Medical-marijuana comments sought

Olympia

How much is a 60-day supply of medical marijuana? And how should patients who qualify under state law to legally possess the stuff actually get some?

The public is invited to help the state Department of Health come up with those and other answers to clarify the medical-marijuana law passed by voters in 1998. The state Legislature last session ordered the department to make the clarifications.

Written comments may be submitted by mail to P.O. Box 47866, Olympia, 98504; by fax to 360-236-4768; by e-mail to medicalmarijuana@doh.wa.gov, or entered online at www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/medical-marijuana/.

Public workshops are scheduled around the state in mid-September, including a Seattle session on Sept. 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Microsoft Auditorium at the Central Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave.

Yakima

Shortage shuts down concrete supplier

The largest concrete supplier in Yakima County will begin a temporary shutdown Monday, saying it lacks raw materials.

The shutdown by Central Pre-Mix Concrete Co. could cause major problems for construction projects throughout the Yakima Valley — an area with strong new housing and commercial construction.

"The gravity of the issue is huge, and construction projects will be affected," said Tami Cain, operations manager for the company. "At this point, we have run out of options."

Central's shutdown comes two weeks after the Yakama Indian Nation issued a stop-work order at the company's mining site northwest of Toppenish. Tribal authorities determined Central was mining gravel on property for which it did not have a permit.

Wayne Kalbfleisch, a Central vice president based in Spokane, said the company expanded mining in an adjacent area when the original site ran out of material.

The company submitted applications to Yakima County and the state Department of Natural Resources for permits to expand its mining. Kalbfleisch said both agencies allowed Central to begin mining, pending action on the permit requests.

Yakima County planning manager Steve Erickson confirmed the county was aware of the expansion.

But tribal officials plan to investigate how the expansion could affect the tribe's water code.

Bub Mills, tribal water-code administrator, said the code is designed to protect all residents of the Yakama reservation and its natural resources. Tribal officials will meet with county and DNR officials to discuss processing Central's permits.

During the shutdown, Central will lay off more than 60 workers, the majority of its work force in Yakima.

Vancouver, Wash.

Silo falls off truck, crushes car

At this rate, Cindy Werner just shouldn't own a Subaru.

Werner's 2004 Subaru Outback was crushed Friday when a 44,000-pound metal silo came tumbling off a tractor-trailer truck, down an embankment and landed on Werner's car along Southeast 23rd Street in this city just across the Columbia River from Portland.

Werner had been out on a bike ride and came back to find the damage to her car. She told Portland television station KATU that it was the second Subaru she'd lost in six months. The first had been stolen and burned.

According to the State Patrol, the tractor-trailer hauling the silo was driving on the Interstate 205 exit from eastbound Highway 14. The silo wiggled loose, rolling about 50 feet on the shoulder before breaking through the guard rail.

The silo then tumbled end-over-end down a 35-foot embankment — tearing out phone lines along the way — before crushing Werner's car.

Officials at the scene believe the silo falling end-over-end instead of rolling likely prevented it from crashing into nearby homes.

The driver of the truck was cited for failure to secure his load. A crane was brought in to lift the silo off Werner's car and clear the roadway.

Seattle Times staff and news services