Sara Lerner
Stories
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FAA To Review Boeing's 787 After Two Safety Incidents
The Federal Aviation Administration said this morning that the Boeing 787 will undergo a comprehensive design, manufacture and assembly review. The announcement follows two separate incidents with the so-called Dreamliners operated by Japan Airlines. The first was a fire in a battery pack of an auxiliary power unit and the second was a fuel leak. Richard Aboulafia is an aviation analyst with the Teal Group. Aboulafia told KUOW News that the FAA review is not unprecedented, but it is unusual.
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State Commission Finds PSE At Fault For Gas Explosion
A state report has found Puget Sound Energy at fault for a gas explosion that injured two people in September 2011. The blast destroyed the North Seattle home of the Ingham family.David Ingham had been in bed putting his socks on when his house exploded. He thought he had been thrust outside, but it turned out the walls around him had blown away. Ingham and his wife were both injured.Ingham told investigators his wife had smelled gas the day before. So had others nearby. PSE surveyed the area the day before the explosion to look for a gas leak.Joe Subsits is with the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission. "[PSE] missed some key sections when they did that survey. And I believe one of the key sections they missed, unfortunately, was the cul-de-sac where the explosion occurred," said Subsits.KUOW asked PSE spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt about the missed cul-de-sac. "I wouldn't characterize that as a mistake," she said. She said the explosion is still under investigation, but the Utilities and Transportation Commission said its investigation has concluded.State utilities commissioners have not said whether they will enforce a penalty.
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Another Dock Washes Ashore In Wash., Possibly From Japanese Tsunami
Scientists will soon head to the Olympic coast to evaluate a dock that washed ashore in a remote section of Olympic National Park. It could be debris from last year’s tsunami in Japan. It might even be as big as the gigantic piece of debris that showed up on Oregon’s coast in June. That dock weighed 188 tons.
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UPDATE: Shooter Identified, Mall Shooting Victim Expected To Survive
Two people, plus the suspected shooter, are dead after police say a gunman opened fire at a crowded shopping mall in suburban Portland Tuesday.
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Washington Settles Over Failed State Sex Trafficking Law
The state of Washington will not appeal a federal court decision to strike down a new state sex trafficking law. The law would have held online websites like Backpage.com accountable for illegal ads posted on their sites.
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Avalanche Deaths Inspire Safety Efforts In Backcountry Skiing And Snowboarding
As the slopes open, skiers’ and snowboarders’ giddy enthusiasm is overshadowed by an accident near Stevens Pass last season. Three people were killed: Jim Jack, Johnny Brenan and Chris Rudolph. They were caught in an avalanche in the nearby backcountry — the wilderness just outside the Stevens Pass ski resort, unmonitored by ski patrol. Jack, Brennan and Rudolph were all well-known and experienced skiers in the Washington ski scene.Professional snowboarder Tim Carlson was part of the group that went out that day. He saw some of his friends die, and he helped recover the bodies. Now, as he preps for the peak of his career, an international backcountry competition in January, he’s remembering his friends and thinking about the accident. Everyone who went out that day in February had experience skiing or snowboarding in the backcountry. They had the right gear and they knew how to use it. The accident is a reminder to back-country skiers and snowboarders that even experts can make mistakes.Joel Hammond was also there that day. He sells skis and ski gear for a living. He says right before the group took off there were questions, but silent ones. People didn’t voice their concerns. That’s something avalanche educators talk about in safety classes. The draw of that perfect snow (or powder) combined with excited friends creates a much-too-easy path for poor decision-making.“When you have the big group,” Hammond says, “do you want to be that downer on a powder day? And you know what? I say, ‘Hell yeah, you want to be that person.’”Now, the ski industry is trying to find new ways to teach skills to encourage people to be that person. Among its search: a look at how the aviation industry handles urgent communication where safety is concerned. Safety instructors are studying how pilots talk to each other in the cockpit.Meanwhile, another problem is emerging. Both Hammond and Carlson have seen it firsthand: gung-ho skiers and snowboarders heading out to the backcountry without any rescue gear or avalanche training. Retailers, avalanche forecasters and ski patrol are telling skiers they need both before they go outside the roped-off boundaries of ski resorts.Carlson says people may feel a false sense of security crossing those ropes at a ski resort. He says they tell themselves, “I’m going out the back-country gate, of course it’s safe.” But he knows firsthand that that’s not true.Now, if he sees people out in the backcountry who seem green, he won’t brush it off. Instead, he says he wants to scare them a little. He says he’ll bark orders — nicely — about where it's safe to go.RESOURCES:Northwest Weather and Avalanche CenterNational Weather ServiceStevens Pass Snow ReportVIDEO: Tim Carlson Snowboardinghttp://youtu.be/pmjQZ2hHw8k
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Reporter Update: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldier Accused Of Massacre
Pre-trial hearings continue this evening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. He’s accused of massacring 16 civilians in Afghanistan, including nine children. Prosecutors say he left his base last March and went on an overnight five-hour killing spree.The hearings will determine whether the case will advance to court-martial, where the government has said it plans to seek the death penalty. KUOW’s Sara Lerner spoke with Patricia Murphy, who’s covering the hearings.
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Wash. Ballots Continue To Be Counted, Some Races Will Be Called Friday
This is Washington’s first presidential election after making the switch to all mail-in voting. Just over half of the ballots have been counted and many races are still undecided. KUOW’s Sara Lerner speaks with Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed.
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Many Races Still In Flux In Washington
Many races in Washington state are yet to be decided. In the highly contested race for governor, Republican Rob McKenna is trailing Democrat Jay Inslee by about 2.5 percentage points. The same-sex marriage referendum and the charter schools initiative are also too close to call. But the returns on the marijuana initiative are decisive: recreational use will soon be legal in Washington. KUOW’s Sara Lerner speaks with our political reporter Austin Jenkins.
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Octopus Killing Fuels Scuba Diver Activism
A scuba diving instructor recently encountered a diver who was in the process of killing an octopus at Cove 2, a popular West Seattle diving site. Photos of the incident spread online, prompting the local scuba dive community to seek marine protection status for Cove 2. Divers from all around the world are drawn to the area at Seacrest Park, specifically to see the giant Pacific octopus. But harvesting an octopus there is legal and octopuses aren’t a threatened species. KUOW’s Sara Lerner spoke with Laurynn Evans, owner of underwater video production company Seainggreen. She’s among the Seattleites working now towards a new marine protection status for that site.