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INSIDE: Milton man dies in SR 410 accident, page 4 . . . . Family’s trying times include missing pet, page 5 . . . . EHS robotics team claims state No. 2, page 12 . . . Promising Athletes: An in-depth profile of five Plateau high school basketball players, page 16 . . . .EHS Hall of Fame: Hornet team rushed into history book, page 19
Your hometown newspaper for more than 100 years!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
What’s Inside Classified ...................... Page 21 Views .................................Page 7 Sports ............................ Page 19 Binetti ............................ Page 13 Obituaries..................... Page 11
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Ice and snow bash Plateau Josh and Jonathan Musick and Kyle and Michael Hewitt put their creative juices to work building a 15-foot tall Super Snowman with blue bowl eyes, a soccer cone nose, spray-painted “S” and a giant tarp for a cape. Photo by Anna Musick.
All About Pets....
Big & Small We Talk ‘Em All
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Dental care is crucial to pet health.
On the Web Breaking news Enumclaw police reports updated regularly EHS, White River scores the following morning Updates daily. Go to: www.courierherald.com
Weather Today, Wednesday, brings a 90 percent chance of rain with a daytime high temperature near 47 degrees. A chance of showers continues through the end of the week, with the likelihood of rain picking up for the weekend. Look for high temperatures in the lower 40s with nighttime lows dropping to 28 by Friday.
Signs of winter, clockwise from above, an ice-coated rhodie, a blocked Semanski Street due to drooping power lines and a city rig clearing a residential street of snow. Photos by Kevin Hanson and Brenda Sexton.
In this issue: Health & Wellness Tab is in this week’s edition of the Courier-Herald
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The great winter event of 2012 will be remembered for its beautiful blanket of white, the subsequent sheets of ice and, finally, the shattering sound of tree limbs crashing throughout the Plateau. All that combined to toss Enumclaw, Buckley and nearby neighborhoods into a state of near-paralysis. Power outages were the talk of every town, schools were cancelled four consecutive days and things turned ugly enough to prompt the opening of “warming centers” to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. The sound of family life was replaced with the noisy hum of generators. Here’s a look at some of the troubles brought by Mother Nature.
No power to the people
For details go to: www.courierherald.com click on weather
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By Brenda Sexton and Kevin Hanson
Puget Sound Energy crews were on a 24/7 schedule, scrambling to get electrical power restored to homes and businesses throughout the greater Puget Sound region. The Plateau certainly wasn’t spared and it seems Buckley was impacted the most. Enumclaw, on the other hand, was humming while others sat in the dark. Certain businesses were slammed as customers flocked from Buckley, Bonney Lake and other communities to dine in restaurants, shop the city’s grocery stores and purchase gasoline. During one informal survey, motorists were waiting in line 20 minutes for their chance at the gas pump. And, with nozzle finally in hand, at least five consecutive
SEE WINTER, PAGE 3
Emergency plan put into high gear BY BRENDA SEXTON Staff Writer
“The last 24 hours have been intense,” said Shelly Pricco, St. Elizabeth Hospital director of patient care services Friday afternoon. The winter storm that passed across the Plateau pushed the hospital staff into high gear. Thursday morning’s power outage forced St. Elizabeth to pull its emergency generator into service. The power outage meant a number of area residents who rely on oxygen or chronically ill
support services in their homes would come through the hospital’s doors seeking assistance. Hospital staff also stabilized three people who were brought in with carbon monoxide poisoning and saw a number of patients for falls. St. Elizabeth’s Cornerstone Café was also a hopping place. Pricco said when Mayor Liz Reynolds declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon it widened the hospital’s options for staffing. Pricco said about a dozen employees stayed over to cover shifts for those who could not make it. Staff also pitched in at the Cornerstone Café,
which saw an influx of visitors as people sought food and shelter. “That’s one of the things I love about this community,” Pricco said. “Everyone pitches in.” With the majority of the community without power, unable to transport and unable to communicate, Pricco said, it met the definition of a disaster. Pricco, who is part of the city’s disaster planning committee, said the event was a test and the city passed.
SEE HOSPITAL, PAGE 5