JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD — Seventy Washington Army National Guard soldiers headed for a year in Afghanistan.
Members of B Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment fly and maintain Chinook helicopters that transport troops and supplies.
Gig Harbor: No motive in shooting
Police know a little more about a double murder-suicide involving a Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy at Gig Harbor, but they still don’t know why.
Tacoma Det. Gretchen Aguirre said Monday there was an argument Friday night between Deputy Allen Myron and his father-in-law, Monty Multanen, that led to the shooting. But investigators don’t know what prompted the dispute. They have yet to talk to Myron’s teen-age daughter who was at the home but has been too upset to talk with police.
Myron shot Multanen and his mother-in-law, Sue Multanen, before turning the gun on himself.
Seattle: Treasury Secretary Geithner visits
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner visits Seattle on today to discuss exports, jobs and economic growth.
The Treasury Department said he’ll tour the Boeing plant in Renton and visit the Port of Tacoma with Gov. Chris Gregoire. He’ll also have a private meeting with bankers and attend the Microsoft CEO summit.
Zoo euthanizes injured ostrich
Woodland Park Zoo officials in Seattle said a 4-year-old female ostrich has been euthanized after one of the bird’s legs was critically injured during a diagnostic procedure to treat a chronic fungal infection.
Zoo spokeswoman Gigi Allianic said a necropsy showed a pelvic bone fracture. She said Monday the bird also had life-threatening complications associated with a systemic infection of the reproductive tract. Zoo officials say the ostrich would not have been able to live a quality life with just one functional leg. She was euthanized last week.
Teams score high in competition
Two teams from Ingraham High School in Seattle finished in fourth and 10th places in the finals of the national Team America Rocketry Challenge at Washington, D.C.
About 100 teams made the finals out of nearly 700 that entered from across the United States.
In Saturday’s competition, teams rocketed a raw egg more than 800 feet into the air and brought it back to earth unbroken. The Seattle Times reports points were awarded for meeting height and time targets.
The competition encourages student interest in aerospace and engineering.
Olympia: State senator to retire
State Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, is retiring.
In a statement issued Monday, Jacobsen said he will not seek re-election this year. Jacobsen has served in the Legislature for 28 years. He was elected to the House in 1982, and has served in the state Senate since 1997.
Jacobsen said that in part, problems with high blood pressure forced him to “reassess my priorities.” He said that health issue caused a brief hospital stay last year.
Jacobsen, 65, is one of the longest-serving state legislators. His district, the 46th, covers parts of Seattle including Greenwood and Northgate.
He said his work for veterans, the environment and higher education, are among those he’s most proud of.
Four new solar parking meters vandalized
Olympia police said vandals have damaged four new solar-powered parking ticket machines — before they even went into service.
The city is replacing 90-minute free parking zones downtown with paid parking spots. The machines will sell tickets for drivers to place on their dashboards.
The new devices are supposed to go into effect June 1.
One on Fourth Avenue Southeast was damaged last week. Police said three more on the same street had their solar panels stolen Monday.
Replacing each solar panel will cost about $300.
A city spokesperson told KING-TV the panels will be replaced — and reinforced — and the machines should be operating June 1.
Tacoma: DOT improving Amtrak service
The Transportation Department is preparing an environmental assessment of a project to improve a rail line through the Tacoma area for Amtrak and Sounder passenger trains.
The $92 million project would rebuild 11 miles of track and add three new miles so that passenger trains that now share the freight route around Point Defiance would use a line closer to Interstate 5.
The goal is more reliable Amtrak service between Portland and Seattle. There are four daily round-trip trains between the cities. The department’s Ron Pate said planners want to add two more.
The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce reports trips are scheduled to take 31/2 hours, but only about 60 percent of the trains arrive on time.
Kennewick: Council to hear immigration initiative
Backers of a statewide effort to crack down on the hiring of undocumented workers are making their pitch Tuesday night to the Kennewick City Council.
Craig Keller with the group “Respect Washington” told KONA it wants city officials to require contractors to verify that they are not subsidizing illegal employment.
The group is sponsoring Initiative 1056. It would require state and local agencies to enforce federal immigration laws and verify immigration status to issue driver’s licenses and public benefits.
All employers would have to use the “E-Verify” program, which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security.
Richland: $20K hidden estate sale furniture
A worker at a furniture liquidation business in Richland found bundles of cash hidden in the back of an armoire.
The owners of the company, Liz and Mark Thompson of ET Estate Sales &Liquidation, traced the furniture to an estate sale and were able to return $20,000 to the family of the owner.
The Tri-City Herald reports the money belongs to Ron Davidson’s sister, a 78-year-old widow he does not want to name. She lost her husband to cancer in February and has moved into an assisted- living home in the Tri-Cities.
Davidson said with her medical bills and stress, the cash is a blessing. Davidson said her husband stashed the money years ago because he distrusted the banking system.
Peshastin: Curiosity kills cat
PESHASTIN, Wash. — A cat that crawled into high-voltage equipment lost all nine of its lives and knocked out power temporarily for about 1,000 Chelan County PUD customers.
The Wenatchee World reported repair crews found the remains of the cat Sunday inside a substation at Peshastin.
From Herald news services
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