Luna believed struck, killed by tugboat
SEATTLE — Luna, the juvenile killer whale from Washington state waters who got lost in Canada’s Nootka Sound five years ago, apparently died Friday when he was accidentally struck by a tugboat propeller, Canadian authorities said.
Luna, who belonged to one of the state’s three resident orca pods, or family groups, wandered into Nootka Sound on the west side of Vancouver Island in 2001 and stayed, worrying activists and annoying boaters with his friendly curiosity.
“We don’t know 100 percent but we do believe it’s Luna,” said spokeswoman Lara Sloan with Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The 104-foot, 1,700-horsepower seagoing tug had pulled into sheltered waters near Conception Point to escape rough weather in the Pacific. Luna, known to enjoy playing in boat wakes, “was swimming under the vessel and was hit by a propeller,” Sloan said.
Luna was about 6 years old. Orca life stages roughly parallel those of humans, so he was the killer-whale equivalent of a young child.
Fred Felleman of Ocean Advocates in Seattle had pressed for more efforts to reunite Luna with his family. “It was like that old children’s cartoon, ‘Are you my mother?’ ” he said. “Orcas are very social animals, and this was the only way to get his social needs met.”
– Associated Press
Boise
Tougher sex offender sentences passed
Lawmakers gave final approval to Senate Bill 1301 Friday, to set mandatory minimum life sentences for designated violent sexual predators who reoffend, and mandatory minimum 15-year terms for other sex offenders who reoffend.
“We’re talking about two strikes and you’re out,” said Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, the bill’s House sponsor. The measure, proposed by Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, passed the House unanimously and headed to the governor’s desk.
Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, voted for the bill but said he has concerns about it because statutory rape is among the crimes that could trigger the minimum sentences. “We are using a broad net to increase the monitoring and the penalties for these guys, and we have to make sure that the crime and the penalty are appropriate,” Hart said.
He said he hopes to revisit the issue during next year’s legislative session.
– Betsy Z. Russell
Two road closures planned for weekend
Highway 291 will be closed between Nine Mile and Suncrest on Sunday morning while crews move a house.
The closure will last for about two hours starting at 6 a.m.
Also this weekend, Argonne will be closed in part of Millwood from 10 p.m. today until 9 a.m. Sunday.
Drivers will want to find alternate routes.
– Amy Cannata