Toy poodle’s violent death and 55-year-old boat mystery among TNT’s top stories
From a decades-old maritime disappearance to fresh turmoil at Parks Tacoma, several stories are made headlines across Pierce County on Wednesday. Here’s a quick look at what’s making news:
• A 22-foot sailboat carrying seven people vanished on Puget Sound on April 14, 1971, prompting what was then the largest sea and air search in Coast Guard history — 40 vessels and four planes — but no wreckage was ever found. University Place resident Ken Thiemann, who joined the search as a WSU fraternity brother of two passengers, still wonders what happened.
• A 10-year-old toy poodle named Brownie was fatally attacked at the Tacoma City Marathon by a pit bull mix in the care of the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County. The agency said the attacking dog had been surrendered just two days earlier, was not muzzled at the crowded event and has since been euthanized.
• Parks Tacoma’s 2025-2026 budget deficit has swelled to $9 million, up from a previously assumed $7 million, with after-school programs like Beyond the Bell and Teen Late Nights on the chopping block. The news comes following the April 29 resignation of executive director Shon Sylvia, who is receiving a payout of more than $500,000.
• A Washington State Auditor’s Office report found a former Northwest Seaport Alliance executive administrative specialist made $8,945 in personal charges on a Port of Tacoma purchasing card between January and April 2025, with the case now referred to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possible criminal prosecution.
• Tacoma City Council on May 5 unanimously passed a resolution condemning federal immigration enforcement actions after months of pressure from activists with the Pierce County Immigration Alliance, who say they will keep pushing for material steps such as divesting the city’s employee retirement fund from GEO Group.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited senior editor Adam Lynn. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.