THE Most Reported Local News Story of 2016? You Might Not Believe It

As we approach 2017, here's hoping our news is a better mix of the good rather than bad. What ensued after Coroner Dan Blasdel announced he wanted to do a coroner's inquest began over a year-long process.

THE most reported on story for the year was Franklin County Coroner Dan Blasdell's attempt to stage a coroner's inquest into the shooting death of Antonio Zambrano. In February 2015, while high on meth, Zambrano was throwing rocks at passers-by and cars near Fiesta Foods in Pasco.  He was ultimately fatally shot by Pasco officers. A special report by a Kennewick police led task force (SIU) exonerated the officers, and was upheld by separate investigations by the State Attorney General and U.S. District Attorney's office of Eastern Washington.

However, beginning in the summer of 2015, Coroner Blasdell stated his desire to have a non-binding coroner's inquest, to examine the facts. The trial 'verdict' would be forwarded to Prosecutor Sean Sant, who would then decide if criminal charges were warranted against the three officers involved directly.  However, countless delays and bickering between public officials, especially over the cost, pushed back the event, until finally December 12th it began at CBC.  After a one day inquest, which cost the county $35K, the findings corroborated the results of the SIU investigation, and the AG and Attorney's office. The event was also delayed by difficulty in finding a venue, and the withdrawal of several officials who originally had agreed to serve as the Prosecutor for the inquest. New ones had to be found.

Blasdell initially had indicated the inquest was to provide transparency into the entire investigation process, but as the delays and setbacks continued to mount, and other outside sources began to uphold the SIU investigation, the need for the inquest began to diminish in the eyes of some public officials. But the county did grant the request and set aside a special appropriation for the money.

No fewer than eight news stories and updates were published about the issue in 2016 here at Newstalk870.  Here they are in order:

• http://newstalk870.am/franklin-coroner-inspects-venue-at-trac-for-shooting-inquest/
• http://newstalk870.am/zambrano-inquest-wont-happen-county-refuses-to-pay-for-it/
• http://newstalk870.am/is-zambrano-coroners-inquest-necessary-newstalk-870-poll-results/
• http://newstalk870.am/zambrano-shooting-coroner-inquest-will-happen-may-23-at-cbc/
• http://newstalk870.am/why-does-former-pasco-officer-want-coroner-removed-from-zambrano-inquest/
• http://newstalk870.am/latino-group-objects-to-call-to-remove-coroner-from-zambrano-inquest/
• http://newstalk870.am/prosecutor-steps-down-in-zambrano-shooting-inquest/
• http://newstalk870.am/zambrano-shooting-coroners-inquest-set-to-begin-december-12