Snow's retreat leaves behind a slushy mess

As the rains returned and the temperatures rose into the 40s, Snohomish County's love-hate relationship with snowy landscapes is coming to an end--at least for January.

While the pristine white stuff is beautiful to look at, it's not so attractive to drivers. Many residents are dealing with power outages in addition to the slick roads, and now we have the threat of flooding in our soggy future.

Marysville man helps deliver fuel to icebound Alaska city

  People across the nation were captivated by the recent heroic effort of the Coast Guard icebreaker Healy to guide a fuel tanker to Nome, Alaska. With dramatic aerial photos of the two vessels inching through the thick ice, newscasters and web bloggers chronicled the arduous journey and the drama of the snowbound town that was awaiting the delivery of needed fuel.

A few local families followed the news more closely than the rest of us, anxious for their family members onboard the Healy to complete the mission and return home.

Petty Officer First Class John B. Carter II is one of those Marysville men. A kitchen manager, Carter has served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 21 years, and has been a crewmember aboard the Healy since 1995. He and his family moved to Marysville in 2004.

Other Marysville men also serving on the Healy are Miguel Uribarri IT1 (First Class Information Systems Technician) and Nicolas Orozco DC1 (First Class Damage Controlman).

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