In brief: Lawmaker’s laugh lines earn him second place

SEATTLE – Some people in the other Washington think Rep. Rick Larsen’s a funny guy.

Larsen placed second last week in the 17th annual Washington’s Funniest Celebrity Contest, according to the Seattle Times.

The five-term Washington Democrat impressed the judges with his political routine at the competition. He joked that the worst job in the world is to be third in command at al-Qaida, because “we have killed that guy at least seven times.”

Larsen was edged out for the win by White House speechwriter Jon Lovett, who riffed on how the new airport screening procedures turned Virgin Airlines into “Technically Still a Virgin Airlines.”

Larsen improved on his third- place performance from last year.

Bryde’s whale washes up on Puget Sound beach

SHELTON, Wash. – A whale that may have been injured in a collision with a vessel has washed up dead on a beach in the Totten Inlet area of South Puget Sound.

John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research said Saturday it was a Bryde’s whale, a primarily tropical species that rarely shows up in Puget Sound. It’s the second Bryde’s whale to turn up dead in the area this year, and researchers aren’t sure what it was doing there.

The badly hurt whale was first spotted in November, missing large chunks of flesh and blubber. Calambokidis said at least one of the whale’s injuries seemed to have come from a boat propeller, and it’s possible all of them did.

State workers’ share of health costs likely to rise

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire has reached a tentative agreement with state workers on health insurance increases.

State workers currently pay 12 percent of their health care premium costs, and the state pays the rest. Gregoire had said the amount shouldered by workers could increase to 26 percent because of a projected budget shortfall. But this week, her office agreed to a rate of 15 percent.

The agreement was reached Thursday but is not final until the rest of the contract is negotiated, and then ratified by the union. The Legislature also would have to approve funding for the contract.

If the deal stands, the changes would take effect Jan. 1, 2012.

Moscow man killed in collision on U.S. 95

MOSCOW, Idaho – One person died and five others, including three children, were injured in a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 95, according to the Idaho State Police.

Police said 29-year-old Nathan N. Larson, of Moscow, died Friday afternoon in the collision.

Police said 26-year-old Joel D. Holmes, of Athol, lost control of his 2000 Chevy Tahoe on black ice and crossed the centerline, hitting Larson’s Toyota Tercel.

The Lewiston Tribune reported that all five occupants in the Tahoe were taken to Gritman Medical Center in Moscow.