Local Digest
Two soldiers killed in Iraq

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Joe Hitt, a spokesman for Fort Lewis, said Sunday that the two soldiers were killed during the past few days. He said their names would not be released until family members are notified.

Both were members of Fort Lewis-based Task Force Olympia, which includes the Stryker brigade from Fort Lewis as well as other active-duty, National Guard and Army Reserve units from across the United States.

One of the soldiers died of his wounds after his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb about 10:35 a.m. Friday south of Qayyarah, The News Tribune reported Sunday.

He and another injured soldier were taken to an Army hospital in Balad, about 200 miles to the south. The injured soldier remained in the hospital Saturday.

A second Fort Lewis-based soldier was killed about 9 a.m. Saturday when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the convoy he was riding in, the newspaper said.

That incident also occurred south of Qayyarah, a city along the main north-south Highway 1 about 25 miles south of Mosul, where task force headquarters are located.

Earlier this week, Spc. Jacob Herring, 21, of Kirkland, died after his Stryker squad was attacked with a hand grenade near Tall Afar, about 45 miles west of Mosul. He had been stationed at Fort Lewis.

Memorial set for boy spotlighted in 2001 election

EVERETT — A memorial service for Ian Malone, a severely brain-damaged little boy who became a poster child for Al Gore's presidential campaign when an HMO threatened to cut his coverage, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at an Everett funeral home.

Ian died in his sleep Saturday morning at age 4-1/2.
 
The service will be held at Purdy and Walters with Cassidy Funeral Home on Pacific Avenue. A botched delivery deprived Ian of oxygen, and he nearly died during birth. He stopped crying only after being sedated and had frequent seizures. Then Aetna U.S. Healthcare, the nation's largest medical insurer, began cutting back Ian's nursing care.

Gore seized on the issue in his 2000 campaign to illustrate his support for universal health care. Aetna then changed its mind.

Fremont Bridge power outage forces use of backup system

SEATTLE — The Fremont Bridge lost electrical power for about 4-1/2 hours yesterday, forcing bridge crews to crank the bridge open, one half at a time, with a backup gas motor.

"At any one time, we had eight to 12 boats stacked up," said Liz Rankin, spokeswoman for the Seattle Department of Transportation.

The power outage was caused by a failure in a bank of electrical transformers that supply power to the bridge. The power went out at 2:21 p.m.

It's believed to be the first time the bridge lost power for a reason that wasn't weather-related.

"That's part of the historic nature of the bridges," said Rankin. "If need be, we can resort to the gasoline-power-cranking mechanism."

The Fremont Bridge is about 70 years old.

Manager for tribe pleads guilty to accepting kickback

TACOMA — A former natural-resources manager for the Chehalis Indian Tribe faces up to five years in federal prison for taking a kickback on a tribal contract.

Charanjit Singh Sodhi of Olympia pleaded guilty in federal court in Tacoma on Friday to theft from an Indian tribe. Sentencing was set for Aug. 13.

Prosecutors said that in 2001 Sodhi awarded a $30,000 contract, from a Bureau of Indian Affairs grant, to a contractor who paid Sodhi $15,000 of the grant money as thanks.

$350,000 damage estimated in fire at Issaquah restaurant

ISSAQUAH — Damage from a Saturday-morning fire has forced closure of a steakhouse at Gilman Village shopping center.

The Iris Grill, at 317 N.W. Gilman Blvd., suffered about $350,000 damage, said Josie Williams, a spokeswoman for Eastside Fire and Rescue. A business upstairs and a neighboring bakery also were damaged.

Firefighters received an automatic fire alarm that was tripped about 1:30 a.m., Williams said.

Roy man arrested after crash injures four in station wagon

YELM, Thurston County — A 19-year-old Roy man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault after his speeding pickup slammed head-on into a station wagon, critically injuring four people, the State Patrol said.

Troopers said Jesse A. Thompson's truck hit a car driven by 45-year-old Brian Petrovich of Wilkeson, Pierce County, on Vail Loop Road about 6 p.m. Saturday.

Also injured were Brian Petrovich's son Jordan Petrovich, 18; and Paul Petrovich, 40, of Puyallup, and his son Alex Petrovich, 12. Jordan Petrovich was in critical condition at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma. The others were taken to Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis with injuries described as not life-threatening.

Thompson suffered serious injuries and was taken to St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

Information is from Seattle Times staff and news services.