Some 40 protesters gathered outside the U.S. Courthouse in Tacoma this afternoon to condemn an Israeli raid on a flotilla of humanitarian aid for Gaza.

They carried signs reading “Violence Begets Violence,” “END CRUEL BLOCKADE,” “Hold Israel Accountable to International Law” and bearing similar messages.

The Tacoma protesters joined groups around the world in their condemnation of Israel for its commando raid on a flotilla trying to break the blockade of Gaza and send in aid.

At least nine people were killed in the attack, which occurred in international waters, according to wire service reports.

The group of protesters in …

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Just about the same time the sun showed up, the power went out, spoiling Memorial Day fun for many Tacoma residents.

A “major equipment failure” at a Tacoma Public Utilities substation cut power to some 10,000 homes and businesses in the city’s Westgate neighborhood and surrounding areas in the city’s North and West ends for about four hours this afternoon.

Crews restored the electricity by about 5 p.m., utilities spokeswoman Chris Gleason said.

They were still trying to sort out what caused the outage, but there was some thought it might have been the result of a mylar balloon striking …

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Under a steady drizzle Friday afternoon, the campground at Dash Point State Park became an object lesson in the ancient Pacific Northwest art of tarp rigging.

Tarps covered bikes, tarps covered picnic tables, tarps covered tents, and some tarps even covered other tarps.

At one site, campers used the stick-in-the-mud method – propping a branch under the center of the tarp to allow proper drainage to the sides. At another site, the campers went with the classic A-frame. Many used the traditional four-point technique – stringing each corner to a nearby tree with a nylon cord, the tighter the better. …

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A proposal to build three skyscrapers in Federal Way will be subject of an open house Tuesday.

Representatives of Twin Development and the City of Federal Way will discuss the proposal from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 33325 Eighth Ave. S.

Twin Development is proposing to build three towers with a 1-acre park. Two towers would be 45 stories tall; the third would be 35 stories. The new project at 31600 20th Ave. S. is estimated to cost more than $300 million – with 150 hotel rooms and 550 condos as well as office and retail space.

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Calling it the “day we’ve all been waiting for,” managers of the planned LeMay car museum have announced the schedule for groundbreaking ceremonies for the Tacoma Dome facility.

First will come a ceremony at the Tacoma Dome between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m on Thursday, June 10. Then the museum will host an open house and party between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at 3701 20th St. E in Fife.

The news that triggered the scheduling was the final authorization of a key funding piece for the museum – New Market Tax Credits. The Tacoma City Council approved the …

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Most state-run liquor stores will be open on Memorial Day on Monday.

The open state stores will open at their normal time of either 10 a.m. or 11 a.m., and close at 7 p.m. The stores at the following locations will be available for business:

7048 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
6820 19th St. W., Tacoma
2627 N. Pearl St., Tacoma
10417 Canyon Rd. E., Puyallup
515 S. Meridian, Puyallup
5700 100th St. SW Suite 470, Lakewood

For a complete list, visit http://www.liq.wa.gov/releases

Contract liquor stores may also be open. Please contact contract stores directly for …

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The three-day weekend will offer plenty of opportunities to get out of the house, if you can pull yourself away from the zoo’s newborn tiger video.

Before you go anywhere, check out these traffic charts to find the best times to travel (hint: 5 a.m.). The five-day forecast calls for temperatures in the 60s, although keep an umbrella nearby.

There’s no shortage of festivals, with Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle and Sasquatch Festival at The Gorge. Closer to home (assuming you don’t live in George, Wash.), there’s the Tacoma Jazz & …

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Fresh in from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, here’s a video feed of the new Sumatran tiger cubs and mom.

Here is Jeff Mayor’s earlier story about the new additions.

Jaya, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s 6-year-old Sumatran tiger, is a mom.

Zoo officials are watching as she cares for two tiger cubs after giving birth on Tuesday. This is Jaya’s first litter.

A third cub died during birth.

Zoo staffers have seen the cubs only via a video surveillance camera inside the

…

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