Briefly

Strong winds kick up dust in region

Strong winds flung dust Wednesday, turning the sky beige at times but not causing significant health concerns or power outages.

A low pressure system came through Spokane late Wednesday morning, bringing dust with it from the south and west, said Jeffrey Cote, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Afternoon gusts to 36 mph were measured at Spokane International Airport.

No health warnings were issued, and the dust was expected to settle by this morning as winds die and humidity increases, said Ron Edgar, chief of technical services for the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority.

Air quality measurements indicated that little, if any, of the pollution was caused by smoke, Edgar said.

“There’s quite a bit of dust, but the numbers aren’t terribly high,” Edgar said.

There were no major power outages by Wednesday evening, said Jessie Wuerst, Avista spokeswoman.

The weather service predicts a high of 65 degrees today, with a 30 percent chance of precipitation.

Nader makes November ballot in Washington

Seattle Ralph Nader will be on the November ballot in Washington state as an Independent candidate for president, the secretary of state’s office said Wednesday.

A longtime thorn in the side of Democrats, Nader won 4 percent of the vote in Washington four years ago. He did not affect the outcome in this state, because Al Gore beat George Bush by 5 1/2 percentage points in 2000.

However, many people believe Nader cost Gore the election in 2000 by siphoning support from progressive Democrats in swing states. Some Democrats fear it will happen again this year.

State Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt said Wednesday night that he is researching whether the party can challenge Nader’s spot on the ballot in court. Of Nader, Berendt added, “The Republican Party has been behind him getting on the ballot in most of the states where he’s on the ballot, and it will hurt him in the election.”

Republican donors have supported Nader’s campaign financially and Republican volunteers have helped to gather signatures to get him on the ballot in swing states.

Nader’s campaign submitted 1,983 signatures to get him on the ballot, the secretary of state’s office said. Officials checked a sample of 1,200 signatures and verified 1,008, which put Nader over the required minimum of 1,000 signatures gathered at a nominating convention. Washington has a lower threshold for getting on the ballot than many other states.

So far, Nader has gotten on the ballot in 15 states and in Washington, D.C. His bids to make the ballot in Oregon, Texas and Michigan were officially rejected on Wednesday.

Cougar kittens waiting for fates to be decided

Duvall, Wash. Three 6-week-old cougar kittens are being fed and cared for by an animal welfare organization while questions about their future are decided.

The kittens were found Aug. 21 in the back yard of Steve and Shelia Schroeder’s home in this rural northeast King County town. The Schroeders took the little cougars to PAWS in Lynnwood the next day. There they are being fed by wildlife specialists working to prevent them from imprinting on humans.

A state Fish and Wildlife official said Wednesday he doubts the kittens belonged to a lactating female cougar killed in the area on Aug. 9 by a wildlife agent because the animal was killing chickens.

The kittens are being fed formula and some meat four times daily, said Kip Parker, PAWS wildlife director. They weighed 3 pounds each when found and now weigh 5 pounds each.

As for the future, “obviously, rehabilitation or some other nonlethal option is our preferred option,” Hebner said. “Euthanasia is our very, very last resort.”

A state decision on the kittens’ future is expected in about a week.