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He was the sole survivor of a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan that killed seven of his comrades and their interpreter. Now, Corporal Roger Scherf, Jr. has also died, the victim of a car accident on an icy highway.

You may notice when listening to KPLU today that the fund drive sounds a little different. What’s going on? Well, because we know you like shorter fund drives and we do like to show gratitude to our listeners, we have given you back a day of regular programming smack in the middle of our spring fund drive!

If you have already supported our Spring Fund Drive thank you for you support! If you haven’t had a chance, you can show us how much you LOVE having a Fund Drive Free Friday by making a pledge here, without the on-air pitching!

Remember we can only have shorter fund drives because we are able to reach our fundraising goals. These goals are only met because of listeners like you who make it happen every time!

Enjoy your Friday, and thanks again for all you do for KPLU!

Record numbers of parents in the Northwest are seeking waivers from mandatory child immunization requirements. The trend alarms public health officials. They say it creates increased risk for disease outbreaks. Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are all moving to sway vaccine skeptics.

All U.S. states require parents to immunize their children before sending them to school.

The head of the Coeur d'Alene tribe in North Idaho is demanding an apology from Fox News. Today he learned he won't get one.

Last week on the morning show "Fox & Friends," Fox Business anchor John Stossel questioned the need for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

"There's no Bureau of Puerto Rican Affairs or Black Affairs or Irish Affairs. And no group in America has been more helped in by the government than the American Indians. Because we have the treaties, we stole their land. But 200 years later, no group does worse," says Stossel.

Most schools are used to working with children whose native language isn't English. In most of the Northwest and the nation, that means Spanish.

But in Spokane, immigrants from a remote set of South Pacific islands have sent schools scrambling to find translators for a language most of us have never heard of. It's called Marshallese. Turns out,  people from the Marshall Islands are leaving their tropical home for the Northwest in large numbers.

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes has filed a legal challenge to a citizen referendum on Seattle's proposed deep-bore waterfront tunnel.

Holmes has asked a judge to rule on whether the construction agreements between the city and the state that targeted by the referendum are “administrative actions” which can't be overturned by the vote. 

Making headlines around the Northwest this morning:

• Heavy Rains Coming Wednesday Trigger Flood Watch
• Pierce Transit Makes Some Deep Service Cuts Permanent
• King County Project Likely Culprit of Massive Sinkhole

Flood Watch Tomorrow for Western Washington

Heavy rains over the next few days have triggered a flood watch beginning tomorrow afternoon for many western Washington counties. The National Weather Service office in Seattle forecasts warmer temperatures as a very wet frontal system stalls over the region tonight and tomorrow, dumping rain and raising mountain freezing levels from 7,000 to 9,000 feet.