I've updated my Google map showing from where I have reported and filed. Click to check it out:

This press release arrived in my inbox. Even though it's called toxic and made of algae, toxic algae bloom still sounds like a lovely plant. But apparently it's not:

A toxic algae bloom has been identified in Clear Lake. Toxic algal blooms can be harmful to people and pets and should be avoided. Toxic algae blooms continue in American Lake, Spanaway Lake, and Bresemann Pond.

As a general guideline regarding all Pierce County lakes, areas that have heavy concentrations of algae should be avoided. These areas are usually along portions of the shore and resemble green paint or pea soup.

Ingestion of the algae or prolonged contact with the algae may result in illness, such as muscle weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or nausea.

If you swallow a large amount of water containing the algae, please seek immediate medical attention. If a pet has recently (within several hours) ingested lake water with algae and is showing signs such as vomiting, lethargy, disorientation, or seizures it should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. For more information on toxic algae go to the Health Department’s website at tpchd.org and enter “toxic algae” in the search box.

The duration of the blooms is dependent upon weather conditions and biological factors. It is expected that the blooms are likely to pose a health concern for at least the next couple of weeks.

The following is from my mobile-home park closure story. It's a growing statewide trend:

Country Aire is the latest in a string of mobile-home parks to close statewide. More than 52 parks have closed or are scheduled to close since the beginning of 2006 – a loss of more than 2,000 spots, according to the State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development's Office of Manufactured Housing.

Pierce County is the state’s hardest hit area. Thirteen parks have closed or will close in the same timeframe, eliminating 499 spaces.

The average park closure rate from 1989-2002 was 5.8 per year. From 2003-07, 13.6 closed each year.

“It’s obvious the real-estate prices – especially those within urban growth boundaries up and down the freeway where a lot of the mobile-home parks are located – increase so dramatically that, we assume, owners are selling for that reason,” said Kristi Aravena, a relocation assistance coordinator with the state.

The state offers relocation assistance, but the department can only distribute $30,000 per month, leading to a 10-month waiting list.

As of Friday, 36 people applied for about $300,000 in reimbursement.

“In the next few months, I can say that will be dramatically going up due to more parks I know will send in a lot of invoices,” Aravena said. “It’s such a fluid thing, but there’s always a wait list, and it’s not uncommon for it to take one or two years to get the reimbursement money.”

I'm back on my day off, and I'm going to talk to some more folks about the recent trend of mobile-home park closures in the state.