Body found at Mount Rainier park

Searchers recovered the body of one of two hikers who died Monday morning after the two were swept away in a fast-moving creek in Mount Rainier National Park.

Park officials said the two bodies were spotted by helicopter about noon Monday in Ipsut Creek, near the park’s Carbon River Entrance, but searchers were unable to reach them immediately because of difficult terrain.

Pierce County’s Swift Water Rescue Team was able to recover one body Monday afternoon, but park officials said the second would not be retrieved until Tuesday.

Park spokeswoman Lee Taylor said the two people, whose names were not released, were a husband and wife in their 40s from Washington state.

According to park officials, they were hiking Monday morning with a friend along a public trail near Ipsut Creek Campground, where the group had an overnight camping permit, Taylor said.

One of the hikers slipped off a log while crossing Ipsut Creek and the second jumped in to help; both were swept away by the fast-moving water.

The third hiker ran for help when he could not locate the others.

A park official said water in the creek was flowing higher than normal, at approximately 780 to 800 cubic feet per second. He said the bodies were found near the juncture where the creek is met by the Carbon River.

Much of the park has been closed to the public since winter storms caused an estimated $36 million in damage to roads, trails and other facilities at the park. The area where the hikers were camping is open, officials said.

Park officials said that many of the major highways in the park won’t be fixed until August or later and that backcountry hiking permits for this summer are on hold.

BOISE

Idaho House passes English-only bill

Lawmakers sent a clear message Monday that English should be Idaho’s official language.

After a lengthy debate, the House voted 46-20 to pass Senate Bill 1172, which restricts government business to English with a few exceptions, such as for law enforcement and public schools. Opponents cast the bill as discriminatory toward Latinos and other immigrants, but supporters contended it encourages diversity and unifies Idahoans.

Narrowly passed by the Senate earlier this month, the bill heads to Gov. Butch Otter for approval.

Idaho law requires some official documents filed by state and local governments to be written in English or accompanied by a certified English translation.

Some government workers, such as school employees, could be prohibited from using non-English languages under current law, argued Rep. Dell Raybould, R-Rexburg, a bill sponsor.

He said the bill offers needed exceptions to prevent people from unwittingly breaking the law.

SB 1172 states that children and adults should learn English quickly, and that schools should both encourage English as a second language and foreign languages. It also requires agencies to return money for non-exempt services or publications in foreign languages.

WASHINGTON

Columbia dredging spending doubled

The Bush administration is doubling the amount of money it is spending this year to deepen 103 miles of the Columbia River, a White House official said Monday.

Christin Baker, a spokeswoman for the federal Office of Management and Budget, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will spend $30 million in the current budget year for the dredging project, up from $15 million initially approved by Congress.

The money will be spent by Sept. 30 and will allow faster progress, Baker said. The money comes from a belated spending bill approved by Congress last month and signed by President Bush.

Northwest lawmakers hailed the announcement, which was first signaled by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. The White House later confirmed his account and said a formal announcement will come later this week.

“It’s very good news,” said Andrew Whelan, a spokesman for Walden. He called the deepening project essential for the economy of Oregon and Washington and said it will keep regional ports competitive with ports in Asia and other areas of the United States.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., also welcomed the announcement, which came as a surprise to most members of the Washington and Oregon delegations.

The river splits part of the two states, and lawmakers from both states and both parties have supported the $150 million project, which has been planned for nearly two decades.

“These unexpected extra dollars show that the administration has truly gotten the message that channel deepening is vital to our region’s growth,” Murray said.

But Murray said the Army Corps also should spend money to repair crumbling jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River. Such spending would not only bolster the jetties but also “maintain the economic engine of southwest Washington,” she said.

The dredging project, which began in 2005, is designed to give new, larger oceangoing vessels access to Portland, Ore., and other Columbia River ports, helping them compete for Pacific Rim business.

The project will deepen the river channel by 3 feet from Astoria, Ore., to Vancouver, Wash.

From staff and wire reports