Contractor gets light-rail pay boost

Seattle

Sound Transit will boost a contractor's pay by $16 million to settle disputes over its Sodo maintenance base, and a mile of track, for Seattle's new light-rail system.

The money will go to Kiewit Pacific and subcontractors. They had sought $45 million, blaming steel shortages, contaminated soil and schedule delays for rising costs. Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray called the deal, approved Thursday by the agency's Finance Committee, a "fair and reasonable amount for both parties."

Kiewit originally bid $94.7 million in 2003 — an amount less than engineering estimates, which brought cheers from transit officials. But Thursday's deal, plus prior change orders, boosts the total to $123 million. Other contractors have taken pay increases, or filed claims, along the route from Westlake Center to Tukwila. However, Sound Transit still expects to finish by 2009 within its $2.4 billion budget because of ample cash reserves.

Fort Lewis

Soldier killed in Iraq copter crash

Another Fort Lewis-based soldier has died in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

Chief Warrant Officer Scott Oswell, 33, who lived in Washington, died Wednesday in Mosul, Iraq, after his helicopter struck a power line and crashed, according to a media release. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry.

Oswell had been in the military since 1991 and was trained as a helicopter pilot. This was his second deployment to Iraq — his first being in 2004 while he was stationed in Hawaii.

Olympic National Park

Crews searching for missing hiker

Olympic National Park search crews are looking for an overdue hiker who hasn't been seen since she left for a day hike Tuesday.

Mary O'Brien, 45, of the Boston area, was last seen when she left for a hike to the high-divide area of Olympic National Park.

The search for O'Brien began Wednesday after a Seattle friend reported her missing. Today, 46 searchers, a dog team and two helicopters will resume the search.

Rescue crews believe O'Brien camped at the Sol Duc Campground, site No. 62, Monday night and began a hike Tuesday morning to the high divide. She is an experienced hiker. O'Brien is white, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a scar on the front of her neck. Anyone with information is asked to call 360-565-3115.

Anchorage, Alaska

NTSB seeks safety inspection for ship

A high-end cruise ship that ran aground in May in the fjords of southeast Alaska has potentially faulty lifesaving equipment on board that should be inspected immediately, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.

The board urged the Coast Guard to recheck life rafts and inflatable slides on the Empress of the North two days before the ship is scheduled to depart the Juneau dock at near-full capacity. The voyage will be the vessel's first since hitting an underwater rock May 14.

The Coast Guard plans to inspect the ship today, before the Empress leaves Alaska's capital city for a weeklong round-trip cruise through the Inside Passage, said Lt. Brierley Ostrander, a spokeswoman for the ship's Seattle-based owner, Majestic America Line.

Times staff and news services