SAN FRANCISCO — Federal appeals judges are refusing to immediately reinstate Washington state’s rule that religious objections can’t block sales of the “morning-after pill.”
A federal judge in Tacoma suspended the rule last year, after pharmacists and a drug store owner sued. The opponents have religious objections to “morning-after” birth control’s interference with conception.
The pill, sold as Plan B, can dramatically lower chances of pregnancy if it’s taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. It’s different from the abortion pill RU-486, and has no effect on women who already are pregnant.
The state and supporters wanted federal appeals judges to lift the suspension while it’s being challenged. But in a 2-1 decision, a panel of judges has refused.
Vancouver, Wash.: 2 dead in plane crash
A single-engine airplane crashed Friday afternoon east of Vancouver, and both men aboard were found dead, state and federal authorities said.
The propeller-driven Yakovlev Yak-52 crashed about 4:30 p.m. in a rural area between Vancouver and Camas on a flight to Vancouver from Klamath Falls, Ore., said Mike Fergus, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman in Seattle, and Vancouver fire Capt. Kevin Murray.
Those who died in the crash were a man in his 60s and a man in his 30s, he said.
Tacoma: 3 candidates for superintendent job
Terry Bergeson has a second challenger for the job of Washington state school superintendent.
Randy Dorn is a former principal at Eatonville High School and a former state representative. He now heads the Public School Employees of Washington.
Also running for the top job in the state Office of Public Instruction is Richard Semler. He’s the Richland school superintendent.
Bergeson is seeking a fourth term for the job.
Silverdale: Man shoots self with nail
A 23-year-old man who shot himself with a nail gun along Highway 3 near Silverdale on Thursday was in the intensive care unit Friday after undergoing surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The hospital said he is in serious condition and that he is expected to recover. Doctors told a Washington State Patrol trooper that the spike from the concrete nail gun had a washer on the end and did not penetrate deeply enough to hit any vital organs.
Two troopers were in the area for a traffic stop at Newberry Hill Road and Chico Way when they saw the man hit a car and drive away without stopping on Thursday.
A trooper followed, pulling the man over.
Once the car stopped, the trooper noticed the man lurched back in his seat, said Trooper Krista Hedstrom, a spokeswoman for the state patrol.
When the trooper approached the car, an 18-year-old passenger said the man shot himself with a large nail gun, Hedstrom said.
Fort Lewis: Growth strains Pierce County
Fort Lewis has been growing, and it will have 33,000 soldiers on the post this summer when major units will be back from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
That’s about 10,000 more than a year ago. Pierce County is feeling the impact on its roads, housing and schools.
Gov. Chris Gregoire told a Thursday forum at Clover Park Technical College that the military’s long-standing relationship with its neighbors will help officials on both sides manage the growth.
About 70 percent of the soldiers and families live off post, but prices often exceed housing allowances. About 13,000 children of service members attend schools around the base, and districts expect enrollment to increase by 1,000.
Renton: Highway lane turns HOT today
A section of Highway 167 between Auburn and Renton turns HOT today.
The state Transportation Department is starting its test of a High Occupancy Toll lane.
Solo drivers can pay to drive in the carpool lane in a nine-mile stretch of the highway that is often congested. Tolls will range from 50 cents to $9, depending on traffic.
About 9,000 motorists signed up with a prepaid account. A transponder in the car makes automatic deductions. Solo drivers caught in the HOT lane without a transponder get a $124 ticket. If the four-year test is successful, the Transportation Department will likely use congestion pricing on other highways.
Lacey: Teachers face layoffs if levy fails
Seventy schoolteachers in Lacey will receive layoff notices on Monday.
The North Thurston School District said the layoffs will take effect unless voters approve a $49 million levy. Ballots are being mailed for the May 20 election. Superintendent Jim Koval said he is optimistic the levy will pass.
If the levy fails, $17.5 million will be cut from the district’s budget. If the levy passes, the district still will have to trim nearly $4 million in spending.
Associated Press
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