Traffic drop during I-5 closure studied

Northbound traffic flowed at speeds of up to 45 mph into downtown Seattle on Monday morning, now that the state Department of Transportation (DOT) is done resurfacing five lanes of Interstate 5 near South Spokane Street.

Major slowdowns did occur Monday at the Madison Street exit, where a demolition crew temporarily blocked a lane.

During the two-week project, completed early Saturday, work crews blocked two to three lanes, and backups extended one to three miles.

The state is gathering data to explain how traffic volumes fell by half during construction. Of the drivers who stayed away, the DOT estimates that 5 percent to 10 percent used transit, 25 percent used other highways, and 25 percent chose city streets such as Fourth Avenue South. The others stayed home, changed their work hours, or carpooled, but DOT spokeswoman Lauren Penning said it's hard to quantify the patterns.

Arlington

Man drowns pursuing boat

A 56-year-old Bellingham man drowned at Armstrong Lake near Arlington on Monday.

The man, whose identity hasn't been released, was launching a 10-foot boat when it got away from him. He went into the 40-degree water to retrieve it, Snohomish County sheriff's spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said. A neighbor reported hearing someone yell for help and called 911 at 8:13 a.m.

When deputies arrived, the boat was in the middle of the lake and a truck, registered to the Bellingham man, was still running at the boat launch. There was no sign of the man, Hover said.

Sheriff's Office divers found the man around 1:30 p.m. about 100 yards from the launch on the west side of the lake. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Spokane

Not-guilty plea in voyeurism case

A former federal-building security guard accused of using high-tech cameras to spy on women in nearby condominiums and a hotel pleaded not guilty Monday.

Darin Earl Wanless, 32, a former guard at the U.S. Courthouse in Spokane, pleaded not guilty to four counts of felony voyeurism. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Michael Price scheduled trial for Nov. 19.

In court papers, prosecutors allege Wanless used rooftop cameras to watch women undress in the West 809 condominiums and at the posh Davenport Hotel.

Seattle Times staff and news services