Tag Archives: Washington

Two Washington state church fires possible arsen

By Brendan O’Brien

(Reuters) – Authorities in southwest Washington were investigating on Thursday fires at two churches they believe were deliberately lit over the past two days and put places of worship in the area on high alert, police said.

The suspicious fires occurred at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Vancouver, Washington, early Wednesday morning and at the Liberty Bible Church of the Nazarene on Thursday morning, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Authorities “are investigating these two incidents as intentional acts of arson,” the sheriff’s office said.

The Clark County Fire Department said authorities had yet to determine whether the two acts of suspected arson were committed by the same person.

Sheriff Chuck Atkins “is asking that all churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship, remain vigilant,” the sheriff’s department said.

Washington state media reported that the fire at the First Congregational United Church of Christ caused $2 million in damage. The fire at the Liberty Bible Church of the Nazarene was set when an object was thrown through a window and was quickly doused by the church’s sprinkler system, media reported.

No possible motive was known yet, the sheriff said.

Vancouver, Washington, is a community of 160,000 people about 10 miles (15 km) north of Portland, Oregon.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Paul Tait)

Shots fired in Capitol complex, gunman caught

US Washington DC Capitol

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A police officer may have been injured by shrapnel on Monday in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center when a man fired a gun, media reports and congressional sources said.

There was confusion in early accounts about what occurred but police said a suspect was taken into custody with wounds after shots were fired.

MSNBC-TV reported that an officer who fired at an armed suspect may have been injured by shrapnel. Police said the suspect was taken to hospital. The officer did not identify or describe the suspect and he added that there were no additional suspects.

A U.S. government official told Reuters that initial reports were that a suspect walked into the Visitors Center, pointed a gun at one of the police officers on duty and a shootout erupted.

The official said no evidence had materialized of a connection to terrorism.

Separately, CNN reported that a person tried to gain entry into the White House but was caught.

Congress is in recess, with few lawmakers in Washington but the shooting happened just a few hours after a drill for an active shooter took place at the Capitol, creating further confusion.

The Secret Service temporarily cleared tourists from an area surrounding the White House after the incident, but activities quickly went back to normal. Capitol Hill was placed in lockdown immediately after the shooting but was later lifted.

Cathryn Leff, a licensed therapist, tweeted that she was at the visitor’s center when she heard gunshots while going through a security check point.

“That moment when it goes down . Everyone is screaming & running and you can’t see where the #ShotsFired are from,” tweeted Leff(@Cathrynlefflmft).

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Susan Cornwell, Roberta Rampton and Susan Heavey; editing by Grant McCool)

Pacific Northwest Storms Claim Another Life, More Rain on the Way

The devastating rainstorms that have caused flooding, mudslides and power outages throughout the Pacific Northwest claimed another life on Wednesday, according to a published report.

The Oregonian reported an elderly woman drowned in Clatskanie, Oregon, when a man she was traveling with drove a car into high water. The man was able to escape, but the woman was not.

It was the second death caused by the storm, which also brought high winds to the region.

The Oregonian previously reported the storm sent a 30-inch diameter tree crashing into a house in Portland early Wednesday morning, pinning a 60-year-old woman in her bed. She was killed.

The National Weather Service reported that more than seven inches of rain fell in parts of Oregon and more than five inches of rain fell in parts of Washington between 4 p.m. local time Monday and 6 a.m. local time Thursday. Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency after landslides closed major highways, rain led to “widespread flooding of roadways, homes and property,” and high winds left thousands without power, he said in a statement.

The storm is the latest in a line of storms to pass through the Pacific Northwest dating back to the end of last month. Inslee said the state of emergency covers all storms since Nov. 30.

The National Weather Service issued storm warnings off the Washington and Oregon coasts, as forecasts called for additional storms to arrive Thursday and this weekend. The Weather Channel reported the new storms would bring additional rain and wind, as well as snow in higher elevations. That could spur further landslides or flooding, particularly in coastal areas.

The National Weather Service reported that Thursday morning’s rainfall pushed Seattle-Tacoma International Airport over six inches in the first 10 days of December, a new record. Previously, the fastest the airport reached six inches in the month was 14 days, set in 1946 and tied in 2010.

The arrival of more rain wasn’t good news for residents who were already experiencing flooding.

At least 17 river gauges in Washington and Oregon were still in flood stage Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. “Major flooding” was reported in the Washington cities of Snohomish, located northeast of Seattle, and Potlatch, which is northwest of Olympia. Flood warnings remained in effect for parts of Washington, largely around the Puget Sound.

More than 21,000 Puget Sound Energy customers in Washington were without power Thursday morning, the company said. Portland General Electric also reported some scattered outages.

The storm led to dozens of road closures in both Washington and Oregon. Culprits included mudslides, sinkholes rockslides and flooding. Some of the repairs were expected to be lengthy.

In Portland, the rainfall caused the city’s sewer system to overflow into two local waterways on Monday morning. The city’s Bureau of Environmental Services continued to advise residents to avoid parts of the Willamette River on Thursday morning “because of increased bacteria.”

Thousands Without Power After Deadly Storm Pummels Oregon, Washington

About 30,000 people near Portland, Oregon, were reportedly without power Wednesday morning a deadly rainstorm caused widespread flooding and toppled some utility lines.

The Oregonian newspaper reported the number of outages as of 5 a.m. local time. That number was down to about 6,000 less than two hours later, according to Portland General Electric data.

The outages came after the latest in a line of rainstorms swept through the Pacific Northwest.

The National Weather Service reported that about 6 inches of rain fell on parts of Oregon between 3 p.m. local time on Monday and 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The agency reported wind gusts of up to 125 mph at Mount Hood and gusts of at least 60 mph in 12 other locations in Oregon, as well as six in Washington. Those winds reportedly contributed to at least one death.

Authorities told The Oregonian the storm sent a 30-inch-diameter tree crashing through a home early Wednesday morning, pinning a 60-year-old woman in her bed. The woman later died.

In Washington, Puget Sound Energy reported about 73,741 customers lacked power Wednesday morning. There were 329 separate outages reported around Seattle, Olympia and Tacoma.

Winds and power outages weren’t the only thing the storm brought.

The National Weather Service reported at least 36 river gauges in Oregon and Washington were at flood stage, and flood warnings remained in effect for northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. There were multiple media reports of flooded roadways, mudslides and sinkholes.

The Oregon Department of Transportation reported a mudslide closed a portion of U.S. Route 30 near a bridge in Portland and a sinkhole closed state Route 22 in Yamhill County, closer to the Pacific Ocean. The police department of Gresham, a Portland suburb, posted multiple photos on social media that showed a gaping sinkhole opened underneath a road there.

Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services said the heavy rainfalls caused sewage systems to overflow into the Willamette River and Columbia Slough on Monday morning. The bureau is continuing to ask the public to avoid the waters there “because of increased bacteria” presence.

The National Weather Service reported the storm also dropped some snow in higher elevations.

The Weather Channel reported that two more storms are expected to hit the Pacific Northwest. One was forecast to hit the region Wednesday night, while the other was expected this weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued storm and gale warnings off the Oregon and Washington coasts.

Washington State Storm Kills 2 and Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Without Power

A storm in Washington state brought high winds of up to 49 miles per hour, downing trees and triggering mudslides on Tuesday. The storm has so far killed 2 people and has left over hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Seattle-area without power.

The National Weather Service told Reuters that the majority of the Puget Sound region was under flood watches and warnings through Wednesday afternoon. A windstorm warning has also been issued for Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho since Tuesday at noon according to ABC News.

At least two people have been officially reported dead, with some news agencies reporting a third death. In all incidents, downed trees landed on all the victims. Their identities have not been officially released.

The local power companies have told various news sources that almost 178,000 customers are without power in the Puget Sound region due to power lines being downed by trees and landslides. Fox News reports that a power failure at a Tacoma sewer treatment plant has led to sewage water being released into the Puyallup River. Additionally, 136,000 homes and businesses were without power in Spokane and Northern Idaho. Flights leaving or entering the Spokane International Airport had to be cancelled or delayed due to the storm.

Fallen trees and high winds have also led various roads and interstates being closed, including Interstate 84, Highway 2, and Interstate 90.

In other parts of the country, another storm system dumped heavy snow on Colorado and brought tornado threats to millions in the central and southern states, according to Fox News. Northwest Kansas is forecasted to receive up to 15 inches of snow. Two weak tornadoes touched down in Texas early Tuesday and no injuries were reported.

TruNews: Bremerton High School Coach Placed on Leave for Praying

TRUNEWS – Coach Joe Kennedy has been placed on paid administrative leave.

The Bremerton High School football coach in the state of Washington has come under fire for praying after games. The school district plans to pay him through the remainder of his contract but he will not be allowed to participate in the football program.

For the past few years, he would go to the 50-yard line of the field after the crowds left the stands, to give thanks to God. A few students started joining him, of their own free will, and that’s when the school board stepped in.

Washington Football Coach May Be Fired over Prayer

Photo Courtesy of the Liberty Institute

Joe Kennedy, a high school football coach in Bremerton, Washington, was told that he could be fired if he continued to lead prayer in front of students on public school property.

The school district told Kennedy in a letter that while the former Marine is allowed to pray at work, he cannot do so in front of students. This includes even bowing his head, taking a knee, or any other action that would indicate that he could be praying.

The issue stems from Kennedy’s tradition of praying in the middle of the football field after every game. While other people can join voluntarily, the district believes it could alienate the students and staff that participate in different religious practices.

“Your talks with students may not include religious expression, including prayer,” Superintendent Aaron Leavall wrote. “They must remain entirely secular in nature, so as to avoid alienation of any team member.”

State Superintendent Randy Dorn backed the district’s decision.

“School staff exercising their right to silently pray in private on their own is fine. But leading a prayer isn’t,” he said. “School officials are role models; leading a prayer might put a student in an awkward position, even if the prayer is voluntary. For students who don’t share the official’s faith, players, the official’s public expression of faith can seem exclusionary or even distressing.”

The school district also state that Kennedy’s religious practices violate federal law that separates church and state, and possibly leaving the school and district open to lawsuits.

The irony of this is that they are already being sued by the Liberty Institute who is representing Kennedy. They state that the district is violating his religious freedom.

“The ball is in their court, the school district’s court,” said Mike Berry, senior counsel with Liberty Institute. “They have the opportunity to make this right, to do the right thing and to follow the law.”

Attorney Hiram Sasser added this: “What they are saying is he cannot pray by himself, he cannot simply take a knee at the 50-yard-line,” Sasser said. “That’s like telling a coach he can’t wear a yarmulke if he’s Jewish, he can’t wear a turban if he’s a Sikh, he can’t pray to Mecca if he’s a Muslim, he can’t wear a cross necklace if he’s a Christian.”

While the suit will be filed by the end of the week, Coach Kennedy will still lead the football team on Friday night, and plans to continue his tradition of praying at the 50-yard-line.

Concrete Dome Home Survives Wildfire

A Washington State man who said he “knew what he was getting into” when he bought land in an area where a wildfire was likely has survived the flames from the state’s worst wildfire with his home intact.

The home?  A concrete dome designed to survive mother nature’s fury.

John Belles had been at work 30 miles away from his home when a friend called to say the fire that has ravaged Okanogan County was closing in on his property.  Belles quickly returned home and shuttled vehicles away from his property and then prepared for the flames.

“The fire was getting close, in fact, there was a firefighter there at the time who got trapped inside when I shut the gate inadvertently,” Belles said to Good Morning America.

“I grabbed the hose, soaked my clothing down and doused the north side of the building as much as I could. [The fire] got close enough that it was super heated and getting uncomfortable out there in the smoke. I went inside, shut the door behind me and watched it move by.”

Belles said the flames roared through his property in about a minute.  He watched the flames through the windows of his concrete shell.

“The building survived as it’s supposed to. I was surprised the outside of the building didn’t have any damage at all. The whole 20 acres is just scorched.”

Smoke From Wildfires Grounding Firefighting Aircraft

Firefighters trying to stop the biggest wildfire in Washington State history are being dealt another blow as heavy smoke is forcing the grounding of firefighting aircraft.

“We’re still socked in,” firefighter spokesman Rick Isaacson said. “There’s maybe one mile of visibility.”

The dense smoke continues to cause respiratory problems for firefighters and for residents in the surrounding areas.  In Spokane County, an area of 500,000 residents, has air quality that has been rated “unhealthy.”

“Everybody up here is rubbing their eyes,” fire department spokesman Donnie Davis said. “It’s brutal.”

The fire in Okanogan County is now at 438 square miles and is only 17 percent contained by 1,300 firefighters.

“You can imagine how stretched thin everybody is,” said Dan Dallas, deputy incident commander of the Okanogan fire. “We’re all working without the resources that in a normal year — which I don’t think there is such a thing anymore — that we might have.”

Firefighters are also struggling with swarms of yellow jackets while they fight the fires. It has been reported that a lot of the stings are located on their faces and necks since their equipment leaves very few gaps for the insects to attack.

Crews are being told to stay away from hives until they are removed leaving uncontained fire lines.

Washington State Wildfires Reach Historic Levels

The Okanogan Complex of fires in Washington State is now the biggest wildfire in the state’s history.

The blaze grew 14,000 more acres on Tuesday bringing the fire to a total of 258,339 acres, or just over 403 square miles.  That is larger than all but 9 cities in the continental U.S.

The flames have killed three firefighters, wounded four others and more than 200 homes have been destroyed since the fire began August 15th. The fire is so intense that firefighters from around the world are being called and even California crews are being called off fires in that state to rush to fight the Okanogan blaze.

“We’ve had the opportunity to be on some large fires in California of this magnitude. We expect much of the same that we’re used to,” said Battalion Chief Mark Brunton, who is leading a crew of 44 firefighters. Brunton told NBC that they are ready to be there for the long haul.

The scene in the fire’s aftermath has been described as being “like a moonscape” with everything in the fire’s path destroyed.

The battle against the fire is being hampered by the fact supplies, equipment and manpower is running low.

“You can imagine how stretched thin everybody is,” said Dan Dallas, deputy incident commander of the Okanogan fire. “We’re all working without the resources that in a normal year — which I don’t think there is such a thing anymore — that we might have.”

National Guard troops are now being called in from neighboring states to help provide some relief to the overburdened fire crews.