Local briefing for March 23

The Olympian | • Published March 23, 2009

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Thurston County

Drivers might be affected by road work

The following projects are expected to affect traffic in the coming week, according to the state Department of Transportation.

• South Thurston County: Construction in the median and beyond the shoulder is expected to slow traffic on Interstate 5 from Grand Mound to Maytown between 5:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

• South Thurston County: Bridge work at Prairie Creek, Scatter Creek and Maytown will cause single-lane closures on I-5 in both directions from Grand Mound to Maytown between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. weekdays.

• West Thurston County: Installation of guard rail and barrier rail will close the right lane of eastbound state Route 9 near Winslow Road until the project is complete.

• Olympia: Median wall concrete repair will close the left lane of northbound I-5 near Plum Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

• Bucoda: Utility pole replacement will close alternating lanes of state Route 507 near Bucoda from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today.

• East Thurston County: Tree trimming will close alternating lanes of state Route 510 at Rockress Drive/McAllister Court from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today through Thursday.

For more information on DOT road projects, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects.

Food bank to extend hours on select days

The Thurston County Food Bank will be open Wednesday night as part of a recent expansion of hours.

The food bank is open from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays. It is at 220 Thurston Ave. N.E. in Olympia, two blocks north of the downtown bus station.

Olympia

Man injured during garden work

A man who was trimming a laurel hedge at a residence on Leavenworth Avenue fell from a ladder onto a metal post Sunday afternoon, impaling his thigh, emergency officials said.

Olympia Fire Battalion Chief Pat Noonan said the man was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital. Emergency dispatchers reported on the radio about 2:30 p.m. that a friend had managed to put a tourniquet on the wound, but it was bleeding pretty badly. Noonan said the metal post was about one-and-a-half inches by one-and-a-half inches.

Noonan said the man will need surgery, but is expected to be OK. It's a good thing the man's friend was there to help him, Noonan said. "He's a very lucky guy," he said.

Lacey

Coping skills for military families

Helping military families through the deployment and return of a family member will be the topic of a forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday at South Sound High School.

The state Office of Veteran Affairs has hired local psychologist David Callies to work with the North Thurston Public Schools district to enhance support services for students from military families.

Discussion topics include child and adolescent reaction and responses to change, resiliency skills, how parents can help children cope, and when to seek the support of a professional. The forum will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at South Sound High School, 411 College Street N.E., Lacey.

The Olympian