The National Weather Service has issued a Tsunami advisory for the coastal areas of California and Oregon following a magnitude 8.0 earthquake centered near the Samoa Islands in the South Pacific.

An advisory means strong currents or dangerous waves may pose a hazard to people in or very near the water in the effected area.

“Significant widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory,” according to a reported issued about 3 p.m. from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.

The advisory is in effect from the California-Mexico border to the Oregon-Washington border, …

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Here are three “What was that?” questions sent my way.

A reader sent this on Sunday:

 There was some police activity about 1:30 am last night on Ohop Valley Rd. near Eatonville. Any idea what was going on?

 Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said deputies were in the area and came across a man driving an ATV. When deputies tried to contact him, he fled. He ditched the ATV, ran into the woods and climbed up on a tree. Instead of waiting for hours, deputies contacted the owner of the ATV. He identified the man who borrowed it, who …

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A message threatening violence texted Tuesday morning to  Peninsula High School  and at least a quarter of its students was found not to be credible, according to the Pierce County Sheriff.
Sheriff spokesman Ed Troyer said the message indicated that guns would be brought to the school and used.
The text message which arrived at the school around 6:30 a.m. led to the investigation. There was no lock down or interruption of the school day, according to Peninsula School District Superintendent Terry Bouck.
“There are people who like to make threats and that’s one of the things …

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Drivers traveling Interstate 5 between DuPont and Tacoma can expect overnight lane and ramp closures this week for paving.

Tuesday, Sept. 29 – Wednesday, Sept. 30
• Right lane closed on northbound I-5, between Steilacoom DuPont Road and the Fort Lewis main gate, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Northbound I-5 off-ramp to Steilacoom DuPont Road (exit 119) closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Northbound I-5 on- and off-ramps at Fort Lewis main gate remain open, but the main gate circle ramp to North Fort Lewis will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 …

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Crews painting cables will close a lane this week on the eastbound Highway 16 on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Drivers can expect an HOV-lane closure from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30 through Saturday, Oct. 3.

The cable painting is weather dependent. Work may be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.

For all construction and maintenance updates, visit:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/Olympic/Construction/

A 24-year-old Kent man was sentenced to four years in federal court after pleading guilty to making “clones” of credit cards used at a fast food restaurant and car wash, according to a report released from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle.

For more case details read the full report below:

Andrew Kyle Whittecar, 24, of Kent, was sentenced yesterday in U. S. District Court in Seattle to four years in prison and five years of supervised release for Bank Fraud, Conspiracy to Transport Firearms and Transportation of an Unregistered Firearm.

Whittecar was arrested October 2, 2008, following two

…

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Two sixteen year old girls from Yelm were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle this morning with critical injuries after they crossed the center line in the roadway and hit a truck head on, according to the Washington State Patrol.
WSP said the crash on Morris Road just south of 110th Avenue in Yelm in Thurston County occurred about 7 a.m..

The 16 year-old driver was northbound on Morris Road in her 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass. WSP said the teenager was driving too fast for the wet road conditions and crossed over the center line on a curve. Her …

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State highway crews freshening up the striping on State Route 16 will close the eastbound connection to Interstate 5 Wednesday night.

That means that between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday, SR 16 drivers bound for I-5 need to exit at Union Avenue, then take 38th Street to get back to I-5, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Signs point to the detour.

The Union Avenue on-ramp to eastbound SR 16 also will be closed.