Auburn resident Ethan Nordean, a member of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys was sentenced on Sept. 1 to 18 years and 36 months for his role in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors recommended Nordean receive a sentence of 27 years for his crimes.
Nordean had previously been convicted of seditious conspiracy along with fellow members Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl who were sentenced to 17 and 15 years in federal prison, respectively.
The government’s indictment of Nordean showed his social media posts following the results of the November 2020 election, which read: “We tried playing nice and by the rules, now you will deal with the monster you created. The spirit of 1776 has resurfaced and has created groups like the Proud Boys and we will not be extinguished.”
Additionally, the indictment stated that Nordean created a crowdfunding campaign to buy protective gear and radios used on Jan. 6. It also read that he led Proud Boys members from the Washington Monument to storm the Capitol.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 riots. At least 15 are from Washington state, including David Charles Rhine of Bremerton who was convicted last month on federal misdemeanor charges.
New grant program offers $100,000 to revive U-District storefronts
The U District Partnership has announced grants of up to $100,000 each to revitalize vacant commercial properties in the neighborhood. The grants offer funding to invest in fixed asset improvements, such as the purchase of specialized equipment, or to undertake renovations on ground-floor units.
The purpose of the grant money is to defray burdensome costs associated with opening a new ground-floor commercial business. Small businesses and nonprofit organizations are eligible for this latest round of funding if they have occupied a vacant ground-floor commercial space after Jan. 1 or plan to do so by Oct. 15 of this year.
Tenant advocates win lawsuit against city of Tacoma
A tenant protection measure proposed by the Tacoma City Council will not appear on the November ballot after a Pierce County judge ruled that it would create false alternatives for voters.
Though the city does have the right to present an alternative to the renters’ rights bill being pitched by Tacoma for All, the city had already implemented the measure that was set to appear on the ballot. That, the judge ruled, would create a false choice.
Tacoma for All filed a lawsuit asking the county to remove the city’s measure from the ballot.
Read more of the Sept. 6-12, 2023 issue.