Death with Dignity initiative on ballot

Olympia

Death with Dignity

initiative on ballot

A physician-assisted dying initiative will appear on Washington's statewide ballot in November.

Initiative 1000, also called the "Death with Dignity" initiative, would allow terminally ill people to legally obtain lethal prescription drugs for ending their own lives. It is patterned after a similar law in Oregon — the only one in the country.

Secretary of State Sam Reed certified I-1000 for the ballot today, after verifying the campaign — led by former Gov. Booth Gardner — submitted at least 224,880 valid petition signatures.

Olympia

"Cowboy Mike"

sentenced to 48 years

The former fugitive and aspiring country singer known as "Cowboy Mike" has been sentenced to nearly 48 years in prison for the rape and murder of a Lacey woman.

Michael John Braae was convicted in May for the 2001 death of Lori Jones, 44. He was sentenced Thursday in Thurston County Superior Court.

Braae was arrested in Idaho in 2001 after leading police on a 40-mile car chase, which ended when he jumped from a 40-foot-high bridge into the Snake River.

An Idaho sheriff's deputy testified that Braae was picked up by a police boat after trying to drown a police dog sent into the water to catch him.

Braae was serving time for assault in Idaho, but he's been held at the Washington state prison in Shelton, Mason County, during the trial.

Shelton, Mason County

2 men found dead

after plane crash

A Mason County sheriff's spokesman says the two men aboard a small float plane are dead after the aircraft crashed into a wooded area after taking off from a lake west of Shelton. The crash ignited a small wildfire.

Sheriff's Detective William Adam said the victims of the Thursday afternoon crash were not immediately identified pending notification of relatives.

Firefighters have contained the 3-acre fire.

Adam says several witnesses told the sheriff's office that the plane's single engine cut out shortly after takeoff. They say the plane banked left and disappeared into the nearby trees.

Seattle

Battery tunnel

lanes to be closed

One lane in each direction through the Battery Street Tunnel will be closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday so that street drains on Battery Street can be cleaned.

The closure will affect the left lanes northbound and southbound through the tunnel, and also the left lane on the north side of one-way Battery Street above from First Avenue to Denny Way.

Seattle

Injured gazelle

at zoo dies

A gazelle at Woodland Park Zoo has died from injuries believed caused by another animal.

Over the weekend, Ume, a 7-year-old male Grant's gazelle, was discovered with facial injuries, including a swollen eye. The zoo brought in a veterinary ophthalmologist who worked with zoo vets to treat the visible injuries.

But the gazelle died Tuesday and a post-mortem showed it also had suffered trauma to the head and bruising to the heart and lungs.

Ume lived in the 4.5-acre African Savanna exhibit with three other gazelles, zebras, giraffes, oryxes and ostriches.

"This is not common in zoos," said zoo spokeswoman Gigi Allianic."They live day to day with each other, and they normally are compatible."

Grant's gazelles are native to East Africa and remain widespread; other gazelle species are endangered or threatened.

The Woodland Park Zoo has no immediate plans to bring in another gazelle, Allianic said.

Seattle

Divers to help clean

spikes from lake

A team of diving enthusiasts associated with the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine at Virginia Mason Medical Center this morning will help rid Green Lake of some sharp spikes discovered on the lake bottom recently.

A Seattle Parks Department spokeswoman said 45 metal rods had been found at the south end of the lake. The first set of spikes, roughly 2 or 3 feet long, were reported by a man wading near the boating center. They were buried at the bottom of the lake with the sharp ends pointed up. Parks officials believed the spikes may have been there as long as two months because some of the rods were corroded.

Port Orchard

Silverdale man

accused of sex abuse

A 19-year-old Silverdale man is in custody, charged with first-degree child molestation, stemming from a case involving at least one victim in Silverdale's Ridgetop area.

A spokesman for the Kitsap County Sheriff's office said Dashaun C. Woodruff was arraigned in Kitsap County Superior Court before Judge Leila Mills on Thursday afternoon. Bail was set at $200,000.

Woodruff is accused of molesting a 5-year-old girl. He and the victim were acquainted, the spokesman said. Woodruff was arrested late Wednesday night and booked into Kitsap County Jail.

Sheriff's detectives said there may be other young victims, and the department has requested anyone with information about possible juvenile molestation victims contact Det. Ron Trogdon at 360-337-5613 or Det. Chad Birkenfeld at 360-337-5619. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 800-222-TIPS.

Carnation

River reopened

after bridge moved

The Snoqualmie River under the Tolt Bridge, west of Carnation in East King County, is open again to boaters and other recreational users, after being closed since July 1.

The river was placed off-limits to the public during removal of the old Tolt Bridge, which was moved off its supports last Saturday to be dismantled and recycled. A new Tolt Bridge is open in that location.

Seattle

Bridge lanes to close

for pavement repairs

Southbound lanes will be closed this weekend on the Interstate-5 Ship Canal Bridge so crews can repair damaged pavement.

The two right lanes will close at 5 a.m. Saturday and reopen by 10 a.m.

On Sunday, crews will close the two left lanes from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The I-5 express lanes will be open to southbound drivers from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bothell

Trail closed while

Hwy. 522 widened

The North Creek Trail, which connects the Sammamish River bicycle trail with the entrance to the University of Washington Bothell campus, will be closed for a month in Bothell.

The state Department of Transportation has closed the trail near the college campus to widen Highway 522 bridges and build a new southern entrance to the college campus.

Detour signs will direct bicyclists and pedestrians to 102nd Avenue Northeast and Beardslee Boulevard in downtown Bothell.

This closure is set for 30 days, but there will be a total of 90 days of closure during the project. The next closure date has not been set.

Times staff and news services