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In Pierce County, a backburn is underway in the woods near the Bonney Lake Fred Meyer location.

This is a part of the effort to fully contain two wildfires that broke out late Thursday morning in a wooded greenbelt behind the shopping center.

No buildings are believed to be threatened.

The brush fire behind Safeway on SR 410 in is contained. To help reduce excess fuels, crews will begin back burning. Increased fire column smoke may be visible.

— East Pierce Fire (@EastPierceFire)

New COVID-19 boosters available tomorrow

The new style COVID-19 boosters will be available in our area by Friday.

King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin says the virus remains unpredictable and he recommends another shot.

“Every day in King County in the past 30 days, people that are not fully vaccinated are seven times more likely to hospitalized and 10 times more likely to die then those that are boosted,” Duchin said.

The updated Moderna and Pfizer boosters are designed to protect against the original COVID-19 strain and the newer omicron variants.

Children 12 and older are only cleared to receive the new Pfizer booster.

³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio Headlines: Kent educators ratify contract, end strike

Kent buckles down on crime with three new ordinances

The Kent City Council passed three new ordinances cracking down on crime.

The first of which makes it will be illegal to sell spray paint to minors, an effort to reduce graffiti says the police chief.

Another ordinance cracks down on drug use in public and the last put an end to panhandling in the street.

All three ordinances go into effect Oct. 6, and retailers have to lock up spray paint for purchase by April of 2023.

Point Elliot Treaty plaque restored despite criticism from indigenous groups

The Point Elliott Treaty plaque was installed 91 years ago near the Rosehill Community Center and stolen 2 years ago.

It commemorates the 1855 hunting, fishing, and land agreement between the Puget Sound region’s Native tribes and the United States government.

The Duwamish Tribe exchanged land that makes up much of what is now King County, and say many of the treaty promises were never kept.

One Tulalip leader is quoted in the herald newspaper saying the plaque should have been updated with more modern language, instead of recreated.

Airtanker crashes into lake, pilot swims to shore

The Washington state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirms a helicopter crashed into a lake in southwest Washington Wednesday as it was assisting firefighters putting out the Kalama wildfire.

KOIN TV reports the chopper was dipping into Merrill Lake near Cougar, Washington when it crashed into the water shortly after 4 p.m.

The DNR says the pilot was the only person on board and was able to swim to shore, where they received a medical evaluation.

Rodeo Weekend kicks off at the Washington State Fair

A cattle drive is going through downtown Puyallup Friday Sept. 9. for the Western Rodeo Parade & Cattle Drive, which will close streets starting at 8 a.m.

Miss Washington will be grand marshal of the 10:00 p.m parade that will file down the historic district on Meridian to the State Fair grounds to kick off Rodeo Weekend.

Listen to ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio on 97.3 FM. Stream it live here.