NEWS BRIEFS: Man in PA brandishes knife, escapes … and other items

PORT ANGELES — A man who brandished a knife after being told he wasn’t allowed at a downtown Chevron escaped police Tuesday.

Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith said the man, wearing a bandana, took off on a bike and was chased by an employee at the 402 Marine Drive gas station.

He said it was reported at 11:16 a.m.

“Witnesses observed him being chased by a Chevron store employee all the way up to Oak Street,” he said.

Smith said it was unknown if the brandishing was related to the Monday night armed robbery across the street at Jackpot Food Mart, 331 W. First St.

Forum tonight

PORT ANGELES — The League of Women Voters of Clallam County will sponsor a free public forum featuring candidates for Port Angeles City Council Positions 1 and 2 at 6:30 p.m. today.

The forum will be in the commissioners meeting room (160) at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. The after-hours entrance is to the west of the main courthouse entrance.

Candidates for Position 1 are James “Jim” Moran, Todd Negus and Marolee Smith. Candidates for Position 2 are incumbent Lee Whetham and opponents Mike French and Jacob Oppelt.

Audience members are encouraged to bring questions for the candidates. Candidates for other offices who are in attendance will be invited to introduce themselves at the conclusion of the forum, after which there will be time for a one-on-one question-and-answer session with all candidates.

These two Port Angeles City Council races will appear on the Aug. 1 primary ballot.

2 injured in ONP

PORT ANGELES — Hurricane Ridge Road just outside the Olympic National Park’s Heart o’ the Hills entrance gate was blocked for more than an hour Tuesday morning after the driver of a Dodge pickup hit several trees before plunging 45-50 feet down an embankment, injuring the vehicle’s two occupants.

Stacy Dyar-Brown of Sequim and Mark Major, a Bremerton resident who is living in the Port Angeles area, were transported to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles for treatment, Penny Wagner, Olympic National Park acting spokeswoman, said late Tuesday afternoon.

An Olympic Medical Center spokeswoman said that the two were treated and discharged.

Wagner said Hurricane Ridge Road was blocked about two-tenths of a mile north of the park’s main entrance from about 9:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. while Dyar-Brown was extricated with Jaws of Life apparatus and the vehicle was extracted by a tow truck.

She said the call reporting the wreck was at 8:05 a.m. Both occupants denied driving the vehicle, Wagner said.

Wagner said traffic at the entrance was diverted to Lake Dawn Road and turned around at the mishap site.

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