Suspected hit-run in Marysville kills woman, 58

Marysville

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office says a woman found dead near Interstate 5 near Marysville is apparently the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

A motorist noticed the body of the 58-year-old Marysville woman at 6:40 a.m. Wednesday in a grassy strip between 34th Avenue Northeast and Interstate 5 in Tulalip, police said.

They said the woman apparently was walking north on 34th Avenue near the east shoulder of the road when she was struck by a vehicle in the 12400 block.

The woman's identity, as well as the official cause and manner of death, will be determined and released later by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office.

It's unclear why she was walking along 34th Avenue, police said.

Detectives later recovered a gas can and a motorcycle parked near the area where the body was found. Police are investigating whether the motorcycle was involved in the accident.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the sheriff's tip line at 425-388-3845.

Renton

HOT lanes near April 26 debut

Washington state's first high-occupancy/toll or "HOT" lanes are almost ready to open April 26 along Highway 167.

Within the nine-mile corridor, from Renton to Auburn, solo drivers may pay a toll to enter the faster car-pool lanes.

The price will increase when the highway is congested to keep the lane empty enough that it flows at 45 mph. A typical peak-hour toll could be $2 to $5, with an upper limit of $9.

So far, about 9,000 drivers living near Highway 167 have obtained "Good to Go" window transponders, allowing them into the HOT lane.

Drivers pay into a tolling debit account, then roadside scanners deduct the money.

The April 26 opening assumes dry-enough weather to finish painting new lane stripes, said Craig Stone, urban-corridors administrator.

Mill Creek

McKenna to give GOP keynote

State Attorney General Rob McKenna is to be the keynote speaker Saturday morning at the Snohomish County Republican Convention.

The public is invited to attend the free all-day event at Henry M. Jackson High School, 1508 136th St. S.E.

Those who arrive after 9 a.m. may not immediately gain entry, said Olga Farnam, convention chairwoman. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m., she said.

Delegates elected at the Feb. 9 caucuses will adopt a county party platform, consider resolutions and elect 139 delegates and 139 alternates to attend the state convention and congressional-district caucuses.

The state GOP convention is May 29-31 in Spokane.

Seattle

Crawling fish stumps the experts

A University of Washington professor says a recently discovered fish that crawls instead of swimming and has forward-looking eyes like humans could be part of an entirely unknown family of fishes.

The creature sighted in Indonesian waters off Ambon Island has tan- and peach-colored zebra stripes.

It uses its leglike pectoral fins to burrow into cracks and crevices of coral reefs in search of food.

UW professor Ted Pietsch says this relative of the anglerfish will have to undergo DNA scrutiny to verify it is unique.

But Pietsch, the world's leading authority on anglerfish, says he's never seen anything like it.

Pietsch says they have probably escaped notice until now because they are so good at sliding into narrow crevices.

Walla Walla

Teen pole vaulter dies from injuries

A high-school athlete who was critically injured in a pole-vaulting accident at Walla Walla has died.

St. Mary Medical Center nursing supervisor Char Brown says 18-year-old Ryan Moberg died Wednesday.

The fire department says Moberg sustained head and neck injuries Monday when he landed during an indoor practice at DeSales Catholic High School.

The director of Walla Walla Catholic Schools, David Schmitz, says a coach was present at the practice, which had been scheduled during spring break.

Seattle Times staff and news services