OLYMPIA - With the black bear hunting season opening throughout most of the state Aug. 1, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reminds hunters and others recreating outdoors to be safety conscious. 

"A variety of people, including hunters, hikers, anglers and campers, share the outdoors in Washington," said Bruce Bjork, chief of WDFW enforcement. "We all must do our part to stay safe, as well as ensure the safety of others." 

While fatal hunting incidents involving non-hunters are rare, last August in Skagit County a hiker was shot and killed by a hunter who mistook her for a bear. That incident was the state's first hunting-related fatality involving a non-hunter in at least a quarter-century. 

TUMWATER - With temperatures warmer than normal in many parts of the state this week, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is reminding everyone that working outdoors in hot weather can put you at risk of heat-related illness.

If you work outdoors in hot weather:

• Drink as much as one cup of water every 15 minutes.
• Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness.
• Pace your work and take breaks.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals.

Heat-related illness can cause serious medical conditions, including disability and death.

       OLYMPIA - The state's largest dangerous waste processor will fund two years of audits designed to support major reforms at its Tacoma and Kent facilities under a settlement agreement with the Department of Ecology (Ecology).  Burlington Environmental LLC (Burlington) also will pay $58,000 of a $288,000 penalty for waste-handling violations. 

    The company will apply the remaining $230,000 towards hiring a third-party firm to conduct audits of Burlington's facilities every other month for two years.  The audit firm will evaluate Burlington's facilities and practices as well as monitor its progress in correcting 15 past dangerous waste violations. Certain violations, if discovered during the audits, may be subject to stipulated penalties agreed to by Ecology and Burlington.

OLYMPIA - Lightning strikes that continued into the evening hours caused more than 75 new fires today in northeastern Washington. Many of the new wildfires were on public and private lands protected by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

DNR has responded to today's outbreak by deploying 200 firefighters, 30 fire engines and 5 helicopters, plus a 900-gallon air tanker. Several other local and federal agencies also are responding to new fire reports in northeast counties where fire hazard levels on open land are rated "high" to "extreme" due to dry weather and low moisture levels in grasses, trees, and other vegetation.

On 7/21/09 at 5:17pm Washington State Department of Transportation worker stopped to render assistance to what he thought was a disabled 1999 Lincoln Continental on SR-14 westbound near 164th St.

What he saw was the male passenger, Nathaniel D. Mosley a 22 year old Vancouver resident, striking the female driver. Troopers from the Washington State Patrol were dispatched to the scene.