Fort Lewis soldier from Vancouver 1 of 8 killed
FORT LEWIS — The family of a Vancouver man says he was one of the eight Fort Lewis soldiers killed in a single day in Afghanistan.
Twenty-five-year-old Pfc. Ian Walz was a member of the 5th Stryker brigade that deployed in July.
His aunt, Carla Burns of Vancouver, told The Vancouver Columbian he had come home recently on leave and had been back in Afghanistan for about 10 days when he was killed Tuesday.
Burns said his mother and other relatives were in Delaware to claim his body and return it Thursday to Vancouver.
President Barack Obama went to Dover Air Force Base overnight to honor the return of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan, including the eight soldiers from Fort Lewis.
The Defense Department has not yet officially released names.
Spokane: Thieves targeting ATMs
Thefts of automatic teller machines are on the rise in Spokane.
There have been nine thefts in the Spokane area in the past month. The latest was early Wednesday morning, when thieves rammed a car into a convenience store and grabbed the ATM.
Police said the suspect or suspects smashed the doors to break in, then used chains to pull the ATM out of the store and hauled it away in a truck bed. The truck and the machine were found a few blocks away.
In most of the thefts, a stolen truck is driven through walls and doors. Then the thieves wrap chains around the ATM and try to rip it out of the ground.
Olympia: State razor clam dig set for Wednesday
The state Fish and Wildlife Department has approved a razor clam dig on two ocean beaches starting Wednesday.
Twin Harbors will open for four late evening digs through Nov. 7, and Long Beach will open for three — Wednesday, Nov. 6 and Nov. 7.
Aberdeen: ATF helping investigate store fire
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is helping investigate the multiple-alarm fire that gutted a floor covering store in Aberdeen.
Fire Chief Dave Carlberg told KXRO the ATF involvement is not an indication of a crime. Agents often help with major investigations.
Carlberg said workers Thursday are still stabilizing what remains of the Stouffer-Moore building after the Tuesday night fire.
Seattle: Tremor trigger would shut down Seattle viaduct
The state Transportation Department is designing a system that would automatically close entrances to Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct at the start of an earthquake.
Ground motion detectors and other equipment would trigger gates and signs to detour traffic away from the elevated section of Highway 99 along the downtown waterfront.
The Daily Journal of Commerce reported federal money is helping pay for the project that will cost $5 million to $10 million and be in operation by the middle of next year.
The state and city are working on a longer-range $4.2 billion plan to replace the viaduct with a tunnel.
The 56-year-old viaduct that carries about 100,000 vehicles a day was damaged by the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.
Tacoma: Cougar on roof of Tacoma home
A Tacoma man told police he spotted a cougar on the roof of his home.
Spokesman Mark Fulghum said the cougar ran off by the time officers arrived Wednesday night, but officers and a state wildlife agent found large paw prints in the area.
Convicted Pierce County judge could lose job
The Pierce County Superior Court judge convicted of patronizing prostitutes and threatening to kill one man remains free while awaiting sentencing on Nov. 19.
As a first-time offender, Judge Michael Hecht faces zero-to-90 days in jail.
The News Tribune of Tacoma reports he also remains on paid leave from the job that pays $148,000 a year.
Hecht could be removed after an investigation by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct that will hold a Feb. 22 hearing in Seattle.
Yakima: WSU resuming classes at Yakima Valley College
Washington State University will resume offering classes again in January at the Deccio (DEE’-see-oh) Higher Education Center on the campus of Yakima Valley Community College.
The university’s Larry James told The Yakima Herald-Republic it may expand business and education classes next fall.
Last spring WSU said budget cuts were forcing it to close the center where classes had been offered for six years.
About 200 people took classes each year, including courses in pharmacy and nursing.
Forks: Twilight-themed restaurant planned for Forks
A new restaurant planned to open next year in Forks will be called Volterra after a city in the Twilight vampire novels, which are set in Forks.
Owners Annette and Tim Root told The Peninsula Daily News it will be a family restaurant, and they have applied for a liquor license.
Forks already has the Twilight Lounge that features concerts and other events for Twilight fans.
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