In brief: Washington ranks ninth in volunteering nationally

OLYMPIA – Public-service-minded Washington residents helped the state rank ninth in the nation for volunteering last year.

According to a national volunteering report, nearly 2 million Washingtonians volunteered more than 250 million hours in 2012.

Seattle is ranked fourth among the 51 largest metropolitan areas and tops for young adult volunteering.

The volunteering report is based on statistics gathered by the federal government. It shows one in four adults volunteered through an organization in 2012.

Nationally, more than 64 million Americans volunteered nearly 8 billion hours last year.

21 coyotes, no wolves killed in Idaho derby

BOISE – Organizers of a disputed weekend predator derby in central Idaho’s mountains say 21 coyotes but no wolves were shot by more than 230 hunters who participated.

The derby near Salmon became embroiled in a fight between its organizers and environmentalists in U.S. District Court, where a judge allowed the event to proceed as planned.

Organizers of the derby argued they were seeking to publicize wolves’ impact on local elk herds as well as possible disease risks with the competition, while foes including WildEarth Guardians said the event was a “wolf slaughter” that glorified the killing of an animal that just two years ago had lost protections of the Endangered Species Act through an act of Congress.

Steve Alder of Idaho for Wildlife, the derby’s promoter, said the low tally helps prove sport hunting isn’t a very effective tool in managing Idaho’s wolves.

“This is why the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has implemented trapping and other control methods to better manage wolves,” Alder said in a statement. “I can assure you that in the last two days while this derby was taking place, more wolves and wolf pups died in Idaho’s back country due to starvation and or cannibalism from other wolves.”

Idaho has a hunting season for wolves, as do Montana and Wyoming.

Teen dog trainer heading to Westminster

EVERETT – An Everett teen has been invited to attend the Westminster Dog Show in February with two dogs.

Anna Pearson, 18, has been participating in dog shows since she was a toddler, the Daily Herald reported Monday.

The recent high school graduate will bring Oscar, a 5-year-old Chinook sled dog, and her Australian shepherd, Promise, to Westminster.

With Promise, she will be competing in the junior showmanship category. Oscar will be competing in his breed, which is a relatively rare sled dog.

Boy, 8, unhurt after fall from Idaho chairlift

BOISE – An 8-year-old boy survived a 38-foot fall from a chairlift at Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain ski area Sunday with no visible injuries after ski patrollers moved a lift-tower pad beneath him to break the force of the impact.

The youngster likely slipped out of his jacket and dangled from the lift for about five minutes before plunging to a flat cat track below, KTVB-TV reported.

Ski patrollers had time to unhook a 5-foot by 5-foot safety pad from a nearby lift tower. They held it under the boy to break his fall.