Wreck victims IDed, emails shed light on court shakeup among TNT’s top stories

From court upheaval to a fatal crash, agency budget cuts and a driving school collapse, Pierce County saw a wave of consequential news Thursday. Here’s a quick guide to what happened and why it matters.

• Pierce County Juvenile Court administrator TJ Bohl, who had run non-judicial operations at Remann Hall since 2013, was forced to resign or be fired in mid-April after Superior Court leadership decided a “change in direction” was needed, according to emails obtained by The News Tribune. A February 2026 reorganization consolidated Juvenile and Superior Court operations under court executive Chris Gaddis, giving him administrative control over both courts’ non-judicial activities and a combined $107 million 2026-2027 budget.
• Three people died in a June 19 high-speed crash in Spanaway: driver Maurice Donnelle Brooks, 48, of Tacoma; back passenger Keanae Mahealani Kaanapu Kelly Omoto, 37, of Puyallup; and front passenger Janet Linkee, 53, of Seattle, as identified by medical examiners. The driver tried to avoid hitting a man mowing his lawn, lost control and struck a tree, splitting the car in half; empty alcohol containers were found in the wreckage and investigators believe alcohol was a factor.
• Parks Tacoma’s board unanimously approved a $9 million budget cut package on June 22 that eliminates funding for after-school programs after former executive director Shon Sylvia received a $500,000 payout following his April resignation. Parks Tacoma signed a $157,500 contract with accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen for an external audit and is forming a finance committee to strengthen oversight after a “crisis of confidence” in agency finances.
• Freedom Driving School closed all six South Sound locations on June 19 after owner Anthony Davenport sued general manager Bryon Cancil, alleging he forged signatures, transferred 12 company vehicles into his own name and seized records. Cancil denies the allegations, and the state Department of Licensing is helping affected students find alternative training.

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.