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MIPD searching for missing person

Mercer Island Police Department issued a press release today that it is actively investigating a missing person case…

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Police arrest driver for warrant and DUI | Mercer Island police blotter

Selected reports April 14-19.

Andy Nystrom/ staff photos Michael and Bernadette Monroe relax in their Island House residence. The textile painting behind them was created by a Connecticut artist who was included in one of Michael’s exhibitions at a Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C.

Life

Art-loving couple enjoys the island life

Island House residents met at a Michigan art academy.

Kyra’s Hope Foundation partnered with Bloodworks Northwest to host a community blood drive on April 18 to support local patients, including children currently undergoing cancer treatment who rely on transfusions to stay in the fight, according to the foundation. The event took place at the south end QFC parking lot. Kyra Gupta, a 12-year-old Mercer Island resident, passed away on Nov. 9, 2025, from a rare type of pediatric cancer called metastatic Ewing sarcoma. From left to right, Julie Hsieh, Gautam Kumar, Alka Kumari, Piyusha Pandya and Shaivi Pandya. “A heartfelt thank you to our incredible Mercer Island community — friends, parents and students — who showed up this past Saturday for the “Gift of Life” blood drive. Every unit collected represents a “tomorrow” for a child in treatment and a “second chance” for a family in crisis. Seeing the blood drive bus completely full was a powerful reminder that while we lost our Kyra five months ago, her light continues to shine through your kindness,” the foundation said. Courtesy photo

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Island blood drive turns loss into lifesaving impact

Kyra’s Hope Foundation partnered with Bloodworks Northwest to host a community blood drive on April 18 to support…

Lakeridge Elementary School students are, from left, Henry Guo (third-grader) and Jacob Yip (fourth-grader). The Lion Noise Meter app builders were named Washington state winners in the elementary track two division in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge. Courtesy photo

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Lakeridge students roar with victory at state Presidential AI Challenge

Duo shines with Lion Noise Meter app.

Amy Wolf showing Shaun the Sheep’s deep coat. Photos by Mindy Stern

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Sheep shearing festival at Kelsey Creek Farm | Meanderings by Mindy Stern

Travel column by local writer Mindy Stern.

On the day before the Artemis II launch: Mercer Island’s Bill Wiseman, right, with his wife Diana and his father Bill with NASA astronaut and commander Reid behind glass. Photo courtesy of Bill Wiseman

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Islander’s younger brother served as commander of Artemis II

Bill Wiseman reflects on his brother Reid’s historic journey.

Northbound I-405 will be closed from N. Southport Drive/NE Sunset Boulevard to Coal Creek Parkway SE. Photo provided by WSDOT

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Northbound I-405 to close this weekend in Renton and Bellevue

Northbound I-405 will be closed this weekend in Renton and Bellevue.

Firefighters work on extinguishing a two-alarm Mercer Island home blaze on April 14. Photo courtesy of Eastside Fire & Rescue

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EF&R units extinguish two-alarm Mercer Island house blaze

Numerous units from Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) and adjacent cities responded to and extinguished a two-alarm Mercer…

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Suspect cited for third-degree theft from business | Mercer Island police blotter

Selected reports April 6-13.

MI Robotics, Mercer Island High School’s First Robotics Champion (FRC) Team 5937, qualified for the 2026 FIRST Robotics World Championship by finishing in the top 16 of teams competing at the Pacific Northwest FIRST District Championship on April 11 at Eastern Washington University in Cheney. The “Tough as Snails” squad will next compete against the top-tier robotics programs from around the globe. The world event will take place April 29 to May 2 in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. “Seeing this team evolve from a group of individuals into a single, synchronized unit has been incredible,” said Michael Ketchum, the school’s robotics teacher and Team 5937 coach. “Their technical skill and business acumen got them here, but it’s their grit, their empathy for one another, and their refusal to quit when the math didn’t add up that makes me the most proud to stand beside them.” Photo courtesy of the Mercer Island School District

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MI Robotics team qualifies for world championship

MI Robotics, Mercer Island High School’s First Robotics Champion (FRC) Team 5937, qualified for the 2026 FIRST Robotics…

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D) represents the 9th Congressional District, which stretches from Auburn and Federal Way in the south to parts of Seattle and Bellevue in the north, and also includes the cities of Kent, Des Moines, Renton, Newcastle and Mercer Island. (File photo)

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Congressman Smith secures $13M for projects in King County

Nearly $13 million of federal funds will be coming to Washington’s 9th Congressional District to support locally-led projects…

Courtesy graphic

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MISD board discusses safe school environments and more

Changes coming to Crest Learning Center.