California wildfires spark call locally for blood donations

With the wildfires in Southern California, the Puget Sound Blood Center is answering a call for assistance from the Blood Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Because of the fires, many mobile blood drives in Southern California were canceled and donors are unable to make it to donation centers because of the high winds and fire danger.

The Puget Sound Blood Center will send blood to those communities. Call 800-398-7888 to schedule an appointment to donate. Drop in at any of the blood center's 11 Western Washington donor centers. For a list of centers and hours of operation, check www.psbc.org.

Civic calendar

Traffic watch

Today: The left lane in both directions of South Royal Brougham Way between Third Avenue South and Occidental Avenue South will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p. m. for Washington State Department of Transportation crews to prepare test holes. The two right outside lanes will be open to traffic. For more information, check www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR519/.

Natural Water Catchment

Saturday: Class for homeowners about passive and active rainwater harvesting from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center, 950 N.W. Carkeek Park Road, Seattle. For more information, call 206-684-0877 or check www.seattle.gov/parks.

King County forum

Today: Meet elected officials and view displays and information about King County services at King County Unincorporated Area Councils forum at 7 p.m., The Hall at Fauntleroy, 9131 California Ave. S.W., Seattle.

The six councils are the Four Creeks Unincorporated Area Council, Greater Maple Valley Council, North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, Upper Bear Creek Community Council, West Hill Community Council and Vashon-Maury Island Community Council.

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times lead news assistant Lynne Berry. To submit an item, e-mail herenow@seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.

Oct. 25, 1864: The Western Union telegraph line reached Seattle on this date, 20 years after the chief inventor, Samuel Morse, gave the first public demonstration of the new technology. To celebrate the Seattle arrival, a cannon was fired, a flag hoisted and The Seattle Gazette (a weekly newspaper) published an extra edition, reporting Civil War news and other news from the East Coast dated Oct. 24, 1864.

Source: Historylink.org