Mason County, WA - The Mason County Sheriff's Office is pleased to announce the award under the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 of $611,610 from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance's "Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs" solicitation. Mason County's application was considered among the hundreds submitted by organizations serving rural populations throughout the US. The amount awarded constitutes the largest Recovery and Reinvestment Act award in the State of Washington to this date.

     The two year grant provides funding for three full-time deputies, including patrol vehicles, bullet proof vests and other equipment along with funding for one corrections officer.  The grant requires the Mason County to demonstrate an increase in crime patrols and reduced overtime at the Mason County Jail.  The grant also funds one administrative clerk to support the Deputies in the Special Operations Group.  The Special Operations Group is the investigative body responsible for narcotics arrests and arrests of high profile fugitives.  The clerk will process tips on crime and drug activity, and perform administrative tasks making investigators available for additional field work. 

Olympia, WA - Federal health officials say the first batch of H1N1 swine flu vaccine includes about 71,000 doses for Washington. This initial vaccine is a nasal spray; flu shots are expected in a couple of weeks. Since the first supply is limited and the spray can’t be used by everyone, it’s mostly targeted at health care workers, healthy children, and families and caregivers of babies.

The first shipments of this new vaccine are expected to arrive in our state around October 7. As more arrives, high-risk groups will be the first priority. Soon, enough vaccine should be available to meet demand throughout the state. Local health agencies decide which providers get vaccine.

     SHELTON, WA (AP) - The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says a minor earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 was reported Wednesday night about six miles west-southwest of Shelton, Wash.

The quake was recorded at 8:10 p.m. at a depth of 27 miles. KING-TV says there have been no reports of injuries or damage. 

The Seismic Network is based at the University of Washington.  UW seismology lab coordinator Bill Steele says Western Washington experiences frequent quakes of about magnitude 3.0 - about 10 a year.

WSDOT continues to aggressively pursue additional federal stimulus dollars that will be distributed nationwide, applying for high speed passenger rail funds, fish passage grants, and discretionary grants for surface transportation improvements. WSDOT and local governments continue to construct American Recovery and Reinvestment Act highway projects, and have completed 38 projects. This week’s project highlight describes how stimulus funds are helping preserve a 100-year-old bridge in Wenatchee.

The Department of Labor and Industries says the state’s minimum wage will remain at $8.55 for another year because there was no increase in the Consumer Price Index. The state recalculates the wage each September as required by an initiative passed by voters 11 years ago. It requires the state to increase the minimum wage based on the federal “CPI-W,” which is a national index covering the cost of goods and services needed for day-to-day living. The CPI-W decreased 1.9 % over the past 12 months. You can find more information at http://Wages.Lni.wa.gov