The Orange County Register has a story this week about the efforts of a prosecutor and law enforcement to identify the women photographed by a convicted serial killer three decades ago.

Some of the photographs were found during a search of a Seattle storage locker that Rodney Alcala had rented. The photos were taken before July 1979.

Alcala was convicted in 1980 and sentenced to death in the 1979 kidnapping and murder of a 12-year-old girl. He was convicted last month in the slaying of another 12-year-old girl and the sexual assault, torture and strangulation of four Los Angeles …

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Assessors will be taking a look at the Washington State Patrol and how it stacks up against national standards during a visit this week.

The assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. also will be taking public comment on how the State Patrol complies with 463 standards on police procedures, management, operations and support services.

The on-site assessment is part of the State Patrol’s effort to renew its accreditation with the commission.

Law enforcement agencies voluntarily apply to be accredited through the commission. Assessors review written materials, interview employees, get feedback from community members and …

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The massive flooding throughout the region is causing damage, altering travel plans and prompting neighbors to ban together to keep the rising waters away from property.

The ski resorts are closed. The passes remain closed and a stretch of Interstate 5 is halted travel between Seattle and Portland.

We want to hear from you. How are you surviving the flooding? Has your property or business been damaged? Have you lost animals or personal belongings?

Have the road closures changed your travel plans?

We’d also like to hear the “good stories” – those of civic heroism,

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That’s right.

We’ll be at the Puyallup Fair on Monday as part of The News Tribune’s Meet Us at the Fair! day.

Adam and I will be manning the booth from 2 to 3 p.m. so if you’re at the fair, stop on by and say hi. Please. Pretty please. The booth is located near the Blue Gate.

We’ll also be hosting a live chat from the fairgrounds. You can submit questions about what we do and how we gather information in advance here.

The U.S. Supreme Court today issued its first major ruling on the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

In a 5-4 decision, the justices said Americans have the right to own handguns for self defense and hunting.

The News Tribune wants to hear from you about this ruling. You can submit comments on this blog or through the story.

Thanks for taking the time to share your views.

I had a story in today’s paper about the top 10 crash location in Tacoma.

There was an interactive map that went with it — it lets readers enter comments about any intersection in the South South — but I thought it was a little hard to find on our Web site.

You can find it by clicking HERE.

(Photo courtesy of richardmasoner.)

Just a reminder that Lights & Sirens wants your input on the top Pierce County crime story from 2007.

Please vote if you get a minute or two this weekend.

The Washington State Patrol wants to talk with anyone who might have seen a deadly crash Friday morning on Interstate 5 in Fife or saw the vehicles before the crash.

Roy Fuentes, a 33-year-old Tacoma father, was killed when he crashed his Isuzu Rodeo into the back of a parked DOT truck shortly after 7:10 a.m. The truck, which had its arrow board lights on, was pushed forward, knocking DOT worker David Ball to the ground.

Ball, who had been clearing debris from an earlier wreck, was injured but is expected to recover.

Fuentes was taken

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