.

Here’s the scoop for all the parents out there.

The school was in “lockdown” for about 15 minutes because of an altercation involving some junior high school students nearby, Bethel School District spokesman Mark Wenzel said. There were no reports of weapons involved.

The lockdown was “very cautionary,” Wenzel said.

There’s not much of one this morning.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has not released the names of the couple who died in the apparent homicide-suicide inside their Gig Harbor home. The office is awaiting positive identification of the two.

Randall Nozawa, 49, remains in critical condition at Tacoma General Hospital, spokesman Todd Kelley reported this morning.

Adam has a pretty complete story in today’s paper on how the events transpired yesterday. Besides trying to get the names, we’ll check in with the police to see if there is anymore clarity on who shot whom.

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Today’s the day Leon Reyes learns his sentence for shaking his 2-year-old stepson to death.

A jury convicted Reyes of homicide by abuse last month in the death of Haydon Kostelecky.

That same jury then decided Reyes is eligible for an exceptional sentence, saying Haydon was a “particularly vulnerable” victim.

Lights & Sirens has learned deputy prosecutor Sunni Ko will recommend a sentence of 50 years for Reyes, 29.

Defense attorney John Chin plans to argue for a standard-range sentence for his client: Somewhere between 22 years, 7 months and 30 years, 1 month.

It will be up to Judge Kathryn Nelson to decide. The hearing is set for 1:30 p.m.

I’ll try to post an update to the TNT’s main Web page by late afternoon.

Here’s the last story I wrote on the case:

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Nadifo Elmi left her home in Auburn about 3 p.m. Wednesday for a doctor’s appointment in Seattle.

She made it to her appointment on Aurora Avenue North but hasn’t been seen since, Auburn police said Thursday.

Elmi is a native of Somalia who speaks little English. She’s 45 years old, about 5-feet-6 and 160 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black jacket and a multicolored head scarf.

Relatives said she has a broken left arm and suffers from seizures and depression.

Anyone who knows where Elmi (seen here) might

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Last month’s officer-involved fatal shooting at a Tacoma home has been ruled justifiable by Pierce County Prosecutor Gerry Horne.

Tacoma police officer Kevin Lorberau’s actions were within state law when he shot and killed Barry Millsap, 38, inside the home in the 5000 block of Sixth Avenue.

Millsap, you may recall, was had pointed a weapon at the officer and refused to put it down. In the days afterward, we learned Millsap had pointed a small, black cordless drill at Lorberau.

Lights & Sirens posted photos of the drill last month. You can view that

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