Regional briefs for Aug. 7

The Olympian, News Services | • Published August 07, 2008

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Lacey

Teen driver collides with IT bus on Mullen

A car collided with an Intercity Transit bus at Carpenter and Mullen roads shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The driver of the car, a 16-year-old from Lacey, lost control when she turned onto Carpenter Road from eastbound Mullen Road too quickly, Lacey police Lt. Jim Mack said. She struck the 35-foot bus, which was stopped on Carpenter and set to turn right onto westbound Mullen Road, he added.

A Lacey police officer cited her with second-degree negligent driving.

The bus was running Route 68 and returning to the Olympia Transit Center.

Neither the driver nor the one passenger aboard the bus was injured, Mack said. The driver of the car suffered a cut to her left arm and was treated and released at the scene, he said.

IT buses have been involved in two other wrecks recently. On July 27, two motorcycle riders died when they collided with an IT bus in an Olympia neighborhood. That same night, a car collided with another IT bus, sending two people to the hospital.

South Sound

63-year-old enters guilty plea in string of robberies

A 63-year-old Portland man who admitted to robbing 30 banks in three years — including a Bank of America branch in Lacey — entered guilty pleas in federal court in Eugene, Ore., according to The Chronicle of Centralia.

Dante Peter Dapolonia entered into a plea agreement Monday in which he would be sentenced to 10 years in prison and pay restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Portland.

He also robbed the Twin City Town Center in Chehalis. In addition to the 10 he pleaded guilty to, Dapolonia admitted to holdups at 20 other banks, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Karen Immergut.

Dapolonia is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14.

Olympia

Volunteer police can write parking tickets

Olympia police volunteers now are authorized to write citations for disabled-parking violations.

Fourteen volunteers recently completed training to investigate and write tickets for improper use of parking spaces for the disabled.

Citywide enforcement will begin this week. Violations carry a $250 fine.

Thurston County

School supplies needed

Donations of school supplies will be accepted through Monday for the fourth annual Back-to-School event at Cedar Creek Corrections Center.

Donations benefit the children of incarcerated fathers. There are drop boxes at the Littlerock Fire Department, 10828 Littlerock Road S.W.; Hillbilly Beans Espresso stand in Littlerock; and the Department of Corrections headquarters at 7345 Linderson Way S.W. in Tumwater.