Contractor trouble, MultiCare settlement, gym closure among TNT’s top stories

From a Tacoma gym closure to a contractor accused of a $1 million scam, The News Tribune reported on a number of developments across Pierce County on Wednesday. Here’s a quick look at the stories making headlines:

• LA Fitness will permanently close its location at 5915 6th Ave. in Tacoma on July 20 at 2 p.m., with parent company Fitness International LLC confirming the shutdown this week. Members of the Sixth Avenue gym can transfer to LA Fitness locations in Tacoma, Federal Way or Puyallup or cancel without extra fees, a front desk representative said.
• A 500-year-old, 160-foot-tall Douglas fir — the largest tree in Lakewood — is being disassembled branch by branch on Lake Steilacoom Drive Southwest because of rot and a moderate risk of falling. Ranger Tree Experts will cut the trunk into 20,000-pound slabs to be turned into live-edge tables and fireplace mantles, with co-owner Micah Glastetter climbing the tree to honor it before removal.
• MultiCare has settled allegations of negligence and abuse of a vulnerable adult after Gary Lay, a 74-year-old with dementia, wandered away from Auburn Medical Center in June 2024 and walked more than 10 hours and at least 9 miles before being found in Kent. The lawsuit alleged MultiCare knew Lay was a flight risk but failed to monitor him or search for him; the case was dismissed May 15 under confidential terms, and MultiCare denied negligence.
• Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries suspended the contractor registration of Zakary Nash, head of Bonney Lake-based Construction Kings, after he allegedly scammed more than $1 million from dozens of victims. Four victims won default judgments against Construction Kings on June 11, and Nash filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on May 11, listing $50,000 to $100,000 in assets and debts owed to roughly 100 to 199 people.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by senior editor Adam Lynn. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.