- ....Breaking News.MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) - The Washington Transportation Department says 67,000 vehicles a day used the stretch of Interstate 5 through Mount Vernon that is now blocked by the collapse of the Skagit River bridge. Mount Vernon is about 60 miles north of Seattle and 40 miles south of the Canada Border. The roadblock on both directions of I-5 is expected to cause a major disruption in trade and tourism between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. The Transportation Department has set up detours. The closest is within sight of the I-5 bridge and mostly used for local traffic between Mount Vernon and Burlington. The department also is recommending detours using Highway 20 and Highway 9 that add tens of miles to a trip. Officials are urging drivers to avoid the area if possible. .. ...

12/10/12 Dems Disowning Senators



OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The leader of the Washington State Democrats is disowning two of the party's senators.

Dwight Pelz said Monday that he now considers Sens. Rodney Tom of Bellevue and Tim Sheldon of Potlatch to be Republicans. Both senators said they still call themselves Democrats, even though they plan to work with the GOP in the upcoming legislative session.

Pelz says he's long viewed Sheldon a Republican, but the party had invested money to re-elect Tom this year. Pelz says that won't happen again and the party will draft a candidate to oust him next time.

Tom was initially elected as a Republican but switched parties in 2006. Pelz said he believes the latest move was simply a way for Tom to fulfill his personal ambitions. Tom will serve as majority leader under the new coalition.

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