A truck with a spilled load is causing problems on northbound Interstate 5 at the City Center exit in Tacoma.

The incident just occurred, according to the state Department of Transportation Web site.

Traffic is blocked and stopped.

UPDATE: This is a roll-over crash on the ramp from northbound I-5 to I-705, the state Department of Transportation reported at 1:50 p.m.

The crash is blocking.

UPDATE 2: State Patrol troopers, a tow truck and transportation officials are on the scene.

UPDATE 3: Reader Brian Spiegel of Olympia sent us some photographs of the spilled load.

Here are two of them. Thanks, Brian.

There's been some commenting on a Lights & Sirens blog post Monday about lack of coverage of a robbery at an East Side liquor store.

I got the information about that yesterday but was a little tied up with other news. So here's the information:

A man robbed the liquor store at 1415 E. 72nd St. on Friday night. He implied he had a weapon during the robbery, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

He was described as black, in his 30s and 5 feet 7 with a medium build. He wore a dark green jacket and a black beanie with yellow and orange on it during the robbery.

The robber was seen leaving the area is a black 1980s pickup truck with a loud muffler.

I've written about this phenomenon in the past, but it never ceases to amaze me. Our blogging software lets us see the search terms that bring people to Light & Sirens.

I'm always amazed that a) so much weird, vile stuff leads people somehow to us (well, we do write about a lot of nastiness). And b) how much these search terms reveal about the anonymous internet users out there.

Once again, a list of search terms that should never have happened:

* where can i get crack tacoma
* animal &girls porn
* 30-45 years old porno photo
* how much does it take to get a 14 year old drunk?
* picture of old man & a child togather
* proof needed to convict for providing a place for minors to consume alcohol
* can regular people have lights and sirens on cars
* WACKY NUDE PICS
* mexican dog women porno videot
* short juggalo songs from random ppl
* how police officers handle a child lying about sexual abuse?
* weird rape on porn
* Who got arrested in Idaho during 2007 thru 2008
* And thus I clothe my naked villainy/With old odd ends stolen out of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.

(Photo: pena2.)

An 81-year-old Spanaway man accused of killing his son during an argument earlier this year has been found incompetent to stand trial.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald Culpepper made the ruling Tuesday.

Under the decision, the first-degree murder charge against Clarence Gerald Munce was dismissed. Culpepper also ordered Munce, who suffers from dementia, to be taken to Western State Hospital for civil commitment proceedings.

Munce was accused of fatally shooting his 58-year-old son, Gerald Munce, during an argument over an automobile hood ornament June 21. The father had called 911 to report the shooting at his house in the 22300 block of 30th Avenue East.

Gerald Munce died after being shot in the back. His father was arrested and charged in the death.

A plea of not guilty was initially entered on behalf of Clarence Munce. His competency to stand trial was questioned and he was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation at Western State Hospital.

In late September, Clarence Munce was ordered to stay at Western State Hospital for treatment to regain his competency to stand trial.

The extended stay didn't restore the elder Munce's ability to stand trial but gave mental health experts the opportunity to further evaluate him, Pierce County chief criminal deputy prosecutor Jerry Costello said.

"It's the opinion by all he's not likely to improve to the point where he could rationally assist his attorneys," Costello said Wednesday.

The court ruled Tuesday the father was not competent to help with his defense. The order states it is unlikely that Clarence Munce will become competent to stand trial "at any time in the foreseeable future."

"The defendant, because of a mental disease or defect, cannot choose, with a reasonable degree of rational understanding, whether to change his plea, to stand trial, plead guilty or enter an additional plea of mental irresponsibility," the court order signed Tuesday states. "The defendant, because of a mental disease or defect, is incapable of appreciating his peril and does not have a rational nor a factional understanding of the proceedings against him."

Pierce County prosecutors have forwarded the case to the state Attorney General's Office for the civil commitment proceedings, Costello said.

It’s going to be a wet and windy start to the new year.

A storm is passing through the South Sound, beginning early Wednesday and lasting through the week. The National Weather Service has issues a wind advisory as meterologists expect gusts of up to 50 mph though the area, and even more on the mountains.

Weather Service meteorologist Art Gaebel said the Tacoma area’s heaviest winds came early Wednesday, and will continue off and on through the week as storms pass. Heavy showers are predicted through the week, with temperatures lingering at about 40 degrees.

“The next system takes hold on Thursday or Friday,” Gaebel said. “It will be pretty similar to what goes on (early Wednesday).”

Tacoma Public Utilities is watching the storm, and if it becomes powerful enough, it will organize emergency teams to respond to outages and downed power lines.

But, as of Tuesday night, it had not come to that, spokeswoman Chris Gleason said.

“We always have crews that are here for emergencies and things, but we don’t have any extra scheduled,” Gleason said.

Just in case, customers should be prepared for possible outages.

The number of Washington State Patrol vehicles hit by suspected drunken drivers more than doubled this year.

Through today, 25 troopers have had their cars hit by impaired drivers. That's up from 11 cases in 2007, the agency announced today.

"We are exceptionally fortunate that none of these incidents has ended in tragedy for a trooper and their family," said State Patrol Chief John Batiste in a press release. "And while we might be angry at the drunks' behavior, we don’t want them to get hurt either."

In half of the incidents, troopers had parked on the side of the road to deal with violators or handle other crashes. In the other cases, the troopers were hit while stopped at red lights.

"These are all completely preventable events," Batiste said. "How drunk do you have to be to run into a marked police car with its lights flashing?"

A trooper and trooper-cadet were injured in one recent incident south of downtown Seattle.

The State Patrol doesn't have an explanation for the increase in crashes.

The state Department of Corrections is investigating how an inmate at McNeil Island Corrections Center was able to escape briefly Monday.

Donald A. Dravis Jr., 43, was found on a ferry docked at McNeil Island on Monday night and was taken into custody without incident, agency spokesman Chad Lewis reported today. The ferry was later able to leave the dock.

Dravis was handcuffed and returned to the prison for a medical evaluation and detainment. He's in segregation, Lewis said.

Officials were reviewing how Dravis was able to get out of the secure prison. He was out for a matter of minutes.

"Prison officials are conducting a review to determine how Dravis made it to the dock, which is a few hundred yards from the main prison entrance," Lewis reported in a press release.

Inmate movement was suspended inside the prison after the escape to see if anyone else had gotten out. All other inmates were accounted for.

Dravis is serving time on convictions for first-degree and second-degree child molestation. His prison sentence is up in June 2012, though (before Monday's incident) he could get out as early as July 2011, depending on the amount of good time he's earned, Lewis said.

Dravis could face additional penalties if he's found guilty of trying to escape.

"If he is found guilty by a DOC hearings officer of attempting to escape, some or all 'good time' he has earned could be taken away," Lewis said.

It's been a slippery morning out there.

Black ice coats the roads in spots and has led to several crashes.

Thurston County dispatchers report slick driving conditions and several accidents.

Tacoma police were investigating an early morning shooting at the Oakland Playground that injured two.

According to reports, a large fight broke out at the park, 4016 S. 31st St., about 2:20 a.m. today.

Shots rang out and then the vehicles parked around the park fled the area, police spokesman Mark Fulghum reported. Neighbors around the park reportedly heard the gunfire.

Tacoma police officers responded to the scene but found no one around.

Later, two shooting victims walked into local hospitals for treatment. The victims' injuries were not considered life threatening, police reported.

A 22-year-old man was dropped off at St. Joseph Medical Center after being shot in the arm, police reported. He didn't know the answers to many of the police officers questions about what happened, Fulghum said.

A 26-year-old man went to Allenmore Hospital after being shot in the shoulder. He told officers he was standing around on an unknown street during a confrontation when he suddenly felt a pain his shoulder. Unknown people took him to Allenmore, Fulghum said. The man was later taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Medical Center for treatment.

No arrests have been reported.

The investigation was continuing.

Central Pierce Fire & Rescue crews were battling a fully-involved structure fire this morning.

According to scanner chatter, an Airlift Northwest helicopter has been requested.

The fire is in the 15000 block of 66th Avenue East.

No other information was immediately available.

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Robert Hudspeth, a battalion chief for Central Pierce Fire & Rescue. Here's what he had to report.

A woman was burned while trying to put out flames at a mobile home that caught fire.

The woman has been airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with second- and third-degree burns, Hudspeth said. The burns are serious but appear to be survivable.

Firefighters responded to the mobile home fire shortly before 7:30 a.m. As they arrived, two propane bottles exploded. Hudspeth described the propane bottles as the size you might use while camping. A larger propane tank used for heating did not explode.

The fire is now out and the Pierce County Fire Marshal's Office is on the scene investigating how this fire started. The mobile home is a complete loss, Hudspeth said.

No firefighters were injured.

Associated Ministries will hold a "Moment of Blessing" for James A. Guillory, Jr., on Friday.

Guillory was shot and killed early Saturday following an argument at a Tacoma house.

The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at 5419 S. Oakes Street in Tacoma, where Guillory, 28, was killed.

The "Moment of Blessing" is designed to "reclaim spaces where homicides have occurred," according to Associated Ministries. The site will be marked by bamboo poles with red and purple ribbons.

Photo: Michael Sohn/AP

I had a story in today's editions about a heavyweight boxer filing suit in federal court in Tacoma to protest his recent loss in a championship bout.

John Ruiz, who lost, claims winner Nikolai Valuev's team cheated during their match in August. (The two boxers are seen here, with Valuev on the left).

One question I was unable to answer was why the World Boxing Association requires in its bylaws (F-18) that lawsuits involving its organization be filed in Pierce County.

An alert TNT reader suggested the answer may stem from the fact that the WBA's main legal consultant is Tacoma-based attorney Robert Mack.

Mr. Lynn, as to your
Submitted by notme on December 29, 2008 - 8:40am.
Mr. Lynn, as to your question about why Tacoma? Check out who the WBA's attorney is.

I missed that fact while researching the story.

Thanks to "notme" for the tip.

Another attentive reader – former TNT scribe Lisa Kremer – points out that Noah Reandeau of Gordon Thomas Honeywell, one of Tacoma's most prestigious law firms, advises the WBA on "institutional relations." (Earlier, I mistakenly listed Reandeau as the WBA legal adviser.)

Thanks to LK as well.

MORE:

Submitted by langeni on December 29, 2008 - 10:42am.

Dr Charles Larson, a Tacoma pathologiost,was president of the World Boxing Association in the 1960's. Does this have anyhting to do with the location requirement?

Here's a link to a site that mentions Larson. You have to scroll down to the section on the WBA.

Thanks, too, to "langeni."

EVEN MORE, as of 5:04 p.m.:

Just got off the phone with Mike McAleenan of Tacoma law firm Smith Alling Lane.

McAleenan says he's actually corporate counsel for the WBA. Robert Mack is a member of the organization's board of directors.

McAleenan says the WBA bylaws call for the lawsuits involving the WBA to be filed in Pierce County because that's where he is. His firm was hired as legal counsel by WBA a few years back after it did some lobbying work for the boxing organization, he said. Mack represented the group until leaving Smith Alling Lane, McAleenan said.

The WBA isn't named in Ruiz' lawsuit, but his lawyers seemed to think the WBA bylaws applied to this case, McAleenan said.

Three young men were injured Friday night during a shooting on Tacoma's East Side.

The victims and two others were in a car Friday night and went to a strip mall in the 1400 block of East 72nd Street. One of the car's occupants got out about 5 p.m., Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

Before the car could leave the parking lot, several others came from around the building and started shooting at the vehicle, Fulghum said.

The car took off. The shooters also left the scene, Fulghum said.

Patrol officers found the victims' vehicle and stopped it. Officers discovered three of the four men inside were injured.

Paramedics took the injured to local hospitals for treatment. Their injuries were not considered life threatening, Fulghum said.

The victims told officers they didn't know who shot them or why.

Investigators suspect the incident might be gang related, Fulghum said.

Police have identified the man shot and killed early Saturday at a Tacoma house as 28-year-old James Anthony Guillory.

Tacoma Police said Guillory was shot multiple times after an argument at a party near the 5400 block of South Oakes Street.

An argument reportedly started inside with multiple people, and moved outside where Guillory was shot. Police spokesman Mark Fulghum said Sunday afternoon that there have been no arrests or any major updates in the investigation.

Monday morning update:

The investigation is continuing into this homicide, the city's 15th of the year.

No arrests have been reported but detectives are working on the case, Fulghum said.

Dana Harris was seriously injured in a car crash caused by a suspected drunken driver Dec. 8 on River Road.

The head-on crash fractured her bones, shattered an eye socket and her cheek, damaged an artery and caused an intercranial hemorrhage. Pierce County prosecutors have charged the other driver, a 45-year-old, with vehicular assault.

She was able to go home Christmas Eve but still faces a long road of recovery.

Meanwhile, Harris' friends have rallied to her side. They've set up a Web site and organized fund raisers to help her and her family pay the bills and get through this rough spot.

Harris, 25, was working part-time at St. Joseph Medical Center as a mental health counselor at the time of the crash. The Washington State University alum also was working on a second degree in nursing.

Her health insurance ran out after two weeks in the hospital. The other driver's insurance was "used up in the first three hours of Harris’ hospital confinement," her friends report.

So, the friends formed "The Dana Harris Initiative."

"Based on early estimates of Harris’ out-of-pocket medical and living expenses the organization has set a goal of $1 million to be raised over the next year," according to a press release. "Harris is expected to make a full recovery but doctors estimate it will be three months before she can place any pressure on her legs and six months before she can return to full-time work."

Her friends have been busy and are persistent, notifying others to donate to Harris and keep friends in the loop about her recovery on the social networking Web sites Facebook and myspace.

Harris worked at Cattins in downtown Puyallup while attending Cascade Christian High School. Her father is the general manager of the restaurant. She also worked at The Ram during college. Posters with information about The Dana Harris Initiative will be put in the restaurants.

Donations can be made to The Dana Harris Benevolent Fund at any Bank of America branch or online through PayPal. ("Use thedanaharrisinitiative@gmail.com in the "Send Money" option to initiate a new donation," according to a press release.)

There will be a "Skate for Dana" night at Tiffany's Skating Rink in Puyallup on Jan. 5. Admission is $7, of which $5 will go to the benevolent fund.

(Photo from The Dana Harris Recovery Initiative's Facebook page)

An argument at a Tacoma home early Saturday morning left one man dead.

A 28-year-old male from the Tacoma area was shot multiple times after an argument at a party in the 5400 block of South Oakes Street. Police had made no arrests as of Saturday evening, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The incident apparently started when several partygoers began arguing inside the house, Fulghum said. They moved outside, where the suspect shot the victim, who died at the scene.

The National Weather Service canceled its flood watch for 10 counties Saturday, but kept it in effect for four other counties in Western Washington.

Meteorologist Johnny Burg in Seattle was optimistic there wouldn’t be any major flooding in Western Washington on Saturday despite warming temperatures and melting snow that feel in the week before Christmas Day.

Pierce County appears to have escaped any serious weather-related threats.

Police and fire departments around the county reported nothing unusual related to the weather.

“At this point, there’s really nothing going on but monitoring,” Jody Woodcock, a program manager with Pierce County Emergency Management, told The News Tribune on Saturday evening.

=> Read more!

We've had wind. We've had snow. We've had flooding. We've had soaring temperatures.

That's the ups and downs of the 2008 year in weather throughout western Washington.

The folks at the National Weather Service's Seattle office jotted down a recap of the year's weather events.

You can find it here.

One woman was killed and three of her relatives injured - two critically – after their car was struck trying to get out of a slick driveway in the Roy area Christmas Day.

The 36-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the car, died on the way to the hospital, Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer reported. Her name has not yet been released by the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office.

The 76-year-old man who was driving was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center in critical condition. The two other passengers - two women, ages 74 and 94 - were also taken to local hospitals. One was in critical condition at St. Joseph Medical Center, the other was taken to St. Clare Hospital with moderate injuries, Troyer said.

The four family members were in a Ford Escort station wagon and trying to back out of a driveway in the 7100 block of 288th Street South at 3:20 p.m.
The car got partially out of the driveway but was having trouble getting traction on the icy road, Troyer said.

“It looks like they were having trouble with the ice and snow,” he said.

A pickup truck hit the station wagon, sending both off the roadway. The 22-year-old man driving the pickup truck was not seriously injured, Troyer said.

Investigators were looking into the contributing factors to the crash.

The posted speed limit on 288th Street is 35 mph. Investigators will be looking at how fast the truck was going at the time of the accident and whether it was appropriate for conditions.

“At 35 mph, we would not have had an impact this severe,” Troyer said.

Tacoma firefighters were investigating a blaze at a Fircrest house earlier this afternoon.

The fire was reported in the 1300 block of Aloha Drive just before 12:30 p.m.

Firefighters found the home fully involved in flames when they arrived, Tacoma Deputy Fire Chief Jolene Davis said.

They got the fire out. One person was taken to an area hospital. Davis didn't provided any more information.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Tacoma firefighters and crews from Puget Sound Energy are down on the Tideflats this morning, checking out reports of a strong natural gas odor in the air.

The source of the natural gas has been shut off in a business in the 1100 block of East D Street, Tacoma Deputy Fire Chief Jolene Davis reported.

Two Tacoma fire units and Puget Sound Energy crews are monitoring the air. Surrounding businesses have been evacuated, Davis said.

"It's just a matter of monitoring the air and getting the product to dissipate," Davis said.

UPDATE: The building was cleared out and the issue resolved without further incident.

No injuries were reported.

Pierce County road crews continue to clear snow from roads in the higher elevations.

They're also on the hunt for potholes and localized flooding as the temperatures warm and the crunchy snow and ice remnants melt, reported Bruce Wagner, Pierce County's road operations manager.

Road teams continue to work round-the-clock on the conditions. However, the staffing has been scaled back a bit, Wagner reported.

"We moved 12 plow trucks to the higher elevations to clear the new snow but later re-dispatched trucks to apply salt/sand to primary arterials in all areas after crews reported ice forming at lower elevations," Wagner reported this morning.

"Temperatures will warm Friday and into the weekend with the snow level predicted to reach 3,000 feet by Sunday," he wrote. ?Snohomish County Public Works has requested mutual aid assistance. We have asked for volunteers and if forecasts are accurate, we may be able to provide 4 plows and 1 motor grader beginning Saturday without compromising response efforts in Pierce County."

Here are details about the roof collapse of an Olympia high school sent out by the Olympia Fire Department.

(Olympia, WA) Olympia Fire Department responded to a call at 2707 Congor Rd NW, Capital High School. An automatic fire alarm system activated causing a call to Thurston County Dispatch at 0455 AM. The first units arrived at 0504. An intrusion, burglar, alarm was also transmitted at the same time. Upon arrival crews found alarms sounding, water flowing and a strong smell of natural gas. Crews turned off the gas and water to the building and were able to see inside the front entrance that a portion of the ceiling had collapsed likely from a roof collapse. The structure was unsafe to enter at this point due to the presence of gas and the threat of further collapse. The probable cause of the collapse was due to the weight of snow, ice and water on the roof of the building. The situation required the assistance of Puget Sound Energy, PSE, to secure the gas and monitor for safe levels before firefighters could evaluate the inside of the building. PSE also turned off all power to the building. After determining that there was no threat from the gas level, firefighters were able to enter the secure portions of the building to evaluate the damage to the structure. Initial evaluation suggests about 2,500 square feet of roof collapse and water damage throughout the structure. The library may have received the most water damage and was also in the collapse zone. Inspectors from City of Olympia, Community Planning and Development (Building Department) will worked with the Fire Department and School District officials to determine which portions of the building are unsafe and how to secure the structure to limit further damage. Olympia School District Officials will be working with the City and structural engineers to determine the full extent of the damage to the structure, the feasibility of stabilizing the collapse and what steps will be required to re-open the building.

Olympia Fire Department responded 3 engines, 1 ladder truck, two Medic Units and command staff to the scene. Olympia Police, Olympia Community Planning and Development (Building) Department and Puget Sound Energy also responded. There were no injuries to any responders and there were no school staff at the facility at the time of the incident.

Owners of buildings with flat roofs are encouraged to evaluate their structures for signs of problems and to keep scuppers (roof drains) open and clear of snow, ice or debris until snow and ice have melted.

Here's the press release from the Kent Police Department:

Kent, Wash. – December 24, 2008 – At 7:48 this evening, firefighters from Kent along with King County Medic One units responded to a report of a head-on collision near the intersection of Kent Des Moines Road and Military Road South.

When the first units arrived, they found the collision involved a pickup truck and SUV. Both vehicles were heavily damaged from the high speed impact and blocked all the west bound lanes of KDM. A total of six patients were discovered in the two vehicles. Three of the patients were considered “red” patients, meaning they had serious or life threatening injuries. Two were less seriously injured, and one had minor or no injuries.

The three most seriously injured patients, two women and one man, were treated and transported to the local trauma center via medic unit. At least one of them has potentially life threatening injuries. The other patients were transported by ambulance to undisclosed hospitals. All the patients were adults.

A total of nine firefighters and seven paramedics responded to the call. It is unknown if the weather or alcohol was a factor in the crash. Washington State Patrol investigated the scene and should be contacted for further information.

Governor Gregoire declared a state of emergency today in Washington following the week of winter storms that has plagued areas throughout the state.

The proclamation, which the governor's office made just before 6 p.m., enables the Washington National Guard to respond to emergencies statewide.

It also directs the state to support local governments that need assistance during the storms.

“A number of counties and cities are struggling to meet the problems posed by this month’s onslaught of snow and winter weather," Gregoire said in a press release. "Snowfall has reached record or near-record level in 30 of the state’s 39 counties. Many communities, especially in eastern Washington, are expecting as much as a foot or more of additional snow this holiday weekend. This proclamation will enable the state to respond quickly to local requests for emergency support and assistance arising from these new storms.”

See the full press release from the governor's office below.

=> Read more!

Local governments are warning residents to watch for street flooding as the week’s compact snow and ice continue to melt.

Here's an advisory from the City of Tacoma:

As temperatures warm and snow begins to melt over the next several days, please be aware of possible street flooding in your neighborhood and as you drive around town.

While surface water crews will be working to keep the City’s 22,000-plus storm drains working properly, residents can help prevent snow-related street flooding by clearing snow, ice and other debris away from storm drains near their homes or businesses.

But please remember: safety first!

· Use a hoe, shovel, rake or stick when clearing snow and debris from storm drains.

· Do not wade into or drive through standing water.

· Be cautious of passing traffic, especially on busy streets where vehicles could lose control in large amounts of snow, ice or standing water.

If safety precautions prevent you from being able to clear snow away from a nearby storm drain, please watch for problems and report any street flooding immediately.

To report flooding, call (253) 591-5585.

Washington State Patrol troopers wrote 439 tickets to people who were not properly buckled up in Pierce County during a recent nighttime seat belt emphasis.

Statewide, law enforcement officers issued 2,491 seat belt citations during the enforcement campaign between Nov. 17 and Dec. 7, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported this week. Another 94 drivers were issued tickets for misuse of a seat belt.

A grant from the state commission funded the patrols. More than 60 agencies throughout the state, including several in Pierce County, participated. During the emphasis, officers were out on the roadways at night, looking for unbuckled drivers.

Besides the seat belt tickets, law enforcement officers and State Patrol troopers working in Pierce County also arrested or cited:

* 20 suspected drunken drivers.

* Six people on drug-related charges.

* 96 speeders.

* Six aggressive drivers.

* 130 uninsured drivers.

* 57 drivers who were out on the roads with a suspended or revoked license.

They also picked up two people with felony warrants and 18 with misdemeanor warrants.

Another reminder to watch how you're driving out there ...

A Washington State Patrol trooper suffered minor injuries today after his patrol car was struck while he was investigating a crash on Interstate 90 in King County.

A 2005 Dodge Dakota pickup truck was going too fast for the snowy conditions and its driver lost control. The truck lost traction in the slush, spun across three lanes of traffic and six feet of shoulder, then hit the back of the parked patrol car just after 9:30 a.m., the State Patrol reported. The patrol car was pushed into a 2008 Volvo, which had been cleared to the shoulder after the earlier crash.

The 32-year-old trooper, who was inside the car at the time, was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

No other injuries were reported.

"The Washington State Patrol urges motorists to make this holiday season a safe one by slowing down and driving defensively," a press release states. "As the temperature warms up slowly, the roads remain treacherous in many areas. Driving on wet pavement one minute will likely take you to snow and ice the next."

King County Executive Ron Sims has declared a local emergency because of the continued heavy snow, ice and windy weather.

The Local Proclamation of Emergency was announced today.

"The emergency proclamation allows King County departments flexibility with contracting needs and obligations necessary to improve emergency road conditions and address other impacts associated with the severe weather," the county reported. "Most importantly for the local residents and businesses served by the county, the proclamation expedites the process of obtaining resources used to serve the public such as additional sand or machinery, if needed."

Officials will continue to monitor the roads through the holiday.

Gig Harbor officials declared a state of emergency Tuesday.

A wrapped Christmas present brought no pre-holiday cheer to the folks at the Department of Corrections office in Puyallup this week.

A woman brought in the gift to the office at 405 W. Stewart Ave. on Tuesday morning. She sat down in the lobby area, putting the present next to her, Puyallup police Lt. Dave McDonald reported.

No one at the office recognized the woman. And she didn't talk to anybody.

After a few minutes, the woman left. She didn't take the present with her.

The present had no tag to say who it was for or who is was from. The wrapped gift had the shape of clothing or a small blanket but given how it was dropped off, DOC staff was suspicious and called Puyallup police at 11:25 a.m.

"After the Oregon bombing, they were a little concerned," McDonald said, referencing a recent bombing at an Oregon bank that killed two law enforcement officers.

DOC staff members evacuated their office. Puyallup police arrived and evaluated the present. They decided to call the Pierce County Sheriff's Department's bomb squad and evacuated three other nearby businesses, McDonald said. Streets around the office also were closed.

The bomb squad arrived in short order. They sent in a robot, retrieved the package and brought it outside, where it was dismantled, McDonald said.

"It turned out to be a knitted blanket or afghan," McDonald said.

Now, it's a pile of yarn.

The incident was over and businesess were reopened at 1:30 p.m.

Investigators don't know why the woman brought the blanket or who she is.

"There is no crime here," McDonald said. "We would be interested in finding out what the story is."

Zoolights will reopen tomorrow night after being closed because of the slippery weather conditions.

The holiday light festival at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will stay open each night through Jan. 4. It will reopen for an extra viewing opportunity Jan. 9-11.

The zoo and Zoolights have been closed since Dec. 17 because of the weather. The zoo will reopen Friday and will remain open through winter break, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., zoo officials reported today.

The hours for Zoolights are 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 25 to Jan. 4 and Jan. 9-11.

Welcome to the Christmas Eve live travel blog.

We'll provide periodic updates on the road and pass conditions throughout the region as you head out for the holidays.

You can also check the latest conditions on the state Department of Transportation Web site.

We'll put the most recent information at the top of the posts below.

6:45 p.m.: Some congestion on the I-5 southbound through Tacoma, but it's still moving.

DOT workers are doing some road maintenance on northbound I-5 in Federal Way that is closing the HOV lane. Traffic cameras aren't showing any repercussions from the closed lane.

5 p.m.: Though there are people on the roads, no accidents or backups are slowing things down on I-5 anywhere between Everett and Portland. Things are a little crowded both directions through Olympia but clear up quickly.

4:57 p.m.: The right lane is blocked by a stalled vehicle on State Route 167 at the West Valley Highway.

3:52 p.m.: A stalled semi-truck is partially blocking the onramp from northbound 167 to southbound I-405.

3 p.m.: The highways are starting to fill up a bit. Moderate traffic is reported in parts of King County.

Traction tires continue to be required on Snoqualmie and White passes. On Stevens Pass, traction tires are still advised.

2:40 p.m.: Here's an afternoon report from DOT.

*Travel remains light on most urban Puget Sound highways.

*While tapering off in Seattle and Tacoma, the snow is still coming down in the South Puget Sound, Southwest Washington, North Olympic Peninsula, Cascade Mountains and Eastern Washington.

*WSDOT Avalanche Control crews may need to stop traffic on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass for up to two hours between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m.

*The Port Townsend/Keystone Steilacoom II ferry 1:30 p.m. departure from Keystone was delayed 21 minutes due to high winds.

2:20 p.m.: A crash is blocking the left lane of northbound I-405 at State Route 522 near Bothell. It was previously blocking more lanes. One lane has been opened to traffic, the state DOT reported.

Troopers, firefighters and medical aid were on the scene.

12:30 p.m.: Another travel nugget from the AP:

A southbound semi-truck went into the median of Interstate-5 at Kelso, slid between northbound and southbound overpass bridges and crashed down on the street below into a retaining wall.

KLOG reports the driver was trapped for nearly an hour Wednesday and was taken to St. John Medical Center with serious injuries.

The wrecked truck also leaked fuel and closed Allen Street.

Noon: The highways continue to look good for travelers. Traffic thickens up here and there but the DOT traffic cameras are showing no major congestion through the Puget Sound region.

Highway 18 at the Tiger Summit has been an issue. There was an accident blocking all eastbound lanes at the Issaquah Hobart Road. That was reported at 11:35 a.m.

A disabled car was blocking the right lane of southbound Interstate 405 at Southeast Eighth Street.

As for the mountain passes, traction tires are now required to go over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 and White Pass. Chains are required for vehicles with more than 10,000 gross vehicle weight. Oversized vehicles are still prohibited.

Traction tires are advised for Stevens Pass.

The Associated Press reports the only highway to Neah Bay has been reopened. Crews have cleared one lane through a rockslide that covered Highway 112 on Monday.

10:49 a.m.: A diesel spill has been reported between southbound Interstate 5 and Interstate 705.

9:50 a.m.: The jack-knifed semi truck has been cleared and all lanes of State Route 599 are open to traffic.

9:20 a.m.: A jack-knifed semi truck is blocking the left lane of northbound State Route 599 in Seattle. This activity is just south of East Marginal Way.

Troopers are on the scene.

=> Read more!

The snow is falling throughout the South Sound again this morning.

So far, it's a light dusting on top of the previous week's compact snow and ice.

The snow should turn to rain later this morning and temperatures should warm a bit.

UPDATED at 7:10 a.m.: The snow has turned mostly to a rain-snow mix in Pierce County.

In Seattle and King County, however, snow continues to fall, and slippery roads have been reported.

Westbound Interstate 90 at Rainier Avenue South is closed because of an accident, the state Department of Transportation reports. Traffic is being diverted off at Rainier Avenue, although the westbound express lanes remain open.

UPDATE as of 7:40 a.m.: The Washington State Patrol reports the snow is continuing to fall in Thurston County.

And the roads are still slick in Thurston County.

In Pierce County, there's a blocking accident on Highway 16 at Burnham Drive.

Interstate 90 at Rainier Avenue South is back open. According to the Associated Press, State Patrol Trooper Cliff Pratt says it took longer than normal to clear the accident because snow continues to fall.

Pierce County employees can report late for work today after Executive John Ladenburg declared Christmas Eve an Inclement Weather Day.

Employees have up to an hour to report late at the beginning of their shifts without being docked.

Non-mission essential employees at McChord Air Force Base have up to two hours to report late.

Pierce County road crews are starting to focus on secondary roads after they've cleared the main roads of snow, ice and slush.

"Temperatures are warming, and our crews are making excellent headway widening the snow corridor to prevent slush being tracked back into the traveled way," wrote Bruce Wagner, road operations manager for Pierce County, in an update. "We are moving focus to secondary roads."

Road crews anticipate tonight's snow fall to be wet. That means, crews will be able to plow it and get down to bare pavement more quickly.

Wagner does warn that crews could see some urban flooding as the snow melts around storm drains. Some drains could be block by ice and other debris.

Road crews will continue to work 12-hour shifts as long as the weather continues to cause problems for drivers.

"We will schedule only the minimal number of crew required to meet forecasted needs on Christmas and will call in employees to reinforce efforts if conditions are more severe than predicted," Wagner wrote. "Once the snow begins to melt for good, we will move into pothole patrol and sweeping mode. I expect this transition to occur over the coming weekend."

News outlets around the country are starting to trot out a new genre of story -- "As Economy Dips, Shoplifting Rises." The News York Times wrote about the phenomenon saying:

Police departments across the country say that shoplifting arrests are 10 percent to 20 percent higher this year than last. The problem is probably even greater than arrest records indicate since shoplifters are often banned from stores rather than arrested.

I ran a quick check on an internal database we keep of arrests and I'm not seeing any huge jumps. One caveat is that our database goes back to the end of November 2007 -- but from last December through this month, the number of people booked into the Pierce County jail for shoplifting stayed pretty steady, hovering in the mid-40s each month with some minor fluctuations up and down.

The crime statistics published on the Sheriff's Department Web site back up what our booking data shows:

Shoplifting incidents in Tacoma
November 2007: 152
November 2008: 151
2007-to-date: 1503
2008-to-date: 1511
Increase: .5 percent

If you were just to compare December-to-date with last December-to-date in our booking data, shoplifting arrests climbed from 26 to 34. With number that small, the increase of eight bookings is a 30 percent rise.

(Photo: dospaz.)

University Place City Manager Bob Jean called the newsroom today. He wanted residents to know that as soon as the snow begins to melt, residents can do their part by keeping storm drains clear of leaves and other types of
debris:

"There's no way we can get out there to clear all the storm drains as we try to clear the slush," he said. "Anything people can do once the thaw hits to clear stuff with a rake, keep the storm drains clear, that would help."

He said that's something all South Sound residents, not just people who live in UP, can follow.

(Submitted to Lights & Sirens by News Tribune reporter Brent Champaco.)

Update @ 4:55 p.m. from Hunter George: I sent a query to Pierce County's public works department. This is the reply from Bruce Wagner, road operations manager:

The UP manager is correct that many storm drain inlets are blocked by snow and slush and over the course of the next few days we are very likely to see localized flooding as snow build-ups melt. However, we are not in favor of inviting the public to enter into the roadway to clear the grates for us. Most are in or immediately adjacent to the lanes of travel.

Road crews are working hard to widen the "snow corridor" that our plows create to extend beyond the storm drain inlets in preparation for the melt off. The public can help by reporting blocked drains at 798-6000 and by not parking on the roadside so our plows can clear snow beyond the inlets wherever possible.

Officials declared a state of emergency in snowy, slushy Gig Harbor today.

The accumulation of snow since last week, along with another dumping expected on the Peninsula over the next week, prompted the city of 6,700 to declare the state of emergency, according to a news release issued shortly after 11 a.m.

On Tuesday, work crews began clearing side streets, in preparation for the next wave of snow expected to fall today. Highway 16 was mostly clear, although snow was starting to compact on some of Gig Harbor's streets.

"Residents are encouraged to not drive if at all possible," according to the press release. "Enjoy the snow and walk to shopping and merchants for your last-minute holiday needs."

The city is also asking residents to watch roofs, boats and marina structures, as well as avoid snow-laden trees and power lines.

The Peninsula was one of the South Sound's trouble spots during last week's storm. Crews shut down north Gig Harbor's main thoroughfare - Borgen Boulevard Northwest - where Christmas shoppers were trying to reach Target, Home Depot and other stores.

(Submitted to Lights & Sirens by News Tribune reporter Brent Champaco)

State officials are encouraging home and small business owners to report any damage from the recent snow storms.

Owners should file the reports to their local emergency management office immediately. This is in addition to filing a report with the insurance company.

When you make a report, you need to have:

* The name and address of the affected property.

* A description of damage, even if it insured.

* A personal estimate of losses that will be uninsured.

* An estimate of the fair market value of the damaged home or business.

The state advises that owners keep all records of the clean-up and repair costs. If you're able, document it all with photographs.

Besides physical damage from the storms, small business owners have to think about economic damages. State officials report that if at least five businesses can document economic losses because of the wintery weather, the state could qualify for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The state Emergency Management Division reports:

Business owners who have seen a negative affect on their revenues and ability to pay expenses should consider completing an EIDL worksheet to document the losses. Completed worksheets are submitted to the county emergency management agency where the business is located. Completing the worksheet does not obligate a business owner to apply for an SBA loan. It merely quantifies the economic impact and allows the state to request a SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program for those businesses that need and want it.

The state must certify that at least five small businesses in a disaster area have suffered substantial economic injury and need financial assistance not otherwise available on reasonable terms. The state must specify the counties or other political subdivisions in which the disaster occurred.

For this to happen, county emergency managers must submit an assessment of damages in their jurisdiction to the state by Feb. 13.The one-page EIDL worksheet is located at here.

A 23-year-old man accused of robbing a number of Pierce County cash-advance stores earlier this year has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree robbery.

As part of his plea deal, James T. Granberry maintained his innocence but agreed prosecutors probably had enough evidence to convince a jury to convict him.

Prosecutors dismissed two additional robbery charges as part of the bargain.

Grandberry had been charged with the takeover-style robberies of four cash-advance stores in University Place, Lakewood and Tacoma in January and February.

Superior Court Judge Ronald Culpepper last week sentenced Grandberry to five years in prison.

Following in the footsteps of other area law enforcement agencies, Puyallup police officers will host their annual Shop with a Cop event today.

Police officers will take eight needy children shopping this afternoon at the Puyallup Best Buy. School officials nominated children for the program.

As part of the activities, the Coca-Cola Company donated merchandise and created banners to kick-off the event.

The eight children will get to go shopping at Best Buy. They'll also get gift cards from several local businesses, police reported.

One of the children has a serious medical condition and won't be able to shop himself. Officers will be bringing gifts to the family's home later today, officers reported.

This is the second annual Shop With a Cop program for Puyallup. The Tacoma Police Department, Federal Way Police Department and King County Sheriff's Office also host Shop with a Cop programs for local children.

Sea-Tac Airport is open and the runways are clear this morning.

Officials report the travel situation is improving but some flights are still being delayed or canceled.

Passengers are asked to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport. You can check you flight status here.

Officials ask that if you need to rebook your travel plans to do so over the Internet or phone.

"Do not come to the airport," officials asked. "Long lines at the ticket counters make it more efficient and quicker to rebook off-site."

Passengers also are advised to allow for extra time to get to the airport and through the lines at the ticket counters and security checkpoints.

The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will remain closed today.

Zoolights may reopen tonight, however. A decision will be made later today. We'll post the decision when it's made.

Yesterday, we asked for your tales of winter weather woe. We wanted to know how the repeated blasts of snow and cold temperatures have impacted your travel and even Christmas plans. Here are more of your stories.

The picture of the 8-foot snowman was sent in from a Lakewood reader.

Leslie Sirag, 63, of Olympia wrote:

We live in unincorporated Olympia and have been snowed in since last Tuesday.
Our car has been in a neighbor's drainage ditch since my husband tried to get out on Thursday, and the AAA towtruck, taking life-threatening situations first, has yet to arrive.

Luckily, we've had power except for about 4 hours in the early am a few days ago. We have food & essential medicines, and, though the house isn't exactly warm, we're not freezing and do have lights, phone, and internet.

Our toilet did back up the other day, probably an ice jam breaking, & put about 2 inches of clean but freezing water all over our bathroom floor & a bit onto the hall rug, but we were able to sop it all up & wash & bleach the towels.

In a few more days we may have a medication crisis, but we're hoping to get out by then. Meanwhile, we're getting to various boring tasks we've been avoiding, but would really like to be able to share the holidays with our family and friends.

Another reader wrote:

We've had to change our routes as we have only one way to get out (streets blocked off--we live at 30th and C Streets South, between Pacific and Tacoma avenues near Holy Rosary Church). My boyfriend and I were also planning to spend Christmas on Whidbey Island but fortunately we hadn't made a reservation. I usually bus it, but we've been able to combine trips to the doctor, p.o., and limited shopping (none at the mall). Can't tell what the snow routes are but I saw a Route 1 bus up on K street and a 2 going up Tacoma toward 38th. Would be nice to see the changes available somewhere. Go figure!

Have no idea what we're doing now for Christmas.

Dave Daurelle wrote:

No problems for me - I use Pierce transit to get around - AND THEY ROCK!!! I've not had any troubles getting to work or home. THANK YOU PIERCE TRANSIT!!!

Diane Harney wrote:

This weather has increased my travel. Having a 4-wheel drive vehicle and lots of snow-driving experience, I've spent a lot of time driving friends to work, church, appointments and parties. The driving has been fun for me (although not around the mall) and have enjoyed the chance to help out friends.

H. William Safford of Olympia wrote:

I learned to drive in ice and snow on Adak Alaska while in the Navy. My last duty station before retiring was 3 years in Keflavik Iceland.

I have an absolute TERROR of the yahoos who drive here in Olympia.

They speed. They drive at 5mph. They have no concept of safe speeds (20-35 on snow and ice). They stomp on the brakes (and skid). No idea of how to apply brakes slowly and steadily. They tailgate. They have no concept of safe distances between vehicles (3x wet street differences). They think a big truck or 4-wheel drive can save them.

And on top of that some of them are rude, vicious, and nasty.

Like the guy who left a threatening telephone call on Friday and cursed me out for delaying him. He was well versed in the F-word, but even after he passed my and the car ahead of me, was only 15 seconds ahead of us by the time he had travelled 4 miles, and when he went from US 101 to I-5 south, I (and the other car he swerved past) were ahead of him heading onto I-5 north. For this he almost head-oned a pickup while passing on a curve.

We will probably be driving up to Seattle to spend Christmas with our daughters and my sister-in-law.

Joan and Michael Milasich of Tacoma wrote:

My husband, Mick, has been very sick the past couple of years: heart surgery and then cancer. Worried we might not have many opportunities for our eight children, spouses, and grandchildren to all be together as a family in the future, I decided last spring to book an entire-family vacation in Cabo San Lucas for this Christmas.

When news of an impending blizzard surfaced Friday, we decided that if we were nearer to the airport in Seattle we would have a better chance of getting on a plane Sunday morning. So some of us took two rooms at the Marriott…five in one room and four in the other...and my son and his wife and another daughter and her fiance would meet us at the airport in the morning.

Later Saturday evening, one daughter called to ask about her boarding pass. I dug through all the piles of reservations I had made for the airplane and the resort rooms, only to find I had skipped her! Her fiancé spent most of the wee hours trying to find a ticket for her at the last minute, and finally found one the next morning at $200 less than I had paid! Greatly relieved after a mostly sleepless night, I pushed my husband out of bed at 6am and told him to take the hotel shuttle to the airport to find out what was happening because I couldn’t get any information on line or from the television.

All we could see from the hotel was a winter wonderland outside, and at that point I didn’t have too much faith we were going anywhere at 10:30am. He couldn’t get a shuttle, so he walked from the Marriott in sweatshirt and tennis shoes (remember we were bound for sunny Cabo!) and called to say he would wait in the line snaking all over the terminal for check in. He suggested we try curb-side check in and it might be faster, so we hauled sleepy children, stroller, and all the luggage outside and stood in line in the freezing cold for a couple of hours waiting to check in.

We finally made it to the boarding gate with fifteen minutes to spare, and I was in a state of disbelief at that point. I couldn’t imagine this thing was going to go off without anymore hitches. In spite of increasing snowfall, everyone was in their seats, belted in, and ready to roll when the first delay was announced.

The pilot was very good about keeping us informed of what was happening, but after several more delays, finally at around 2:30pm, he gave us the excellent news that we were on "first priority" for de-icing, and that would take place just as soon as a couple of people made it back on to the plane (people had been allowed to leave and come back during the delay).

Everyone was happy and cheering. Another twenty minutes went by and a woman came rushing onto the plane—an act that was roundly booed by everyone on board—and after gathering up her personal belongings, she exited hastily and didn’t return.

The next thing I saw was a single luggage container cozying up to the baggage compartment down below me, and a baggage handler who closely resembled Frosty the Snowman with a frown and a frozen mustache attempting to open the hatch to retrieve bags. At that point we were still attached to the jet way instead of pushing back to be de-iced as was the plan.

What had happened was the woman's husband and 12-year-old son, who were sitting in front of one of my daughters in the back of the plane, had decided they didn't want to sit through any more delays, and the son refused to re-board the plane. Regulations require their bags be removed, and because we were not pushed back from the jet way and secured, the de-icing machine moved to the next ready plane and skipped ours.

They ran out of de-icer with that last plane, and we received the news at 3:45pm that Alaska was very sorry indeed, but our flight was canceled.

All I can say is it was a good thing the woman left with her family before those passengers were let off the plane, because they would have ripped her apart like so many rabid dogs! There was one couple on board who had been through the same procedure twice before, and this was their third go at leaving for Cabo. There were many parents with toddlers who had been patiently trying to amuse their tired kids all day long.

We shuffled off, had a brief family meeting about whether or not we wanted to start all over again the next day on a standby basis, because we had $20,000 invested in the project and everyone had taken vacations from work to go. We were told our baggage wouldn't show up for six hours, and if we wanted to re-book, we could stand in a line that would take several hours to move through.

We were stranded without transportation, and it had been snowing heavily all day. Taxi and shuttle lines were snaked for what seemed like miles. We sat down and began the wait for a shuttle outside in the parking garage. Huddled underneath blankets, we chattered our teeth for two and a half hours in the miserable cold, and finally got a shuttle that delivered us to my husband's office on 6th Avenue around 7pm.

Alaska's on-line site is still down today, and it is impossible to get through to them on the telephone. Even as I write this, one of my sons and his wife are still standing in line (since 6am this morning) trying to get on the advertised "on-time" flight to Cabo because neither one of them rarely gets time off from work and they really want a vacation.

All I can say is "Good Luck" and "Hasta manyana."

Most of the highways are bare and wet this morning. However, there is ice in some places so drivers are urged to use caution out there.

Meanwhile, the side streets remain mostly as they were at the end of yesterday but might be a little slicker because of the overnight temperatures. Some roads are still coated in compact snow and ice. On others you can see patches of gray pavement.

It can still be tricky to get around.

UPDATE: A crash and hazardous driving conditions have prompted the state and Washington State Patrol to close the off-ramp from northbound Interstate 5 to the Port of Tacoma Road. 20th Street also is closed.

The crash was reported just before 8 a.m.

UPDATE 2: Transportation officials have now closed the Interstate 5 ramps to and from Port of Tacoma Road.

State Patrol troopers and transportation crews are on the scene to assist with the collision. Maintenance crews also are on their way to sand the ramps.

UPDATE 3: A car and plow have collided in the left lane of State Route 167 near 30th Avenue East in the Puyallup area.

No injuries have been reported, according to a state Department of Transportation memo at 8:30 a.m.

Troopers were on scene. Drivers should not pass plow vehicles. Instead, they should follow behind the vehicles at a safe distance.

UPDATE 4: The I-5 ramps to the Port of Tacoma Road are back open, DOT reports.

UPDATE 5: All lanes of State Route 167 near 30th Avenue East are now open after a car vs. snow plow crash earlier this morning.

A collision blocked the left lane of State Route 167 at Highway 512 for about an hour this morning.

The crash was cleared and the lane was reopened by 7:11 a.m., the state Department of Transportation reported.

Henderson

Federal Way Police found a 62-year-old man who had been missing from his group home since Monday afternoon.

Robert Henderson, who has Alzheimer's, was reported missing by his caregiver at about 4 p.m. He reportedly wandered away from the home, near 3000 SW 317th Street. He may have been seen by neighbors walking on SW 320th Street at about 6 p.m.

He was found at a grocery store shortly after 9 p.m.

Photo courtesy of the Washington State Patrol.

The Washington State Patrol arrested a Tacoma man for alleged vehicular assault after chasing someone who hit his van, and smashing into a car Monday afternoon.

Richard L. Clevenstine, 57, was driving his 1991 Ford Aerostar van when he was allegedly hit from behind by a red truck near highway 512. The man followed the truck and said he called 911 to report the collision. He followed the truck off highway 512 onto Pacific Avenue when the red truck reportedly ran a red light, with Clevenstine following. The van smashed into a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass, and a 1996 Ford Ranger hit the van.

The driver of the Oldsmobile was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup with minor injuries, and his passenger is at the hospital with serious injuries. The van's passengers were also taken to Good Samaritan with minor injuries. The driver of the Ranger was not injured. Clevenstine sustained minor injuries and was arrested.

The collision, which happened at about 12:45 p.m., closed the northbound lanes of highway 7 at 112th Street as well as the on ramp to eastbound highway 512. Investigators are also looking into the reported hit and run that began the chase.

Trash and recycling collection for University Place and Fircrest will resume on Tuesday.

Collection was canceled today because of the weather, and crews are trying to pick up trash that was scheduled for today. Because side roads and hils are treacherous, customers who have not had any trash picked up by Wednesday should put out double next week.

There are not near as many highways closed today as yesterday, the state Department of Transportation reported.

Here is the updated list of DOT closures.

WSDOT reports only SR 27 closed from Tekoa to Fairfield in Eastern Washington.
The Washington State Ferry system reports extreme weather conditions delayed fuel service to the Hyak. The Hyak is back in service.
Amtrak Cascades trains have been cancelled for today.
Those who must travel should be prepared for winter driving conditions. If you must drive, plan ahead and take precautions. Carry warm clothes, food, water and chains for your vehicles. Make sure you have a full tank of gas and a fully-charged cell phone. If driving, slow down and give yourself extra time to reach your destination safely. Roadways, intersections, off-ramps, bridges and shady spots all have potential to develop ice that makes driving hazardous.

A collision is blocking the offramp to South 320th Street on southbound Interstate 5 in Federal Way.

The State Patrol and state Department of Transportation are heading to the scene of the collision, which was reported t 4:45 p.m. No other details are available.

Point Defiance officials have decided to close Zoolights tonight because of the weather.

Fantasy Lights, however, will be open from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

You're snowed in. You're thankful for help. And some of you have had to change your Christmas plans. Others are waiting to see what the weather brings on Christmas Day.

We asked for your tales of commuting nightmares and pre-Christmas dilemmas after a relentless series of snow storms across western Washington. Here is what some readers submitted.

Ellida K. Lathrop of Fircrest wrote:

We (four) should be in Mazatlan about now. All paid for and we can't get another flight out until maybe December 26th. My son-in-law has been taking me to the market in his "tank" as there is underlying ice on the streets in Fircrest. Yes, we are losing pre-paid hotel money every day. Just ordered a Fred Meyer Turkey dinner to replace the Christmas Day tamales I was salivating for.

Florence S. Ariessohn of Lake Tapps wrote:

Our long, steep driveway has more than a foot of snow, so we haven't left the house except on foot for a week. My husband had to shovel off the flat roof once already and needs to do it again because I'm worried that the roof will cave in. But, it sure is beautiful!

Sharon Lee wrote:

My son has been my saint. Marcus has dug me out of the snow a couple of times. I worry that he will get frostbite. He says he is OK. I will be glad when this is all over.

Deb Rogers wrote:

We had no travel plans this year. We're grateful for that!

However, we are house hunting and haven't been able to get out to view houses in over 9 days!

Bill and Kris Johnston say:

Our family lives in Everett where they have even more snow. I have a brother who, even in the best of weather, hates driving I-5. So we shall have to see if the Everett family will make it down on Christmas this year.

The good thing is that our children and grandchildren live just a few blocks away and as our 2 year old grandson Simon says: "I slide." So we hope the whole family makes it but if not the Tacoma crew will be together for Christmas Eve - Mass at St Pats and Christmas Day.

=> Read more!

South Sounders looking to travel for Christmas should have little problems as long as the weather forecasters are on target.

The snow showers appear to be giving way to plain, old rain for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to the National Weather Service.

The temperatures also will warm up slightly, providing a window for commuters. Overnight and early morning conditions, however, could be icy.

Here's a look at the weather outlook around the region for Wednesday, Thursday and beyond. These snippets were compiled from the National Weather Service and state Department of Transportation.

Tacoma: Snow will turn to rain on Christmas Eve, with the night-time lows around 33 degrees. On Christmas Day, rain is likely and temperatures will hover around 37 during the day. There's a chance of snow and rain that night.

The rain is expected to continue through Sunday.

Seattle: The snow will turn to rain after 10 a.m. on Christmas Eve, with the night-time lows around 30 degrees. On Christmas Day, rain and snow showers are likely and temperatures will hover around 34 during the day. There's a chance of snow through the night.

The rain is expected to continue through Sunday.

Portland: Portland could get another round of snow Tuesday, then rain starting Wednesday.

Rain and snow are likely from Christmas Eve night through Christmas Day. The snow level will stay around 500 feet and the highs will range from 37 during the day on Christmas to 31 degrees that night.

Rain dominates the forecast for Friday through Sunday.

South Washington Cascades: There is a chance of snow everyday between now and the end of the week.

Spokane: There is a chance of snow Tuesday and Wednesday, with heavy accumulations anticipated for Wednesday night. This area could also see some of the white stuff on Christmas Day. A 30 to 40 percent of snow showers were predicted for the day.

Temperatures will be below freezing through Saturday. Snow is possible Friday and Saturday.

Interstate 90: Snow is possible on the west slopes of the Central Cascades through Wednesday night. The snow is expected to turn to rain for Christmas Day.

However, the snow will return Friday. The snow level will be at 2,000 feet Saturday through Sunday.

Even as the snow began to melt today, about 50 passengers remained stuck at the Tacoma Amtrak Station at lunchtime.
All Amtrak Cascades trains running from Vancouver, B.C., to Eugene, Ore., were cancelled, leaving passengers fighting for seats on the few trains that were operational. And some of those were delayed more than two hours.
“We’re hoping to catch a couple of empty seats on the next available train,” said Scott Roosevelt, 30, who was trying to get home to Portland. He was trying to catch a train in Tacoma after his train out of Seattle was cancelled.
Like Roosevelt, most riders hadn’t planned to end up in Tacoma in the first place.
Several would-be train passengers came to the Tacoma station after their flights out of SeaTac were grounded yesterday.
Retired husband and wife Jim and Julie Hinkley were trying to get home to Vancouver, Clark County, after leaving Cabo San Lucas on Saturday. Their connection from San Diego to Portland was cancelled that day, so they opted to stay the night in a hotel and board one to SeaTac the next day.
When they couldn’t fly out of SeaTac yesterday, they decided to bus to Tacoma and try the train.
Their train was supposed to depart at 10:30 a.m., but they were still waiting at 1 p.m.
“This is our third day trying to get home,” Julie Hinkley said. “Yesterday, we just wanted to get away from the airport. At this point, I don’t even know if I’ll get home in time to wrap presents.”
“I haven’t even started shopping,” Jim Hinkley added.
An Amtrak spokesman wouldn’t comment about whether regular train service would resume Tuesday.

Pierce County sheriff's deputies are searching for a man suspected of robbing a Graham-area espresso stand last week.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers released surveillance images of the robber Monday in hopes of identifying him. The non-profit organization is also offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the man's arrest and charges filed in the case.

The robber walked up to the Java 2 Go stand about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 15, deputies reported. The stand is located at the intersection of 224th Street East and Meridian Avenue.

The robber leaned into the window and displayed a gun. He demanded cash from the barista, grabbed an undisclosed amount of money and fled, deputies reported.

The robber (pictured here) is described as a white man, 20 years old, 6 feet with a slender build.

He wore black gloves, a black hoodie, black stocking cap and a red, black and white letterman-style jacket during the heist.

Anyone with information about the robber is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959. Callers may remain anonymous.

The Sounder commuter trains will be running on a holiday schedule starting this afternoon.

The holiday schedule will stay in place for the rest of the week because of the weather conditions. There will be no Sound Transit Sounder service on Christmas Day.

Find the holiday schedule here.

Sound Transit's bus routes also are on limited schedules. Find the latest bus service information here.

You might think the roads are getting a little better out there given that the snow is beginning to melt.

Think again.

I just took a quick run out to do an errand and grab lunch. Two coworkers had to push my stuck minivan out of The News Tribune's parking spot where it was stuck on compact snow.

On the roads, the snow is melting and leaving behind a pile of mushy, brown slush and water. The slush, gravel and chunks of compact snow and ice make for some difficult driving.

At times, it seems like you're driving on some unfinished, bumpy road.

The slush is hard to stop in and there's a ton of it out there, particularly at intersections, in some turn lanes and in parking lots.

Drivers also are saying there are a ton of broken chains on the highways. You have to drive slow on chains or else they'll come off.

Federal prosecutors have added six more criminal counts against Weldon Marc Gilbert, bringing the total number of child-sex and other charges against the millionaire Lake Tapps pilot to 37.

They added the new counts earlier this month, according to court documents.

The additional charges stem from 76 DVDs and videocassettes seized from a secret compartment in Gilbert's home last month.

Prosecutors contend Gilbert (seen here) sexually abused a number of boys over the years and video-recorded much of the inappropriate behavior, which included ritualistic spankings.

Gilbert's pleaded not guilty. He's being held in federal detention pending trial, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 13.

We'll see if the new indictments prompt prosecutors or Gilbert's defense attorney, John Henry Browne, to seek a postponement.

Amtrak canceled its Amtrak Cascades trains for today because of the recent winter storms.

All trains between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., are canceled, the company reported on its Web site. Other Amtrak trains in the Pacific Northwest are in operation but have lengthy delays.

Here's a little more from Amtrak:

Empire Builder

Trains 8 & 28 are planned to originate in Portland on December 22, with alternate transportation planned from Seattle for Train 8 passengers ticketed from Seattle and intermediate points to Spokane, Wash.

Coast Starlight

Trains 11 & 14 are expected to operate over their full Seattle-Los Angeles route on December 22, subject to significant delay in the Pacific Northwest.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.

The compact snow and ice has made for some hazardous driving conditions out there.

The roads remain slick and, in some spots, difficult to pass unless you have four-wheel drive or chains.

The never-ending winter blast is also starting to impact people's Christmas plans.

Have you had to cancel a Christmas trip? Are you thinking about a plan B in case the travel outlook doesn't get any better?

Have you gotten stuck in the snow and had to wait hours for some help? Or has someone helped you out to get you going? Did you five-minute commute take 40 minutes?

We want to hear from you.

Please share your travel nightmares and pre-Christmas dilemmas by posting a comment on this blog or send them to newstips@thenewstribune.com.

State Farm has closed its DuPont Operations Center today because of the weather.

Employees at the center are asked to call the office hotline after 6 a.m. Tuesday to find out about tomorrow.

All Planned Parenthood health centers in western Washington are closed.

A propane spill temporarily closed State Route 161 near 176th Street East this morning.

Both directions had been closed from 9:25 a.m. to 10 a.m., the state Department of Transportation reported.

All Pierce County library branches are scheduled to open at noon today.

The Tacoma Public Library's Main Library and all branches will be closed.

Puget Sound Energy appears to be dealing with a few scattered power outages in Pierce County.

The utility has a map on its Web site that shows where the outages are.

In Pierce County, there appears to be some without power in Gig Harbor (62 customers), Puyallup (362 customers) and Lakewood (71 customers). Lacey has 162 customers in the dark, Olympia 474 and Yelm 85.

The map doesn't show areas were fewer than 50 customers are without power.

It's a pretty cool map. Find it here.

There is no outage information on Peninsula Light Co.'s Web site. Hopefully, that means there are no outages.

UPDATE at 1:40 p.m.: It appears there are more power outages now in Thurston County.

According to Puget Sound Energy's Web site, 1,116 customers are in the dark in Olympia and 702 in Lacey.

Power appears to be back on for Pierce County residents who had been in the dark this morning.

Compact snow and ice pack most of the roads in the South Sound this morning after another dumping of the white flakes overnight.

The area highways were passable, with most drivers going well below the posted speed limit. The Washington State Patrol reports several one-car spinouts throughout the region.

The mushed up snow is what can give drivers some problems. The snow is soft and kind of looks like pie crust dough after you start working in the butter.

It's built up in the entrances and exits of business driveways and least-traveled parts of intersections. Be wary of that.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will be closed again today because of the weather.

A decision about whether Zoolights will open will be made later today. We'll let you know when that decision has been made.

According to the City of Tacoma's Twitter Feed, there will be no garbage or recycling pick up in the city today.

In addition, University Place Refuse will not collect trash or recycling in Fircrest and University Place today. For questions, call their office at (253) 564-3212.

American Disposal and Murrey's Disposal also have suspended their service for the day on the Key and Gig Harbor peninsulas and in the City of Gig Harbor. For more information, call the company at (253) 414-0345 or (888) 806-7048.

Customers can set out double the normal amount on the next regularly scheduled pickup day.

The Key Center Solid Waste Transfer Station also is closed. The station in the 5900 Block of the Key Peninsula Highway will reopen Wednesday.

UPDATE: The City of Tacoma sent out a press release regarding garbage and yard waste collection for the week.

Here's what you need to know:

Customers with Monday collection should set their containers out Tuesday. Customers with Tuesday and Wednesday collection should set their containers out as usual.

There will be no garbage collection on Thursday. Pickup will be the next day for the rest of the week. That means Thursday's trash will be picked up Friday and Friday's on Saturday.

There will be no yard waste collection this week. Customers should set their yard waste out on their next scheduled yard waste collection week, which is Jan. 5.

"The City of Tacoma's landfill, recycling center and household hazardous waste facility will close at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will be closed all day on both Christmas Day and New Year's Day," the city reported.

Customers with solid waste-related questions can call Solid Waste Management, (253) 591-5543, or visit www.cityoftacoma.org/solidwaste for collection updates.

The Washington State Department of Transportation reports that a disabled vehicle that blocked the right lane on Highway 16 just west of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge earlier this morning is now cleared.

UPDATED INFO: This comes from the Associated Press

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are having trouble resuming service after cancellations caused by winter weather.

The airlines say one trouble spot has been the Portland airport where crews were working Monday morning to remove ice from the runways.

An Alaska spokesman, Paul McElroy, says a problem at one airport causes a domino effect of delays along other points on a plane’s route.

McElroy says Alaska plans about 20 departures from Seattle Monday, about one-third the normal number.

He says the airline hopes to resume a normal schedule Tuesday.

PREVIOUS POST: Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will resume some flights today in Seattle and Portland.

However, there are still cancellations and flight delays because of the severe winter weather. Passengers should check their flights before heading to the airport.

"The resumption of operations in Portland and Seattle is weather-dependent, and further cancellations and delays are likely," the airline reported this morning.

Here's a look at the flights scheduled to take off from Sea-Tac this morning:

Flight Destination Departure Time
244 Los Angeles 6 a.m.
61 Juneau 7:50 a.m.
81 Anchorage 8 a.m. (originally scheduled for 6 a.m. – two hour delay)
83 Anchorage 8 a.m.
20 Chicago 8:35 a.m.
202 Puerto Vallarta 9 a.m.
200 Cancun 9:10 a.m.
87 Anchorage 10 a.m.
324 San Jose 10 a.m.
460 Los Angeles 10 a.m.
630 Phoenix 10:25 a.m.
206 Los Cabos 10:30 a.m.
484 San Diego 11 a.m.
75 Juneau 11:25 a.m.
662 Dallas-Ft.Worth 11:55 a.m.
95 Anchorage Noon
648 Tucson 12:20 p.m.
636 Phoenix 12:35 p.m.
38 Minneapolis-St. Paul 12:35 p.m.
16 Miami 1:20 p.m.
10 Orlando 1:30 p.m.

Horizon flights are scheduled to begin taking off
at 9 a.m. The airline asks customers to check online for the status of their flights.

You can also track arrival and departures of all Sea-Tac flights here.

Pierce Transit and Metro Transit will again have altered bus service because of the weather conditions.

Metro Transit in King County will be operating on half of its regular routes.

Some of Pierce Transit's buses may be delayed or rerouted because of the weather.

You can find the list of impacted routes here.

Travel conditions can change quickly to it'd be best to check your route before you head out to the bus stop.

SHUTTLE riders can call 253-581-8100 for the latest route and service information.

Monday has been declared an "Inclement Weather Day" in Pierce County.

That means employees can arrive to up an hour late for the beginning of the work shifts and their tardiness will be excused and compensated.

The public schools are out for Christmas break but some local colleges are supposed to have classes.

The weather conditions, however, have canceled most classes for the day.

The one exception is the University of Puget Sound. The campus will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

Closed: Bates Technical College, Clover Park Technical College, Pacific Lutheran University, Pierce College, Tacoma Community College, University of Phoenix campuses, University of Washington's campuses in Tacoma, Bothell and Seattle and St. Martin's University.

Also ...

The childcare at Gig Harbor Academy/Our School is closed.

Rainier Christian School and childcare is closed.

If you thought you might bypass the delays and congestion at Sea-Tac to get to your holiday destination by trying a bus or train, think again.

Greyhound's Seattle station was all but shut down Sunday night, with no buses moving in or out, The Associated Press reported. The company also reported delays between Seattle and Billings, Mont.; Portland, Ore.; and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Amtrak canceled train service between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., and between Seattle and Spokane. Service from Seattle to Los Angeles was still running, but with “extreme delays,” Amtrak said in a news release.

Sounder commuter trains were expected to run on a holiday schedule Monday.

Fort Lewis will be closed Monday to everyone except those who are considered mission essential or critical.

A Fort Lewis release states commanders will say who within their units are required to report to the base, and at what time. Madigan Army Medical Center employees will follow a similar system.

McVeigh and Wilson gymnasiums, Post Exchange stores and commissary facilities will be open. Some Child Development Centers will be closed, and parents should call to find out which ones will be open through the day.

Any updates will be available at (253) 967-1733 or at http://www.lewis.army.mil

The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a Tacoma man who was found north of Bremerton on Sunday afternoon.

Sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilson said the body of a 34-year-old white man, who had been reported missing in Tacoma, was found in a neighborhood between Bremerton and Silverdale. Neighbors were driving by when they noticed a blue tarp on the ground, and found the man's body when they walked up to investigate.

Deputies do not believe the man was murdered, but there is no conclusive evidence either way, so detectives are investigating it as a homicide.

"You only get one chance to examine a body in the field like that," Wilson said.

Wilson said the man has a criminal history and has been known to use drugs, but won't know the cause of the death until an autopsy is completed on Monday, which may not be conclusive.

Wilson said deputies are working with the Tacoma Police Department in finding out more about the man, such as when he was reported missing and who reported him. A Tacoma Police spokesman said on Sunday night that he had not heard the details of the case.

Detectives are collecting evidence and talking to witnesses, just like a homicide case, but they are also waiting to see if the man actually died of natural causes.

"We don't think there was a homicide, but we don't know that with 100 percent certainty," Wilson said. "We don't know, there's no obvious indication of death."

Calls on the area's police and fire emergency networks indicate there are still plenty of people out there getting into one form of trouble or another by trying to drive.

Emergency crews are being stretched thin, so stay off the roads and streets unless it's absolutely necessary. As the temperature has dropped below the freezing mark, travel has become more hazardous.

With an overnight low in the mid-20s expected tonight, try to delay your Monday commute as long as possible to give some of that glare ice time to melt.

Alaska and Horizon airlines have already canceled all flights today at SeaTac, and the Port of Seattle is warning passengers that others may do the same.

The airport is open and the runways are clear, but passengers should check the status of their flights, the port said. Other flights may be delayed or canceled because of conditions at other airports. The snow and ice isn't the only problem, easterly winds have also hindered take-offs and landings.

The airport is working with the Red Cross to provide cots, blankets and water to stranded travelers.

Flight status information is available through individual airlines or at http://hosting.portseattle.org/fids/

Westbound highway 410 in Bonney Lake has been reopened after it was closed for about an hour this evening.

Bonney Lake PD closed the road, from 166th Avenue to Meyers Road, because multiple disabled vehicles were blocking the roadway. Crews were able to clear the road, and it opened at about 6:40 p.m.

The Thurston County Courthouse and all county government offices will be closed tomorrow.

The Thurston County Waste and Recover Center and all county satellite drop boxes will also be closed.

Also, the City of Olympia reported roof damage on carports and boathouses because of snow load, according to a news release.

Seahawks fans heading to Tacoma on the Sounder train from the game were forced to wait in the cold while crews with blow torches unfroze switches on the tracks in Seattle.

Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray said trains were scheduled to leave the station near Qwest Field at about 4:30 p.m., but were delayed because of the weather. Passengers waited, some more patient than others, for the tracks to be fixed.

The last of the four delayed trains was able to leave at about 6 p.m. All the trains that made it into Seattle earlier in the day were able to leave.

"There were significant delays, it was a bit of a mess," Gray said.

The cancellation or delay of dozens of flights at Sea-Tac International Airport has brought the Red Cross into action.

News Tribune staffer Joe Barrentine reports that the Red Cross was bringing cots into the airport terminal to provide at least some kind of rest for the many stranded travelers stuck in Seattle.

There will be no trash or recycling collection in Fircrest and University Place on Monday due to the weather.

Customers should put out double on the next regular pick up day. The University Place Refuse office will be open for any questions at (253) 564-3212.

Here's an updated list of state highway closures provided by the state Department of Transportation.

* Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass is open. Tractions tires are required, vehicles over 10,000 gvw chains required, oversize vehicles prohibited. Reduced speed limit is in effect.
* WSDOT is keeping both the I-90 and I-5 Express Lanes to Seattle inbound for the entire day. I-90 Express lanes will be westbound and I-5 Express Lanes will be southbound. This will ensure they are open for the Monday morning commute.
* SR 410 remains closed near Buckley due to a downed power pole. The road will remain closed until utility crews can assess the situation and implement a response.
* SR 14 is closed between Washougal and White Salmon through the Columbia River Gorge area.
* SR 401 in both directions is closed from US 101 to MP 9.00 before Knappton RD in Wahkiakum county due to fallen trees and snow and ice glaze.
* SR 27 is closed from Tekoa to Fairfield in Eastern Washington for snow removal * The first sailing of the Port Townsend-Keystone Ferry run was cancelled Sunday morning and riders of all routes should expect possible disruptions because of rough seas and inclement weather. The public is to expect delays with all ferry runs and is asked to exercise caution in the terminal areas because of ice and snow in the holding areas and boat ramps. For up to date ferry information travelers can call 511 or check the WSDOT website.
* There are no Amtrak Cascades runs today, but Sound Transit is running its Seahawks shuttle on the Sounder Commuter trains. Crews continue to work quickly to reopen those roads and clear snow and ice from all routes.

For road conditions, call 511 or visit http://wsdot.wa.gov

The Red Cross has closed the emergency shelter in Buckley because weather conditions were improving.

The shelter was at Buckley Hall . The Mason County shelter at 307 West Cota Street in Shelton remains open.

Alaska and Horizon airlines have cancelled all flights out of SeaTac and Portland airports for the rest of today because of the weather and conditions at the airports.

The airlines said the snow and freezing rain have "severely impacted the airlines' operations."

"We regret the impact these cancellations are having on our customers' holiday travel plans," Alaska's chief operation officer Ben Minicucci said in a news release. "These decisions are guided by our commitment to safety, and we are making every effort to re-accommodate passengers whose flight schedules have been disrupted."

The closures mean the thousands who are already stranded at SeaTac will be stuck without a flight at least until tomorrow.

Passengers who are booked on a canceled flight can rebook a seat on the next available flight without penalty, or they can apply for a full refund on the unused ticket. Passengers should contact Alaska Airlines Reservations at (800) 252-7522 or Horizon Air Reservations at (800) 547-9308.

"In addition to helping inconvenienced passengers, we will focus on preparing our operations to have the best start possible Monday morning, weather permitting," said Tim Gerharter, senior vice president of Horizon Air operations.

Readers have been posting their own winter wonderland pictures here. It's such a beautiful event. To share your photos, click here (note: must be a registered user).

In the meantime, here is Buddy, who begged and begged to be let outside this morning. I opened the sliding door and watched him take a long look at the snow-covered ground before he turned to me with a "you gotta be kidding me" look. Then he retreated to the dining room.

Hundreds of people queued up to reschedule their flight with Alaska Airlines at Sea-Tac Airport. They grumbled among themselves, complained into cell phones, listened to iPods, read magazines and warded off a desire to sleep. And like thousands of others stranded at the airport, they waited.

“I’m beat,” said 52-year-old Randy Schaffhauser, stranded at the airport when his connecting flight between Las Vegas and Fairbanks, Alaska, was canceled. “I’m ready to pass out. I’ve been waiting in line more than eight hours. But hey, you can’t fight the weather.”

The storm was felt most acutely at Sea-Tac, thousands of people slept in chairs and on the floor, sometimes waiting more than 24 hours for another flight.

Raelynn and Ivory Anderson’s flight from Anchorage landed at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night. Two cancellations later, the sisters still had no idea when their flight to Sacramento might take off.

“We were told maybe 5 a.m.” on Monday, said Ivory, a 15-year-old student.

=> Read more!

Reader David Forte sent these in from Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood. "We didn't get the name of the people," he wrote, "but the dog's name is Hanna."

Good enough, and nice pics.

=> Read more!

Alaska Airlines has canceled half of its flights to and from Sea-Tac Airport and Portland on Saturday, the airline announced. That’s about 61 flights.

“We regret the impact these cancellations are having on our customers’ holiday travel plans,” Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ chief operating officer, said in a press release. “These decisions are guided by our commitment to safety, and we are making every effort to re-accommodate passengers whose flight schedules have been disrupted.”

Some tips from the airline:

Before leaving for the airport, customers are advised to check for the most current flight status information online at alaskaair.com or by calling 1-800-ALASKA-AIR (1-800-252-7522).

Passengers booked on a canceled flight may re-book on the next available flight without penalty or apply for a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket. Passengers wishing to exercise either of these options should call Alaska Airlines Reservations at 1-800-ALASKA-AIR (1-800-252-7522).

A word of warning from someone who left a voicemail on our NewsTips line: She said the parking lot of Lakewood Towne Center is “like an ice rink.”

She also called for the firing of elected officials, but we get the point. If you need to finish last-minute shopping, be careful.

Here’s the latest update from the Pierce County Emergency Operations Center:

The Pierce County Emergency Operations Center will return to Level One operations at noon today. A duty officer will be on call for emergency issues.

The Pierce County 4x4 Search and Rescue volunteers transported over 100 essential hospital personnel to the regional health care facilities throughout the night. Since public transportation is up and running, the volunteers will suspend their transports at noon.

Five shelters were opened in Pierce County in anticipation of possible power outages during the storm and all have been closed.

Emergency officials are continuing to urge citizens to drive safely, carry emergency supplies in their vehicles, and to check emergency kits at home and at work.

News Tribune reporter Ryan Divish was returning to Sea-Tac Airport early this morning, and he said thousands of folks were sleeping on benches and hundreds of pieces of luggage were waiting to be claimed.

Here are a few snapshots Divish filed:

=> Read more!

From reporter Kris Sherman on Fox Island:

Skies are completely white up the Sound from Olympia now, and it's snowing in a picture-postcard way. The flakes are lovely and silently falling outside my window. My normal views of Steilacoom, Ketron and McNeil islands are completely obscured from where I sit at the southern tip of Fox Island.

The horizon is so white with snow it's difficult to distinguish it from the already snow-laden landscape.

Last time I checked, my News Tribune still hadn't arrived. Customer service told me around 10 a.m. that due to snow and hazardous driving conditions, it would be several hours late. I'm thankful I can read it online as I sit here in my family room drinking peppermint tea. But I still want those Sunday circulars so I can plan my last-minute Christmas shopping blitz, hopefully on Monday, assuming road conditions are clear.

When I walked up to check for the paper, a few folks were out walking dogs; one was tinkering under the hood of a stranded car. My mailbox was frozen shut.

And wherever I compled through the drifts, there were spots of yellow snow surrounded by paw prints, sure signs that dogs like my black Lab mix Lucy are dragging their owners out for the normal course of business.

I try to take care and walk in my footsteps up and back to disturb the lovely landscape as little as possible. I'm on my way out with my camera next. This is definitely a day to capture.

From reporter Kris Sherman, filing from Fox Island:

Skies are darkening over Puget Sound, but the weather, as it has been for the last week, can't seem to decide whether to snow or rain or just be gloomy on this first day of winter. A few minutes ago, I could barely see McNeil Island from my deck at the southern tip of Fox Island. It appeared more snow was coming up the Sound from the Olympia area.

Now, it's reasonably clear, though the skies remain dark and threatening.

Our unscientific measurement - a ruler stuck in the snow on the top of a table on our deck - shows we received about six inches of snow yesterday and last night.

It's wonderfully quiet in my neighborhood on Fox Island, as most people are in the homes and there are few car noises up the street. There is birdsong in the air and a bit of soft dripping as snowmelt begins from the snow-frosted evergreens, which look a bit like Martha Stewart came by with her perfect flocking tips.

There is also the wondrous scent of wood smoke in the air, a smell the air-pollution folks don't like, but one that evokes memories of warmth and home and family gathered together.

And there's the hum, mostly a whispered thrumming, of my elderly neighbor's heat pump, keeping her warm as she bakes her Christmas cookies.

It was a rough trip from Tacoma last night. It began with the scraping of several inches of snow off my windshield, rear window and headlights. It piled up though the day as I worked at The News Tribune. The roads were covered with snow atop ice and as one person told me this week , they were "slickkery" (don't you just love that word!) in places. For the most part, people took it slow. But even at speeds respectful of the weather, drivers silently slipped into ditches and spun out on Highway 16. Many attempted to negotiate that first steep first exit on the Gig Harbor side of the Narrows Bridge. They were immediately regretful of that call, realizing they couldn't make it up the hill and then gracefully backing down.

Lanes everywhere were obscured, so it was difficult to make sure you were leaving other drivers room, and I saw some near head-on collisions as drivers on both sides of the road hugged the center, steering as far as possible away from those ditches, which seemed to have invisible arms reaching out to ensnare cocky or unlucky drivers and their cars. Then there was the idiot who passed me on two-lane Fox Island Boulevard, narrowly missing a collision with a driver coming the other way. I was driving about 18 mph at the time, well below the speed limit, but reasonable for the hills and dips and curves of the snowy road.

But I got home safely around 9:30, about 90 minutes after I left The News Tribune 20 miles from my doorstep.
And the good news for my family is that my son Ryan, a 29-year-old Peninsula High School and Washington State University grad, got one of the last Alaska Airlines flights out of Los Angeles Saturday evening. Alaska canceled his scheduled flight from my hometown of Long Beach, Calif., where Ryan now lives. It was one of 47 Alaska trips to three Northwest airports called off because of the approaching storm. I nervously watched the Alaska plane tracker on the Web, monitoring the progress of his flight (it's way cool), hoping it wound't be diverted somewhere else. Mom was much relieved when his airplane icon merged with Seattle on the virtual map at around 7:40 p.m Who wouldn't want to get their arms around their "boy" - the one who lives 1,000 miles away - five days before Christmas.

But neither I - with studless snow tires on my 2007 Toyota Prius - nor my eldest son, Rusty, with an all-wheel-drive Subaru, wanted to make the trek to Sea-Tac after the State Patrol warned people to stay off the roadways unless absolutely necessary. We directed Ryan to catch an ST Express to Tacoma Dome station (a good deal at $2.50) and what we thought was the safest alternative. He waited nearly two hours to catch the bus. Those scheduled around 8:30 and 9ish didn't materialize. But he caught one close to 10 p.m. and arrived safely in Tacoma, where he elected to spend the night.

Now, Mom's at home decorating his room with additional Christmas ornaments and lights, and eagerly awaiting his arrival. Hugs are as necessary as breathing, especially in a snowstorm.

Just returned from a morning x-country ski jaunt around the neighborhood and Point Defiance Park. The north end of the West End saw about 4 inches of snow overnight, capped with a glaze of freezing rain. Not ideal skiing snow - but at sea-level it'll do just fine.

Side roads are slick, but major roads like Pearl Street and Vassault were passable with a mix of bare pavement and slush. Buses were getting through. Road to the Vashon Ferry was clear.

Point Defiance Park is closed to traffic, but hardly deserted. At least a dozen kids were sledding down the bowl. The crusty snow looked great for sledding. Saw a few hardy runners and some other Nordic skiiers. Five Mile Drive was nice for skiing. The trees blocked most of the freezing rain, leaving a fluffy powder on the roadway. The park is stunning in the snow.

It's 33 degrees and snowing lightly now at my place.

More photos below.

=> Read more!

Jim Logg didn’t have to take a head count to know how many people stayed at the Red Cross-operated emergency shelter at the Buckley Community Center.

“We had absolutely no one,” he said.

And that wasn’t an anomaly. No one used shelters at the four shelters run by Pierce County, either, said the county emergency management spokeswoman.

“Very few people lost power,” Sheri Badger said, “and that’s what really brings people out to shelters. But we’re happy to offer them, if people show up or not.”

Here’s the latest news release from the Emergency Management Division of the state Military Department:

CAMP MURRAY, WASH. — Snowfall and wind speeds Saturday night did not appear as intense as first expected, but have still made a significant impact on Washington.

Four city and county emergency operations centers (EOCs) were open as of 8 a.m. Sunday monitoring storm conditions. Puget Sound Energy has reported scattered power outages in Western Washington. There were some major highway road closures due to poor visibility and safety concerns. Please check with the Department of Transportation for closures and approximate reopening times at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/.

WSP Urges Motorists to Avoid Travel Unless Absolutely Necessary

Washington State Patrol troopers around the state responded to more than 750 collisions in the 24 hours ending at 7am Sunday. Although that is about six times the normal number, State Patrol communications centers report that the overnight hours went better than expected.

“It appears that people heeded our request to stay at home through the overnight hours,” said WSP Chief John R. Batiste. “But conditions are still poor and are likely to remain so for most of the day. We’d urge people to avoid going out on the roads unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Batiste urged those who must go out to be prepared with food, water and warm clothing or a sleeping bag in their car. During the same 24 hour period troopers responded to nearly 800 stranded motorists.

“If freezing rain materializes even we will have trouble getting to you,” Batiste said. “You need to be prepared to survive in your vehicle for much longer than on a normal day.”

Motorists who find themselves stranded are urged to stay with their vehicles. The shelter of the car is good protection against the elements, and those walking outside their vehicles risk being struck by other out-of-control cars.

Power Outages and Shelters

There were fourteen shelters were open Saturday night — eight in Pierce, one in Cowlitz, four in King, and one in Mason counties.

With the amount of snow that has fallen there is still a threat of power outages. During power outages, the use of generators and alternative heat sources raises the public health concern of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled. CO is found in combustion fumes produced by small gasoline engines, stoves, generators, lanterns, and gas ranges, or by burning charcoal and wood. It can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces and can quickly poison people and animals. You can find more information at the Emergency Management Web site – http://emd.wa.gov/preparedness/CarbonMonoxideDanger.shtml

• NEVER use generators indoors or in a garage, carport or basement. Generators can produce large amounts of carbon monoxide that can build up to dangerous levels in minutes. Keep your generator outdoors and well away from windows, doors and air intakes. For proper use of a generator take a look at this video – http://emd.wa.gov/preparedness/videos/video_generatorsafety.shtml

• Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, camper, or any enclosed space.

• Always open flues when fireplaces are in use.

• Do not use ovens and gas ranges to heat your home.

• Do not use unvented gas or kerosene space heaters in enclosed spaces.

• Install battery-powered CO detectors in your home.

• Read product directions for other important safety information.

How to Recognize CO Poisoning

• Exposure to CO can cause loss of consciousness and death. The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO poisoning before ever having symptoms.

• If CO poisoning is suspected, consult a health care professional right away.

For more information go to www.doh.wa.gov or www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm

Exposure to Prolonged Cold -- Know What Signs to Look for in Hypothermia

With extended exposure to low indoor temperatures, the very young and elderly are susceptible to hypothermia. A fact sheet (http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/generalfactsheets/hypothermia.htm ) by the Washington State Department of Health explains the signs of hypothermia and what action to take should hypothermia occur.

Food Safety -- Keep Foods Safe During Power Outages

Power outages can affect refrigeration and safe cooking practices. More than 250 diseases can be caused by bacteria found in contaminated raw or undercooked food, such as meat, milk, eggs, fish or shellfish. Proper storage and cooking of these foods can help prevent food-borne illness.

A fact sheet (http://www.doh.wa.gov/Topics/Foodpowr.htm ) by the Washington State Department of Health addresses food product safety.

Stay off the phone unless there is a critical need.

The State Enhanced 911 Office, in cooperation with local telephone carriers, reminds people across the state:

• To stay off the telephone unless you have a critical need to make a telephone call. Remember a FAX or a computer also uses a telephone line and its use may affect your ability to get immediate help in a life-threatening emergency.

• DO NOT call 9-1-1 unless you need an emergency response from police, fire or emergency medical personnel.

• If you experience other types of problems not related to these emergency services, call the appropriate telephone number for those services.

• DO NOT call 9-1-1 unnecessarily. 9-1-1 lines must be kept open for people who have a true emergency.

• If you pick up your telephone to make a call and do not hear dial tone, DO NOT HANG UP. Simply wait a few seconds, and you will get dial tone and be able to make your call.

A few thousand customers of Peninsula Light Co. lost power overnight and this morning, but the outages have been remedied, utility spokesman Jonathan White said.

The outages were caused by “reclosures,” an advanced form of a circuit breaker that will interrupt power flow under certain conditions – including is something like a limb or heavy ice weighs down a power line. A reclosure in Gig Harbor and one near Kopachuck State Park both temporarily cut off power.

Crews also replaced a few transformers that were failing under the strain of heavy demand for power, White said.

Part of the morning chore of a weekend reporter is making cop calls – calling almost every police and fire department in our circulation zone.

From the folks I’ve talked to, it sounds like people across the South Sound stayed at home and out of danger from this storm. Police and fire dispatchers in Buckley, Orting, Puyallup, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Fife and Milton all report that it's been relatively quiet.

The power stayed on during the storm throughout Tacoma Power’s service area, utilities spokeswoman Chris Gleason said.

“We’re in good shape,” she said.

The utility has crews on standby; ice can still cause falling limbs that can snap power lines.

“We were freakishly prepared for this thing, and nothing tends to happen when you’re that prepared,” she added with a laugh.

Lake Tapps Parkway is open again to traffic, but Auburn city officials are urging residents to stay at home if possible.

Here’s the press release:

Crews were able to re-open Lake Tapps Parkway around 3 a.m., but all roads, especially hillsides and side streets will remain extremely dangerous due to freezing rain that fell for several hours beginning around midnight. Current conditions make travel within the city extremely dangerous. Officials are urging citizens to avoid travel at this time.

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Winter Weather Advisory which is in effect until 4 p.m. PST this afternoon. The Winter Storm Warning has been cancelled. Forecasts call for another 1 – 2 inches of snow today.

Street crews will continue to work on 12-hour shifts throughout the weekend to remove snow and ice. Six crews are operating 3 sand/plow trucks, 1 de-icer truck, and 1 dump truck. Additional crews have been called in to assist in the current response.

Information will be posted on the City of Auburn website at www.auburnwa.gov and critical information will be broadcast on AM 1700 within the city limits. Citizens should report hazardous conditions and requests for assistance by calling 911. Questions regarding power outages should be directed to Puget Sound Energy at 1-888-225-5773, Option 1.

Sea-Tac Airport is open and planes are taking off from both runways, but long delays have people sleeping in the airport, according to a press release.

Local hotel rooms are totally booked, and airport authorities are urging passengers to contact their airline and try to rebook their flight from home. And pack a meal if you come to the airport: The stores are running low on supplies because delivery trucks are having difficulties reaching Sea-Tac.

Tacoma police aren’t the only folks reporting a relatively quiet evening and early morning. Assistant Chief Faith Mueller of the Tacoma Fire Department said she hadn’t heard much at all about any destruction the storm might have wrought overnight.

“It’s been a quiet evening,” she said. “I think people have heeded advice and hunkered down at home.”

Power: Puget Sound Energy reports scattered power outages: 1,500-plus customers in Olympia, 1,000-1,500 in Tumwater, and 500-1,000 apiece in Lacey and Yelm. Click here for a map of PSE's outages.

Zoolights: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will be closed today due to weather conditions. Zoolights may reopen tonight. A decision about Zoolights will be made mid-afternoon and another update will be sent.

Aid: Volunteer members of the Pierce County Search & Rescue 4X4 unit stepped forward last night to drive medical personnel to work. Becky Anderson, president of the 4X4 group, said in a news release that they picked up over 90 health care workers from their homes and took them to work. When their shifts end, the 4X4 unit will provide return trips home. Anderson said they have picked up passengers from around Pierce County, in Federal Way, Auburn, and as far south as Thurston County. Click here for more information about the program.

Apparently the storm didn’t turn Tacoma’s streets into a scene from Mad Max. Officer Bill Budinich at the Tacoma Police Department dispatch center, said the roads are better than expected -- especially as rising temperatures or turning much of the snow and ice into mush.

“It’s not bad at all,” he said. “Right now, it’s pretty quiet.”

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is closed today because of the weather. Zoolights is also closed.

Reports from readers across the South Sound are beginning to come in. We want to hear what happened in your neighborhood. E-mail newstips@thenewstribune.com or call 253-597-8688 with the latest.

Here’s from Michele LaFontaine in Steilacoom:

As an avid cross-country skier, I couldn't resist the chance to get out and strap on my skies last night. We had about 3½ inches by 6 p.m. - enough for my skis but barely deep enough for my poles. I skied around Steilacoom for over an hour enjoying the beauty and silence as the snow fell (weird to see snow right up to the saltwater waves on the beach at Saltar's Point!), and the rare opportunity to see all the Christmas lights through a veil of falling snow.

And here is a report from Don Richardson in University Place:

Very quiet in University Place. No traffic yet, people staying home. Three to four inches of snow last night, now about 5 inches on undisturbed ground. What happened to the Great Storm that was forecast for last night? There was absolutely no wind here all night!

The Washington State Department of Transportation reports that two right lanes are blocked on Interstate 5 northbound at Pacific Avenue (Mile Post 133 to 134) in Tacoma due to an accident. The accident occurred about 7:30 a.m. and the lanes are expected to be open by 9 a.m.

The National Weather Service in Seattle issued early this morning a winter advisory for snow which will be in effect until 4 p.m. today. The earlier blizzard warning was canceled.

A winter weather advisory for snow means that periods of snow will make travel difficult.

Periods of snow will continue today in the Cascades with another three to nine inches of new snow falling by late this afternoon, according to the Weather Service. Gusty east winds that will range up to 30-plus mph in the passes and communities in the foothills will decrease later this morning as a front reaches the Cascades.

There is still an avalanche warning in effect for the mountains. It was issued at noon Saturday.

STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL CARRY A FRONT TO THE OLYMPICS AND
CASCADES SUNDAY MORNING. THIS SHOULD CAUSE INCREASING WINDS...
INCREASING MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AND A SLIGHT WARMING TREND
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. THIS SHOULD CAUSE NEW BUILDING
LAYERS OF UNSTABLE SNOW AND AN AVALANCHE CYCLE SATURDAY NIGHT AND
SUNDAY MORNING.

BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL NEAR AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED ON
SUNDAY. REMEMBER THAT BACK COUNTRY CONDITIONS WILL ALSO BE FOUND IN
UNOPENED SKI AREAS SUCH AS ALPENTAL. THIS STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED
AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

PLEASE VISIT www.NWAC.US FOR DETAILS.

BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ELEVATION AND
GEOGRAPHIC DISTINCTIONS ARE APPROXIMATE AND THAT A TRANSITION
ZONE BETWEEN DANGERS EXISTS. REMEMBER THERE ARE AVALANCHE SAFE
AREAS IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING ALL LEVELS OF AVALANCHE DANGER.
CONTACT LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN YOUR AREA OF INTEREST FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION.

NWAC WEATHER DATA AND FORECASTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY CALLING
206-526-6677 FOR WASHINGTON OR 503-808-2400 FOR THE MT. HOOD AREA OR
BY VISITING OUR WEB SITE AT www.NWAC.US.

The Washington State Department reports this morning that a landslide has closed Highway 165 one mile south of the Carbon River Bridge in the vicinity of the Fairfax Forest Preserve in East Pierce County. WSDOT crews were enroute about 7 a.m. to assess the situation.

Freezing temperatures, light rain and last night's snowfall in the Midland area has produced a quarter-inch layer of ice on top of the six-inch accumulation. Instead of the silence of soft snow, each step in the snow is a noisy crunch as your shoes break through the ice. But it is still a winter wonderland.
Let's hear the snow report from your neighborhoods. Add a comment to the Lights and Siren blog.

A couple of shelters have closed to due lack of need -- here's the latest list as of 7:30 p.m.

The Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church
7700 Skansie Blvd. in Gig Harbor

Buckley Community Center
127 N. River Dr. in Buckley

Sunrise Baptist Church
12115 Shaw Rd. E. in Puyallup

Key Peninsula Community Church
17015 9th St. KPN in Lakebay

Key Peninsula Lutheran Church
4213 Lackey Rd. in Lakebay

Welcome to the liveblog of the Dec. 20-21 winter storm. This is where I'll be posting the latest updates about conditions, power outages and storm-related events throughout the evening.

As the storm hits, we'll be looking to readers to keep us updated on how conditions are changing throughout the South Sound. You can leave a comment here, call our tip line at 253-597-8688 or e-mail your observations and/or photos to TNT NewsTips.

What's coming for the Tacoma/Olympia area: Three to eight inches of snow, possibility of freezing rain or ice pellets, winds gusting up to 30 mph. For a more complete forecast, the National Weather Service in Seattle has set up a really cool audio slideshow briefing.

Update @ 9:48 p.m.: One last item, a hero story, before I head out. One reader braved the storm to bring his pregnant wife some ice cream.

Been out and about this night thanks to a pregnant wife wanting ice cream. The Fred Meyers on 19th is open. The roads 19th and 12th don't look too bad but have 4-5" of snow on them. The few people that we are out seemed to be taking it easy. The snow seems to be letting up and the wind picking up.

Good night all.

Update @ 9:40 p.m.: Barring a major turn of events, this will be the last update for tonight. I hope everyone stays warm and safe.

In my absence, you can still provide any vital updates in the comments section below.

Update @ 9:32 p.m.: Things are worse in the foothills. One of our tech guys just called in from Enumclaw. He said the lights had been flickering there for about the past hour and the wind was gusting pretty good.

Update @ 9:00 p.m.: I just got off the phone with meteorologist Michael McFarland of the National Weather Service in Seattle. According to him, there's a good chance that around here things are as bad now as they're going to get. Spotters have reported isolated gusts of up to 70 mph, but the strong wind warning is being changed to a winter storm warning in some areas. Hoquiam is seeing freezing rain, but for the most part the storm is too cold for that, he said. Snow should start tapering off around 2 or 3 a.m.

Update @ 8:58 p.m.: The state has activated its Emergency Operations Center.

CAMP MURRAY, WASH. - The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activated to a Phase III Saturday in preparation for supporting local jurisdictions as they respond to winter winds, snow and cold currently sweeping across the state. Washingtonians should consider the following preparedness actions:
*Stay home tonight and, as conditions permit, tomorrow.
*Listen to radio and television stations for local information and weather reports.

Update @ 8:40 p.m.: Reader Shannon sends this observation from University Place:

We enjoyed the Pacific Northwest Ballet Nutcakcer performance this afternoon and much to the delight of our six year old granddaughter, we left McCaw Hall and walked into a winter wonderland at Seattle Center. After a very long, yet uneventful drive on the freeway we found the most snowfall accumulation as we left Orchard and turned west on 40th. We live in University Place, where it is still snowing hard. Of course we had to park on top of our hill. I want to thank the thoughtful neighbor who provided the rope line along the hill. After slipping down the hill Thursday I was very happy to have something to grab on. The snowy hill is spectacular, very peaceful. I am looking forward to some amazing sledding tomorrow.

Update @ 8:34 p.m.: A downed power pole has closed Highway 410 in both directions at Munday Loss Road near Buckley. No information about whether the storm or a car caused the problem.

DATE/TIME: December 20, 2008, 8:25 p.m.
DESCRIPTION: Roadway closed in both directions due to a down power pole.
LOCATION: SR 410 milepost 20, at Mundy Loss Road near Buckley in Pierce County
START: December 20, 2008, 8:25 p.m.
Est. END: Unknown
OTHER: Puget Sound Energy is en route.

=> Read more!

An extra 10 Washington State Patrol troopers will be on the roads of Pierce and Thurston counties today as part of stepped up patrols for the holiday season.

The agency is putting more troops on the road Friday and Saturday nights throughout the month. They are targeting those nights because that's when most holiday parties are held, the State Patrol reported.

The troopers brought in to beef up staffing will work on overtime. They complement the troopers who are working their normal shifts. The troopers will focus on finding drunken drivers.

In Pierce and Thurston counties, an extra eight troopers were on the road Dec. 13. An additional 10 will be on the streets tonight and Dec. 27. Three extra troopers will work Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

In King County, troopers will be conducting DUI emphasis patrols throughout the season.

During last year's holiday season, there were 31 deaths caused by drunken drivers.

The State Patrol urges drivers to report impaired drivers. They also ask that you do not drive if you've been drinking.

This from Pierce County emergency officials:

In anticipation of tomorrow's severe storm, two Pierce County shelters have
already announced they will be opening at noon on Saturday. For people who
are nervous about riding out the storm in their own homes, the shelters will be
available.

The two shelters currently prepared to open tomorrow are located on the Key
Peninsula: Key Peninsula Community Church at 17015 9th St. KPN in
Lakebay, and Key Peninsula Lutheran Church at 4213 Lackey Rd. in Lakebay.

Information on other Pierce County shelter openings will be released as soon as
confirmed.
Pierce County Crisis Communications...
http://columbia.co.pierce.wa.us/crisiscom

FINAL: All lanes now open. Be careful out there.

UPDATE 2:
From DOT:

DATE/TIME: December 19, 2008, 8:35 p.m.
DESCRIPTION: The southbound lanes remain closed due to an earlier semi-truck collision. The northbound lanes are open to traffic.
LOCATION: Southbound SR 167/Bay Street at Grandview Street in Tacoma, near the Puyallup River
START: December 19, 2008, 4:40 p.m.
Est. END: Unknown
OTHER: WSDOT Incident Response and Tacoma Police are on scene. The semi-truck and debris from the collision have been cleared. Maintenance crews are dispatched to the scene to treat the roadway for ice before reopening. Southbound traffic continues to turned around at Grandview Street; no detour is available.

UPDATE:
This from DOT:

DATE/TIME: December 19, 2008, 6:35 p.m.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-truck collision blocks both southbound lanes. The northbound lane is reopened.
LOCATION: Southbound SR 167 at Bay Street in Tacoma, near the Puyallup River
START: December 19, 2008, 4:40 p.m.
Est. END: Unknown
OTHER: WSDOT Incident Response, Tacoma Police and tow are on scene. Southbound traffic is being turned around at Grandview Street; no detour available.

OLD STUFF: State transportation officials are reporting that one of the southbound lanes of River Road near Bay Street is blocked by a collision involving a tractor-trailer.

A tow truck is en route, but the lane may be close for up to an hour.

From the folks in the Emergency Operations Center:

Due to the National Weather Service declaring a blizzard warning for the foothills
and a winter storm warning for the rest of Pierce County, citizens are being
asked to shelter in place beginning tomorrow at 2 pm. Because of the high
winds also forecast, there is also a strong potential for power outages.

In response to the severe storm predicted this weekend, the Pierce County
Emergency Operations Center is activating Saturday at 2 pm.

Sheltering in place means preparing your family and home to ride out the storm -
making sure emergency supplies are ready in case of loss of electricity.
Supplies include extra food and water, flashlights, radio, batteries, alternative
heating sources, extra blankets, first aid kit. Do NOT bring generators, grills, or
propane heaters inside, because of potential carbon monoxide poisoning.

This comes from TNT reporter Mike Archbold:

The annual Senior Holiday Party scheduled for Saturday at Pioneer Park Pavilion has been canceled.

The Puyallup Recreation Center was closed at noon Friday but will be open Saturday. It will be closed Sunday.

For updated City of Puyallup information, go to www.cityofpuyallup.org.

Officials at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium have decided to close Zoolights for tonight because of the weather.

Fort Lewis officials plan to resume normal activities Saturday at the base.

There will be normal staffing for regularly scheduled weekend activities and services.

"Military personnel should continue to follow any updated instructions issued by their chain of command," Fort Lewis reported this afternoon. "Civilian employees who are unsure of what time they should report for duty should contact their supervisors for instructions."

Personnel are encouraged to monitor the Fort Lewis Public Website or the Fort Lewis Hot Line at (967-1733) for any updates or changes.

Staff members at Madigan Army Medical Center should follow the guidance of their chain of command.

-end-

I should have put this up hours ago, but it's still interesting.

Here's a look at snow totals - in inches - through Thursday evening as reported by the National Weather Service:

1 W OLYMPIA 9
6 SW OLYMPIA 7.5
FEDERAL WAY 6.5
RAINIER 6
OLYMPIA 6
TUMWATER 5
5 SSE BETHEL 4
LACEY 4
12 E SHELTON 3.5
3 WNW FREDRICKSON 3
2 NNE PUYALLUP 3
SEATTLE TACOMA AIRPORT 3
AUBURN 2
1 ENE FORT LEWIS 2
NWS SEATTLE 2
SHELTON 2

A full summary can be found here.

Another snowstorm will wallop most of western Washington beginning Saturday afternoon.

Meteorologists are calling this storm dangerous and even life threatening given the blizzard-like conditions, freezing rain and high winds that it will bring.

"We do have a very dangerous winter storm that is headed toward western Washington," said Brad Colman of the National Weather Service. "This will be a major winter storm."

The Tacoma area could see some snowfall and possibly freezing rain by Saturday night. If you have shopping or errands to do, get it wrapped up before nightfall, Colman advised.

Tacoma Power is already warning residents to be prepared for power outages.

The new storm will be developing over the Pacific Ocean tonight and will start to move ashore Saturday. Snowfall will start in the Olympics by early afternoon, the Cascades by late afternoon and the Puget Sound region by late afternoon or early evening.

Forecasters are predicting blizzard conditions in the Olympics and Cascade mountains.

The Kitsap Peninsula and Hood Canal could see the heaviest amounts of snow, with 6 to 12 inches possible. The western Strait of Juan De Fuca and the North Coast could also see 6 to 15 inches.

"There will be a rapid drop off in snow accumulation as you move east and north of the central Puget Sound," the National Weather Service reported.

Sustained winds of 50 mph, with gusts up to 75 mph, are anticipated for Buckley, Enumclaw, Black Diamond and other areas in the Cascade foothills, Colman said. Those winds will start to kick up by early afternoon and will pick up throughout the evening.

The strong winds and gusts "would undoubtedly lead to" potential structural damage, downed trees, closed roads and power outages, Colman said.

These areas should receive little snow.

"Whereever the winds drop, the snow should pick up," Colman said.

Other parts of the Puget Sound region could see winds between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph.

Tacoma Power is asking is customers to take a few precautions, including:

· Charge cell phones and keep a corded phone handy. Most portable phones lose their signal when the power goes out and cell phone coverage can come and go.

· Keep flashlights and candles in multiple places around the house for easy access.

· Have a battery-operated or wind-up radio available. Listen for power outage updates.

If the power goes out, report outages to Tacoma Power at (253) 502-8602.

In addition, Tacoma Power advises:

· Never use barbecues indoors for cooking or heating.

· Carefully follow generator instructions to ensure proper use. Improperly connected generators create safety hazards inside and outside the home and present dangers to line electricians working on the electrical system.

· Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed and stock up on non-perishable foods.

· Never assume a downed power line is dead. Stay as far away from a downed line as possible, and keep children and pets at a safe distance. Write down the location of the downed line and immediately call Tacoma Power at (253) 502-8602. Crews will make repairs as soon as possible.

Twenty law enforcement officers from throughout Pierce County will be looking for drunken drivers in Lakewood on Saturday night.

They are partnering up for a monthly DUI emphasis sponsored by the Tacoma-Pierce County DUI Task Force. They'll be assisted this time by Pierce County tow truck drivers.

The tow truck drivers will be taking part in the annual Tacoma-Pierce County Tow and Go program.

"Any drinking drivers who have not made plans for a safe ride home will discover that the task force has made plans for them," said Bonney Lake Police Chief Mike Mitchell, who chairs the Tacoma-Pierce County DUI Task Force.

The Holiday Tow and Go program, a partnership between the local DUI Task Force and the Pierce County Towers Association, will be in effect through New Year's Day.

Here's how the program works: Bartenders at any of the county's 600 bars and taverns can call one of 16 tow companies when a patron needs a ride home. The tow is free.

"Initially, we thought the downturn in the economy might prevent some of the tow companies from participating," said Bill Sullivan, owner of Liberty Towing, in a press release. "But the towers dug deeper into their pockets to make this program happen. In fact, we have more towers participating this
year than last."

The participating tow companies are: Burn's, Bill's, Gene's, Tacoma, Lakewood, Western, Automotive, Emerald, Bline, J & J, Lucky, A-1, Puyallup, Engle's, Bay View and Liberty.

KIRO-TV

In these screen grabs from a DOT traffic camera, top, and the KIRO-TV helicopter, two charter buses can be seen hanging over the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 at Denny Way in Seattle.

One bus crashed through a retaining wall above the freeway. The front end is several feet over the freeway.

From TV reports, there are no major injuries, though one person is reported to have been taken to Harborview. The buses appear to be stable positions, Seattle fire officials report.

The two right lanes of northbound I-5 are closed to keep freeway drivers safe while crews remove the buses.

UPDATE: Our news partners, KIRO TV, is reporting the two tour buses collided at Melrose Avenue East and East Thomas Street.

A Northwest Trailways bus crashed through the guardrail and was hanging over the freeway.

"Angela Maxie said her daughter Nicole was on a Northwestern Trailways tour bus that was hanging over I-5," KIRO reported. "Maxie said her daughter is in shock because she had to climb out of the bus through glass as it was hanging over the freeway."

Maxie told KIRO the tour bus was filled with people coming home from a Job Corps trip.

UPDATE 2: The two northbound lanes remain blocked.

The northbound backup is one mile, the southbound backup is three.

If you have children and are looking for something to do, the Children's Museum of Tacoma reports it is open for business.

The museum opened late (at 11 a.m.), but it is open.

Watch those pipes.

This from Tacoma Water.

Tacoma Water encourages its customers to protect their home’s pipes and help prevent breaks during cold weather. As temperatures drop, improperly insulated water pipes can freeze, rupture and potentially cause damage. People can try to avoid costly breaks by following these tips:

1. During the night, let hot and cold water trickle from faucets on fixtures with plumbing located on walls on the perimeter of your home.

2. Wrap outside faucets with UL-approved heat tape, rags, newspaper or other insulating material. Cover them with plastic and secure with string, wire or rubber band.

3. Wrap pipes in crawl space located near air vents.

4. Open cabinet doors to allow more heat to reach pipes beneath sinks or appliances near outer walls.

5. Disconnect garden hoses, and shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets.

6. Keep the heat on and set thermostats to no lower than 55° F.

7. Prevent freezing while away by asking someone to check your home or office daily to ensure heat remains on, or drain and shut off the water system (except indoor fire sprinkler systems).

8. Locate and know where your main water shut-off valve to your home is in case of emergency. The valve is commonly found in the basement, the garage or outdoors near the foundation.

Dealing with frozen pipe
A pipe may be frozen if you don’t get water from the tap. If only one tap in your home is without water, the problem probably is within your home. If your home is totally without water, the problem could be at the water meter or with the property side pipe to your home.

Call a plumber. NEVER USE AN OPEN FLAME OR ELECTRICAL DEVICE TO THAW FROZEN PIPES. These methods can cause fire or electric shock.

What to do if a water pipe breaks
Turn-off the main property side water shut-off valve to your home immediately if your water pipe breaks. If you can’t shut off the water to your home, call Tacoma Water and our crews will shut off the meter as soon as we can. You are responsible for protecting water pipes from freezing and for repairing broken pipes on your property. Call a plumber for repairs.

Emergency water utility service
If you lose all water service during a freezing period and suspect the problem is at your meter call (253) 502-8384.

Tow truck companies call them “winch outs” and there were plenty of them Thursday afternoon and evening and into the wee hours this morning as snow and cold combined for a slippery evening commute.

Waits for a tow trucks grew steadily from a more normal twenty minutes to two and three hours in some cases.

"We had drivers running all night long," said Robin Hunt, a dispatcher with Lakewood Towing. "And I'm still catching up from yesterday on calls we took last night."

While most of the calls were minor with cars in ditches or up against an ice barrier, she said there was one older gentleman in a ditch who was blocking the road off Union Avenue at South 29th Street.

"Three other cars hit his car," she said. "The driver there took two hours trying to dig him out." No one was hurt, she added.

Hunt said calls took their truck north to Seattle and south to Tenino. Even one of their trucks needed to be winched out, she said.

Tow truck drivers were the heroes of the day. Their approaching flashing lights signaling rescue to stranded motorists.

"One woman told the driver she loved him," she said.

After 7 p.m., Gibbon & Sons towing in Tillicum would only take emergency calls, said manager Linda Osborne.

"We were extremely busy," she said.

The wait on a call grew from an hour to three hours as the night wore on. The worst area for calls, she said, was University Place.

"It's not too bad this morning," she said of the call volume.

Justin Kemp with Fife Towing said their call volume quadrupled Thursday and drivers were working 12-15 even 20 hours.

"Most were winch-outs," he said.

One family in Federal Way was stuck up against an icy barrier and couldn’t move. The family included a 3-week-old baby, he said.

Fife Towing did send a large Class C tow truck south past Nisqually for a jackknifed tractor trailer.

"It took four hours to get there," Kemp said.

Mike Myers, owner of Gene's Towing in Lakewood, said the normal daily peak time expanded from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"We had just about everything," he said, including a fuel truck that tipped over in Eatonville, a firetruck in Tacoma and a stuck school bus.

"It's just very dangerous," he said.

Myers said that judging by the traffic this morning, people were heeding warnings and staying home. Injury accidents were few, which is "good," he said.

While it may seem like snow and ice mean more money for tow companies, Myers said the tow trucks can't get anywhere quickly themselves.

"Just slow down and be very careful," he advised drivers. "If you got chains, use them."

Or just don't drive, he added.

Pierce County and several agencies are checking on the homeless in these frigid temperatures.

Pierce County sheriff's deputies checked all of the known homeless camps in unincorporated Pierce County this week and found all empty expect one. The campers refused to leave and were equipped with kerosene, food and blankets, the county reported.

There are indoor options available in Tacoma at the Tacoma Rescue Mission and the Martin Luther King Jr. Shelter.

Homeless families can go to one of five shelters during the day. Shelters like South Sound Outreach Services offer vouchers, funded by Associated Ministries, for motel rooms. The mission has vouchers for families available at at night.

The homeless in Puyallup and the East Pierce County area have two options.

Singles can go to "Freezing Nights." Under the program, a handful of churches take turns each night providing a place to sleep. Upwards of 35 people stayed at the Church of the Nazarene in Puyallup on Tuesday night, the county reported. Anyone interested in the program must go to the Puyallup Police Department. Officers will take people to the hosting church.

The other option is "Open Hearths Ministry," which helps families by providing vouchers for motels.

And one more thing from the county:

Anyone who would like to donate blankets, coats, jackets, hats, gloves and other warm clothes can drop off the items at the Associated Ministries who distributes the goods between the homeless shelters. The Associated Ministries office is located at 1224 S. "I" St. in Tacoma.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has closed its offices at 12500 Tukila International Blvd. in Seattle and at 920 West Riverside, Room 691, Spokane.

King County is closing some offices and reducing the hours of others today.

King County Council
District Courts
Superior Court

The Department of Development and Environmental Services is closed today as the department begins its new Monday through Thursday work schedule. It is closed on Fridays.

All Public Health Seattle-King County sites outside of the Seattle downtown core will be delayed in opening until 10 a.m. Jail Health, King County Medical Examiner's Office, and King County Medic One are all operating normally.
If conditions change, updates will be posted online: http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health.aspx

King County’s Cottage Lake Community Service Center at 19145 NE Woodinville-Duvall Rd. in Woodinville is closed due to weather conditions. A list of other centers and available services are posted here http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/csc.aspx/ and will be updated as conditions change.

King County’s Houghton Transfer Station at 11724 NE 60th St. in Kirkland is closed due the weather conditions. The next closest facility is in Factoria at 13800 SE 32nd St. All other solid waste facilities are operating normally. Updates will be posted on the King County Transfer Station page (http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/transfer.asp).

King County Parks facilities are also being impacted by the weather. The King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Evergreen Pool in North Highline, and the White Center Teen Center at Steve Cox Memorial Park are closed today due to the weather.

The King County Animal Care and Control shelters in Bellevue and Kent are open but weather conditions are limiting where and how quickly officers can respond to animal-related calls out in the field. Residents should only call the Animal Care and Control Call Center (206-296-PETS) if they have a priority call: ones defined as a person or animal being attacked or severely bitten by an animal, an injured animal, or calls about animals being left outside exposed to the elements and without protection, fresh water and food.

Add Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium to the list of closed businesses today.

Zoolights may open tonight after closing last night because of the snowy conditions. Staff members will decide whether to open for the holiday light display by mid-afternoon.

Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass, both in downtown Tacoma, and all branches of the Pierce County libraries and Tacoma Public Library are closed today because of the icy roads.

The Museum of Glass plans to reopen at 10 a.m. Saturday. Check the museum's Web site for more information and updates.

All Pierce County Library System branches are closed.

In Tacoma, the main library and all branches shut their doors at 12:30 p.m. Thursday because of the inclement weather. The libraries remain closed today.

The library asks patrons to check its Web site for any further closure information.

The roads are relatively quiet throughout Pierce and Thurston counties this morning.

Dispatchers from several law enforcement agencies report compact snow and ice on the streets.

And little traffic.

Most drivers appear to staying inside for now. No major roads are closed at the moment and no major accidents have been reported.

"We haven't had a whole lot" of commuters, a Washington State Patrol dispatcher in Tacoma said just after 7 a.m.

Law enforcement agencies are encouraging drivers to stay off the roads unless they absolutely need to go somewhere.

"It's really quiet," an Orting dispatcher said. "It's pretty icky out."

"Nothing going on," a Puyallup police dispatcher said.

And she meant that literally.

Sea-Tac Airport is open this morning and flight delays are minimal (15 minutes or less), according to the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center.

All Port of Seattle offices also are open but may be operating on limited schedules. All port employees are encouraged to assess their commute options and consider working from home or delaying their arrival.

"Non-essential" employees also are encouraged to stay home, according to the port's Web site.

Before heading to Sea-Tac, check your flight here.

Students at Holy Family School in Lacey can stay home today.

The school is closed because of the weather.

Thursday afternoon and night proved to be especially challenging for drivers trying to get home in Pierce County.

The snow fell hard during the late afternoon, coating the main roadways as drivers inched toward their destinations. Along Interstate 5, some drivers pulled over to chain up in the middle of the white mess.

Off-ramps quickly iced up and gave some drivers headaches, to put it mildly. We've heard reports that some stuck drivers waited hours for a tow truck to help them out.

What's your commute story?

Here's mine: I left the Wright Park area at 3:53 p.m. with my two young boys.

We averaged about 5 mph on southbound Interstate 5 and a heavenly 20 mph on Highway 512 (we got through before the road was closed because of the ice).

We got off on Canyon Road at 5:16 p.m. and that's where the real problems started. Southbound Canyon was a parking lot south of 128th Street.

We moved an inch or two every few minutes as the snow continued to fall. More than an hour later, my husband reported cars were turning around at the 176th Street intersection (where we needed to turn as well). Luckily, we were right at the light at 144th Street and I was able to turn left at the light and get out of that nightmare.

We weaved our way to the house from there without any major issues. The side streets between Meridian and Canyon were covered with compact snow but pleasantly passable given what we were just dealing with. (An exception would be the big hill on 160th - it sounds like drivers were turning around before trying that one.)

We reached our Frederickson-area home, plowing into a driveway covered with several inches of fresh snow, at 7:01 p.m. The boys even got to play in the snow - and eat a couple of handfuls of flakes - for a few minutes.

They deserved it after that drive home.

Here's the most recent list of King County road closures.

In this morning's paper, we reported the extensive list of school closures for today.

Here's a look at the area colleges as of 6:10 a.m.:

Closed: Bates Technical College, Clover Park Technical College, Green River Community College, Pierce College, Saint Martin's University's Lacey, Fort Lewis and McChord campuses, South Puget Sound Community College, Tacoma Community College, The Evergreen State College in Olympia and University of Washington Tacoma.

10 a.m. start: Pacific Lutheran University.

University of Puget Sound: As of this morning, the college is open and operating on its normal schedule, according to the closure information line.

University of Washington's Seattle campus: According to its Web site, the main campus is operating on a normal schedule.

Pierce Transit buses will be out on the roads today but some might be delayed or rerouted.

Metro Transit, meanwhile, has scaled back it's bus service in King County. About half of the buses are on the road this morning because of the icy roads.

Metro Transit and Sound Transit in King County temporarily suspended bus service Thursday because of the snow and ice conditions.

Passengers are asked to dress warmly and be prepared to wait.

To check on which Pierce Transit routes are affected by the weather, go here.

Pierce Transit riders can also call customer service at 253-581-8000 for the latest information and SHUTTLE riders can call 253-581-8100 for the most recent route and service information.

Pierce Transit will return buses to their regular routes on a route-by-routes basis as the weather allows.

As reported in this morning's paper, all local school districts are closed today.

All Pierce County government offices also will be closed because of the dangerous road conditions. Only public safety and other essential staff will be reporting for duties.

Fire crews from four fire agencies fought to put out a house fire east of Buckley on Thursday.

A passerby noticed smoke coming from a two-story home at the cornet of 96th Street East and 263rd Avenue East before noon. The homeowner was able to escape safely, but it took more than 30 firefighters from East Pierce Fire and Rescue and the Orting, Enumclaw and Buckley fire departments to put it out.

Four water tenders were needed to put out the fire. Crews said snowy weather and a lack of water hindered efforts to put out the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

WSDOT photo.

Highway 167 at Highway 410 in Puyallup is still closed, and crews hope to have the roadway open shortly. But it is unclear what "shortly" will be.

Crews closed down the highway at milepost seven because the road was too icy for anyone to drive on.

The state Department of Transportation sent sand trucks, and spokeswoman Karri Workman said they are sending more trucks to the area to try and clear it up so traffic can resume. But right now there is a massive backup with no movement.

Washington State Patrol crews are still trying to clean up a few collisions that were remnants of dozens of collisions near Fort Lewis.

Patrol officers said there were "numerous" collisions beginning when the snow began to fall, including multiple semi trucks and passenger cars. One person was treated for injuries, but their condition is not known. Collisions dotted Interstate 5 all day, but the area around Fort Lewis has seen the most collisions on the icy freeway.

Traffic is still blocked up in the area, and although the area is more clear than it was just a few hours ago, drivers can still expect extensive delays.

The icy driving conditions that have cars sliding across the roads tonight will stick around, and that means a treacherous commute for drivers in the morning.

Lane closures and collisions have caused long backups on Interstate 5 and highway 512, meaning a tough night for state Department of Transportation crews.

"It's a tough night for our crews and for drivers, " WSDOT Olympic Region Administrator Kevin Dayton said in a news release. "We're doing our best to sand and de-ice, but it's a slow battle right now."

King County road crews are focusing on plowing and sanding major arterials, bridges, overpasses and steep hills in preparation for the commute.

Roads are being closed across the area now not just because cars are blocking them, crews are closing roads because they are simply too icy to drive on.

Highway 167 near Sumner and Highway 512 near Meridian Road in Puyallup are both closed this evening because they are too dangerous to drive on because of ice. The state Department of Transportation is sending sanding trucks to give drivers some traction and try to open the roads.

Following the trend of the week, McChord Air Force Base is announcing a delay again.

There will be a two hour delay for non-essential personnel for tomorrow.

If shoppers aren't yet deterred by the snow and ice on the roads, here's another reason to put off shopping tonight.

Westfield Southcenter mall in Tukwila will close at 6 p.m. today because of the weather. The mall should reopen at 8 a.m. on Friday.

Up-to-date information is available by calling (206) 246-0423.

Pierce Transit said customers can expect delayed, rerouted or cancelled service tonight as emergency operations continue.

Currently all routes are on snow detour. A list of affected routes and changes can be found at http://www.piercetransit.org or by calling (253) 581-8000. Pierce Transift SHUTTLE riders can call (253) 581-8100.

Passengers should dress warmly and be prepared for the changes in service.

Two disabled semi trucks are blocking the right and center lanes of northbound Interstate 5 near 38th Street.

This crash is just the most recent of many that have blocked highway lanes across the area, and one of multiple incidents involving semi trucks.

Washington State Patrol is on scene and directing traffic. Backup is extending two miles back to 72nd Street, and expect it to climb as the evening commute begins.

Joe Conway Elder, 91, pleaded not guilty today to shooting his caregiver to death in a University Place assisted-living facility earlier this year.

Conway (seen here in a TNT file photo) was arrested and charged immediately following the Sept. 16 shooting death of Ramoncito Barro, 39.

But his arraignment was put off until today after questions arose about whether he is legally competent to stand trial.

Conway suffers from dementia and a possible delusional disorder. He spent nearly a month being evaluated at Western State Hospital following his arrest and was subject to a two-day competency hearing earlier this month.

Superior Court Judge James Orlando eventually ruled that Conway is competent and ordered the case against him to move forward.

Lights & Siren learned today that Orlando also delayed Conway's trial until June to give his defense attorney time to consider appealing the competency ruling and also to prepare an insanity defense.

The storm hasn't had a dramatic effect on traffic at SeaTac Airport, with the newly opened third runway letting traffic flow without many delays.

Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said airplanes have been able to alternate runways while crews remove the snow that accumulates. There have been moderate delays, because it takes 30 to 40 minutes to clear one of the runways. But considering the storm, SeaTac has fared well, Cooper said.

There has also been enough deicer to take care the aircraft on the ground, he said. Crews expect traffic to continue to flow smoothly through the rest of the evening based on weather forecasts.

A blown hydrant is spewing water three feet into the air, and causing a massive river going down the street at North 29th Street and North Pine Street.

Officials on the emergency radio said the stream looks to be about 18 feet wide. Tacoma Fire Assistant Chief Dan Crotty said water is mixing with sediment and sending brown water out into the street.

Officials called for utility help to clean it up before the river of water becomes a sheet of ice on the street.

All Tacoma, Puyallup, Eatonville, Franklin Pierce and University Place public schools will be closed on Friday.

The districts announced closures this afternoon because of weather conditions. All activities are canceled for both school districts.

A list of closed school districts is available at http://www.schoolreport.org

Pierce County government offices closed at 3 p.m. today because of the weather.

County Executive John W. Ladenburg ordered the offices to close to help the county's 3,400 employees get home safely, a county announcement stated. The early closure affected all non-essential employees.

A build-up of ice at the Purdy, Prairie Ridge and Key Center solid waste transfer stations has closed operations for the rest of today.

Ice took over the driveways and customer receiving areas, making it too treacherous for customers to make it in.

Purdy Transfer Station, at 144th Street NW and 54th Ave. NW, and Prairie Ridge Transfer Station, at Prairie Ridge Drive East and South Prairie Road, will both open at 9 a.m. Friday, conditions permitting.

The Key Center Transfer Station, at the 5900 block of the Longbranch Highway, will decide in the morning whether to open.

Crews have cleared all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 at Maytown Road in Thurston County.

Earlier today a multi-vehicle collision, which included semi trucks, blocked all lanes. Still, motorists can expect significant delays due to weather and backup of traffic.

The state Department of Transportation said this afternoon that its highest priority is clearing Highway 302 in Pierce County and southbound Interstate 5 in south Thurston County.

"We have more than 1,000 people working around the clock, with 450 trucks out on the road clearing close to 20,000 highway miles," WSDOT Secretary Paula Hammond said in a news release.

The DOT is reminding drivers to take it slow and be prepared for your trip.

Before heading out, call 511 or visit http://wsdot.wa.gov to see what the conditions are where you will be driving.

"We need driver's help," Hammond said. "Your route will most likely have snow, but the amount and severity could change. We need drivers to prepare for winter driving conditions."

Collisions continue to block lanes of highways across the area, just in time for the afternoon commute.

A multiple-vehicle collision is blocking all lanes of highway 900 at South 135th Street in Renton. And two jack-knifed trailers are complete blocking 140th Street at Tilley Road in Olympia, already a detour for a collision blocking Interstate 5.

Also, a four-car collision is holding up traffic on both sides of highway 16 in Tacoma, but officials on the scanner didn't say where.

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is closing its door for a week because of the expected bad weather.

The park will be closed Friday through Christmas Day.

That means the Santa breakfasts scheduled for Saturday and Sunday are canceled. Refunds will be provided to anyone with reservations, the park reported.

The park is scheduled to be open every day between Dec., 26 and Jan. 4.

Pierce County offices will close early today so the county's 3,400 employees can get home safely.

The 3 p.m. closure impacts all non-essential personnel, Executive John Ladenburg announced.

In addition, the county is shutting down Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park for the night.

The Purdy Transfer Station, located at 144th Street Northwest and 54th Avenue Northwest, was closed at 1:30 p.m. after a buildup of ice on the driveways and customer receiving areas.

The station will reopen at 9 a.m. Friday, weather permitting.

Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will again be closed tonight because of the weather.

The zoo was closed earlier this week because of the conditions.

King County is starting to close down offices. Here's a press release from the county:

Several King County government offices are adjusting operating hours in response to snow, ice and difficult road conditions.

All King County District Court locations will close at 2:30 p.m. today. All cases scheduled for Redmond, Bellevue and Issaquah will be automatically rescheduled and written notice will be sent to all parties. The court website (http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/districtCourt.aspx) will be updated as conditions change.
Public Health Seattle-King County will be closing all non-priority sites early:

· As of 1 p.m., the Eastgate Public Health Center and Black River Public Health site in Renton are closed.

· All other Public Health sites and programs regardless of what building they are in, except priority functions, will be closing at 3 p.m. today. This includes all Public Health clinics and the Chinook Building. Priority sites that will remain in operation include Jail Health, King County Medical Examiner's Office, and King County Medic One.

Additionally tomorrow all Public Health functions and facilities except priority functions will open at 10 a.m. Updates will be posted online: http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health.aspx

The Department of Development and Environmental Services closed today at 1pm and will be closed tomorrow as the department begins its new Monday through Thursday work schedule. It is closed Fridays.

King County’s Houghton Transfer Station at 11724 NE 60th St. in Kirkland has been closed due severe winter weather conditions and customers are being diverted to the Factoria site at 13800 SE 32nd St. All other solid waste facilities will close at 4 p.m. today, Thursday, Dec. 18. Weather permitting, all transfer stations are tentatively scheduled to reopen at 6:15 a.m., Dec. 19. Updates will be posted on the King County Transfer Station page (http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/transfer.asp).

Cars have been sliding off the road and crashing into each other, the agency reported. The winter weather has brought snowy and icy roads and poor visibility, the Washington State Patrol reported.

State Route 302 at eastbound State Route 16 remains closed near Purdy after several crashes occurred. A State Patrol sergeant's car has been hit twice as the sergeant investigated the crashes.

The highway could be closed for another two hours, the state Department of Transportation reported at 2 p.m.

Southbound Interstate 5 at Maytown Road in Thurston County remains closed after more than 20 collisions along a eight-mile stretch of highway. None have resulted in serious injuries, troopers reported.

"The roadways in this area are covered with snow and ice and visibility is poor," trooper Brandy Kessler reported.

Drivers are being diverted off I-5 at exit 95. It is not known how long the highway will be shut down.

With nighttime approaching, the State Patrol strongly urges drivers to stay home and avoid traveling.

"If you are uncomfortable driving in the ice and snow or your vehicle is not equipped to handle these conditions, please do not drive or find other means of transportation; carpool, bus, train, etc.," Kessler said. "Thank you in advance for assisting the WSP in keeping our citizens safe on the roadways."

Tacoma police crews are keeping busy this afternoon.

They were on scene of a serious accident between a Pierce Transit bus and carat East 40th and McKinley Avenue, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. An occupant of the car, which crossed the center line and the bus head-on, suffered a broken leg.

The area around the crash was blocked off for the investigation.

Also, a patrol officer's car was struck while he was out investigating another accident at Sixth Avenue and Jackson Avenue, Fulghum said.

The officer was not injured. Barricades were requested for that accident investigation.

Steilacoom High School has canceled it's winter concert for tonight because of the weather.

On top of everything else, crews from four fire departments are fighting a raging fire at a two-story home in a rural area between Bonney Lake and Buckley, East Pierce Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Russ McCallion said shortly before 1 p.m.

No one was injured and at least one occupant safely evacuated herself and called 911 to report the fire, McCallion said. He didn’t know whether anyone else was in the home when the fire began.

Firefighters from East Pierce got mutual aid help from the Buckley, Enumclaw and Orting fire departments to battle what McCallion called “a very stubborn house fire” in the area of 96th Street East and 263rd Avenue East.

Between 25 and 35 firefighters were on the scene.

Extinguishing the flames is a difficult task because there’s no hydrant nearby and crews are shuttling water with tenders that hold 2,000 to 3,000 gallons each, McCallion said.

He expects firefighters to be working on the fire for some time and to remain at the scene for mop up operations for hours after that.

The cause of the fire is not known at the moment, and there’s no damage estimate yet.

Fire investigators are on the scene.

Officials in King County are asking residents to stay put unless they need to drive for essential business.

Here's a press release from the county:

King County motorists are being urged to limit non-essential travel as much as possible as county crews work to sand major roadways in unincorporated areas, while Metro Transit reports severely impacted transit service countywide and in surrounding areas today.

Currently, snow continues to fall in many areas of the county, and road conditions are not improving. Metro is encountering significant disruptions and is significantly delayed everywhere by both the weather and traffic conditions. Metro will be focusing on core service until weather and road conditions improve, which means almost all bus service will be significantly limited heading into the afternoon commute. Those who do need to travel by bus should expect significant delays.

The morning’s snow fell on icy roadways in many hills and side streets in outlying areas of Seattle and King County. In response, King County’s Road Services Division has about 50 pieces of snow removal equipment working the region, 25 tons of salt and about 8,000 cubic yards of sand to battle the snow and ice.

Public Health Seattle-King County medical clinics are operating but services are limited due to staffing challenges. Morning appointments at Eastgate Public Health Center have been cancelled and residents should call ahead to other clinics to determine service availability through the day. Numbers and updates are available here.

Ex-Pierce County Sheriff candidate Robert "The Traveller" Hill (a.k.a Jesse Hill) was arrested this morning by Fife Police on suspicion of trespassing, obstruction and resisting arrest.

According to Fife Lt. Tom Thompson: Hill showed up at Fife Towing and demanded to get belongings out of a car that had already been auctioned. The car didn't belong to Hill, it belonged to a friend of his -- a friend who was arrested last month trying to bring a loaded gun registered to Hill's mother into the County-City Building.

Hill was denied access to the car, but went into the holding lot anyhow. The towing company called police.

When they showed up, Hill wouldn't tell officers who he was and wouldn't obey the officers' commands, at one point flopping down on the ground to prevent being handcuffed, Thompson said.

"The officers didn't recognize him," he said. "But when I arrived at the scene, I immediately knew who it was."

It wasn't entirely clear what Hill was after.

"Everyone was concerned about why he was willing to go to jail for whatever was in the car," Thompson said.

In the trunk of the car, police found a pellet gun with a hunting scope that looked very much like a real rifle.

Hill is well known for bringing fake guns to public meetings and places. He was arrested last month for allegedly pointing a replica gun at a courthouse security guard. (Hill tried to buy a real gun earlier this year, but was denied due to "mental health" reasons, according to a police report.)

Sources also tell The News Tribune Hill recently showed up at a Pierce County Democratic Central Committee meeting armed with a baseball bat, which caused some concern. (The Melon has a few more details.)

The Museum of Glass is limiting its programs today because of the bad weather.

The Museum, galleries, store and cafe are open but the Hot Shop and Studio are closed.

The Museum will not be open for tonight's Third Thursday Artwork.

Today's admission price is $4.

The Museum plans to reopen at 10 a.m. Friday with full programming. Go here for updates.

Tacoma may have gotten a respite from the snowy weather today, but parts of the Peninsula are getting their share of the white stuff.

Starting around the Borgen Boulevard-Burnham Drive Northwest area and heading north, snow was pummeling drivers on Highway 16.

By 11 a.m., cars coming from Highway 302 in Purdy were pulling to the side of the road because they were spinning out their tires. The commute from there to Tacoma was almost 40 minutes, a lag time reminiscent of the days before the second Narrows Bridge opened.

Just past the Pierce-Kitsap County line, traffic on Highway 16 slowed to between 20 and 30 miles per hour.

In Port Orchard and Bremerton, few cars could be seen on the streets as schools and business closed. Drivers brave enough to venture onto the street were slip-sliding all the way to their destinations.

But once drivers headed eastbound on Highway 16 reached the Olympic Drive Northwest exit in Gig Harbor, the snow virtually disappeared.

Must be the Gig Harbor-Tacoma rain shadow effect.

(Submitted to Lights & Sirens by News Tribune staff writer Brent Champaco)

The National Weather Service has compiled a list of snow accumulations throughout western Washington as of 9:30 a.m. today. Weather spotters and the National Weather Service's observers helped build the list.

The list includes only the most significant reports from each county. Most of the snow fell Wednesday through this morning.

The highest snow totals have been reported on Snoqualmie Pass (25 inches), Concrete in Skagit County (21 inches) and Arlington in Snohomish County (23 inches).

Here's a look at the reported snow totals for King, Pierce and Thurston counties.

Pierce County
Steilacoom: 1
Tacoma: 1

King County
Ravensdale: 4
Bellevue: 3
Redmond: 3
Woodinville: 6

Thurston County
Rochester: 6
Olympia: 6
6SW Olympia: 7.5
Tumwater: 5
Lacey: 4
Little Rock: 9

New snow amounts in the mountains
Mt. Baker: 17
Steven Pass: 15
Snoqualmie Pass: 25
Paradise: 18
White Pass: 19
Hurricane Ridge: 17

Tacoma police have arrested two young men suspected of donning ski masks and robbing an apartment resident Wednesday night.

The men, 25- and 27-year-old Edgewood residents, were booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery. Both are scheduled to make their first court appearance this afternoon.

According to police, two men entered an apartment in the 600 block of South Trafton Street shortly after 9 p.m. They wore ski masks and gloves and stole an undisclosed amount of property.

A next-door neighbor heard the commotion and called 911 to report a robbery-in-progress, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The first officer on the scene spotted one of the robbers coming out of the victim's apartment. The robber tried to flee but was quickly taken into custody, Fulghum said.

Meanwhile, the second robber left the apartment and ran off. An alert witness in the neighborhood spotted the robber hiding and reported his location to officers. The second robber was taken into custody without further incident, Fulghum said.

Officers found some stolen property. The two suspects were positively identified as the robbers.

Investigators do not believe the victim was randomly targeted.

Pierce County's Public Works and Utilities department wants to remind kids and adults to stay off frozen ponds and lakes.

"Ice may appear solid but can be thin around stormwater pipes and over air pockets formed by fluctuating water levels," officials wrote in a press release. "In this area ice often isn't sufficiently strong to withstand even a small person's weight."

There area hundreds of small ponds throughout the county. Pierce County owns and maintains more than 440 ponds. Just as many are privately owned.

Most of Pierce County's ponds are fenced and marked with "No Trespassing" signs. Some private ponds are not secured.

If someone falls through the ice, call 911 immediately.

The roads are slick this morning. It's more treacherous this morning than Wednesday.

It's particularly bad on neighborhoods streets and hills.

Dispatchers in Puyallup, Orting and Sumner reported icy roads this morning. Many drivers are staying home and few accidents have occurred, they said.

In Tacoma, police officers were handling a few more weather-related crashes this morning than yesterday. No serious injuries have been reported, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The Washington State Patrol reports the roads are bad in the Olympia-area again today. There is compact snow and ice. Several crashes have been reported in several spots, mostly along Interstate 5. The Tacoma-area highways is largely bare and wet.

U.S. Highway 101 is shut down in Port Angeles because of several crashes. Troopers were on the scene and DOT crews were en route.

The Seattle area is also dealing with horrendous driving conditions. Transportation officials shut down State Route 520 this morning because of multiple spin-out crashes west of Marymoor Park near Redmond.

The commute is clogged along Interstate 90 as well.

Drivers were advised to avoid the area.

The state Department of Transportation is asking drivers to check their commute routes before heading out today.

Stay off the roads if you can. But if you must venture out please check your entire commute.

If it's nice in your neighborhood, it may not be as nice at your destination. Check the roads you will travel for collisions, delays, abandoned vehicles. We are shifting trucks and crews to the areas where conditions are worst. If you are on the road, please make room for our trucks.

If you find yourself on the road and you do not want to travel any farther, consider getting off the freeway entirely or move to the right side. Please do not stop in the travel lanes or on the left shoulder. It prevents our road crews from getting through and it prevents emergency vehicles from accessing true emergencies. They need that left lane.

Thank you for your continued help. We are working as quickly as we can to get our goods in good condition. You can help by driving for conditions and remaining prepared for all types of winter weather.

Updates can be found on the WSDOT website, King County Website and the city of Seattle winter storm website.

Pierce Transit buses are operating this morning but some might be delayed or rerouted because of the slick roads.

"Service on all routes may be running slower than usual due to road and weather conditions," the agency reported this morning. "Service may return to regular routing on a route-by-route basis as conditions allow."

Here's a few ways to check on your routes:

* On the Web here.

* Call Pierce Transit's hotline at 253-984-8155 or call a customer service representative at 253-581-8000.

* Pierce Transit SHUTTLE riders are urged to call 253-581-8100 to get the latest information on their routes.

Pierce Transient urges passengers to dress warmly and be prepared for delays.

This from the Army post:

"For Dec. 18th, Only mission critical personnel report before 10 a.m. All others report after 10 a.m."

A little bit more:

"Madigan Army Medical Center personnel should confirm arrival and departure times through their own supervisory and chain of command channels."

Another round of snow fell overnight and is prompting more school delays and closures.

Here's a look at the list as of 9:45 a.m. Please note that this list changes and has changed several times already this morning. Check back for updates.

PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Closed: Auburn, Bethel, Dieringer, Eatonville, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Fife, Franklin Pierce, Kent, North Thurston, Olympia, Orting, Peninsula, Puyallup, Sumner, University Place, White River and Yelm.

Two hours late: Clover Park, Steilacoom and Tacoma. All afterschool activities and athletics are canceled in Tacoma.

One hour late: Carbonado.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Two hours late: Annie Wright School, Charles Wright Academy, First Presbyterian Church School, Life Christian School & Academy, Muckleshoot Tribal Schools, St. Charles Borromeo School, St. Frances Cabrini School, St. Patrick School.

Closed: All Saints School, Bellarmine Preparatory School, Brooklake Christian School, Cascade Christian Schools, Chief Leschi Schools, Christian Faith School, Concordia Lutheran School, Covenant High School, Faith Lutheran School (Lacey), Gig Harbor Academy/Our School, Heritage Christian School, Holy Family School (Auburn), Holy Rosary School, Lakewood Lutheran School, Lighthouse Christian School, New Hope Christian School, Northwest Christian School, Puget Sound Christian School, Rainier Christian Schools, St. Nicholas Catholic School, St. Vincent de Paul School, Tacoma Baptist School, Visitation Catholic School.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Bates Technical College: 2 hours late.

Clover Park Technical and Pierce College: 10 a.m. start.

Saint Martin's University: Lacey, McChord and Fort Lewis campuses are closed.

South Puget Sound Community College: Olympia campus closed.

Tacoma Community College: 10 a.m. start.

The Evergreen State College: Delayed start.

For the latest updates and more details about transportation and program changes, go here.

WSDOT image of rollover on Interstate 5 at SR 16.

As the temperature continues to fall, crashes begin to block roads and highways across the South Sound.

Within about 10 minutes, Tacoma emergency dispatch announced two rollover collisions. One, a non-injury, single-car rollover at Interstate 5 northbound at highway 16. Shortly after, the call came in of a semi-truck rolling on Interstate 5 at 38th street, entangling six cars and blocking the highway.

Neither appear to have caused any injuries, but they are blocking lanes and reminding drivers of the dangerous, icy conditions on the roads.

Photo courtesy of Kent Fire Department.

A fire in Kent displaced the family of a Kent Fire Department employee this afternoon.

Kent and Valley Regional Fire Authority firefighters arrived to the 10200 block of SE 270 Place in Kent at about 1:15 p.m. with flames burning about half of the home. A mother and her infant daughter were able to flee the house and two other adult residents were not home. Firefighters were able to contain the fire in about a half an hour, with it fully extinguished in about an hour and a half.

The Red Cross is working with the family, and the Kent Firefighters Foundation is helping out because one of the residents is an employee of Kent Fire.

Fire officials do not know the cause of the fire and there is no dollar estimate yet.

Here's the weather outlook for tonight and tomorrow.

The National Weather Service forecast for Tacoma calls for rain and snow showers tonight. Those showers will turn to snow after 10 p.m.

On Thursday, there will be a 40 percent chance of snow. Up to an inch of new snow accumulation is possible. It will be mostly cloudy with a high near 31.

At night, the temperatures could dip to 20.

Late last month, Rocky McGallian walked away from a car wreck at a Tacoma intersection, complaining of a headache but seemingly OK.

Tacoma police treated the incident as a simple two-car crash and cleared the scene, according to court records.

The case got complicated when the 53-year-old man later died at a local hospital, apparently of a head injury sustained in the crash.

Now, the driver of the car he was riding in – Lisa Ann Conway – is charged with vehicular homicide in his death. She's pleaded not guilty and is being held in jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

The wreck occurred about 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 30 at Mildred and 12th (View Map).

Witnesses said Conway, 42, was south on Mildred when she ran a red light and collided with another car.

McGallian, who was one of Conway's backseat passengers, twice hit his head against a rear window, according to court documents.

One of Conway's other passengers told police that medics dispatched to the scene examined McGallian before clearing him to go home, the documents state.

"Other witnesses say McGallian simply walked away from the scene and went home," the documents state.

In any event, friends and relatives found him unconscious on the floor later that morning, and he was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where he died.

Police were notified of the death on Dec. 2 and began an investigation.

They tracked down Conway at a Fife motel about a week later, according to court records.

She admitted being involved in the Nov. 30 wreck.

Conway told detectives she was "not paying attention to the light" at 12th as she drove south on Mildred that morning. When someone in the car told her it was red, she said she "sped up to get through the intersection," according to court records.

Conway also told police she "drinks approximately half a gallon of vodka a day" but denied drinking the day of the wreck, the court records state.

"She said she drank the night before until about 11 p.m. and got up around 9 a.m.," according to the court records. "She also said she takes prescription medications but denied they had any warnings about being mixed with alcohol."

Pierce County prosecutors charged her on Friday.

Conway, who has at least three drug-related convictions in Pierce County, is next scheduled in court Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing.

A Parkland 56-year-old woman who was reported missing last week has been found safe and returned home.

Gwen Craig was discovered in a shelter out of the area on Tuesday, Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. She was reportedly fine.

Search and crews launched a search for Craig on Thursday afternoon in her Parkland neighborhood. She had last been seen Wednesday morning.

Rescuers worried about her because she wasn't dressed for the cold weather and was without her medications.

The South Tacoma Neighborhood Council has canceled its meeting scheduled for tonight.

"It was an easy decision since the community center is closed all day due to snow," Skip Vaughn wrote in an e-mail. "Our next general meeting will be on January 21st."

Fort Lewis and Madigan Army Medical Center officials have canceled operations today because of the snow and icy conditions.

Only those men and women designated as "mission critical" will remain on duty.

"All training and routine operations are suspended for today," the base announced this morning. "Supervisors will institute a phased release to minimize the impact on already-bad road conditions. Commanders who desire to keep personnel other than those designated as Mission Essential or Critical must receive the 1st Corps Commanding General's approval. Road conditions are currently RED and will likely become worse."

At Madigan, medical appointments will be canceled. Patients who had appointments today should contact their primary care clinic and reschedule. Patients who have appointments Thursday should also contact their primary care clinic or TRICARE Appointment Center at 1-800-404-4506 to confirm appointment.

A minimal amount of staff will be at the hospital today.

There will be a reception honoring departing Superior Court Judge Sergio Armijo today.

The reception begins at 4 p.m at the County-City Building, Room 123.

Refreshments will be served.

Armijo (seen here) served on the bench for 15 years before losing his re-election bid to Tacoma lawyer Michael Hecht this year.

Slick roads and the possibility of a big dump of snow today prompted school officials in several South Sound school districts to cancel school today.

Tacoma schools leaders made their decision around 5 this morning. They notified families and staff members in the 29,000-student school system by telephone, posted a notice on the district Web site and put information out to the media, spokeswoman Stacy Flores said.

"The decision was based on student safety, weather forecast and potential impact on road conditions," she added.

Across the Sound, Peninsula schools Superintendent Terry Bouck and three other staff members made a circuit of the sprawling district beginning at about 3:15 a.m., Bouck said.

"There were some spots that were OK, spots that were compact snow and ice," he added. Peninsula schools leaders also conferred with South Kitsap, Tacoma and other area districts to see what their conditions were and how they responded to the weather.

After deciding around 5 a.m. to call school off for the day in the 9,200-student district, Peninsula also utilized a telephone recording service to notify parents and employees.

"We just felt it was the right call for the safety of students and staff," Bouck said.

School officials around the Sound are particularly hesitant to open school, bus kids to class and later be forced to take them home in the middle of the day when weather worsens. That poses potential hazards for buses on the roads and problems notifying parents that students are being released early, Bouck said.

In Puyallup, the same kind of snow-here, no-snow-there conditions brought about the school-closure decision, spokeswoman Karen Hansen said. The forecast for more snow falling through the day also was a factor, she added.

There are varied types of topography in the 21,500-student district. This morning, there was little snow in the Puyallup Valley but enough to make roads hazardous on the South Hill, Hansen said.

The snow was so spotty, there was about an inch at her home and little at her office a couple miles away, she added.

Clover Park schools officials surveyed the roads in the Lakewood area and decided on a two-hour late start around 4:30 a.m. and notified families and staff members, spokeswoman Kim Prentice said. The message stressed that if weather and road conditions worsened, the operation of school might change, she added.

Indeed, Clover Park officials reversed their decision and went to a full-day closure shortly before 6 a.m. after the district's transportation director reported increasing snow and "very slippery" roads, Prentice said.

That generated another round of phone calls to ensure the district's 12,000 students plus staff members got the word.

It's tough for schools officials to make closure decisions when the weather varies significantly from area to area and there's no clear indication the night before of how bad conditions might be, she and others said.

But their paramount concern is student safety, officials in the Tacoma, Peninsula, Clover Park, Puyallup and Bethel school districts said.

In the Spanaway-based Bethel School District, officials made the closure call between 4:30 and 4:40 a.m., spokeswoman Krista Carlson said.

With a forecast of more bad weather on the horizon, Superintendent Tom Seigel wanted to "err on the side of caution," Carlson added.

Bethel officials also were worried about how they could get students home in tough weather conditions if the storm worsened during the day.

Puget Sound's sometimes erratic weather often makes it difficult for schools officials to give parents a lot of notice about school closures and delays, Prentice said.

They were lucky Sunday and Monday nights when they knew roads were icy and temperatures were below freezing, she added. That made it relatively easy to let students and staff members know the night before that school would be delayed by two hours Monday and Tuesday, Prentice said.

(Submitted to Lights & Sirens by Kris Sherman)

One of our reporters has been out and about, looking for kids and adults playing in the snow.

He ran into some kids on the 61st Street East hill.

Where are some other safe sledding areas in Pierce County?

Let us know and we'll have Mike check them out.

If you're sitting at home, looking outside the conditions may appear worse than they are.

Most of the main roads throughout the area are bare and wet. That's the report from local police dispatchers and News Tribune staffers who walked in the door.

Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum reports there have been no real issues on the city's streets.

There have been snow flurries throughout the region at different times.

Big fat flakes are falling en mass outside The News Tribune building right now. However, the snow does not appear to be sticking to the roads.

As we've been reporting, the worst spot appears to be in the Olympia area. Snohomish County also appears to be getting more snow than we are here.

Light snow dusts this suburban street at North Mountain View Avenue and 6th Avenue in Tacoma. Similar side street conditions were reported in Gig Harbor and University Place. The main arterials and highways are currently clear, Tuesday, December 17, 2008. (Drew Perine/The News Tribune)

The National Weather Service has a new tool to track rain and snow totals.

And it involves you - volunteers in the community who are willing to report amount of precipitation in your backyard.

Washington is one of 32 states that comprise the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network, or CoCoRaHS for short.

Go here to find out more about the network.

Find the snow level reports for today here.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is closed today because of the weather.

Zoolights also will shut down for the night.

The Olympia-Lacey area appears to have taken the brunt of the bad weather during the overnight snow storm.

There are reports of compact snow and ice on Interstate 5 through northern Thurston County. Wind gusts also were reported, making for hazardous driving conditions.

A Washington State Patrol dispatcher for Pierce and Thurston counties reports most of the problems during this morning's commute have been concentrated in the greater Olympia area. (The highways in Pierce County, by contrast, are bare and wet.)

One Thurston County dispatcher said it's worse today than any previous day this week.

8:45 a.m. UPDATE: Here's a list of road closures from the City of Olympia. These roads were closed because of snow and ice as of 8:30 a.m.

4th at Rogers
4th at Sherman
5th at Sherman
4th at Olympia Way
Sherman and Garfield
Brawne and Rogers
Brawne and Foote
Brawne and Sherman
Brawne and West Bay
Raft Hill
Elliott Avenue
Crest Line Boulevard
San Francisco and Quince (the entire hill is closing)
Berry and Nilas
Berry and E. Bay Drive
Bigelow and Eastside
7th at McCormick and Central
10th at Fir Street and Central

City crews work first on hills, curves, bridges and intersections on primary streets to allow access to main services and to help provide access for Fire, Police and emergency services. When primary routes are treated and safe for travel, snow plows then move to secondary routes.

Tacoma Power notes that this month's cold snap could put a strain on its electrical system -- and your power bill.

The utility issued a news release urging customers to be "cautious" in their use of power, particularly during peak times from 6:30 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

“Although Tacoma Power’s system can meet immediate needs, we are relying on our customers to be proactive to avoid potential problems on our electrical system,” said Tacoma Power Superintendent Gary Armfield. “A couple of simple measures at home could significantly reduce the threat of outages on our system because of high demand.”

Tacoma Power says customers can help reduce energy use by:

* Setting thermostats to no higher than 68 degrees when at home, and 65 degrees at night and while away during the day. For longer absences, customers should set thermostats at 55 degrees.

* Limiting the amount of power they use at peak times.

* Turning off lights in unoccupied rooms.

* Unplugging non-essential appliances and other electronic devices when not in use.

* Considering turning off holiday lighting – indoors and out - during peak times.

Throughout Pierce County, 26 snow plows, two road graders and six anti-icer trucks are working to clear the roads for morning commuters.

Road crews are working a.m. and p.m. shifts to provide round-the-clock coverage.

Bruce Wagner, Pierce County road operations division manager, reports that temperatures are staying around the freezing mark, depending on the location.

"We are experiencing intermittent snow flurries county-wide, heavy at times," Wagner wrote in an e-mail. "Most county arterials and collectors range from bare and wet to light snow coverage. Our crews were able to pre-treat most priority roads with anti-icer before the snow began to fall, which is paying dividends now by preventing the snow/ice from bonding with pavements."

The weather forecast calls for continued snowfall throughout the day. The heaviest accumulations could be in the eastern and southern parts of Pierce County.

"We are told to expect snowfall to taper off this evening and temps will again drop well below freezing through Friday," Wagner wrote. "There is another potential for lowland snow this weekend."

A handful of Pierce County employers are allowing employees to report late for work today.

Fort Lewis military and civilian personnel who are not designated as mission essential or critical can show up for work up to two hours late. Those personnel should report no later than 10 a.m.

Staff at Madigan Army Medical Center should confirm their arrival and departure times through their supervisors and chain of commands.

In addition, non-mission essential personnel at McChord Air Force Base can report two hours late.

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg has declared today an inclement weather day. This allows employees up to an hour of excused and compensated tardiness at the beginning of their morning work shifts.

NOTE: County offices are open normal hours. There's also no change to court calendars.

Snow blanketed the South Sound overnight.

According to television traffic reports, the highways are looking OK. Most are bare and wet. The exception is Olympia, where there is snow on Interstate 5 and more treacherous driving.

The weather is canceling classes for some students and delaying the start of the school day for others.

Here's the latest list. Please note that the list continues to grow and change as the morning progresses and more snow falls. Check back for updates.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Closed: Bethel School District, Chief Leschi Schools, Clover Park School District, Eatonville School District, Enumclaw School District, Federal Way School District, Fife School District, Franklin Pierce School District, North Thurston School District, Olympia School District, Orting School District, Peninsula School District, Puyallup School District, Steilacoom School District, Sumner School District, Tacoma School District, University Place School District, White River School District, Yelm Community Schools.

Two hours late: Auburn School District, Kent School District.

In the Dieringer School District, elementary schools are two hours late and middle schools also have a late start.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Closed: All Saints School, Puyallup; Annie Wright School, Tacoma; Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma; Brooklake Christian School, Federal Way; Cascade Christian Schools, Puyallup; Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma; Gig Harbor Academy/Our School, Gig Harbor; Heritage Christian School, University Place; Holy Rosary School, Tacoma; Life Christian School & Academy, Tacoma; New Hope Christian School, Graham; St. Charles Borromeo School, Tacoma; St. Frances Cabrini School, Lakewood; St. Nicholas Catholic School, Gig Harbor; St. Patrick School, Tacoma; St. Vincent de Paul School, Federal Way; Tacoma Baptist School, Tacoma; Visitation Catholic School, Tacoma.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Pierce College: Two hours late; 10 a.m. start.

Saint Martin's University: Lacey, Fort Lewis and McChord campuses are closed.

South Puget Sound Community College: Olympia campus is closed.

For the latest school information, click here.

A broken water pipe displaced six people at an apartment complex for seniors in Auburn.

A water pipe in the attic of Auburn Court Apartments, 102 10th St. NE, burst after freezing at about 2:30 this afternoon. Firefighters shut off the system and used a vacuum to clear the units of water.

The Valley Regional Fire Authority said damage was "extensive" and that tenants won't be able to return for awhile. The Senior Housing Assistance Group is finding temporary housing for the residents.

State transportation crews are gearing up for another round of winter weather.

A snow storm is expected to blow over western Washington starting tonight.

In preparation, transportation crews have replenished the deicer and sand/salt mixes and serviced and restocked the trucks and plows. Crews tasked to remove the snow and ice will be on-duty and patrolling the roads 24 hours a day, the agency reported this afternoon.

In addition, the DOT will keep the Interstate 5 and Interstate 90 express lanes open round-the-clock through at least Wednesday night.

Transportation officials advise drivers to:

Drive for conditions

Allow extra time to reach your destination

Drive at slower speeds and increase stopping distance

Check your route before you go at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/ call 511, or 1-800-695-ROAD for updated conditions

Give plows the right of way

Remain with their vehicles at all times

Students at Weyerhaeuser Elementary School will have a day off tomorrow.

The Eatonville School District has canceled Wednesday's classes at the school because of frozen pipes.

A 20-year-old Pierce County murder case is headed toward trial, and things aren't looking good for the defendants.

Superior Court Judge Kitty-Ann van Doorninck ruled today that the statements Renee Curtiss and her brother Nicholas Notaro gave to law enforcement officers during interviews earlier this year are admissible at trial.

Notaro allegedly confessed to shooting Joseph Tarricone in the back of the head back in 1978, and Curtiss admitted she helped cut up Tarricone's body with a chain saw and bury it in the yard of a Summit-area residence where she once lived with her mother.

Both Curtiss and Notaro are charged with first-degree murder in Tarricone's death. They've pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors contend that Curtiss convinced her brother to kill Tarricone because the victim had been persistent in pursuing a romantic relationship with her, even after she broke it off.

Their attorneys argued during a suppression hearing that police detectives used inappropriately deceptive interrogation techniques to get the information.

Defense attorney Mary K. High, who represents Notaro, told van Doorninck at a hearing this morning that sheriff's detectives led her client "down the primrose path," illegally lulling him into a sense of security before threatening to blame his sister for the killing.

Notaro is very protective of his sister and allegedly confessed his part in the crime only after that threat was made, High said.

"There's the leverage," she argued.

Gary Clower, who represents Curtiss, said detectives also used illegally deceptive tactics to convince his client to talk.

At one point, detectives told her the statute of limitations had run out on a rendering criminal assistance charge, Clower said. They never told her she also was under investigation for murder, he argued.

They hinted with their statements that Curtiss didn't really need a lawyer while she talked to them, Clower added.

"The import of what they told Ms. Curtiss was that you are not subject to any legal jeopardy here," Clower said.

Deputy prosecutor Dawn Farina submitted an extensive brief on the subject in which she argued that detectives were within their rights when they interrogated Curtiss and Notaro and that the defendants' statements should be admitted.

Van Doorninck agreed.

The judge said both defendants were apprised of their Miranda rights to lawyers and to remain silent before their interviews with police.

She also said police have no duty to stop at every point along the way to remind criminal suspects "of the legal ramifications" of what they say.

Police also are allowed to lie to criminal suspects in order to get information, van Doorninck said.

"I see nothing inappropriate or over the line," she said.

Notaro is scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 9, Curtiss on March 16.

My original story on the case follows:

=> Read more!

Pierce County prosecutors filed attempted murder, robbery and assault charges against three men Monday in connection with a home invasion-style robbery last week.

Court documents provide the following account:

Several men went into a home in the 1100 block of South 96th Street just before 10:30 p.m. Friday.

They were armed with guns. Five people inside the home went to or were herded into a bedroom. The robbers shot one man in the arm. The others were reportedly stripped of their clothing and ordered to lie on the floor.

The suspects then demanded to know where "the money" was and the injured resident directed them to a nightstand. The robbers took the victim's computer and wallet, which contained $1,500 cash.

The robbers then fled.

The victim was taken to a local hospital. The bullet passed through his arm and into his chest. He was expected to survive his injuries.

Deputies spotted a car in the area. Inside were three men who matched the general descriptions of at least some of the robbers. Deputies conducted a traffic stop.

Witnesses identified the three men as being involved in the robbery.

"Additional investigation is ongoing related to the suspects still at large," court documents state.

Pierce County prosecutors have filed vehicular assault charges against a 45-year-old man suspected in a two-car, head-on crash last week on River Road.

Michiel Todd Rider was arraigned Monday on one count of vehicular assault. He remains in Pierce County Jail this morning in lieu of $20,000 cash or bail bond.

Court documents provide the following account:

The crash occurred just before 9:30 p.m. Dec. 8 on River Road, about a mile southeast of Interstate 5.

Based on evidence at the scene and witnesses accounts, troopers believe Rider's pickup truck swerved into oncoming lanes and struck the front of a Nissan Sentra. Both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles.

The other driver was critically injured.

Meanwhile, investigators could smell the odor of intoxicants coming from Rider. His eyes were bloodshot and watery. He reported he had had a couple of beers at a Puyallup bar and was on his way to his brother's home in Gig Harbor.

Paramedics drew Rider's blood at the scene for testing. Those results are not yet available.

A State Patrol detective went to the Puyallup bar on Thursday and talked with the owner. The owner reported she'd served Rider a pitcher of beer at 5:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the victim driver was on a ventilator and has undergone two surgeries. She has a compound fracture of her left femur, fractured right femur, shattered right eye socket, shattered right cheek, skull fracture, damage to her right vertebral artery and an intercranial hemorrhage.

The list is considerably shorter than Monday. Here you go ...

One hour late:

Enumclaw School District: Limited bus transportation.

Visitation Catholic School, Tacoma: Classes begin at 9:30 a.m. Extended care is on time. No half-day pre-kindergarten.

Two hours late:

Auburn School District: Limited bus transportation. No a.m. kindergarten or preschool and no a.m. or p.m. Head Start.

Chief Leschi Schools.

Clover Park School District: No out-of-district transportation. No half-day kindergarten, a.m. or p.m. preschool, a.m. or p.m. ECEAP and no a.m. Head Start.

Dieringer School District.

Federal Way School District: Buses will be on regular routes. There will be no a.m. kindergarten, a.m. preschool, a.m. shuttles, a.m. or p.m. HDST, a.m. or p.m. ECEAP, a.m. or p.m. ELO, a.m. or p.m. Puget Sound Skills, activity buses, elementary breakfast Programs or out-of-district transportation.

Fife School District: No a.m. preschool.

Gig Harbor Academy/Our School: Child care opens at 6:30 a.m.

Kent School District: Limited bus transportation. No a.m. kindergarten or preschool.

Peninsula School District: No preschool or ECEAP. Buses will be on regular routes but there will be no out-of-district transportation.

Rainier Christian Schools: 10 a.m. start.

Steilacoom School District: No morning kindergarten, a.m. or p.m. preschool and no out-of-district transportation.

St. Nicholas Catholic School, Gig Harbor.

On time but with other changes:

Olympia School District: The Summit Lake and Cedar Flats ares will be on emergency bus routes.

Orting School District: School is on time but buses are on emergency snow routes.

University Place School District: All schools will be on normal schedules. However, there will be no out-of-district transportation. Buses will be on their normal routes.

Tacoma Police are looking for two men who allegedly pepper sprayed and pistol whipped residents of an apartment during a robbery this afternoon.

Tacoma Police spokesman Mark Fulghum said police responded to an apartment at 4002 S. 12th Street, which is a residence above a business, at about 4 p.m. A preliminary report does not state what was stolen and officers are investigating.

The two suspects where white males who were wearing masks. They reportedly came into the apartment through an unsecured front door and assaulted three individuals inside the apartment.

When officers responded to a car vs. pole crash on the corner of McKinley Avenue and East D Street, they came just in time for the light pole to crash on the car, with the bulb smashing a push bar on the police cruiser.

The driver, who was sitting on the street when the crash happened, allegedly stole the 1986 blue Honda Civic and was driving too fast when he smashed into the pole shortly before 4 p.m. today. Tacoma Police spokesman Mark Fulghum said passersby helped the man out of the car, which was lucky, because the large pole totaled the stolen car.

The Civic was reported stolen two days ago in Tacoma.

A reader sent in this "what was that?" regarding police activity Sunday.

There was a lot of police activity yesterday in the Pine Villa Townhomes on the 4300 block of Pine in Tacoma. I was just wondering if you knew anything about it?

Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum provided this answer.

It was a domestic assault. The male half assaulted the female half and she called the police. The male half shot himself before officers arrived. He is deceased and she went to the hospital for treatment.

The state Department of Transportation has closed State Route 410 at Chinook Pass for the winter season.

The agency announced the closure this afternoon. They've also closed State Route 123 at Cayuse Pass and State Route 20 the North Cascades Highway until the spring. Transportation officials closed State Route 504 last week for the winter season.

"After reviewing this past weekend’s snowfall accumulations and the forecast for more snow starting on Wednesday, WSDOT maintenance crews and avalanche forecasters agreed that the avalanche risk is too great to keep these seasonal highways open," the agency reported in a press release.

Transportation crews have closed the gates of State Route 410 at Morse Creek and at Crystal Mountain Boulevard. Skiers can still access the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort from State Route 410.

State Route 123 (Cayuse Pass) is closed within Mount Rainier National Park from the Cayuse Pass summit at the junction of State Route 410 and State Route 123 to Steven Canyon Road.

The three passes are closed every year for the winter because of the high avalanche risk and hazardous driving conditions.

"The combination of avalanche danger, mountainous terrain, lack of cell phone service, inclement weather, and the low number of vehicles, make driving these passes in the winter a potentially hazardous endeavor," the press release states. "If drivers get stranded, it could be many hours before anyone could find them, which could be dangerous in winter conditions."

In the past 24 hours, five families in the south Puget Sound region have been devastated by house fires.

American Red Cross volunteers are helping 19 people from those families with emergency assistance. The fires occurred in Tacoma, Lakebay, Lacey and Hoquiam.

In light of the fires, the Red Cross wants to remind families about help prevent holiday home fires.

Here are some tips from the local Red Cross.

· Keep all holiday decorations, trees, and wreaths at least 3 feet from candles, heat vents, fireplaces, portable heaters and radiators and other heat sources.

· Inspect holiday lights and decorations each year for frayed wires, bare spots, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear. Follow manufacturer's instructions for their use. Do not use anything with frayed electrical cords.

· Avoid overloading electrical outlets by not linking more than three light strands.

· Use decorations that are flame-resistant or flame-retardant.

· Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.

· Walk around the home unplugging holiday lights (including tree lights) and extinguishing candles before leaving the room or going to bed.

· Remember that lit candles are fire. Never use lit candles to decorate a tree.

· Place candles only where they cannot be reached or easily knocked over by children and pets.

· Make sure all stoves and ranges have been turned off when you leave the kitchen, and that ovens are turned off when you leave the house.

· Monitor your cooking at all times. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Turn handles of pots and pans on the stove inward to avoid accidents.

· Keep anything that can catch on fire — pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels or curtains, long sleeves and clothing — away from your stove top and other heat sources while cooking.

· Ensure that smoke alarms are installed outside of each sleeping area and on each level of your home. Use the test button on your smoke alarms to test them once a month and replace batteries once a year.

· Create or review your fire escape plan. Identify two escape routes from every room on your home and choose a convenient meeting place a safe distance from your home. Practice your escape plan at least twice a year with all family members.

With frigid temperatures in the forecast for the next couple of days, the Red Cross offers the following tips for keeping your pipes from freezing.

"Cold temperatures and frozen pipes may lead to house fires if residents attempt to thaw pipes using inappropriate heating sources because people may be unfamiliar with severe cold situations," a press release states. "Damage from frozen pipes can be costly, but avoidable if homeowners practice the following recommendations."

Cold Weather Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes.

· Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.

· Check around the home for other areas where water supply lines are located and are in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated. A hot water supply line can freeze just as a cold water supply line can freeze if the water is not running through the pipe and the water temperature in the pipe is cold.

· Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a "pipe sleeve" or installing UL-listed "heat tape," "heat cable," or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Many products are available at your local building supplies retailer. Pipes should be carefully wrapped, with ends butted tightly and joints wrapped with tape. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for installing and using these products. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes - even ¼" of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that usually do not have frequent or prolonged temperatures below freezing.

During Cold Weather, Take Preventive Action

· Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.

· Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.

· When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing.

· Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.

· If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.

Thawing Frozen Pipes

If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Locate the suspected frozen area of the water pipe. Likely places include pipes running against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.

· Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt more ice in the pipe.

· Apply heat to the section of pipe using towels soaked in hot water wrapped around the pipe, an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, or an electric hair dryer set (DO NOT use electrical devices if there is standing water).
NOTE: DO NOT use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device. A blowtorch can make water in a frozen pipe boil and cause the pipe to explode. All open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide.

· Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.

· Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.

Police dispatchers throughout Pierce County report few problems on the roadways this morning.

They said the side roads are slick but the main roads are OK. Some roads were even dry in Orting, one dispatcher said.

Puget Sound Energy crews are working to fix scattered power outages in south King County. Damage assessors were out, according to a 7:15 a.m. update.

Peninsula Light Co. reported a power outage Sunday morning in the South Point Fosdick area. The outage was caused by a car that crashed into a utility pole.

There is no new outage information.

Pierce County crews started working at midnight to get the roads ready for this morning commute.

The county will have road crews on duty around the clock until the snow and ice are no longer problems for drivers, said Bruce Wagner, Pierce County Road Operations division manager.

Over the weekend, Wagner reports there were no injuries, no equipment damaged and no breakdowns.

Here's his summary of the weekend:

The cold temps affected roads at lower elevations approx 12 hrs later than were originally forecast. Accumulating snowfall began above 1,000 ft Friday evening in the Elbe, Ashford, Greenwater and Fairfax areas.

These locations continued to receive accumulations through Fri night and most of Saturday — up to 12" at Crystal River Ranch/Greenwater. Though wet snow fell at lower elevations at times Saturday, most roads were not significantly affected until later Saturday evening. Conditions afforded our crews time to apply anti-icing liquids to most roads before the arctic air pushed the temps below freezing for the longer term.

Most areas of the county received light accumulations overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning. We received a moderate volume of calls for icy roads during Sunday morning's commute period. Roads above 500 ft were hit the hardest keeping our crews busy applying salt/sand to achieve bare pavements. Snowfall began again in central and west areas of the county at approximately 4 p.m. and continued until 7 p.m.

Pavement temps had dropped well below freezing by this time, so snow affected roads that had not been treated with salt.

Sunday night crews continued work to remove the remaining compact snow and ice in preparation for Monday's morning commute. A full shift contingent (26 plows; 7 anti-icer applicator trucks; 3 graders; 6 loader operators, and mechanics at each dispatch location) worked until midnight.

Here's a look at a couple of roadway conditions:

The state Department of Transportation advises strong winds on Highway 16 across the Narrows Bridge.

Also, State Route 410 at Chinook Pass is temporarily closed. Crews will reevaluate whether to reopen the pass after the storm passes.

State transportation crews planned to be out overnight and this morning, treating and clearing the highways of ice.

Drivers should be prepared for slick conditions and take some precautions.

"One spin-out can block traffic for hours and cause additional incidents," transportation officials said in a press release. "And, clearing incidents can also take our crews away from road-clearing activities."

Here are some tips from DOT:

Here's what drivers can do:
*On ice and snow, take it slow.
*Give yourself extra time to reach your destination safely. It's not worth putting yourself and others in a dangerous situation just to save time.
*Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady spots. These all have potential to develop black ice that makes driving hazardous.
*Plan extra time to cross all mountain passes, including heavily-traveled routes such as I-90 Snoqualmie Pass, US 2 Stevens Pass, and US 12 White Pass.
*Carry chains and know the traction and chain requirements - Mountain pass traction and chain requirements are available on highway advisory signs and highway advisory radio. When those advisories call for chains, drivers who don't chain up will face a $500 penalty.

Know Before you go:
*Get information from our Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov before you leave your home or office.
*511 - This driver information phone line provides real-time traffic, incident and closure information. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388.
*Sign up for news. WSDOT offers subscribers more than 25 specialized e-mail alerts, including news and information for freight haulers, construction related traffic revisions, project updates from all around the state, and timely updates on pass conditions. Visit www.wsdot.wa.gov and click the link for "E-mail updates."
*Twitter users can add WSDOT to their personal accounts at:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/news/. Go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/inform/twitter for more details.

On the Road:
*Overhead and roadside electronic signs *Highway advisory radio - WSDOT advises drivers to program 530AM and 1610AM on your radio.

Non-mission essential workers at McChord Air Force Base can report two hours late for work today.

Here's a look at most of the school delays. For a complete list go here.

Two hours late:

Auburn School District

Bates Technical College

Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma

Bethel School District

Clover Park School District: No half-day kindergarten. No preschool, head start or ECEAP.

Clover Park Technical College

Dieringer School District

Eatonville School District: No a.m. preschool.

Enumclaw School District

Federal Way School District

Fife School District

Franklin Pierce School District: no preschool, no head start and no out-of-district transportation.

Kent School District

Life Christian Academy in Tacoma: 10 a.m. start.

Olympia School District

Orting School District: No morning kindergarten, ECEAP and breakfast. Buses are on snow routes.

Peninsula School District

Pierce College

Steilacoom School District

St. Charles Borromeo School, Tacoma: No morning pre-K.

St. Nicholas School, Gig Harbor

St. Patrick School, Tacoma: No morning preschool, no morning extended care.

Sumner School District

Tacoma Community College: Classes start at 10 a.m.

Tacoma School District

University Place School District: Buses will be on snow routes. There is no kindergarten or preschool. There will be no out-of-district transportation or afterschool activity bus runs.

Visitation Catholic School, Tacoma

One hour late:

Holy Rosary School, Tacoma: Classes start at 9 a.m.

Saint Martin's University, Lacey

On time: Puyallup

There's a light blanket of snow out in East Pierce County. The road is covered, the cars are dusted and the grass tips are poking out from underneath the snow.

What's it like in your neighborhood?

4:40 p.m. Update: We just had another long blast of snow in East Pierce County. It appears to have stopped for now.

We must have a couple of inches on the ground now.

This in from Metro Parks Tacoma:

Point Defiance Park’s Five Mile Drive and Wapato Park Closed

Due to inclement weather, Five Mile Drive (including Fort Nisqually) has been closed and Wapato Park has also been gated for the public’s safety. Pedestrians are advised to refrain from accessing these park areas until further notice.

The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Boathouse and park bowl are not affected by the closure of Five Mile Drive and are currently open for business.

Visitors are advised to visit the Park District’s website for updates.

Search and rescue crews are looking for a 56-year-old Parkland woman who's not been seen since Wednesday morning.

Crews are concerned because Gwen L. Craig is off her medications and not dressed for the chilly weather.

"Due to the incoming weather, we are asking for help in locating Craig," Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said.

Craig was last seen about 10 a.m. Wednesday at her home in the 600 block of Lafayette Street South. A search and rescue effort was launched Thursday afternoon in her neighborhood.

"We don't know how far she could have gone," Troyer said.

She's described as 5 feet 6, 225 pounds with graying hair. Investigators say she has the mental capacity of a 6 to 8 year old.

Anyone who spots Craig should call 911.

Tacoma police have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with a deadly shooting outside a South End party last month.

The teen was booked into Pierce County Jail earlier this week on an unrelated case. Tacoma detectives added a booking charge of first-degree murder Thursday night, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. The teen is expected to make his first court appearance in the homicide this afternoon.

Detectives suspect the teen shot Victor E. Schwenke, 18, outside a party in the 5600 block of South Yakima Avenue early on Nov. 16, Fulghum said. Schwenke (pictured here) died of his injuries a short time after the shooting.

Detectives identified the 17-year-old teen as the suspected shooter through their investigation and interviews, Fulghum said. Investigators have heard another person at the party returned the gunfire, possibly in self defense, and are looking to talk to that person.

Detectives also learned the shooting that killed Schwenke might be linked to a deadly shooting less than three hours earlier outside the South End Neighborhood Center. Phillip Gerrode Oquendo, who also went by the last name Johnson, was killed when a group of uninvited guest refused to leave a sweet-16 party at the center. Oquendo was 18.

Initially, Tacoma police officials didn’t believe the two shootings were related. Through the investigation, they’ve learned they might be, Fulghum said.

The teen suspected of killing Schwenke was friends with Oquendo.

“He was out looking for retaliation for the friend’s death,” Fulghum said. “He decided to go out and take his anger and frustration out on somebody and came across this party and chose them.”

No one at the party where Schwenke was killed was believed to be involved in the homicide at the South End Neighborhood Center.

“They had nothing to do with it,” Fulghum said.

The Washington State Patrol is now seeking the public's help in finding a man wanted in connection with a car crash that killed two people early Monday in Pierce County.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Scott M. Buskeness, a 31-year-old Renton resident. Prosecutors charged him Wednesday with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault.

Prosecutors allege Buskeness (pictured here) was driving north on Highway 7 early Monday when he crossed into oncoming traffic at 146th Street East and struck a Dodge Colt.

The driver and a passenger in the Colt died from their injuries. Another passenger has been hospitalized because of her injuries.

Buskeness also was injured in the crash. He received treatment at Madigan Army Medical Center.

Troopers saw some signs of possible impairment by Buskeness. He was released from Madigan before the charges were filed.

Troopers encourage Buskeness to turn himself in. Anyone who sees Buskeness or knows is whereabouts is asked to call Trooper J.J. Gundermann at 253-606-2941. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Lakewood police have arrested a man suspected of robbing a bank branch Tuesday afternoon.

The 56-year-old man, who was released from prison in August after serving 13 years for bank robbery, was cooperating with investigators, Lakewood police Lt. Heidi Hoffman reported. Detectives planned to serve search warrants on his vehicle and motel room as part of their investigation.

Police have said the robber walked into the Wells Fargo branch, 10225 Gravelly Lake Drive S.W., about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday. He handed a teller a note. The note stated the man was armed with a weapon, wanted cash and would shoot the teller if his demands were not met, police reported.

The man took an undisclosed amount of cash and ran from the bank.

Investigators had released surveillance images of the robber in hopes of finding him.

Lights & Sirens has learned that Pierce County prosecutors on Wednesday charged three more people in the drive-by shooting death of a man attending a barbecue near South 41st and J streets in Tacoma.

Deputy prosecutor Gregory Greer contends in charging documents that Marjorie Josefa Morales, 23; Dan Seco Bluehorse, 20; and Jose Angel Ancheta, 17; participated in the death of Tracy Steele by riding in the car from which the fatal shot was fired.

Greer has charged the trio with first-degree murder in the May 10 shooting. Warrants have been issued for their arrests.

Three others already have been charged in the case, including Michael Mee, a known gang member suspected of firing two shots at people attending the barbecue. One of those bullets hit Steele (seen here).

Mee fired the shots because he was mad that he'd earlier "gotten the worst" during an altercation at the party, according to charging documents.

As we've reported, the pregnant mother struck Monday night as she crossed East Main Avenue in Puyallup is improving.

Lisa Close's family talked to the media yesterday. Here's my story about what Lisa's mother had to say.

Lisa's parents also talked to television stations at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. You can find KIRO's story here.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward to find the man who robbed a convenience store Monday night and fired a shot into the ceiling.

The nonprofit organization is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges filed in the case.

The robber entered the HK Food Mart, located inside a Union 76 gas station in the 7200 block of Golden Given Road East, just before 9 p.m. Monday.

The man wielded a gun and had his shirt pulled up over the lower portion of his face. He pointed the gun at the clerks and demanded cash, sheriff's deputies reported.

When the clerk struggled to get the cash register open, the robber fired a shot into the ceiling. He grabbed the cash register and threw it on the floor, deputies reported.

The robber grabbed an undisclosed amount of money from the register and ran.

Witnesses described the robber as a white man, about 28 years old, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. He had a medium build and brown hair.

During the robbery, he wore a black T-shirt, long-sleeved undershirt, dark baseball hat and black gloves, deputies reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

A reported abduction in Kent from this morning has turned out to be a false report.

A Kent woman told police she saw an 18- to 22-year-old woman abducted in the 2600 block of South 260th Street, according to a statement released by Kent police earlier today.

She said an older gray van drove up next to the woman, and a man reached through the sliding door and pulled the victim into the van. Kent police said tonight the report was not true.

Pierce County prosecutors filed charges against the 31-year-old driver suspected of causing a crash on Highway 7 early Monday that killed two people.

A warrant was issued Wednesday afternoon for the arrest of Scott Michael Buskeness. He’s been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault.

Prosecutors allege Buskeness was driving a Honda Civic north on Highway 7 when it went into the center turn lane at 146th Street and struck a Dodge Colt head-on about 1:35 a.m. Monday.

Two occupants in the Dodge Colt - 33-year-old Jamie Reinford and 34-year-old Richard Pennington - have died from their injuries. A third occupant was injured and was being treated at Harborview Medical Center for a broken ankle, court documents state.

Buskenness injured his hand in the crash and received treatment at Madigan Army Medical Center, court documents state.

In a statement to a Washington State Patrol detective shortly after the crash, Buskeness said he’s smoked methamphetamine within the 24 hours before the accident, court documents state. He also said he’s used marijuana within the past week.

Troopers noted Buskeness' pupils were dilated, his pulse was elevated and his tongue was green.

"While talking to the defendant, it appeared he was under the influence," court documents state.

Law enforcement officers are now searching for him in connection with the case.
Buskeness has at least 19 prior felony convictions, including for violent crimes and felony traffic violations, court documents state.

"At the time of the collision, the defendant had a DUI charge out of Thurston County and was on pre-trial conditions of release," court documents state.

Lakewood police are searching for a man suspected of robbing a bank branch Tuesday afternoon.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers released video surveillance images (pictured here) of the bandit Wednesday in hopes of identifying him.

The man entered the Wells Fargo branch, 10225 Gravelly Lake Drive S.W., about 2:45 p.m. He handed a teller a note. The note stated the man was armed with a weapon, wanted cash and would shoot the teller if his demands were not met, police reported.

The man took an undisclosed amount of cash and ran from the bank.

Witnesses described the man as white, 50 to 60 years, 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 10 and weighing 200 to 225 pounds. He had gray-blond hair and a mustache. During the incident, the robber wore jeans, a dark blue jacket bearing a white strip on each sleeve and a baseball hat.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the robber's arrest and charges filed against him. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Reach Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959.

Lisa Close was in surgery this morning at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after getting hit by a suspected drunken driver Monday night as she tried to cross East Main Avenue with her young daughters and boyfriend.

Close is 5 months pregnant. Officials have said the unborn child has a strong heartbeat.

Close's mother reported Close is doing OK. She's in surgery right now.

"Right now, we are just focusing on Lisa," said Kathy, who didn't want her last name used.

Another person has died from a two-car crash early Monday on Highway 7 in Pierce County.

Jamie Reinford, 33, died at St. Joseph Medical Center late Tuesday, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office reported this morning.

She was a backseat passenger in a 1993 Dodge Colt when it was struck about 1:35 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Highway 7 and 146th Street. Another occupant in the Colt, 34-year-old Richard Pennington, died at a local hospital a short time after the accident.

A Honda Civic was going north on Highway 7 when it went into the center turn lane and struck the Colt. Another occupant of the Colt also was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment.

The Civic’s driver, a 31-year-old Renton man, was injured and initially taken to Madigan Army Medical Center.

The Washington State Patrol was investigating the crash and the Civic’s driver’s on suspicion of vehicular homicide.

Pierce County prosecutors on Monday charged three 18-year-old men with three counts each of first-degree malicious mischief for breaking at least 19 windows at Lakewood-area schools last week.

The vandalism occurred Friday night at Custer Elementary, Oakbrook Elementary and Hudtloff Junior High, according to court documents.

The action started about 9:57 p.m. when an alarm at Custer Elementary went off. A responding officer heard some voices on school grounds but was unable to catch the people, the records state.

About 35 minutes later, an alarm at Oakbrook Elementary sounded. Responding officers found a number of windows broken at the school, and a school official said windows also had been broken at Custer.

Then, at 11:28 p.m., an alarm at Hudtloff went off. Responding officers caught two of the men – Michael Raaymakers and Ronald Goodman – and a juvenile boy at the scene. A third man – Jeromy Rogers – ran off but was arrested later, according to court records.

Damage is estimated at more than $4,500.

Raaymakers, Goodman and Rogers all have pleaded not guilty. Lights & Sirens was unable to determine Thursday if the juvenile has been charged in the case.

Raaymakers was being held in the Pierce County Jail on a juvenile probation hold Tuesday.

The other two men were released on their own recognizance.

They're scheduled back in court Dec. 23.

Pierce County sheriff's deputies are searching for a man suspected of robbing a convenience store Monday night and firing a round into the ceiling.

The robbery occurred just before 9 p.m. at the food mart on the corner of East 72nd Street and Golden Given Road East, Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said.

The robber entered the store, covered his face with his shirt and wielded a small, black pistol. He pointed a gun at employees and demanded cash.

At one point, the suspect became agitated. He fired one round into the ceiling, then grabbed the cash register and threw it on the floor, Troyer said.

The robber took part of the register and ran.

A police dog searched for the suspect but could not find him.

Puyallup police arrested a suspected drunk driver Monday night after he allegedly hit a pregnant woman trying to cross East Main Avenue with two young children and her boyfriend.

The 29-year-old man was booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of one count of vehicular assault, Puyallup police Lt. Dave McDonald said this morning.

The pregnant woman was injured and taken to a local hospital for treatment. Her condition was unknown this morning. The children – 3 and 5 year old girls – and boyfriend were not injured.

The woman, children and boyfriend had gotten off a bus and were trying to cross East Main Avenue in the 2900 block about 5:20 p.m., McDonald said.

The woman was pushing a stroller across the street when she was struck by a white truck. McDonald noted it was dark and the woman was not in a crosswalk.

The major collision investigation team responded. The overpass was blocked for a couple of hours for the investigation.

UPDATE: The woman is 5 months pregnant. She has life threatening injuries and is critical condition at Harborview Medical Center.

It appears she knew she was going to be hit and pushed the stroller out of the way to save her 3-year-old from being hit.

The driver bailed out of jail after he was booked at 11 p.m.

An unknown injury crash is blocking all lanes of River Road in Puyallup.

Crews are responding to a "serious" head-on collision at the intersection of River Road and Gratzer Road in Puyallup, and officers are out directing traffic.

Crews from multiple agencies, including the State Patrol, Puyallup Fire and Puyallup Police have responded to the crash, according to radio traffic and emergency dispatchers. Two people have serious injuries, according to radio communications from officers, although no additional information is available.

UPDATE: Here's information from the State Patrol press release. I've written this story up for the homepage.

Two people were seriously injured Monday night after a head-on crash on River Road, the Washington State Patrol reported.

A 45-year-old man driving a pickup truck suffered a broken ankle and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment, troopers reported.

A 25-year-old Tacoma woman driving a four-door sedan sustained a skull fracture and two broken bones. Paramedics took her to Tacoma General Hospital for treatment.

Troopers say the pickup truck was going north on River Road when the driver crossed the center line near Gratzer Road and struck the sedan head-on just before 9:30 p.m. The car had been going south bound, troopers reported.

Both vehicles were totaled and the crash blocked the roadway until early Tuesday.

The crash remained under investigation.

A family in Roy has been displaced after a modular home fire this morning.

South Pierce Fire & Rescue Chief Bob Vellias said crews responded to the house at 34512 2nd Ave. East at about 11 a.m., and had the fire knocked down by about 11:25 a.m. A family of four, one adult and three children, was not injured in the blaze.

"The fire guys did a good job stopping it and we had no injuries," Vellias said.

Red Cross spokeswoman Karen Kim said volunteers are helping out the family, and the agency has given them vouchers for food and clothing, while shelter has been arranged.

Investigators do not know how the fire started, though it seemed to originate in the house's living room and there is smoke damage throughout.

"We know they are not able to live there for right now," Kim said. "We have provided safe shelter for the family."

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is now offering a reward in connection with a takeover-style bank robbery in the South End.

The bandit entered the Key Bank branch at 8402 Pacific Ave. just before 1:30 p.m. Friday. He had a ski mask obscuring his face, police reported.

The robber pulled out a gun and fired a shot into the ceiling. He ordered everyone to get on the floor, police reported.

The robber pointed the gun at a clerk and demanded the cash. He put an undisclosed amount of money in a bag and ran from the bank.

Witnesses described the man as black, 20 to 30 years old and 6 feet 1 with a medium build. He wore a black stocking cap and mask, black hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges filed in the robbery. Callers may remain anonymous.

Tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959.

Crime Stoppers released more surveillance images from the robbery Monday.

A 21-year-old Puyallup man was killed in a traffic accident Saturday night.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the man as Shawn G. Ausbun.

The crash was reported shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday at 18th Street East and 98th Avenue East.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department is investigating.

I have a request into the department for more information and will update this post when I have more.

UPDATE: Here's the story I just wrote for the homepage:

An apparent prank ended in the death of a 21-year-old Puyallup man headed home from work Saturday night on South Hill, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

Shawn Ausbun was in his car when a Ford Expedition, driving without its headlights on, blew through a stop sign and hit Ausbun’s car on the driver’s side just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, said Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer. Ausbun died at the scene.

Six of seven teenagers inside the Expedition initially fled the scene. Investigators later identified the 17-year-old driver, Troyer said.

“There is a multitude of bad decisions” around the crash, Troyer said. “They all just compound each other.”

Investigators believe the teenagers had just committed a prank at the home of a friend. They went to the house, rang the doorbell and lit some fireworks on the porch, Troyer said.

=> Read more!

Traffic was halted for four hours Sunday along State Route 702 because of an injury crash.

Both directions of the roadway were blocked at Kinsman Road near Roy between 3:10 a.m. and 7:10 a.m., the state Department of Transportation reported.

No other information was immediately available.

A Lakewood man was killed and three others injured in an early-morning crash on State Route 7 in Pierce County, the Washington State Patrol reported.

The crash occurred about 1:35 a.m. at the intersection of State Route 7 and 146th Street.

A Honda Civic was northbound on SR 7. It went into the center turn lane and struck a 1993 Dodge Colt, killing the 34-year-old driver, the State Patrol reported. The Colt had been southbound.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office and Washington State Patrol identified the 34-year-old man killed as Richard W. Pennington.

The Civic’s driver, a 31-year-old Renton man, was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Two passengers in the Dodge Colt also were injured. One was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and one to St. Joseph Medical Center for treatment, troopers reported.

The crash was under investigation. The Civic’s driver is under investigation for vehicular homicide, troopers reported.

Federal Way police officers, Washington State Patrol troopers and good Ol' St. Nick will be at the Federal Way mall on Saturday.

They'll be collecting donations for the Law Enforcement Torch Run Campaign for Special Olympics Washington from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Commons Mall, 1928 S. Commons.

Santa Claus will hold court at the southwest corner of the Sears parking lot. Santa and his sleigh will be available for photos. His crew of cop "elves" will be there too.

Donors to the Torch Run Campaign will receive a copy of their Santa photos e-mailed to them.

All proceeds from photos with Santa will go directly to local Special Olympics programs.

Tacoma police were searching for a bank robber this afternoon after a takeover-style bank heist in the South End.

The robber reportedly entered the Key Bank branch at 8402 Pacific Ave. just before 1:30 p.m. and fired one shot into the air, Tacoma police spokeswoman Gretchen Aguirre said. No one was hit.

The robber ordered all the patrons and employees to the ground. He got an undisclosed amount of money and fled.

The robber wore a ski mask during the heist. Officers found the ski mask nearby, Aguirre said.

The robber was described as a black man and 6 foot to 6 feet 2 with a medium build. In addition to the ski mask, he wore a black puffy jacket, black pants and black shoes. He was carrying a black backpack, Aguirre said.

No arrest has been reported.

Family members of William Baumann, 70, gathered this morning for a "moment of blessing” near the spot on Portland Avenue where the he was struck Monday by an apparent hit-and-run driver.

He was taken to the hospital and died the next day.

David Alger, executive director of Associated Ministries that serves Pierce County, presided over the 10-minute service. He and other ministers have performed the blessing about 250 times since 1998 in places where violence has claimed a life.

The purpose of the ceremony, he told the family, was to reclaim the place “as a place of life, community and hope.”

The family gathered about 10 a.m. on the grass just inside the entrance to Pierce County Housing Authority's deMark Apartments at 74th Street Court East and Portland Avenue where Baumann lived.

Baumann was returning on foot from a nearby store about 7 p.m. Monday when he was hit, according to family members who said they are still struggling with the tragedy. They asked that their names not be used. They said they still knew little about what happened.

Pierce County sheriff's investigators, who consider the incident a possible hit and run, said they are still looking for the driver of the pickup truck that hit Baumann.

A few residents from the complex who knew Baumann also showed up for the blessing. They recalled a quiet man who loved to walk though he was a slow walker who took small steps. He enjoyed going to the nearby stores.

One resident who asked that his name not be used said he had warned Baumann not to cross the busy arterial at night.

“He was a really nice man,” said Kathy Johnson, a resident. “I will miss him.”

Another resident said Baumann was a “great guy. The real tragedy he would never have hurt anybody.”

Alger brought along two of six blessing poles that are adorned with red ribbons with the names of those whose deaths have been blessed. Baumann’s ribbon had been added.

With a bowl of water, Alger stepped out into the middle left turn lane on Portland Avenue and sprinkled water on the street. A car came by but didn’t slow down.

One of Baumann’s sons said his father had been living at the deMark Apartments for about 18 months. A long time resident of Tacoma, he had worked for McFarland Cascade lumber timber in the Tacoma Tideflats as a plant manager.

“He had a big heart,” his son said, “but he was really quiet. He wouldn’t accept help.”

Alger told the family that the blessings usually involve younger people in their 20s and 30s who have been killed. Many of the deaths have been gang related but there have been vehicular homicides.

Alger said he has been at blessings where he was the only person there. Last week, he said 150 people attended the blessing at the spot where a young man was killed, he said.

Joining Alger at the Portland Avenue blessing was Pastor Dave Pflueger with the Independent Catholic Church of Christ the King in Tacoma.

Janet Jensen/The News Tribune

Rev. David Alger sprinkles water on Portland Avenue where William Baumann, 70, was struck and killed by a truck as he crossed the street near 74th Street East in Tacoma Monday evening. The Moment of Blessing ceremony took place Friday morning.

The Associated Ministries will hold a brief, spiritual ceremony tomorrow for a 70-year-old man killed in a traffic accident Monday night.

William Baumann was crossing Portland Avenue near 74th Street East just before 8 p.m. Monday when he was struck by a truck. Baumann died of his injuries early Tuesday.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department is investigating the circumstances of the crash.

The Moment of Blessing ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the spot where Baumann was hit. The site will be marked with bamboo poles laced with red and purple ribbons. Each ribbon bears the name and date of death of homicide victims in Pierce County.

The spiritual ceremonies are designed to cleanse the places in the county where homicides occur. They are also intended to provide support to the victim's family, friends and the neighbors where the crime took place.

The ceremonies are open to the public.

I've gotten a couple of reader e-mails about a memorial scene that's popped up on Narrows Drive in West Tacoma.

We noticed skid marks, a broken fence, and a roadside memorial with flowers and balloons. It appears a car hit the tree. Do you know anything about what happenned? Or when? We will say a prayer for whoever was involved.

This is what I know.

A vehicle crashed early Saturday. Darrell Veliz Jr., 26, was killed. I don't know anything else about the circumstances.