Two local stories

From the Bellingham Herald this morning:

First -- I would have liked to have seen this (link):

Semi hauling chemicals overturns on northbound I-5
A semi truck hauling liquid nitrogen crashed and overturned on Interstate 5 about 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, in the northbound lane near the Lakeway exit, spewing a white chemical cloud onto both sides of the freeway.

Nitrogen comprises about 70% of the air we breathe so the (airquotes)chemicals(airquotes) designation is just fear factor and this wasn't dangerous except for the minute chance of asphyxiation -- still, that would have been a spectacular cloud!

Second is a tale of some local families (link):

Whatcom Sheriff: Stolen property trafficking ring 'dismantled,' five arrested
Five people have been arrested in connection with a series of break-ins north of Custer last week, and the Whatcom County sheriff says the arrests have "dismantled" a crime organization bent on trafficking in stolen property.

Last week's burglary spree ended when Navarone Randmel, 22, was shot once in the back with a .357-caliber Magnum by a homeowner as he tried to break into a garage in the 2900 block of Behme Road, said Sheriff Bill Elfo.

Randmel later fled the hospital, against the advice of doctors, and was at-large for a week.

He was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 20, along with his cousin, Guy Harlin Hovander, 34, on charges that they had been involved in the Sept. 13 burglary of about $200,000 to $300,000 in property - including firearms, antiques and refrigerators - from a house in the 2100 block of Burk Road.

As Randmel was being arrested, he tried to hide a stash of heroin from deputies, according to the sheriff's office. He also had a syringe and less than 40 grams of marijuana concealed in his underwear.

During the investigation, which Elfo said had grown "very complex," deputies served a search warrant on a trailer in the 1800 block of H Street Road, east of Blaine. Other trailers "loaded" with stolen items were found at the property, which also was the residence of Lawrence Michael Wasisco, 45, who was wanted on an unrelated felony charge.

Wasisco was arrested Sept. 14 on suspicion of second-degree possession of stolen property, trafficking in stolen property and obstructing law enforcement. His Facebook page lists him as the owner of a Ferndale second-hand store, Treasure Hunt, at 2009 Main St., under the name "Mike Wasisco."

Another pair of suspected traffickers, Austin Markusen, 36, and Krista Janine Wieandt, 24, were searched and arrested at their home in the 3900 block of Bay Road. They had jewelry, electronics and other items taken from the Burk Road home, according to the sheriff's office.

And a perfect example of why there is a push to unseat the Police Chief:

That evening, Randmel went to a house on Behme Road and asked the husband and wife who lived there to use the phone, Elfo said. He refused to answer questions and acted suspicious, so the wife went inside and grabbed a .357-caliber Magnum.

When she came back, Elfo said, she saw Randmel trying to push past her husband and into the garage, so she fired several rounds, hitting him in the back once. He was found in the roadway by deputies minutes later and taken to the hospital.

After having surgery, he was able to leave the hospital "against medical advice," Elfo said, because deputies who interviewed him at the hospital had not yet established for certain that he was involved in the earlier burglary.

They let the guy go even though he was in the hospital for a gunshot wound and he received that wound as he tried to invade the home. Kudos to the wife for trying to dispatch the goblin...

The name Hovander may be familiar -- that branch of the family is thoroughly rotten. I posted here and here. Guy is the son of Starr and Steve Hovander.