Region in brief: Men plead guilty in smuggling case
Two Canadian men who smuggled marijuana into Ferry County last fall pleaded guilty to federal drug charges Thursday.
William David Paterson, 50, and Jahrum David Oakes, 32, both of Kelowna, B.C, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana. Each charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison and a minimum of three. No plea deals were made.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Spokane drove to Ferry County Nov. 1 after a tip that drug smugglers were near a home at Fourth of July Creek Road in Danville, adjacent to the border, according to court documents.
Paterson and Oakes were arrested trying to smuggle in eight duffel bags filled with marijuana, weighing about 235 pounds. The men will be sentenced April 22.
Help for former Hanford workers
WASHINGTON – The federal Labor Department is notifying all former workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation that they maybe eligible for money if they developed cancer from radiation exposure.
The federal government has agreed to expand automatic compensation of $150,000 and medical coverage to any Hanford worker who developed a qualifying cancer and who worked for at least 250 days from Oct. 1, 1943, through June 30, 1972.
Survivors may also file for compensation.
The action was recommended in October by a federal advisory board. Previously, only workers assigned to specific Hanford areas were eligible for compensation.
Saltwater might be used on snails
OLYMPIA – The state is considering flushing Capitol Lake in Olympia with saltwater from nearby Budd Inlet to get rid of a snail that’s threatening to infest Washington lakes.
The lake has been closed to the public since November to try to halt the spread of New Zealand mudsnails. The tiny snail – dozens can fit on a dime – reproduces rapidly and is easily spread. Wildlife officials warn it might overwhelm the food chain for freshwater fish and other aquatic life.
Environmental and wildlife specialists told a state Senate committee Wednesday that drawing down the lake during a freeze last month killed most of the snails, but with warmer weather that’s not reliable.