Local Briefly

Oil containment booms arriving for regional use

EVERETT – Three trailers filled with oil-spill containment booms are scheduled to be delivered to two local ports in the coming weeks, state officials said.

The Port of Everett will get two trailers and the Tulalip Tribes one, said Curt Hart, a spokesman for the state Department of Ecology.

The booms cost about $20,000 each and are part of a statewide effort to get oil spill response equipment in the hands of those most likely to be the first to respond to a spill. The booms, sitting on top of the water, create a boundary that is designed to trap spilled oil.

“I have seen firsthand how destructive oil spills can be to our environment and our economy,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement. “It is far less expensive to contain and clean up an oil spill before it spreads out into the environment. Putting rapid-response equipment in the hands of first responders is one of the important ways we are investing strategically in the economic and environmental future of Washington.”

Each trailer has about 800 feet of containment boom, Hart said. They also have dozens of absorbent pads, fire extinguishers and clothing for working with spilled oil, he said.

The state aims to park trailers at 98 locations around the state by June. The state is also providing training on how to use the equipment. The project cost $1.4 million.

Edmonds: Police look for robbery suspects

Police are looking for two men suspected in separate robberies at area businesses.

Police believe one man held up a market in the 7500 block of Olympic View Drive just after 9 p.m. on Jan. 22, Edmonds police Sgt. Don Anderson said.

The man, who said he had a gun, is described as white, 25 to 30 years old, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, medium build, unshaven, wearing a brown baseball cap, brown jacket and dark boots. He ran away with an undisclosed amount of cash, Anderson said.

A coffee shop next door to the market was robbed on Feb. 3 by a man who also said he had a gun, police said.

The man suspected in that robbery is described as white, 25 to 30 years old, 6 feet, 3 inches tall, about 190 pounds, blue eyes and blond hair, clean-shaven, wearing an orange, blue and creme knit cap, gray T-shirt, suede jacket and blue jeans. He also ran away with an undisclosed amount of cash, Anderson said.

Police aren’t sure if the two crimes are related, he said, but the proximity makes it likely they could be. Investigators believe that an attempted robbery at a smoke shop later on Feb. 2 could involve the same suspect. In that incident, police were able to capture the suspect on surveillance video. They’re hoping the image will help identify a suspect.

People with information about the robberies are asked to call 425-771-0212.

Arlington: Detectives seek missing man

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help locating George R. Fries, 55, of Arlington.

Fries was last heard from on Feb. 14. He suffers from mental illnesses, police said. Detectives believe Fries may have stopped taking medication a couple of months ago, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

Foul play is not suspected in his disappearance, she said.

Fries is described as white, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 155 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call Snohomish County Sheriff’s detective Scott Wells at 425-388-3849.

Snohomish County: Flood response tallied

The Election Day floods that hit Snohomish County brought challenges and at times confusion for officials in charge, the County Council was told Tuesday.

In a post-flood briefing, county flood experts and emergency managers said county emergency phones were overloaded, and had to be upgraded on the fly during flooding.

Also, there was no way to confirm nighttime reports of breached dikes. Officials are working to make changes based on the problems they encountered.

The floods caused approximately $24 million in damage to roads, public infrastructure, businesses and homes.

The Blue Bridge and Mountain Loop Highway were damaged on the South Fork Stillaguamish River. On the Snohomish River, the Ebey Slough dike and Riverview Road had damage.

The worst damage in the county was along Index-Galena Road, which will cost at least $8.6 million to repair.

County officials are now requiring higher construction standards for homes damaged by flood waters that were previously outside flood plains.

From Herald staff reports