11/05/2004

Associated Press

Reagan Dunn, son of retiring U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn, said Thursday he is considering running for the King County Council seat being vacated by Rob McKenna, who was just elected state attorney general.

Dunn, 33, is an assistant U.S. attorney in Seattle.

McKenna plans to resign from the council on Jan. 12 and county Republicans will suggest three names as replacements.

Dunn said he's been mulling the idea since McKenna announced his candidacy for attorney general.

"It would be a mistake to not at least take a look at it and consider it," Dunn told the King County Journal.

In Tuesday's election, King County voters approved a measure to reduce the County Council from 13 members to nine. That will force district lines to be redrawn.

McKenna represented District 6, which included Mercer Island, south Bellevue, Newcastle and Renton.

Dunn is not alone in his interest, said Ross Marzolf, executive director of the King County Republican Party. As many as 10 people are interested in McKenna's seat, Marzolf said.

Jennifer Dunn is retiring after serving five terms as the congresswoman for Washington's 8th District. King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, also a Republican, was elected Tuesday to succeed her.

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LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — A hiker missing since September in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is presumed dead, the Chelan County sheriff said.

Richard R. Lee, 47, of Hobart, had a permit to hike in the area from Sept. 9 to Sept. 11. A search began on Sept. 15, but the search was called off in mid-October, Sheriff Mike Harum said Wednesday.

"We wouldn't be able to find him in the snow conditions now," Harum said.

Lee's camp was found near Colchuck Lake in late September.

Searchers believe Lee went for a day hike because his camp was in order with several days of food in a tree. Lee's brother also reported that he received a call from his brother saying he had gone for a day hike, Harum said.

A search could resume in the spring after the snow melts, Harum said.

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BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — Three environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the National Park Service from using a helicopter to place two prefabricated trail shelters in Olympic National Park.

Olympic Park Associates, Wilderness Watch and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility have filed the suit in federal court in Tacoma.

The environmental groups say the law does not permit new structures in wilderness areas or the use of "mechanical transport" to put the structures in place.

Park officials planned to drop the shelters northwest of Lake Cushman to serve as emergency shelters for hikers and as a base for search and rescue operations. Previous shelters at those locations collapsed from heavy snow.