Notebook
Northwest troops dispatched
“ The Washington Air National Guard dispatched three KC-135 tanker aircraft on Friday to assist in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, an Air Guard spokesman said Friday.
One of the three aircraft, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, picked up about 50 members of the Oregon Army and Air National Guard in Portland and flew them to the New Orleans Naval Air Station, said Maj. Brad Benson of the Washington Air National Guard’s 141st Air Refueling Wing. The other two tankers flew to Portland and will fly more Oregon Guard members to New Orleans today.
The Oregon National Guard units being transported include soldiers from the 1186th military police company and Oregon Air Guard communications specialists. The troops carried as much food and water as possible so they can be self-sufficient while in Louisiana, Benson said.
He said the 141st may be called upon to fly more personnel or supplies to support the Gulf Coast relief efforts in the next few weeks.
Universities reach out
“ Whitworth College said it will offer free tuition to as many as 10 students enrolled in colleges and universities that have been closed in hurricane-affected areas. To be eligible, students must have already been registered for classes at their home colleges and have made arrangement for payment there, Whitworth said. The private North Spokane college will waive tuition for those students but is asking them to pay their home institutions to help with reconstruction. For more information, contact the Whitworth student life office at (509) 777-3271.
“ V. Lane Rawlins, president of Washington State University, said the school is working to make room for several Washington residents who had planned to attend universities in the area hammered by the hurricane.
“While our classes have already started, we may still be able to help some students for this semester, and certainly can help many students next semester as needed,” Rawlins said in a written statement.
Similarly, Eastern Washington University “welcomes undergraduate and graduate students who are registered at affected institutions in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama,” according to a written statement from interim president Brian Levin- Stankevich.
Blogosphere …
OK Guys …
I have to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped us out so far. You have made me realize that humanity is not all looters with guns and death. Thank you all for offering to help not only financially but with care packages etc. I will post an address as soon as I have one.
Morrigann, posted Friday at 12:03 a.m. at www.livejournal.com/users/ morrigann/
Somewhere to start
Apparently I am a cat of nine lives or more, because if the blogs are telling the truth, I got out just ahead of escalation: shooting, rapes, people in desperate states, waiting days for help. … Tonight, frazzled to wit’s end. Completely exhausted. Appalled and horrified. Thankful beyond measure.
Scyllacat at 1 a.m. at www.live journal.com/users/scyllacat/
How it should have worked
Where are we all gonna live? Arkansas? And by “all” let me clarify – I don’t just mean New Orleans – I mean every city, every town ever hit – when it needs to be rebuilt, are you going to move those people, too?
Toni at 2:22 a.m. at www. electricmist.net/
Being a refugee
I would imagine, like me, most refugees that got out and are alright don’t really have the means to help. The only thing we can do is try not to be a burden to the relief effort and remain self-sufficient as much as possible for as long as possible. There’s something terribly sad when the best thing you can do is stay out of the way while all that’s going on just happens. I hope I never forget this feeling. I won’t always be a refugee, but I’ll always understand what the word means.
Jack Ware, posted Friday at 11:12 am at http://neworleans.metblogs. com/
From staff reports