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Washington state at 1 a.m.
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WASHINGTON SENATE
OLYMPIA — Washington state Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom has told his caucus that he's dropping his re-election bid. Tom, a Democrat from Medina, leads the predominantly Republican Majority Coalition Caucus. In an email to colleagues, Tom cited health issues tied to kidney stones he suffered during the end of the legislative session as part of his decision to not run again. By Rachel La Corte. SENT: 400 words.
MINIMUM WAGE
SEATTLE — A Seattle group seeking a $15 an hour minimum wage has filed the paperwork for a city initiative, increasing pressure on Mayor Ed Murray and the city council to pass a wage increase without exemptions or delays. The group, 15 Now, will have to collect more than 30,000 signatures to make the November city ballot. By Manuel Valdes. SENT: 380 words.
911 OUTAGE
SEATTLE — About 4,500 calls failed to get through during a six-hour Washington state 911 outage last week, CenturyLink says. Elaborating on an earlier explanation, the telecommunications company said the outage was caused by a technical error in a third-party vendor's call router, which prevented the system from properly processing calls. SENT: 350 words.
WASHINGTON FAIR FIRE
PUYALLUP — One of the oldest buildings on the grounds of the Washington State Fair was destroyed by fire just hours after the spring fair concluded, spokeswoman Karen LaFlamme said. No one was inside Evergreen Hall when it caught fire and no one was injured. SENT: 260 words, AP Photos.
YAKUTAT-COLD CASE
JUNEAU, Alaska — A jury has convicted a Montana man of second-degree murder in the 1996 shooting death of his girlfriend at a lodge in Yakutat after failing to reach a verdict on a higher level charge. Robert Kowalski was charged with killing Sandra M. Perry while the couple were on vacation at Glacier Bear Lodge in Yakutat. Kowalski and Perry then lived in Washington state. SENT: 350 words.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA-POLITICS
MIAMI — Tied to an unpopular president and his signature health care law, Democrats in the nation's largest swing state see medical marijuana as a potential antidote to political malaise in this year's midterm elections. Party operatives are pushing a constitutional amendment that would make Florida the first state in the South to legalize some pot use. By Michael J. Mishak. SENT: 790 words. AP Photos WX202, WX201.
FROM AP MEMBERS:
ARMY AMPUTEE MARATHONER
TACOMA — The first six times Edward Lychik told his physical therapist he wanted to run again, she was noncommittal, and with good reason. The combat veteran's left leg had been amputated at the hip socket, and doctors had told him if he walked again, it would be on crutches. AP Member Exchange by Larry Larue, The News Tribune. SENT: 960 words. AP Photos WATAC201, WATAC202, WATAC203.
SPORTS
BBA--MARINERS-RANGERS
ARLINGTON, Texas — Mike Zunino homered an inning before adding an RBI single in Seattle's strange six-run outburst that included three Texas Rangers errors and a replay reversal that gave the Mariners a run in their 7-1 victory Monday night. By Stephen Hawkins. SENT: 770 words, photos.
BKW_GONZAGA COACH
SPOKANE — Gonzaga assistant women's basketball coach Lisa Fortier was promoted to head coach on Monday, replacing Kelly Graves, who left for Oregon after 14 seasons with the Bulldogs. By Nicholas K. Geranios. SENT: 330 words.
IN BRIEF:
— MISSING SOLDIER — Search on for soldier missing after weekend hiking trip in forest near Olympia.
— OSO MUDSLIDE-HIGHWAY — Wash. officials discuss Highway 530 plans with mudslide-affected Darrington residents.
— OSO MUDSLIDE-INJURED — Wash. mudslide victim, 81, released from hospital; only 1 victim remains hospitalized.
— OSO MUDSLIDE-FLAGS — Flags in Washington state to fly at half-staff in memory of mudslide victims.
— TRAIL FATAL — Boy, 2, hit by truck on trail in Buckley; pronounced dead at hospital.
— SEWAGE SENTENCING — Owner of Longview septic company gets 2 years in prison; illegally dumped 2 million gallons.
— STATE AUDITOR DEPLOYED — Washington state auditor deployed to South Korea for 2 weeks with National Guard.
— TWO RIVERS-TWO BODIES — Multnomah County, Ore., sheriff's spokesman: bodies of 2 men recovered from 2 nearby rivers.
— TUMWATER SCHOOL SEX — Tumwater teacher aide pleads guilty to sex charge.
— SEATTLE MOTEL EXPLOSION — Natural gas explosion at Seattle motel sends man to hospital in critical condition.
— OLYMPIC PARK BUILDING THREATENED — River undercutting historic Olympic Park chalet.
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