Police warn of rise in car break-ins in Pierce, south King counties

Puyallup police are warning residents of a rash of vehicle break-ins in the south King and Pierce county areas.

Lakewood handled motel closures humanely

Lakewood police are familiar with the cheap motels along the Pacific Highway South-South Tacoma Way strip. They’re called there often to deal with crime, most of it associated with drugs or alcohol abuse.

Their job is a little easier now that four of the worst offenders have been shut down by the City of Lakewood in cooperation with the state Department of Health. The latest to close was the Rose Garden and its illegal RV park this week.

The legal basis for closing the motels is their failure to meet minimum state health and safety standards, resulting in a loss of business licenses. Problems have included uncollected garbage, dangerous electrical wiring and unsanitary conditions in the units. At the Rose Garden, raw sewage was on the ground – the result of a failing septic system.

Fish plan selected for North Cascades

The National Park Service has issued a Record of Decision to move forward with the preferred alternative for the Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for North Cascade National Park.

This plan will eliminate high densities of reproducing fish populations from select lakes and allow low densities of reproducing fish to remain in others, said a park news release. Non-reproducing fish will be stocked in certain lakes, provided impacts to biological resources can be minimized. Lakes that are currently fishless will remain fishless. Up to 42 lakes may be stocked or otherwise remain fishable.

Implementation of the preferred choice, Alternative B, which would allow continued stocking of non-reproducing fish in 42 select lakes, will require authorization from Congress that fish stocking is appropriate within the park complex, said the news release. Such authorization is needed because the 2006 National Park Service Management Policies prohibit stocking in naturally fishless lakes

Higher interest on 30-year Treasurys worries traders

Weak demand at a Treasury bond auction touched off worries in the stock market Thursday about the government’s ability to raise funds to fight the recession.

The government had to pay greater interest than expected in a sale of 30-year Treasurys. That is worrisome to traders because it could signal that it will become harder for Washington, D.C., to finance its ambitious economic recovery plans. The higher interest rates also could push up costs for borrowing in areas like mortgages. Investors also pocketed some gains after strong rally in stocks this week.

News Tribune news services

Three arrested after home-invasion robbery south of Roy

Pierce County sheriff's deputies arrested three men early today after they broke into a Roy-area home, tied up the two residents and stole several items.