Monday, September 7, 2015

In the news, Thursday, August 20, 2015


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AUG 19      INDEX      AUG 21
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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

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from AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Jimmy Carter says cancer has spread to his brain
In a remarkable press conference at the library named for him, 90-year-0ld former President Jimmy Carter disclosed to an auditorium full of supporters and journalists that the cancer discovered in his liver last month has spread to his brain. He identified his cancer as melanoma, and doctors have found four spots in his brain. “They are very small spots,” Carter said. His first treatment begins today.

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from American News
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

GOP Congressman: ‘We Have The Votes To Impeach Obama’
Representative Blake Farenthold of Texas is claiming that Republicans have the votes in the House to impeach President Barack Obama. He claims, however, that moving forward with the action would ultimately be a fruitless effort that would damage the country.

Obama Goes After Ben Carson’s Friends And Family

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from BuzzPo
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Ben Carson DESTROYS Atheists! What He Said Will Have You CHEERING.

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from The Cato Institute

The index ranks 152 countries based on 76 indicators of personal, civil, and economic freedom, using data from 2008 to 2012, the most recent year sufficient data is available.

A Michigan-based supermarket trying to expand into Wisconsin has come up against an absurd law against selling products at “unfairly low” prices.  As reported by MLive, the Meijer grocery store chain is facing complaints that its grand opening sales violated Wisconsin law for offering products at prices below cost. 

I don’t think anyone likes the idea of responding to all of the various statements that Donald Trump makes, but when he says something vaguely – emphasis on vaguely – substantive on an issue, a short response might be of value. My sense is that Trump’s conception of Ford as a company is rooted in the 1950s, or maybe even the 1920s. In his mind, Ford is owned by Americans, produces in America, and sells to Americans. In reality, though, Ford has long been a global company.

“A Fundamental Lack of Faith That Our Legal System Is Working Properly”
I’ve got a new piece in City Journal analyzing the record of New York’s powerful, very left-wing Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. It ranges over topics that include his close ties to labor unions, his campaigns against AirBnB, Craigslist sellers, and herbal-supplement retailers, his role in overturning already-negotiated mortgage and banking settlements, and much more, including the unique role of state AGs in American politics. Very few businesses can resist the pressure a New York attorney general can bring to bear on them.

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from ClashDaily.com with Doug Giles
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

SHAME ON YOU, MICHELLE: Marine Tells First Lady Where to Stick It
Michelle Obama just couldn’t resist the opportunity to throw some kerosene on the racial tension fire, but not everyone is so willing to simply let her get away with it.

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from CNSNews.com (& MRC & NewsBusters)
from Daily Kos
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Duggar family releases statement confirming Josh has been a very bad boy

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from Foreign Policy

A Week After Retirement Ray Odierno Lands at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
ss than a week after retiring as the 38th Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Ray Odierno has landed a job as senior advisor at JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the largest banks in the United States. Odierno, 60, will advise the board and Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, focusing on country risk analysis and security. He will also represent JPMorgan Chase — which had $1.7 trillion assets under management at the end of 2014 — with policymakers, government officials, and clients.

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from Greenville Gazette
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
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from History

Oldest Known U.S. Veteran Dies at 110
Less than a month after being honored at the White House, Emma Didlake, a Michigan woman believed to have been America’s oldest veteran, has died at the age of 110.

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from iFIBER ONE News (WA)

McKay Healthcare receives grant to replace 75 year old boiler

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from Investor's Business Daily
from KCPQ (Q13Fox News) (Seattle)



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from KEPR Action News (CBS Pasco)

First time in state history: Volunteers asked to join firefight
With firestorms raging through the eastern half of Washington, State Department of Natural Resources is for the first time in state history setting up support centers for those who want to volunteer to join the firefight. Officials say they've been inundated with offers from volunteers to help the firefighting efforts. "If people want to help, we'd like them to contact our coordinators so we can work on getting them safely and appropriately involved," said Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark. "We appreciate all offers of qualified and trained support. Safety for everyone is our highest priority."

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from KHQ Local News (NBC Spokane)
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from KOMO News (ABC Seattle)
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from KPAX-TV (CBS Missoula)


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from Military Times
and Air Force Times, Army Times, Marine Corps Times, and Navy Times




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from Prevention Magazine
from The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle

Homes burn north of Omak
An American flag withstood the initial onslaught of flames along Riverside Cutoff, but the nearby house burned to the ground about midnight. It was one of several homes and outbuildings that burned overnight in the rural area north of town. Officials did not yet have a count on the number of homes, outbuildings, fences or other structures that may have burned. And it likely will be days before they do. Much of the damage was located between Epley Road and Riverside Cutoff, and extended west past Conconully Highway.

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from RELEVANT Magazine

The Prosperity Gospel Creates Poor Christians
This good news isn't so good.

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from ScienceDaily

July 2015 was warmest month ever recorded for the globe
The July average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.46°F (0.81°C) above the 20th century average. As July is climatologically the warmest month for the year, this was also the all-time highest monthly temperature in the 1880-2015 record, at 61.86°F (16.61°C), surpassing the previous record set in 1998 by 0.14°F (0.08°C).

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from The Seattle Times

Firefighters killed near Twisp: ‘three big heroes protecting small towns’
Officials said the firefighters had been involved in a vehicle accident and that the crew was apparently overtaken by the blaze they had been battling.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Back fire helps Twisp
Many businesses were open in Twisp on Thursday despite evacuation orders still in place. The fire threatening Twisp made it to the top of the ridge overlooking the town and started heading down the hill. But firefighters set a back fire, which has created a gap between the fire and city limits.

Tonasket residents warned to ‘evacuate immediately’
The Okanogan County Emergency Management office issued a Level 3 evacuation and posted on social media that residents should go south on Highway 97 to go to the Red Cross Shelter at Brewster High School, 503 S. 7th Street. All residents within 10 miles east of Tonasket and south of Havillah Road should also evacuate. Residents within 10 miles west of Davis Canyon south of Spring Coulee Road near Okanogan have also been told to evacuate, as well as all of Chiliwist. Highway 20 is closed between Tonasket and Aeneas Valley Road. The towns of Omak and Okanogan are under Level 2 evacuations.

Priest Lake put on evacuation notice
The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office has put the Priest Lake area under a Level 1 evacuation notice and is asking that only local residents drive on Highway 57 north of Priest River, which is the only way to access Priest Lake.

DNR seeks volunteers to fight fires
For the first time in state history, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources is asking citizens to volunteer their time and equipment to fight the dozens of fires burning across the state.

Daiquiri Factory owner accused of fraud
Jamie Pendleton, the owner of the controversial Spokane Downtown Daiquiri Factory, is wanted by the Post Falls Police Department on charges of credit card fraud. A warrant has been issued for his arrest and bond has been set at $25,000.

Air quality concerns force soccer cancellation
Concern about wildfire smoke pollution and the effect on children of breathing that smoke has led to cancellation of a large soccer tournament at Plantes Ferry Park. In addition, the Greater Spokane League has implemented a new smoke pollution protocol that could lead to cancellation of practices and games when pollution levels rise to unhealthy levels. The River City Challenge soccer tournament had been set for Friday through Sunday and was expected to draw 112 teams from around the region and Canada with nearly 1,700 players.

Australia, New Zealand sending firefighters to Boise
Australia and New Zealand are sending firefighters to help battle wildfires burning in the western United States. The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise announced Thursday that top fire managers representing various U.S. agencies requested about 70 fire managers and specialists from the two countries. The last time the U.S. asked for help from Australia and New Zealand was in 2008.

DISH customers to have temporary access to KXLY
Despite a contract dispute, DISH Network customers will have temporary access to KXLY-TV (ABC, channel 4) in Spokane and KVEW-TV (ABC, channel 42) in Yakima to ensure viewers have the news and information they need regarding wildfires. Two stations in Wisconsin also owned by Morgan Murphy Media remain unavailable to DISH customers.

Names of firefighters killed in Twisp released
The three firefighters killed Wednesday in Twisp were Tom Zbyszewski, 20, Andrew Zajac, 26 and Richard Wheeler, 31. All three were U.S. Forest Service firefighters.
earlier: Twisp blaze kills three firefighters as towns evacuate

‘Hellstorm’ of flames overtook firefighters’ vehicle near Twisp
A “hellstorm” of flames apparently enveloped a vehicle that crashed while carrying firefighters battling a blaze in Washington state, killing three of them. Four other firefighters were hurt, including one critically, on Wednesday as crews fought raging wildfires advancing on towns in the north-central part of the state, some of the many blazes burning uncontrolled throughout the arid West.

Police investigating fatal officer-involved shooting in Hunters
A Stevens County deputy shot and killed a suspect in Hunters on Highway 25 Wednesday night in front of multiple witnesses. The incident began when deputies responded to a “domestic situation” in the 4900 block of Hunter-Shop Road. A temporary Red Cross shelter for fire evacuees has been set up in that block. A Red Cross spokesman said Red Cross employees called the police after they were told there was a man with a gun outside.

Fire in Stevens County doubles in size as it burns toward Springdale
The Carpenter Road Fire in Stevens County doubled in size to 19,693 early Thursdsay, prompting evacuations along Springdale-Hunters Road as it burns northeast toward the community of Springdale.

Spokane River water rescue near Upper Falls
A man was pulled to safety from the Spokane River at the base of the Upper Falls Thursday morning, as 21 firefighters responded in kayaks, climbing ropes and medical vehicles. Personnel from five fire stations rushed to the scene when a call came in about “someone swimming” between the river’s two major falls.

Inslee: ‘A match in a box full of fuses’
With smoke filtering the summer sun and flags at half-staff to honor three firefighters killed near Twisp, Gov. Jay Inslee and other top elected officials pledged state and federal resources to battle fires that by late morning Thursday were scorching 390,000 acres around the state. After getting the briefing in Chelan, Inslee had initially planned to visit Twisp and Winthrop, the sites of some the most recent fires, but that leg of the trip was cancelled. “Too much security and danger to go to the fire line,” Inslee said in the State Patrol turboprop airplane as it left Pangborn Field in East Wenatchee. “They need to fight the fires, not be a host for the governor.” Inslee was joined at the briefing by U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, who both pledged to press President Obama for a quick decision on emergency aid, and push Congress to put more money into firefighting efforts.

Fired NIC financial aid director pleads guilty to two felonies
The former financial aid director for North Idaho College pleaded guilty this morning to computer crimes and attempted misuse of public funds related to a scheme to entice students to have sex in exchange for college aid. Joseph M. Bekken could be given up to seven and a half years in prison and fined as much as $52,500 when he is sentenced Oct. 19 in Idaho’s 1st District Court.

FBI investigating attempted jail break
A rope being lowered from a fifth-floor cell at the Spokane County Jail alerted corrections officers to a potential escape attempt this morning. The cell was occupied by two federal inmates, according to a news release from Spokane County. The FBI is not releasing the names of the inmates, saying there is no threat to public safety and all jail inmates have been accounted for. Reports indicate one of the inmates who tried to escape was James Henrikson, the North Dakota oil speculator who faces trial in October for his alleged role in the death of South Hill businessman Doug Carlile in December 2013.

Unhealthy plume of smoke blankets Inland Northwest
Raging wildfires in Okanogan County sent a plume of smoke over the Spokane area Wednesday evening, while air quality at ground level deteriorated to the unhealthy range for people with health issues such as lung disease. The cloud darkened the sky and turned the sun orange, bathing the city in an eerie and ominous orange-brown light.

Conflict causing starvation in Yemen, U.N. says
The United Nations says the war in Yemen has pushed the country to the brink of famine, with both commercial food imports and aid deliveries held up by the fighting and millions of hungry women and children facing possible starvation.

Militants behead ‘Mr. Palmyra’
The 81-year-old antiquities scholar had dedicated his life to exploring and overseeing Syria’s ancient ruins of Palmyra, one of the Middle East’s most spectacular archaeological sites. He even named his daughter after Zenobia, the queen that ruled from the city 1,700 years ago. Relatives and witnesses said Wednesday that Khaled al-Asaad was beheaded Tuesday by Islamic State militants who seized the city earlier this year, his body suspended on a pole in a main square. The brutal killing stunned Syria’s archaeological community and underscored fears the extremists will destroy or loot the 2,000-year-old Roman-era city on the edge of a modern town of the same name, as they have other major archaeological sites in Syria and Iraq.

In brief: Large bomb explodes in Cairo, officials say
A large bomb exploded early Thursday near a national security building in a residential neighborhood in Cairo, wounding at least six people including at least one police officer, Egyptian security officials said.
Defense questions accuser in rape case
A lawyer for a recent graduate of an elite New Hampshire prep school accused of rape has begun cross-examining the accuser, asking whether she told her close friend in graphic details which sex acts she was prepared to engage in. Owen Labrie, 19, of Tunbridge, Vermont, is charged with raping the then-15-year-old freshman at St. Paul’s School two days before he graduated last year.
‘Anti-Muslim’ guard misfires weapon
A man guarding a small-town Oklahoma gun range that declared itself a “Muslim-free” business dropped his gun and accidentally shot himself. Authorities said a bullet struck the unidentified man in his arm after he dropped the weapon Tuesday. He was among several armed residents guarding the Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gear store in Oktaha, about 65 miles southeast of Tulsa. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the Oklahoma business and ones in several other states have declared themselves “Muslim-free,” and the organization has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate some for possible civil rights violations.
U.N. peacekeepers accused of rapes
Three young females, including a minor, have accused United Nations peacekeepers of raping them in the Central African Republic, the U.N. announced Wednesday, just a week after the world body’s chief removed the head of the peacekeeping mission there over the handling of a series of similar allegations. The U.N. said the alleged rapes occurred in the city of Bambari, where peacekeepers from the Congo are stationed.

Iran to do own inspection of alleged nuke work site
Iran will be allowed to use its own inspectors to investigate a site it has been accused of using to develop nuclear arms, operating under a secret agreement with the U.N. agency that normally carries out such work, according to a document seen by the Associated Press.

Foreigner sought in Thailand explosion part of ‘network’
A police manhunt was underway Wednesday for an “unidentified foreign man” shown in a security video leaving a backpack at a popular Bangkok shrine just minutes before a bomb exploded there. Two other people seen on the video near the man are also considered suspects in Monday’s deadly bombing, police said.

Spokane city administrator defends transfer of spokeswoman Monique Cotton
Spokane City Administrator Theresa Sanders said Wednesday she takes responsibility for the decision to transfer a police department spokeswoman to the parks department, a move that raised questions among some park board and City Council members. Monique Cotton left her position as the Spokane Police Department’s spokeswoman in May to join the parks department, but her salary is still funded through the police budget. As a police spokeswoman, Cotton earned $80,900 in 2014. With parks, she was given a nearly $10,000 pay increase for a salary of $90,000, which is scheduled to rise to $96,000 in 2016.

Early wheat harvest produces lower yield because of weather
Blistering temperatures and drought conditions combined to push the wheat harvest ahead by two weeks statewide. Farmers have seen low yields and a crop high in protein, a byproduct of the extreme weather that makes the wheat less desirable to foreign markets, experts say.

Hayden Lake-area police on lookout for serial arsonist
An arsonist is keeping a Kootenai County neighborhood on edge in the middle of one of the worst fire seasons on record. Investigators say at least 16 fires have been set this summer near homes just southwest of Hayden Lake. Most were spotted and extinguished soon after they were started, and none has caused serious damage or injuries.

In brief: Sheriff: Deputy kills man in shootout
A Stevens County deputy shot and killed a man in a shootout in the town of Hunters on Wednesday night. At the time of the shooting, deputies had been looking for a suspect who had a gun. The shooting happened only a few hours after a community meeting was held in Hunters to provide the community information about the Carpenter Road fire, which has destroyed about 15 homes south of Hunters.
More traffic deaths blamed on marijuana
More marijuana-using drivers are getting into fatal crashes in Washington, according to new data from the state Traffic Safety Commission. Data released Wednesday show that the number of Washington drivers involved in deadly crashes who tested positive for active marijuana doubled from 2013 to 2014 – the first year of legal marijuana sales in the state. Commission member Shelly Baldwin said that’s alarming – especially considering that the number of alcohol-related fatal crashes has been dropping.
State’s jobless rate on par with nation’s
Washington state’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in July, holding even with the national jobless rate, state officials said Wednesday.

Tribes will get access to federal databases for gun checks, foster care
Federal officials on Wednesday launched a new program that will allow tribes access to national criminal databases and fix a system that allowed a man to buy a gun that was later used by his son to kill four classmates and himself at a Washington high school.

Manager credited with saving dozens in Bremerton motel blast
A fast-acting manager who evacuated a Washington motel minutes before a massive explosion is being credited with saving dozens of lives, including some who were staying in rooms that were reduced to rubble. The blast Tuesday night critically injured a gas company worker and knocked back firefighters, but the guests were safely away before it tore apart the Motel 6 in Bremerton.

Regal movie theaters checking bags after shootings
Movie theater chain Regal Entertainment Group has begun to check bags in response to shootings at theaters around the country, a procedure it acknowledged on its website was “not without flaws” and would inconvenience guests but provide better security.

Fed minutes keep interest rate hike in play
It looks like a toss-up whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next month. An account of the Fed’s last meeting in July, released Wednesday with the usual three-week lag, indicated that “almost all” policymakers wanted to see further improvement in the job market and the inflation outlook before raising rates for the first time in nine years. And the economic data released since that meeting have been decidedly mixed.

Ex-Subway spokesman admits exploiting kids
For more than a decade, Jared Fogle was the everyman who touted Subway sandwiches and represented a relatable role model for Americans struggling to lose weight. Now, he’s facing up to 12 1/2 years in prison for his involvement in a yearslong scheme to sexually exploit children; he’ll have to pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 victims; and his wife is divorcing him.

Hackers expose millions on Ashley Madison cheating website
Hackers say they have exposed unfaithful partners across the world, posting what they said were the personal details of millions of people registered with cheating website Ashley Madison. A message posted by the hackers alongside their massive trove accused Ashley Madison’s owners of deceit and incompetence and said the company had refused to bow to their demands to close the site. “Now everyone gets to see their data,” the statement said.

In brief: Lowe’s revenue beats second-quarter estimates
Lowe’s second-quarter revenue beat analyst estimates as customers stocked up on things like appliances and outdoor power equipment. It was same story a day earlier from rival Home Depot Inc., which also saw appliance sales rise.
Crude supply growth pushes oil prices down
The price of oil fell to its lowest closing price in almost six and a half years Wednesday on new data showing that U.S. crude inventories rose at a time of year when they are typically in decline.
Target makeover fuels threefold income surge
Target is on its way back. Shoppers are visiting the company’s stores more often and spending more on each trip, the Minneapolis-based discount-store chain said Wednesday. The company raised its annual profit outlook and said its second-quarter net income more than tripled.
Government opens itself to Yelp ratings
You can now rate the Internal Revenue Service or a Transportation Security Administration airport checkpoint just like you would a local diner or plumber. In a new partnership with Yelp Inc., the U.S. government is inviting taxpayers to rate its services and leave comments about what they like – or can’t stand.

Editorial: 529 savings should take place of GET plan

Dana Milbank: Abortion foes reject solution

Link between obesity, faulty gene could open different path of treatment
Scientists have finally figured out how the key gene tied to obesity makes people fat, a major discovery that could open the door to an entirely new approach to the problem beyond diet and exercise.

Premier fantasy writer finds kindred spirits, ‘family’ at Worldcon
This isn’t George R.R. Martin’s first visit to Spokane. In a suite near the top of the new Davenport Grand Hotel, marveling at the giant Radio Flyer wagon sculpture on the ground below, the author reaches far back into his memory. It’s all sort of hazy, but he’ll try to remember anyway. He was here sometime in the late ’80s, he said, as a guest at a small fantasy convention. He recalls his host, who was a local firefighter, taking him beyond the city limits and out onto a beautiful scenic overlook. Later that day, he had a burger and fries at Dick’s. And that’s the extent of his recollection.

Grandfather’s homes still standing proud
Sisters Connie Manz, of Pasadena, California, and Catherine Manz Smith, of Veneta, Oregon, knew their grandfather had once lived in Spokane. They knew he’d married their grandmother here in 1909. But they didn’t know, until January at least, that their grandfather was an architect who’s credited with designing more than a dozen homes in Spokane. Many of the homes are still standing on the South Hill, near Manito and Cannon Hill parks.

Pat Munts: Lush landscape blooms like jewel box of colors

With rainy weather, a backup camping plan can be as good as original – and a lot drier

Randy Mann: Region’s summer weather has been smokin’ hot

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from Tea Party
[Information from these sites may not be reliable.]


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from Think Progress
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
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from Vox
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]


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from The Washington Times (DC)

Mine’s owner says he tried to keep out EPA but was threatened with fines
The owner of the Colorado’s Gold King Mine says he tried to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from gaining access to his property, but that he relented after the agency threatened to pound him with ruinous fines if he refused. Mine owner Todd Hennis said that he had little choice four years ago but to allow in an EPA-led crew, which triggered the Aug. 5 blowout that sent 3 million gallons of toxic orange wastewater down the Animas River. “I said, ‘No, I don’t want you on my land out of fear that you will create additional pollution like you did in Leadville,’” Mr. Hennis told Colorado Watchdog.org. “They said, ‘If you don’t give us access within four days, we will fine you $35,000 a day.’”

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from The Wenatchee World

Update: Chelan fires challenging firefighters this afternoon

Firefighters fear expected winds in Chelan fire fight

Dry conditions continue to feed growing North Star Fire
Stiff winds kept firefighters busy Thursday battling the North Star Fire, which grew to 75,867 acres and continued to threaten more than 700 structures near Nespelem in eastern Okanogan County.

Homes lost in Twisp, Omak

Officials enroute to begin fatal fire investigation
U.S. Forest Service incident management officials are enroute to Okanogan County today to help investigate the death of three federal firefighters on Wednesday.

Update: Firefighters died in a vehicle overtaken by wildfire

Officials offer condolences for fallen firefighters

Names released of firefighters killed and injured

Fallen firefighter was ‘an old soul’
Tom Zbyszewski, one of the three firefighters killed in the Twisp River Fire on Wednesday, was truly one in a million. The same can be said about everyone’s sons and daughters, his parents, Jennifer and Ski Zbyszewski, pointed out. Maybe. But there was something about Tom that was truly special. He was just 20, but he was wise beyond his years.

Andrew Zajac loved the outdoors
Andrew Zajac, 26, of Downers Grove, Ill., and most recently of Winthrop, completed a 4.5-month north-to-south hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013. He was active in many outdoor sports.

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