In brief: Judge, at home, has liquid thrown in face
OLYMPIA – When Thurston County District Court Judge Michel “Brett” Buckley answered his door Monday night at his home in Olympia, a man threw a liquid in his face.
Police say the man said nothing and walked away.
Buckley initially felt no reaction to the liquid after the incident at 9:25 p.m., but he later was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for skin irritation.
He was released Tuesday morning.
Samples of the liquid are being analyzed.
No suspects or motive has been identified.
Buckley described the suspect as a man in his 20s.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the judge said he’s given as much information to police as he can and has “faith that they will conduct a thorough investigation.”
Body found on Mount Rainier identified
TACOMA – The Pierce County medical examiner’s office said the second of two bodies recently recovered from a Mount Rainier glacier is that of a 54-year-old Springfield, Ore., man who was one of four people who vanished in January storms.
The medical examiner on Tuesday identified the body of Eunsork “Eric” Yang. His body was recovered Friday on the Paradise Glacier, at about the 8,200-foot level of the 14,411-foot peak. Also found Friday near Yang’s body was the body of 30-year-old Michelle Trojanowski, of Atlanta.
Yang had been climbing with 52-year-old Seol Hee Jin, of South Korea. She has not been found. Mount Rainier National Park spokesman Kevin Bacher said the area where the two most recent bodies were found was searched extensively Saturday.
Trojanowski and 37-year-old Mark Vucich, of Agoura Hills, Calif., failed to return from a camping trip on the Muir snowfield. Vucich’s body was found Aug. 6.
Melting snow exposed the bodies. The medical examiner said all three died of hypothermia.
Bacher said the two sets of climbers were last seen near each other.
Stall likely caused plane crash, FAA says
MOSCOW, Idaho – Officials with the Latah County sheriff’s office say the pilot of an airplane flying over a Republican Party gathering had been dropping rolls of toilet paper before the airplane crashed.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said early indications are that the airplane stalled, or reached a speed and angle at which it lost its lift. The crash Saturday afternoon killed 60-year-old Randy Humble, of Moscow.
Witnesses reported the airplane’s engine revved and the pilot appeared to be trying to pull up just before it crashed near Viola, Idaho.
Lt. Brandon Jordan said witnesses stated that Humble was dropping rolls of toilet paper and that Humble and another pilot had been performing aerial tricks for the Republican gathering.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating with the help of the FAA.
Gay marriage backers far ahead in funds
OLYMPIA – The campaign to uphold the state’s gay marriage law raised $1.7 million in cash contributions in August.
According to filings posted Tuesday, Washington United for Marriage has raised a total of $7.4 million in its campaign, compared to the more than $525,000 raised by Preserve Marriage Washington, which is trying to overturn the new law. Preserve Marriage raised more than $229,000 last month.
Washington United for Marriage is expected to start running TV ads today as part of what they have said is a $5 million ad buy between now and the election. Officials with Preserve Marriage say they have also reserved TV time but would not give details.
Preserve Marriage Washington pushed to get Referendum 74 on the November ballot. R-74 asks voters to either approve or reject the law passed earlier this year that allows same-sex marriage in the state.
The law is on hold pending the November vote.