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O2go Mobile

The Olympian's O2Go Mobile for Friday, Dec. 7, 2007

From the front page

I-5 opens for freight; may open today to all
If all goes as planned, the state Department of Transportation will reopen Interstate 5 to passenger vehicles sometime today through a 20-mile section that has been closed since Monday. On Thursday night, crews reopened one *** in each direction of the freeway for freight trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or more.

Farmers hurt by flood
There will be empty stalls at the Olympia Farmers Market this weekend. Charlie Haney, the market's general manager, said more than a dozen farmers who primarily sell produce have been affected by the extensive flooding in Lewis and Thurston counties. In some cases, whole farms have been devastated.

Shelter workers offer succor
Life in an emergency shelter isn't easy. But volunteers such as Beth Eaton of Oakville make it easier. Eaton was helping at a shelter set up at a church in Oakville. Lt. Col. William Palmer of the National Guard has been helping at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds emergency shelter and elsewhere.

Fifth-grader's roller coaster wins building contest
Ian Culhane is enjoying the limelight after designing a toy roller coaster that won the Olympia fifth-grader the grand prize of a $10,000 savings bond in a national contest.

South Sound

Local veterans remember Pearl Harbor
Douglas Smith of Tumwater is one of nine active members of a Pearl Harbor survivor's group in the Olympia area and about 5,000 Pearl Harbor veterans nationwide, said Allan Peringer of Lacey, a fellow survivor. Smith has devoted a room in his house to naval memorabilia.

City finds money for projects
City leaders had thought they couldn't afford more downtown code enforcement, sidewalk maintenance or groundskeeping of Bigelow House Museum. It turned out they were wrong, as the Olympia City Council has added nearly $1 million of extra spending to the 2008 city budget at the last minute because of higher-than-expected revenues and money carried over from this year, finance manager Dean Walz said.

Jury hears conflicting testimony on defendant's alcohol level
Jurors heard conflicting testimony Thursday about whether Kaylin Burgett was drunk at a Lacey bar the night she drove off an overpass on Eastside Street last year in a crash that killed passenger Jeremy Cole.

Court dismisses complaint against Rossi
On a 3-2 vote, the state Public Disclosure Commission has thrown out state Democrats' campaign-finance complaint against GOP gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi and his nonprofit foundation.

Business

County sees home sales inch up
Thurston County median home prices outperformed many Western Washington counties in November and remained steady on a year-over-year basis, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported Thursday.

Sports

Hawks girls find winning energy
It was only the first minute of the game, but River Ridge High School girls basketball coach Curtis Norwood already didn't like what he saw from his Hawks team against the North Thurston High School Rams. "We needed a reminder early that we came to play basketball," Norwood said. "It took a little while for us to arrive." But once they did, they didn't turn back. The Hawks brought more energy in their 74-39 non-league win over North Thurston on Thursday night.

Speculation abounds over WIAA shifts
Earlier this week, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released preliminary high school classification numbers for the 2008-10 enrollment cycle. Only one high school in South Sound will be changing classi fications: The Shelton Highclimbers are going back up to 4A. But perhaps, the bigger question now is what will happen to the Class 3A Western Cascade Conference. Everything is still up in the air. Schools have until Dec. 14 to confirm changes.

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The Olympian - O2Go Mobile for Friday, Dec. 7, 2007