And now live, this is KIMA News at 11, Weekend Edition.
New information tonight on the fatal Alaska Airlines flight 261 shows regular maintenance
checks were continually postponed and the FAA knew about Alaska's failure to follow
procedures.
Good evening, thanks for joining us tonight.
I'm Michelle Perot.
Well, the new information that we just told you about, the tragic Alaska Airlines flight
261 documents show the federal government repeatedly allowed Alaska Airlines to postpone
scheduled maintenance of its planes in the two years before the January 2000 crash of
Alaska flight 261.
That's according to a report in today's Seattle Times.
According to the Times, letters between the Federal Aviation Administration and Alaska
reveal the agency's growing concern about weaknesses in the airline's maintenance operations.
The letters have not been made public, but deferred maintenance has not been cited as
a cause of the crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board is closely examining Alaska's
maintenance practices as part of an investigation into the cause of the crash.
The board is expected to release its report in mid to late 2002.
All 88 passengers and crew died when the MD-80 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the California
coast January 31st of 2000.
Some environmental technicians at SCM Consultants in Kennewick left the Tri-Cities today to
continue anthrax testing at the Hart Senate Building in Washington D.C.
Katharina Kim has those details.
These environmental technicians are on their way to tackle one of the nation's greatest
concern, anthrax.
Ten technicians are going to the Hart Senate Building in Washington D.C. to test for anthrax.
Basically we're going to go in and full face respirators and protective equipment and we're
going to look for anthrax and we're going to take smears and do a lot of air quality
tests.
Ten technicians from SCM are already in Washington D.C. taking samples.
So far, technicians have sprayed chlorine dioxide gas in the Hart Senate Building to
kill anthrax spores, but due to the size of the building, more sampling is expected to
be done.
Because of what the building is, there are so many senators housed in that building and
all of their documents, all of their personal effects, everything are in that building.
They have to be really careful to make sure that they've found everything.
With the right training and resources, technicians say they'll do whatever it takes to reopen
the Hart Senate Building again.
Just make sure that it's safe for the senators to get back in their office and, you know,
legislators to get back in session.
In Pasco, Katharina Kim reporting.
All the SCM environmental technicians are expected to be back in the Tri-Cities on December
20th and 21st.
Meanwhile, a Kennewick man died at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center today after a shed
fire left him with third degree burns over 75 percent of his body.
Police say 40-year-old Hal Morgan had been living in a 10-by-10-foot shed he had built
near railroad tracks in Kennewick.
There's no word on what caused the fire, which a passerby spotted earlier yesterday morning.
Morgan was first taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Harborview, where doctors
in the burn unit amputated both of his legs and his right arm, trying to save his life.
Well, when Providence Hospital announced last week that its maternity ward would be cut
by the end of the month, nurses at Yakima's other hospital were caught off guard.
Memorial Hospital nurses are currently working through a contract dispute with hospital administrators.
They say the proposed pay scale won't attract new nurses and will create a higher turnover
for the ones already working at the hospital.
The big Providence announcement threw another wrench into the works for maternity ward nurses
at Memorial Hospital, who now face a potential increase in the number of deliveries as well
as a contract dispute.
We're going to be having a lot more deliveries.
That means our workload is going to be even heavier than it is right now, and that does
affect all of us.
We want to make sure that we continue providing excellent nursing care to the public.
Memorial Hospital officials say they are in contact with a nurses union, trying to set
up a new round of contract discussions.
They anticipate sitting down at the bargaining table the week after next.
Some Washington orchardists are now producing a new high-priced franchise apple patented
by a New Zealand company.
It's called the Pacific Rose, and because Enza Fruit Products owns the patent and trademark,
its production is tightly controlled.
Growers and warehouses have to pay fees to grow, bat, and pack the Pacific Rose.
The cross between the Gala and Splendor that's sweet with a touch of tartness, that means
it's more expensive.
It retails for as much as $1.80 a pound.
Washington growers aren't producing large quantities of it yet, only about 6,000 boxes
a year.
They get about $35 for a 42-pound box, compared to $13.12 for a box of Red Delicious.
The apples are mostly packed through licensed warehouses in the Yakima Valley, then sold
to high-end grocery stores where customers won't balk at the higher prices.
About 20 apple growers from south of Kennewick to Tumasket have signed on to a plan to triple
statewide production of the Pacific Rose next year.
The goal is 700,000 boxes by 2007.
Well tonight was the first night of Hanukkah on the Jewish calendar.
The festive holiday marks the beginning of an eight-day celebration.
In Las Vegas, the mayor kicked off Hanukkah in the heart of downtown by lighting a 20-foot
menorah.
Similar celebrations were held throughout the country.
Here locally, the Okonsky family in Yakima marked the beginning with the lighting of
the candles.
Traditional games such as a dreidel, music, and potato pancakes.
Tamara Okonsky enjoys this holiday, especially with the kids.
And today we made cookies in the shapes of the menorah and the dreidels and the magendavis,
which is the Star of David.
They like the decorations, they love the presents, they like the food, and they learn the songs.
The family later opened gifts in celebration to mark the first day of Hanukkah.
The Jewish holiday lasts eight days, where upon each night a new candle is lit.
Well meanwhile, the Mid-Columbia Ballet had its last Nutcracker performance in the Tri-Cities
today.
It was a sold-out show at the Richland High Auditorium.
There have been four shows since Friday, and the last one's today.
The ballet group held a stunning performance among the pre-professional dancers, Patricia
Barker, who is a native of the Tri-Cities, appeared as a guest artist.
It's been very exciting, you know, Patricia brings a lot to the community.
She gives a lot of young girls, you know, the knowledge that they can go on and live
their dreams like she's been able to live hers.
People can buy tickets for next year's performance beginning next November.
Well the First Baptist Church of Richland presented its 12th annual The Living Christmas
Tree program.
This year's program was entitled The Christmas Post.
The program featured an imaginative adventure with music and drama.
A two-story tall Christmas tree was filled with synchronized Christmas lights.
The performance also included a choir of 40 voices.
Members of the community came out to enjoy this free performance.
And Michael Cape joins us now with a quick look at whether he's settling in here.
Yeah, I'm settling in here trying to get all ready to go.
I got mic'd up and I'm ready to talk weather.
Okay, good.
Yeah, I bet you're glad about that.
You know what, we may see some light snow tonight.
You know, you said that earlier, I'm a little worried.
Yeah, we don't look like we'll see a whole lot in the way of accumulation.
Most of it will be reserved for the mountain areas, the Cascades, the North and Central
Cascades.
Snow Advisory is in effect for tonight for up to 10 inches of snow and some of the higher
elevations of the Cascade Mountain Range.
And we may see some of that precipitation spread east of the Cascades early this morning.
And already we're seeing some light snow in Ellensburg at this hour, 28 degrees being
reported, 21 degrees and cloudy at the airport in Yakima.
It is clear across the basin at this hour.
Temperatures are cooling as a result of that, 33 degrees in the Tri-Cities, 34 for Walla
Walla, Pendleton checking in at 30 degrees.
Now as we take a look at our futurecast, we're going to move this ahead from 8 o'clock tonight
on into Tuesday.
Now right now you can see mainly clear conditions and a few clouds rolling in across the Yakima,
Kittitas Valley.
We move this futurecast ahead and we'll see the clouds will continue to move in.
There's a fairly fast moving system that's moving across the Cascades at this hour.
We'll move through the area.
Tomorrow bring with the cloudy conditions a chance of some rain for the basin tomorrow
afternoon.
But the precipitation amounts will be relatively light across the basin as well as Yakima.
This system will move out quickly by tomorrow night and yet another system will replace
it as this system moves out fairly quickly.
And that will bring with it more clouds, a chance of rain and or snow.
Snow for the higher elevations once again for late Tuesday on into Wednesday and a chance
of rain or snow here for the valley floor.
So we have one system quickly moving through the area tonight that will bring a fair amount
of snow to the Cascades, north central Cascades.
And the threat of some snow for our area across the basin, the Yakima area tonight and the
early morning hours, light snow, nothing heavy in the way of accumulation.
That will keep us mostly cloudy tomorrow and then again tomorrow night another system rolling
through, a fast moving system will move through the area.
That will bring with it another chance of snow again late tomorrow or Tuesday night
on into Wednesday.
And then that will move out fairly quickly.
We'll give it a little bit of a break.
And then Thursday another system rolls through bringing with it a good chance of rain or
snow for the basin of the Yakima area.
And then by Friday as that next system rolls out some cooler air expected to move into
the area.
That will drop temperatures for Friday.
We're going to see temperatures quite a bit cooler than we've seen in a long time.
But highs only expected to be in the 20s by Friday, overnight lows in the teens.
So we're going to see some cool air move in by the end of the week.
And with that if we see any precipitation at all it will certainly be in the form of
snow because the temperatures will certainly be cool enough tonight.
Increasing clouds overnight lows in the 20s across most areas, winds out the west of Friday
to 15 and again we could pick up some light snow early morning hours.
Otherwise mostly cloudy for tomorrow.
Look for 40 degrees in the Yakima area.
Southwest winds at 50 miles per hour.
And a chance of some snow again late tomorrow night.
But otherwise mostly cloudy, 26 for the overnight low.
Southwest winds at 50 miles per hour.
About a 20 percent chance of snow tomorrow night for the Yakima Ellensburg area.
Tri-Cities will be calling for much of the same.
Now the extended forecast for the Yakima area, dry expected for the most part on Tuesday
and then late Tuesday and on the Wednesday chance of rain or snow and that extends right
through the end of the week.
And again a chance of some snow for Friday with a daytime high of only 29 degrees.
We'll see some cooler air move in by the end of the week.
So Tri-Cities area tonight, increasing clouds, 29 for the overnight low, chance of some light
snow, winds of the south of Friday to 10 miles per hour.
And the best chance for snow will mainly be across the Blue Mountains, the foothills of
the Blue Mountains.
A chance of rain by tomorrow afternoon high, 43 tomorrow night.
Continue cloudy with a chance of some snow possible but light for the most part.
Winds of the south of Friday to 15 and the extended forecast.
Let's take a look.
Tuesday should be dry but cloudy and then Wednesday through the end of the week, chance
of rain or snow each day.
Thursday looks to be about the warmest day just before that cold air moves in by Friday
with a chance of snow.
So there you go, Michelle and our viewers.
It's acting much like winter even though it's officially not winter yet, not until December
21st.
I didn't know if you knew that.
I didn't know that.
If you want to get technical.
All right.
Thank you so much for that.
You're welcome.
All right, thanks Mike.
We'll coming up a look at an inexpensive way to enjoy the winter weather and have a family
outing at the same time.
We'll explain when we come back.
Dodge is giving you something special to take home for the holidays.
A promise of quality.
Seven year or 100,000 mile powertrain protection on any new vehicle.
Ford and GM don't do it.
Toyota and Honda don't do it.
Dodge does it.
Then you can get 0% ABR through January 8th.
It's good to see you dad.
No thanks.
It gives me gas.
Hi, this is Kendall Weaver from the Breakfast Club on Soft Rock K105.7.
As a special thank you to our listeners, K105.7 is again becoming the Christmas station.
100% Christmas music from the world's greatest artists.
Join me, Brian Stevenson, each midday for your favorite Christmas classics, old and
new.
And playing your all time Christmas favorites each weekday afternoon.
Then listen as Delilah plays all Christmas requests and dedications on the Christmas
station.
K105.7.
The Valley's news leader, KIMA News Channel 29.
KIMA News at 6 has more balanced local news coverage than any other television news organization
in the Valley combined.
KIMA News at 6, the voice of experience.
Welcome back with all the talk of 0% financing, delayed car payments and tempting rebates.
You may think it's foolish not to buy a new car.
But Consumer Reports says hanging on to your old car may be a lot smarter.
Here's how to decide.
This 94 Honda Civic is in for a regular tune up.
It's been well taken care of and hasn't needed a lot of repairs.
But it has more than 125,000 miles.
So its owner, Eleanor Harmon, wonders how much longer she can count on it.
It's almost eight years old.
And how long can a car last?
Since it's been well maintained, Eleanor's Honda Civic should be able to go 200,000 miles.
That's the advice from Consumer Reports, which has been tracking car reliability for 50 years.
Cars are much better built than they used to be.
Plenty of cars built in the late 80s and 90s can last 200,000 miles.
Consumer Reports' unique reliability ratings can help you decide how likely a car is to
have problems.
If we give a car a check for reliability, it's probably worth keeping.
Once you've checked your car's reliability rating, Consumer Reports says check with your
mechanic.
While her car was in for a tune up, Eleanor asked if the car would need any major repairs
in the next year.
Well, a mechanic can't tell you everything.
But he can look at the major components like engine and transmission and look for early
warning signs of trouble.
Good news for Eleanor.
She won't need to buy a new car yet.
The mechanic says hers is in good shape.
Thank you very much.
So she's decided to keep it at least another year.
This is James Andrews.
The snow that blanketed Yakima more than a week ago is almost gone now, but it marked
the beginning of the season for winter sport enthusiasts.
As Brianna Keeler reports, there's still plenty of snow on the ground in Clealum and a lot
of people taking advantage of it with one winter activity.
Snow golf courses lie dormant in the winter, but as snow covers the fairways of Sun Country
Golf Course in Clealum, the season for another sport begins.
At the totally tubular snowpark, dozens of people ride the motorized lift to the top
of six runs, slipping and sliding their way and sometimes even tumbling down the hill
on inner tubes.
It's a whole lot of fun.
Everybody has a great time out here.
The kids are having a ball going up and down and we tie them together.
It's a lot of fun.
Most of the tubers seem to agree totally tubular is totally entertaining, but there is some
disagreement on which run is the fastest.
I like, well the second run is really fun because it's really fast.
Fourth one was the fastest out of all of them.
Tubing isn't just a fun family activity, it's an affordable alternative to skiing.
Just nine dollars a day if you bring your own inner tube and 15 if you rent one here.
I don't like to ski.
So yeah, it is.
It didn't cost that much for all four of us and stuff to take the kids.
Oh this is very inexpensive.
The whole day, 30 dollars, very easy.
And tubing isn't just accommodating to your pocketbook.
Ken Rich, owner and operator of Totally Tubular, says it's an inclusive activity for people
of all ages as well as people with special physical needs.
There's quite a few people that are paralyzed from waist down or can't use their legs or
stuff and they have a blast.
Totally Tubular has been open for two weekends now and by January there will be six more
runs for a grand total of 12, all serviced by motorized inner tube lifts.
All tubing enthusiasts can enjoy the slippery fun through March.
In Cleoam, I'm Breanna Keeler reporting.
I know Breanna had an excellent time doing that.
Exactly.
She came back, she was all excited.
Exactly, she had snow on her pants too.
It looks like a great way to spend your work day I guess out there on the slopes.
Hey, yeah playing around, sporting it up.
Sporting it up.
Sporting it up, speaking of sporting it up.
Speaking of sporting it up, the Seattle Seahawks.
We got the Seahawks.
I tell you what, I hate to jump on the bandwagon with these guys because they always mess me
up but a big matchup in Denver today.
I'll have the highlights coming up after the time out.
We know you're busy this time of year so here's a preview of all the items Furniture Row Outlet
has in for the gift ideas of the special purchase.
Well, that's a lot of ideas.
Here's a better idea.
Come down to our store and check out deals like this five piece dining set for just $149
and a super comfortable refiner for just $295.
Plus, this is your last chance before Christmas to get no payments and no interest for one
full year.
Furniture Row Outlet, good gift stuff for a great deal less.
In Yakima and Kennewick.
With the winter season right around the corner, it's time to clean out your closet and make
room for your new winter wardrobe.
St. Vincent de Paul is now accepting donations for all unwanted new and used coats.
It gets pretty cold this time of year so why not donate a coat to someone in need?
Call St. Vincent de Paul at your nearest location.
We will be happy to come and pick it up.
St. Vincent de Paul, serving Yakima, Sunnyside, Kennewick and Ellensburg.
Mom and dad have lived here for 30 years but it's getting to be too much for them now.
In sickness and in health but sometimes I need help.
I can't leave mom alone but I'd like to get away for a few hours.
I have to remember, she's doing the best she can.
If you take care of an elderly person, feel overwhelmed and need information about services
that are available, call ALTC, Caregiver Support Services.
Yakima Valley Business Times asks the question, who has the best local news team?
And you've spoken.
The KIMA News Team, a voice of experience.
At KIMA we don't just promise more local news, we deliver.
More news from Yakima.
More news from the lower valley.
More news from Ellensburg.
We are the one to watch.
Thanks for watching KIMA News.
Welcome back everyone.
The Seattle Seahawks in the thick of a playoff race?
You must be kidding, that'll never happen.
Well that's the case going into tonight's AFC West meeting in Denver.
Sean Alexander getting the start, although Ricky Waters would get extensive action.
The Broncos come out hitting on all cylinders.
Brian Greasy hits Desmond Clark for an 11 yard score.
Great catch right there to put Denver up 7.
Greasy would leave the game later on though.
The Hawks, all kinds of offensive woes.
Matt Hasselback sacked 5 times and he threw 2 picks.
Hasselback does throw one strike here to Darrell Jackson for 24 yards to pull the Hawks
within 3 in the second quarter.
But the Broncos, they get 109 yards rushing from Terrell Davis as they roll to a 27 win.
They're now 6-6.
They host Dallas next week.
What a difference the season makes.
The Seahawks doing better despite tonight and the Yakima Shockwave, well they have some
key ingredients in place months before the 2002 season gets underway.
Now if you remember last year the Wave changed owners just days before the season started.
This year however a new owner is in place and the Wave still have Rich Austin as GM.
The next step however is finding the right person to guide the team on the field.
Last year's coach Ron Lyle has yet to commit to the squad for the 2002 season, but we have
learned if he doesn't come back as coach, they have another familiar face in mind.
Not to do it, we would like to bring Jason in.
Jason was our assistant coaching quarterback probably from about the last half of the season
last year.
So I think it's probably safe to say that if Ron doesn't want to be the coach that Jason
will be on the list of people that we'd want to talk to.
The Jason Austin is talking about is Jason Murdoch.
He led the Wave during a strong run towards the playoffs during the second half of the
season.
They didn't make it, but he says the team will make a decision in the next couple of
weeks.
The playoffs for the Wave most likely will be sometime in January.
Those gosh darn computers have done it again.
The Cougs and Huskies already know where they'll be bowling this year.
Only one thing up for grabs is the national title game.
Miami already locked it to the Rose Bowl, but because of Tennessee's loss to LSU yesterday,
Nebraska has been named to play the Canes for the national title.
The final BCS standings were released today and despite Oregon being second in both the
AP and college polls, the BCS has them fourth.
So what does all this mean?
Well Miami and Nebraska will be battling for the title.
Oregon gets to play in the Fiesta Bowl against Colorado.
I liken the BCS to a bad disease like cancer.
It's one thing when it affects people that you don't know, but it's another thing when
it hits home.
As you know, we put ourselves in these situations and somebody else controlled our destiny.
It was just sad to see a team get in that didn't win the conference.
The Cougs, no gripes where they're going.
The football team made a nice turnaround this year.
The basketball squad would like to do the same.
Interestingly enough though, it may be a football guy that helps them do it.
Senior Mike Bush is Wazoo's top scoring threat on the hardwood, but due to the Cougs' success
on the gridiron, the B-ball team will have to wait a while to get him.
Mike Bush is, the thing we'll miss early for Mike is his experience and his toughness.
Mike is one of the toughest, most fierce competitors that I've coached and we'll miss that early,
but Mike is our leading scorer and he may be the first athlete that I know that may
play a football game or a basketball game the same day.
Now he won't have to do double duty on the same day, but he will be missed when the Cougs
open Pac-10 play against UCLA in a couple of weeks.
What we have to do is returning players have to continue to get better and the new players
have to step in and play and then we've got to get Mike Bush back from the football team,
which will really help.
Wazoo's football squad, they return to the field New Year's Eve to play Purdue in the
Sun Bowl.
You can see that game right here on CBS.
The wary, banged up Tri-City Americans are desperately in need of some home cooking.
It's been their opponents that have been getting fat on the Ams who have lost four straight
and are winless in their last five, wrapping up a three games and three nights road trip
and they can't get it done again.
Five to three is the final.
They get two goals from Tyler Dick, one in the second and third, but they give up two
at the end of both the second and third.
The Rockets pepper the net for 53 shots.
The Ams now loses a five straight.
They're winless in their last six.
They host Vancouver Friday and I tell you what, Michelle, they need to take some night
quill, day quill or something, something to get rid of that cold because they're struggling
right now.
Really?
Really struggling on the ice right now.
I'm not really, I don't really know much about hockey.
You don't know about the hockey?
The stick and puck?
No?
All right, I forgive you.
Okay.
All right.
We're going to move on then.
Thanks.
Thanks, Kyle.
We'll see you all in a couple of weeks.
perfectly roasted main course with all the trimmings.
I share the same tradition with my family today around the exact same table that's lasted
as long as my memories and is as much a part of them as the turkey and pumpkin pie.
My special table came from Fiddler's Fine Furniture in Ellensburg who've kept up their
tradition of value and service for over a hundred years. Right now, Fidderas has that
special dining room set on sale. So drop by and start your memories that will last a lifetime.
The Valley's News Leader, KIMA News Channel 29. Whenever it happens, when you need the
facts, when you're looking for answers, when you want it firsthand, live from the scene,
and how it could affect you, you know where to turn for the Valley's number one local
news coverage. Seven days a week, KIMA News Channel 29, the Horse of Experience.
There is an incredible jewel on display in Phoenix, one that is truly a rare find in
the world, an extremely rare 76.45 carat flawless, ladies, flawless diamond is being shown to
the public through Saturday. The diamond is the 12th largest perfect diamond in the world.
The diamond was once owned by Archduke Joseph August, a Hungarian prince of the Habsburg
dynasty and husband to Princess August of Bavaria. The diamond was a gift from the Archduke to
his son Joseph Francis and eventually deposited in the Hungarian General Credit Bank in 1933.
Three years after that, the spectacular diamond was sold to a European banker who kept it
in a safe deposit box in France. Now the diamond and the Millennium Necklace can be seen as
the ultimate holiday gift. Kyle, I know you're buying that for your lady. The entire package
is valued at $27 million. Oh yeah, Kyle's getting that.
The big wigs will have to give me a raise that day.
Yeah, no kidding, no kidding.
Right. Well, we're going to leave you tonight with the swing into the season at Yakima's
Englewood Christian Church. Let me spit it out for us tonight. Alright, see you guys later.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.