OLYMPIA, Wash. - Health groups and environmental advocates are giving a big thumbs down to proposed pollution standards being offered by the Gregoire administration for Washington State's only coal-fired power plant. The Washington Department of Ecology says the proposed agreement will reduce nitrogen oxides pollution by 20 percent. Department spokespeople also claim that reductions will be made in mercury pollution. Both claims are being disputed, says Ethan Bergerson, associate regional representative for the Sierra Club.



"The agreement mentions some of the pollutants from the coal plant, but it doesn't come up with a solid plan to reduce them - and it doesn't mention the coal plant's biggest pollution, which is global warming."

KING COUNTY, Wash. - The Department of Corrections today agreed to pay $3.275 million to help compensate the family of King County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Steve Cox who was killed in 2006 by an offender under community supervision.

Cox was investigating an incident at a home in the White Center neighborhood of Seattle on Dec. 2, 2006 when Raymond Porter shot and killed him. Porter died from a gunshot wound shortly after being taken from the scene of the incident.

Porter was under DOC community supervision after serving prison sentences for drug offenses, assault and failing to return to work release. The Cox family claimed that DOC was negligent in its supervision of Porter.

The widow and 4-year-old son of Deputy Steve Cox claimed the state Department of Corrections was negligent in its supervision of Raymond Porter, a drug offender who had been released from prison in August 2006 and killed Cox in December 2006.

The original $22 million claim against the state, filed a year after his death, alleged prison officials let Porter out of prison too soon. He had been serving time at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center outside Aberdeen for drug and assault convictions and was released only four months before he killed Cox.

GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY, Wash. - The results are in from the recent Drive Hammered, Get Nailed enforcement campaign conducted from August 14 through September 7.



In Grays Harbor County, 44 motorists were stopped and arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), and statewide, law enforcement officers arrested 2818 drivers for DUI.



In Grays Harbor County, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen, Cosmopolis, Elma, Hoquiam, McCleary, Montesano and Ocean Shores Police Departments, and the Washington State Patrol, participated in the extra emphasis patrols, with the support of the Grays Harbor Target Zero Traffic Safety Task Force. The extra patrols were funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.



Impaired driving is the leading cause of traffic deaths in Washington. During 2008, impaired drivers killed nearly half of the 522 people who died on Washington’s roadways. The 251 impaired driver-involved deaths last year represent a decrease of 22 fatalities compared to the previous five-year average.

MONTESANO, Wash. - The Grays Harbor County Sherrif's department reports the County prosecutor has declined to file criminal charges against 38 year old Gary Bowers from Port Orchard concluding that the shooting of 25 year old Weston Wolff of Olympia at Lake Wynoochee was justifiable Homicide. Bowers was camping with his wife and two sons, ages 7 and 11, August 28th when a visibly drunken Weston Wolff stumbled into Bower's campsite. Bowers at first thought that an animal was in his campsite, so he left his tent and fired a warning shot into the air.

Bowers then heard Wolff, along with as 17 year old who was with Wolff, near his vehicle. Thinking the two had been trying to steal from him, he fired a warning shot into the air, scaring off the 17 year old, the 25 year old left after another warning shot was fired.

The 17 year old had returned to his campsite and was about to leave with his group to locate Wolff, when Wolf returned, said nothing to his friends, stripped down to his underwwear and t-shirt, grabbed a machette and left in the direction of Bower's campsite.

Wolff returned to the Bower's campsite, with the machete, and continued to threaten Bowers. Bowers fired a single shot at the man, killing him. Scott said that according to the Prosecutors office, the case and investigation are closed.