Propane tank blast sparks fire at stadium

SEATTLE — A 20-gallon propane tank exploded Thursday, sparking a small fire at the Seattle Seahawks’ new stadium.

The tank was in a concession area on the third floor of the stadium, which is under construction. No one was in the area, Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick said.

Firefighters responded to calls of heavy black smoke pouring from the stadium around 4:20 p.m. By the time they arrived, the fire was only smoldering.

The $430 million stadium replaces the Kingdome, which was imploded after the 1999 season.

Burlington

Fisherman caught on bridge: A man fishing on a railroad bridge over the Samish River near here was struck and killed Thursday by a southbound Amtrak train. The victim’s name was not immediately released by the Skagit County Coroner’s Office. Another fisherman on the bridge was not hit, said Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas in Seattle. The passenger train was running on Burlington Northern tracks. The engineer put the train into an emergency stop and blew the whistle, Melonas said, but he could not avoid hitting the man. Neighbors say the bridge spans a popular fishing hole. The train continued on to Seattle after the accident.

Tacoma

Orthopedic surgeons end strike: Most Pierce County children with broken bones will be treated locally now that orthopedic surgeons have ended their four-month work action against Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Center. The hospital has agreed to pay the specialists $500 each time they are on call for weekend or nighttime emergencies, even if they do not actually work. In addition, the hospital guaranteed them more money for their work. "I don’t think it’s a lot of money for what we’re doing, but I think it’s fair," said Dr. Douglas Hassan of Tacoma Orthopedic Surgeons, one of the groups that led the rebellion. In early summer, most of Tacoma’s approximately 30 orthopedic surgeons severed their ties to the hospital and began refusing to respond to emergency calls there. The specialists said they were overwhelmed with their private practices and the burden of caring for severely injured adults, which shifted to them when the city revamped its trauma care program last year.

Oregon

Woman released after nude court appearance: Terri Sue Webb discovered there’s no such thing as blind justice. Webb, 26, was sentenced for contempt of court Thursday and released after she appeared in Deschutes County Circuit Court on Wednesday stark naked. Webb, who was on trial for riding her bicycle in the buff last summer, wore only a pair of red cowboy boots before Judge Barbara Haslinger. In the hushed courtroom, deputy district Attorney Ruben Munoz could be heard saying, "I had a feeling this might happen." Haslinger gave Webb a chance to dress, then ordered deputies to arrest her for contempt of court. Webb was sentenced Thursday to a year of supervised probation and ordered to get a mental health exam. Haslinger said Webb must attend all future court dates fully clothed. If Webb does not comply, she could be sentenced to 29 days in jail, Haslinger said.

From Herald news services