Washington State

Stevan Dozier was 25 when he punched a woman in the face to snatch her purse, another episode in the cash-for-crack crime wave that plagued America's big cities during the 1980s. Over the next eight years, he would be arrested three more times for the same thing. But just before his last conviction, Washington in 1993 became the first state to pass a law requiring criminals with three serious felony convictions to spend the rest of their lives in prison. California followed suit the next year, and 24 other states now have similar laws.

WASHINGTON - President Obama's affirmation of same-sex marriage sets up four state battles over gay unions as important tests of whether his stand - and changing public perceptions - will combine to reverse a long string of defeats at the ballot box. Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state are expected to decide in November whether to allow gay marriage. Despite growing public support for such unions, opponents have won almost every time the question has come before voters.

The race for governor of Washington state was still up for grabs Wednesday, with state Atty. Gen. Christine Gregoire hanging on to a narrow lead over Republican candidate Dino Rossi. But the final results may be days away. Rossi is hoping to become the state's first governor from his party in 24 years. But his edge over Gregoire on Wednesday morning was erased when several thousand more votes from the Seattle area were counted.

Somewhere, Tony Soprano is having a good, long laugh. New Jersey is a state whose reputation for corruption has been immortalized in film, TV and in song by Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi alike. So there's just one question after learning that a new study puts New Jersey at the top of a State Integrity Investigation's ranking of the nation's states in terms of transparency and accountability to citizens. Who'd officials pay off? Actually, all bad jokes aside, New Jersey's long history of corruption has led to a litany of reforms in recent years.

Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a wildfire emergency in Washington state Thursday as firefighters scrambled to keep up with new lightning-sparked fires while battling half a dozen large blazes already burning in the eastern part of the state. More thunderstorms with lightning were forecast for today, raising fears that fire crews could be stretched even more if new fires start.

Wind-driven waves seriously damaged a dockside restaurant and disrupted ferry service Tuesday while a motorist was killed by a falling tree on nearby Whidbey Island. The storm hit the entire state, blowing dust from the fields in eastern Washington and reducing visibility to zero in some areas. Winds gusted above 70 mph in eastern Washington and topped 50 mph in the northwest part of the state.

A cow that wandered into traffic near a freeway shopping mall was killed by Spokane County sheriff's deputies who repeatedly stunned it with a Taser. "We're not cowboys. I don't believe we have any rodeo champions on staff," spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan said of the deputies' decision to repeatedly "zap" the animal Wednesday after efforts to restrain it failed. The cow was among three that escaped from a field near the Spokane Valley Mall.

Presidential candidate Ralph Nader won a spot Wednesday on the November ballot in Washington state but suffered setbacks in his effort to be listed on Michigan, Oregon and Texas ballots. The secretary of state's office in Washington said Nader would be listed as an independent after he submitted 1,983 signatures. The minimum required is 1,000. Also Wednesday, a federal judge rejected Nader's claims that Texas' tough ballot-access requirements for independent candidates are unconstitutional.

Washington state said it will take over Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s workers' compensation program, accusing the retail giant of failing to pay proper benefits to injured workers. In seven years of managing its own claims in Washington, Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, had been warned and fined repeatedly, but still underpaid wages and benefits to injured workers and failed to accept some accident reports, state labor officials said. A spokesman for Bentonville, Ark.

President Bush sharply curtailed television advertising in Washington state this week, a sign that national Republicans may be privately conceding the state's 11 electoral votes. With California already being counted in the Democratic column, the apparent Bush pullback from Washington would leave Oregon as the last competitive state on the West Coast in the presidential race. It would also strengthen Democratic nominee John F. Kerry's presumed electoral base.

The call would soon become agonizingly familiar: A 28-year-old Army specialist from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, recently home from Afghanistan, had walked into a parking garage in Salt Lake City with a full set of body armor, ammunition clips and his AR-15 rifle. Five weeks before the 2010 incident, Spc. Brandon Barrett had gone absent without leave after a drunk driving arrest near the sprawling military base in Washington state and had begun sending ominous messages to friends. "About to show the world they shouldn't [mess]

USC needed a win or two in the Pacific Life Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament to bolster its slim postseason hopes. But after a 69-55 loss to Washington State during Thursday's quarterfinal round at the Galen Center, USC's chances of making the NCAA tournament were downgraded to hopeless. Measured by seeding differential, the third-seeded Trojans' loss to the 11th-seeded Cougars marked the biggest upset in tournament history, besting the 2002 upset by seventh-seeded Oregon against second-seeded Washington.

The Pac-12Conference announced its all-conference, all-freshman and all-defensive teams Tuesday and no USC players were among the honorees . USC finished 1-17 in conference play and enters this week's Pac-12 tournament with a 6-25 record. "If you don't win, you don't get anything," USC Coach Kevin O'Neill said. "That's just the way it is. " Awards and all-conference teams are chosen through a vote of league coaches, who cannot vote for their own players. O'Neill said he thought sophomore guard Maurice Jones and Byron Wesley were worthy of recognition.

MEN at UC Riverside 72, UC Irvine 69 (OT): Three players scored in double figures as the Highlanders won an overtime thriller. The Highlanders (14-16, 7-9) led by 10 points at halftime, but the Anteaters (11-19, 6-10) tied the score with seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, UC Riverside built a seven point lead but Irvine closed to within a point, 70-69, with one second left. The Highlanders' Phil Martin was fouled on the inbounds pass, made both free throws to make it 72-69, and the Anteaters missed on a desperation heave at the buzzer.

  Mitt Romney won Washington state's GOP caucuses Saturday, giving him a welcome tail wind as he heads into the Super Tuesday presidential contests. The former Massachusetts governor led from early on after a day of caucusing by Washington voters. Texas Rep. Ron Paulappeared headed for second place, ahead of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who barely contested the state, was a distant fourth. "The voters of Washington have sent a signal that they do not want a Washington insider in the White House," Romney said in a victory statement issued by his campaign.

This was therapeutic … or maybe UCLA's basketball players have just become numb to upheaval. In a season that has lurched from one hot spot to another, the Bruins had a uncomplicated evening. Beating Washington State, 78-46, Thursday night at the Sports Arena was more than a Pac-12 Conference victory. It was 40 minutes without incident. “We just needed a win,” guard Lazeric Jones said. The Bruins have walked on coals since before the season began. Jerime Anderson, their senior point guard, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft before the season.

Hoping to lure disgruntled visitors back to the state's parks, the Washington House of Representatives has voted to repeal a highly unpopular $5 parking fee blamed for driving away millions of people. Democratic House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler said the 3-year-old fee was a failed experiment after nearly a century of free access in Washington. During the first two years, the money was used to whittle away a $350-million maintenance backlog.

Washington state investigators say five children 7 to 16 years old have been found dead in a Graham-area home and they may have been killed by their father. Pierce County sheriff's investigators told the News Tribune that the children apparently were homicide victims. Spokesman Ed Troyer said the father, 35, was discovered dead Saturday afternoon in neighboring King County. Deputies were called to check on the welfare of the children at a mobile home park after the father's body was found.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Clippers General Manager Neil Olshey were among the NBA scouts that made the Galen Center seem a little less empty Thursday night. The executives and other talent evaluators, mostly absent during this debacle of a season for USC, were apparently intrigued by the chance to watch Washington and NBA prospects such as sophomore guard Terrence Ross. Maybe they'll be back more often in the next few years to take a closer look at USC's Byron Wesley.

at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 69, UC Davis 56: David Hanson had 16 points and 11 rebounds to help the Mustangs end a three-game losing streak. Dylan Royer scored 14 points and Chris Eversley had 13 for the Mustangs (16-14, 7-8 Big West). at UC Santa Barbara 76, Pacific 61: James Nunnally scored 28 points and made six three-pointers to lead the Gauchos (17-9, 11-4 Big West), who moved into a second-place tie with idle Cal State Fullerton in the conference standings. WOMEN at Washington State 76, UCLA 65: Rosetta Adzasu scored 14 points to lead four Cougars in double figures.