Mereja

Author: Sean Patterson

  • Japan Mayor Apologizes For Sex Slaves Comments

    Earlier this month, Osaka, Japan Mayor and co-leader of the Japan Restoration Party, Toru Hashimoto caused controversy by referring Japan’s policy of providing “comfort women” to soldiers in World War II as “necessary.” The women he referred to were taken from surrounding countries, such as China and Korea, and forced into sex slavery during the war. He had last year claimed that there is no evidence that the Japanese military was involved in the enslavement of these women.

    This morning, Hashimoto called a press conference to explain his remarks and offer an apology. According to an AFP report, Hashimoto spoke for nearly three hours to the foreign press, defending his comments and accusing other countries of sex slavery as well.

    Hashimoto spent much of his address defending his comments, repeating that it is “unclear” that Japan or the Japanese military officially provided comfort women. He also accused other countries, such as the U.S., Britain, France, the U.S.S.R, and Germany of doing the same during World War II, though through less official means, such as private businessmen who operated wartime brothels. Hashimoto also stated that, no matter how it was provided, World War II sex slavery was wrong.

    Hashimoto also took the opportunity to walk back his comments to the U.S. military stationed in Okinawa. According to the AFP report, he had previously encouraged U.S. commanders to allow soldiers to partake in Japan’s licensed sex shops, in order to lessen crimes committed by those soldiers. Back in March, two U.S. Navy sailors were convicted of raping and robbing a woman in Okinawa.

  • Amanda Bynes’ Arrest Response: ‘I’m Suing Everybody’

    Last Thursday, former child actress Amanda Bynes was arrested at her Manhattan apartment after allegedly throwing a bong out of her window. The police had been called after the Nickelodeon star had allegedly been smoking marijuana in the lobby of her building. She was taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and then taken to jail. On Friday, Bynes was released without bail and is now scheduled to appear in court again in July.

    Now, Bynes is using her Twitter account to lash out at everyone – the NYPD, the press, and even her own parents. Though Bynes has become infamous for her Twitter rants over the past few months, her latest claims are easily some of her most grandiose and serious.

    Bynes began her rants this weekend by denying the NYPD’s version of her arrest. She denies throwing anything out of her apartment window and claims that she doesn’t drink or do drugs:

    “This is all false! Nothing was thrown out the widow! They asked if a vase was a bong to which I replied, no, that’s a vase. I’m very close friends with Nikki Blonsky, we chat all the time! Stop writing pathetic articles about me! E isn’t run by beauty queens like me! I’ve met you all! You’re a bunch of drug users and alcoholics! I don’t drink or do drugs! Get your story straight!”

    She followed up her denial by accusing the NYPD of illegally entering her apartment and sexually assaulting her. She then shifts to accusing her parents of money laundering and “unethical manager work,” and states that she is suing them:

    “To say I wasn’t offended being treated like a mental insane person/criminal on the night the cops illegally entered my apartment, found nothing, sexually assaulted me, then arrested me taking me to a mental hospital, then locking me up all night for no wrong doing us criminal on THEIR part. My lawyer and I are taking this mistake extremely seriously! You cannot illegally enter my apartment then take me to mental hospital without any grounds. I have never been so offended in my life. They found nothing criminal on me or around me, one cop then sexually assaulted me, so I’m suing for all of the above! I’ll be happy when I get money compensation from the cop who assaulted me and NYPD for wrongfully arresting me and having me put into a mental hospital and jail overnight! I don’t want to keep talking about it. My lawyer is taking care of it for me. My real friends don’t talk about me on twitter. Also, never trust or listen to a word any person from my family says to the press. I am suing them for money laundering/unethical manager work, I never signed a contract with them, and they had been stealing my money without me knowing, claiming they were managing me somehow when they have no right to act as if they did anything to help or enhance my career and I want $ back that I earned on my own. I’m 27 and don’t like when press talks to my parents. My parents are almost 70 years old. We are no longer on speaking terms. I would rather them be homeless than live off of my money.”

    Bynes’ latest Twitter rant again accuses the NYPD of lying about her arrest, and states that she will be suing the police. She also took the opportunity to talk about what she hopes will be in her future: another nose job, appearances in music videos, and “a long and wonderful career as a singer/rapper.”

    “For once and for all, this is the last thing I’ll say about the mistaken arrest. I’m suing NYPD for illegally entering my apartment, lying about drugs on me and lying about me tampering with non existent drug paraphernalia, then I’m suing for being put into a mental hospital against my will, then locked up overnight for coming home after a facial and working out with my trainer like the good girl that I am. I’m allergic to alcohol and drugs and don’t partake in any of the above. I’m so offended by all of this but so proud to not be a drug or alcohol user. I don’t need to talk about this anymore. My lawyer and I are taking this offense so seriously! Everything they did was against the law and The judge saw that there was no drugs on me or proof of any type of bong or mental illness (I was so offended to even be taken to a mental hospital and they would not let me call my lawyer until the next day after being in jail all night, then I went to court and was immediately released because the judge saw that I was wrongly arrested. The cops found no proof of any type of drug use or evidence of drug paraphernalia such as a bong in or around my apartment) I’m also suing my apartment complex for lying about me smoking in my building. I’m free forever! You can’t lock up an innocent person! Thanks for caring! Look forward to seeing me in music videos! I’m getting in shape and getting a nose job! I’m looking forward to a long and wonderful career as a singer/rapper!”

  • Maine B-52 Crash Remembered by Survivor, Rescuer

    On January 24, 1963, a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber training flight carrying a crew of nine crashed into Elephant Mountain in Maine. There were only two survivors of the crash, the pilot, Lt. Col. Dan Bulli, and the navigator, Capt. Gerald Adler (pictured). Both survived a night in freezing temperatures that reached -30°F while rescue workers searched for survivors throughout the night. In the morning, rescuers were able to use dog sleds, snowmobiles, and aircraft to locate the fallen airmen.

    This week, over 50 years after the incident, one of the crash’s survivors has finally come face-to-face with his rescuer.

    According to an Associated Press report, the now 81-year-old Adler this week met with Eugene Slabinski, the 83-year-old former medic who rescued Adler and Bulli all those years ago. Slabinski was a part of the first rescue team to reach Adler and Bulli the morning after the crash. According to the AP report, Slabinski dropped from a helicopter and helped to airlift the surviving airmen to safety.

    The reunion came at a Memorial Day remembrance that took place at the site of the B-52 crash.

    Adler stated to the AP that his experience highlights the fact that a military career can be dangerous, even out of combat. His comments are particularly poignant, coming just weeks after a Navy SEAL died during a training exercise at Fort Knox. Two Navy divers also died earlier this year, drowning during a training exercise in a test pond at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

  • Billy Joel: Depression, Drinking Caused by 9/11

    Just over one decade ago, singer Billy Joel entered rehab for a drinking problem. He followed that up with trip to the Betty Ford Center in 2005. Now, Joel is opening up about his depression, his drinking, and why he was using alcohol to self-medicate.

    In a new interview with the New York Times, the New York native told the newspaper that he used to drink during difficult times in his life, such as during his multiple divorces. He stated that he would use alcohol as a medication for his depression. Joel admitted he would drink scotch, or vodka when things got really bad, and that he still occasionally has a glass of wine.

    Of his trips to rehab, Joel said he doesn’t “subscribe to 12-step stuff” and that he believes he simply “overdid it” sometimes. He emphasized that his multiple car accidents in the early 00s were not drinking-related and that he has never had a DUI. Instead, he said that he was in “kind of a mental fog” and a “deep, deep depression” brought on by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Joel, from the interview:

    “9/11 just knocked the wind out of me, and I don’t know even now if I’ve recovered from it. It really, really hurt that man could do that to man. And then there was a breakup with somebody, and it took me a while to get me back on my feet again.”

  • Ed Shaughnessy Dies; Tonight Show Drummer Was 84

    Tonight Show drummer Ed Shaughnessy has died at the age of 84. According to a Los Angeles Times obituary, Shaughnessy suffered a heart attack on May 24 at his home in Calabasas, California.

    Shaughnessy grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey in the 1930s and began playing drums while in his teens. He soon began playing jazz drums in New York City and became a staff musician at CBS in the 1950s. He also became a well-known big band drummer, playing with stars such as Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey.

    In 1963, Shaughnessy joined the Tonight Show Band, playing drums throughout the show’s Johnny Carson years. He played for most of his tenure at the Tonight Show under bandleader Doc Severinsen.

    After Jay Leno took over for Carson on the Tonight Show in 1992, Shaughnessy continued teaching drumming privately and at clinics throughout the U.S.

    One of Shaughnessy’s career highlights was a 1978 drumming “competition” on the Tonight Show against another legendary drummer, Buddy Rich. The moment went on to become one of the Carson-era Tonight Show’s most memorable moments:

  • Michael Clarke Duncan’s Grave Defaced, Artist Claims No Racism Intended

    In July 2012, actor Michael Clarke Duncan was taken to a Los Angeles hospital after suffering a heart attack. Duncan was placed in intensive care for weeks before passing away on September 3, 2012 at the age of just 54. His girlfriend at the time of his death, reality TV star Omarosa Manigault, called Duncan the love of her life.

    This week, reports surfaced that someone had defaced the Green Mile actor’s grave with a racist image. According to a TMZ report, a friend of Duncan’s visited his grave this week and found a smiley face attached to the grave that looked suspiciously similar to a depiction of a Little Black Sambo.

    However, it now appears that the smiley face was not intended as a racist slight against Duncan. LAist is now reporting that the object was left by an artist named Lisa Albanese. Albanese has stated that she did not intend to offend anyone and that she is “in shock and saddened” by the reaction her art has caused. She reportedly routinely leaves the smiley faces at celebrity grave sites and in other places around L.A., as she notes in a Facebook post from 2011.

    Duncan was best known for his roles in movies such as The Green Mile, Armageddon, and Daredevil.

  • Obama Forgot to Salute, Apologized to Soldier

    President Barack Obama has certainly had a lot on his mind recently. House Republicans have recently been holding hearings on the Benghazi attacks, while two new scandals have rocked the current administration. One involves the IRS targeting new tax-exempt Tea Party-affiliated groups for additional scrutiny, while the other involves the Justice Department’s seizure of journalist’s phone records as part of a leak investigation.

    It’s no surprise, then, that simple etiquette slipped the U.S. president’s mind this week.

    A video of the President boarding boarding Marine One went viral this week. In it, Obama can be seen striding confidently into the helicopter- bypassing the U.S. marine stationed at the helicopter’s entrance without so much as a nod. It is traditional for presidents to salute soldiers as they board.

    As seen in the video, the President quickly realized his mistake and doubled back to apologize to the soldier:

    What makes the gaffe slightly ironic is that the President was on his way to the U.S. Naval Academy to speak at a graduation ceremony. During his address, Obama praised the U.S. military, calling it “the most trusted institution in America.”

    Despite the Obama administration’s recent bad press, the President’s approval ratings remain high. Americans polled recently did state, however, that issues such as the IRS scandal are important to them.

    Obama will have a chance to take is mind off of things in late summer, when he is expected to join First Lady Michelle Obama and the couple’s two daughters for a vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.

  • Goldie Hawn at 67: Charity, Cycling, and Grandchildren

    Goldie Hawn gained fame in the 70s, 80s, and 90s as a comedic actress in movies such as Overboard and Death Becomes Her. The 67-year-old actress may have put aside her acting career a decade ago, but she is still making the rounds in Hollywood circles.

    Since stepping aside and allowing her daughter, Kate Hudson, to take over the family acting business, Hawn has kept herself busy lending her name and image to charity. According to a Los Angeles Times report, the 67-year-old actress was spotted just this week at a charity event in Cannes, France, where the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival is being held.

    Hawn attended the Foundation for AIDS Research’s (amfAR) annual Cinema Against AIDS charity auction. She was joined by stars such as Zachary Quinto, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Renner, Adrien Brody, Christoph Waltz, and amfAR Ambassador Janet Jackson. AmfAR has stated that this year’s auction raised $25 million for HIV and AIDS research.

    When she’s not lending her name to AIDS research, the retired actress spends time with her longtime boyfriend of 30 years, Kurt Russell, as well as her children and grandchildren. She is also an avid cyclist. Hawn chronicles her love of cycling through her Twitter feed, and also shows that she still has a sense of humor:

    (Image courtesy amfAR)

  • Flynn Robinson, Former Laker, Dies At 72

    Flynn Robinson, an NBA guard in the 60s and 70s, has died at the age of 72.

    According to a New York Times obituary, Robinson passed away after a battle with multiple myeloma. He died on Thursday in Los Angeles.

    Robinson played college basketball at the University of Wyoming before being drafted in the second round of the 1965 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals. He played for seven years in the NBA, never staying with one team for more than two consecutive seasons. He hopped around the country, playing for the Royals, the Chicago Bulls, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Baltimore Bullets.

    Robinson was part of the legendary 1971-72 Lakers, which won the 1972 NBA Finals. The Lakers organization has issued a statement on the athlete’s passing, expressing condolences and calling him “a proud part of our Lakers heritage.”

    “We are very sad to hear of the passing of Flynn Robinson,” said Jeanie Buss, Lakers EVP of business operations. “Flynn played an important role on the 1971-72 Lakers team that brought Los Angeles its first NBA Championship and won what is still an NBA-record 33 consecutive games. Lakers fans might remember him as ‘Mr. Instant Point,’ a nickname given to him by the great Chick Hearn, a nickname that was well earned as Flynn led the reserves in scoring that season, averaging 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench. He was a proud part of our Lakers heritage, participating in numerous reunions and special events over the years and he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time.”

    (Image courtesy the Los Angeles Lakers)

  • Amanda Bynes Arrested: Pictures, Video Released

    On Thursday evening, former child actress Amanda Bynes was arrested after creating a disturbance at her Manhattan apartment. Bynes was allegedly smoking marijuana in the lobby of her building, causing the doorman to call police. When police arrived, Bynes allegedly fled to her apartment and flung a bong out of a window. She was arrested, taken to Roosevelt Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, and then booked on charges of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, and possession of marijuana.

    Since that time, Bynes has had a preliminary hearing on the charges. The actress faced a judge while wearing the disheveled blonde wig she has been showing off on Twitter for months. Bynes’ lawyer stated during the hearing that the actress denies ever throwing anything out of her window.

    The former Nickelodeon actress was released without bail and is scheduled to appear in court again in July. Bynes is already on probation for driving on a suspended license in California.

    TMZ has also been able to obtain a mugshot (http://www.tmz.com/2013/05/24/amanda-bynes-mug-shot-shaved-head-arrest-bong/) for Bynes, which shows how short her hair is without her extravagant wigs.

  • Couple Stabbing Occurs Over ‘American Idol’ Argument

    A couple in York, Pennsylvania have been arrested for stabbing each other during an argument over Fox network TV karaoke contest American Idol.

    According to a report from the York Dispatch, 48-year-old Karen Harrelson and 57-year-old Gregory Stambaugh were drinking and watching American Idol on May 15 at Stambaugh’s home. They then began arguing over which contestant should win the competition – Candice Glover or Kree Harrison. York police believe one of them then grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed the other, prompting the person stabbed to grab the knife and stab back.

    It is not clear which of the two stabbed the other first. Also not clear is which of the two was arguing for Candice Glover, who ended up winning American Idol the following day.

    Stambaugh stated to police that Harrelson had retrieved the knife first, stabbed him and then ran off. He recalled that he then followed her and wrestled the knife away. Harrelson maintains that she retrieved the knife to cut a slice of cake, when Stambaugh attacked her and cut her with a different knife. She alleges that she then stabbed him with her knife before dialing 911.

    Both Harrelson and Stambaugh were arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

  • Ray Lewis to Climb Kilimanjaro For Charity

    Celebrities and athletes often hold events and donate their time for charity, but it’s not often that one will climb a mountain in the name of children.

    This week, Ray Lewis pledged to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for children in East Africa. More specifically, his “TackleKili” fund will raise money for clean water projects for children in Africa. As an incentive, Lewis will be giving away an autographed helmet to one random fan who donates or spreads the word about the fundraiser.

    The retired NFL linebacker and Super Bowl champion announced his intentions on Twitter and on his website, saying:

    In one month, I will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money and awareness for clean water projects in East Africa. I am so FIRED UP for this adventure, but until then, I need your help to bring clean water wells to thousands of children and families. Show your support by following my TackleKili journey, spreading the word, and donating to TackleKili. Each action you complete below earns you more entries to win my autographed helmet! Thank you for your support and good luck!

    To earn entries into the contest, fans can follow the new “TackleKili” Twitter or LockerDome pages (2 entries), or spread the word about it over Twitter (5 entries). Those who donate at least $10 to the fund can get 52 entries into the contest.

  • Tim Duncan Divorce Could be Put on Hold For Playoffs

    San Antonio Spurs basketball star Tim Duncan is reportedly in the midst of a divorce.

    According to a report from a local San Antonio news station, Duncan and his wife Amy are getting divorced after 13 years of marriage. The couple share two young children, one daughter and one son. The couple were reportedly trying to keep the divorce quiet by using their initials in court documents.

    The Spurs organization has stated that Duncan’s divorce will not affect the team or the NBA playoffs.

    A TMZ report has also cited court documents that state Duncan has requested the divorce proceedings be postponed until after after the NBA playoffs, which the Spurs stand a chance of winning. The report also shows that the divorce was filed by Duncan’s wife, who claims the marriage is full of “discord and conflict.” The couple allegedly has a prenuptial agreement that Duncan is attempting to enforce.

    (Image courtesy Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons)

  • 8.2 Quake Hits Eastern Russia, No Deaths Reported

    A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck in the Sea of Okhotsk of Friday. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the quake was located just off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, in the far eastern part of the country. The massive quake was followed by a smaller (but still very large) magnitude 6.8 aftershock further out in the Sea of Okhotsk.

    The quakes occurred deep in the Earth, with both centered at a depth of more than 600 km (about 372 miles). Neither the USGS’s West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center nor its Pacific Tsunami Warning Center have issued tsunami warnings connected to the Okhotsk quakes. No deaths have been reported as a result of the quakes.

    Several large earthquakes have been reported in the past two months. In April 2013, an 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Iran caused extensive damage to rural communities in neighboring Pakistan. That massive quake was followed within days by a quake in Papua new Guinea that was measured at magnitude 6.8, a quake in northern Japan that was measured at magnitude 7.2, and another Papua New Guinea quake measured at magnitude 6.4.

  • Hasselhoff Buys $2 Million Home in Calabasas, Joins the Gumball 3000 Rally

    David Hasselhoff has a brand new home, and it’s not located in Germany.

    According to a TMZ report, Hasselhoff has just bought a new mansion in Calabasas, California. The house is reported to have 5,767 feet of floor space, five bedrooms, and six bathrooms. It also has a basketball court and swimming pool. The price of the mansion was reportedly $1.95 million.

    The new house is smaller than Hasselhoff’s last home, and less expensive. The actor reportedly sold his larger house in Encino late last year for around $3.8 million.

    Hasselhoff is best-known for his acting roles in the TV shows Knight Rider and Baywatch. In Europe, he is also well-known for his music albums and for staging a concert on top of the Berlin Wall on New Year’s Eve 1989. The star recently urged his fans to sign a petition to save a section of the Berlin Wall that is one of the last pieces of the wall to remain standing.

    Hasslehoff is currently participating in the Gumball 3000 rally in Europe, where he is drawing crowds of tens of thousands of people:

  • Snapple Founder Dies; Leonard Marsh Was 80

    Leonard Mars, a co-founder of beverage company Snapple, has died at the age of 80.

    According to a New York Times obituary, Marsh died on Tuesday, March 21 at his home in Long Island, New York. The cause of his death has not been released.

    Marsh grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and began his career selling chicken eggs. Marsh founded the Unadulterated Food Products company in 1972 with his brother-in-law and a friend. According to the Times, the company sold fruit juice to health food stores. Marsh and his colleagues operated the business as a part-time venture while also holding down jobs as window-washers. The company changed its name to Snapple in 1980 and introduced its famous line of bottled iced tea in 1987.

    In 1994, Snapple was bought by the Quaker Oats Company. Marsh stayed with Snapple as an executive vice president. Snapple is now owned by the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, based in Plano, Texas.

  • Amanda Seyfried Talks About Her Dog & Boobs on Ellen

    Amanda Seyfried has become a breakout star in recent years, with roles in movies such as Chloe, Lovelace, and Les Misérables. This week, the actress went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about her dog and her breasts.

    On the topic of her dog, Seyfried stated that she is a bit obsessive about her dog, Finn.

    “I got him cast in his first movie,” said Seyfried. “I can’t really talk about his character, but it’s gonna shoot in September and I’m really excited about it, he’s really excited about it.

    On the topic of her breasts, Seyfried commented that she thinks she looked better when she was a teenager, before coming to Hollywood and losing weight, a good portion of which apparently came out of her boobs.

    “I looked way better when I was 15,” said Seyfried. “I had beautiful huge breasts and then I came to Hollywood and I was like, ‘I gotta lose weight, I gotta look thin and fit,’ and I lost ‘em a little bit.”

    Seyfried’s breasts were a joke in her first movie role, in the Tina Fey movie Mean Girls. Her character, Karen Smith, believed that her chest could predict the weather.

  • Catherine Zeta-Jones is Home After Bipolar Treatment

    Last month, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones announced that she would be receiving treatment for her bipolar disorder. Earlier this week her husband, Michael Douglas, revealed that the Traffic Actress should be done with treatment this week.

    Now it appears that Zeta-Jones has returned to normal life. According to a People magazine report, the actress was spotted driving her car in New York City on Tuesday.

    Zeta-Jones came forward about her struggle with bipolar back in December 2012. She stated at the time that it’s “not easy” to deal with, but reassured fellow sufferers that it can be controlled. When entering treatment earlier this year she also stated that “millions” of people suffer just as she does, but that they should not be ashamed to seek help.

    Bipolar disorder, once known as manic depression, is a mood disorder characterized by extremely intense mood swings. When experiencing a mania, symptoms can include insomnia, grandiosity, delusions, paranoia, racing thoughts, and inappropriate behavior. Sufferers have described the feeling as thoughts racing through their head too fast to fully comprehend, and seemingly without end. Following a manic episode, bipolar sufferers can fall into a deep depression, often intensified by guilt or embarrassment over their actions while manic.

    (Image courtesy David Shankbone/Wikimedia Commons)

  • 14-Year-Old Girl Covers Van Halen’s ‘Eruption’

    On Monday, a girl named Tina S. posted a video of herself playing guitar to YouTube. Not especially uncommon for the website, but the video this week has received nearly 3 million views.

    What makes Tina’s video special is that she’s covering Van Halen’s “Eruption,” often cited as one of the best and most difficult guitar solos in history. Also special is the fact that she nails it:

    While her peers were no doubt developing their Guitar Hero video game skills, Tina was learning to play the real thing. Her YouTube account shows that she’s been playing guitar for years – at least since she was nine years old. Past videos show her covering The Eagles, Bon Jovi, and Guns N’ Roses.

    Eddie Van Halen has not yet commented on the girl’s prowess. However, Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen, the current bassist for Van Halen, has praised Tina via his Twitter account:

  • I-5 Bridge Collapses in Washington State, Three Cars Plunge Into River

    A bridge crossing the Skagit River in Northwest Washington State collapsed on Thursday, sending three vehicles into the river and injuring three people.

    According to a report from Seattle’s local Fox affiliate, a bridge along I-5 about 60 miles north of Seattle collapsed, sending vehicles into the Skagit River 50 feet blow. People in those vehicles were reported to have climbed on top of their cars to stay out of the water. The injured persons are all reported to have survived with only minor injuries.

    A Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) cited witnesses as saying the cause of the bridge collapse was an oversized load truck that struck the bridge, though the official cause of the collapse is still under investigation. The department has closed both directions of traffic on the I-5 in Skagit County, and is advising locals on possible detour routes. The National Transportation Safety Board will also be investigating the collapse, after which the WSDOT will remove the broken bridge and replace it.

    (Image courtesy the Washington State Department of Transportation)