Julie Sullivan

In the time it has taken to raise money for a World War II memorial for Washington state, as many as 10,000 of the men who fought in it have died. And, seven months before it was scheduled for completion, the grassy site in Olympia lies green and undisturbed. Construction that was to begin this week won't because organizers don't have the money to break ground. "It's shocking isn't it?" said retired Lt. Col Richard Kirk, head of the fund-raising effort. "There's only 130,000 of us left. We're vanishing off the face of the earth."

Don't fence 'em in. Ron Knudsen, Phil Thrasher, Jim "Chilicote" Brookover (mounted) and Darrell Howard, photographed with Thrasher's daughter, Vicki Staples, have planned a trek from Mexico to Canada. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Silver medalist Michelle Kwan burst into tears after completing her figure skating routine in the Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Photo by Associated Press

A bill that would prohibit any future state contracts with Second Chance may be shelved without a legislative hearing. Rep. Mark Sterk said he learned Tuesday that the Government Administration Committee isn't likely to have time to hear the bill and six others filed last week because of the shorter 60-day session. The Spokane Valley Republican co-sponsored the bill targeting the private company that runs work release programs in Spokane and Seattle.

A Spokane Valley legislator wants to shut out Second Chance. Rep. Mark Sterk co-sponsored a bill Wednesday that would prohibit state business "of any kind whatsoever" with the operator of two workrelease centers in Spokane. Second Chance, a private nonprofit based in Seattle, has about $7 million in contracts to run state work release centers in Spokane and Seattle and a juvenile boot camp at Connell.